American Horror Story: Delicate has finally premiered – and I have some spoiler-filled thoughts, so be warned if you haven't yet watched!
American Horror Story, the popular and long running Ryan Murphy TV show, has been freaking audiences out since 2011, with the twelfth and latest one premiering in September 2023. (We've had every season ranked.) As lover of horror myself, I have viewed every single season, with my favorite being the third, American Horror Story: Coven. Honestly, it's mainly because I love witches and anything fantasy – I didn't write the list for best fantasy shows for no reason. But besides that, this series has been one where the quality has ebbed and flowed. Some seasons have been utterly perfect, some have been less than that - *cough* Cult *cough* - but no matter what, I do still find plenty to enjoy.
It's why I was looking forward to American Horror Story: Delicate. From the trailers and the first looks, it looked to be an intriguing take on pregnancy and horror, something that has been tackled in AHS before, not to mention the horror genre in general. Plus, this season has plenty of returning stars to join new recruit Kim Kardashian. So, I obviously decided to watch the first episode when it aired, and I have thoughts.
AHS: Delicate Features The Most Unsettling Intro In Years
American Horror Story has always been known for its creepy intros. The theme music itself has stayed relatively the same, besides some speaker-rattling changes for the story of that season, but the background imagery is constantly changed up to match the show's theme.
The intro for American Horror Story: Delicate was one of the most unsettling I've experienced in years, probably since AHS: Coven, laying out a good mix of everyday objects smothered in blood and covered in other horrible substances that made me genuinely uncomfortable. And all that was mixed in with loads of medical equipment one would find in an OB-GYN's, such as a table with stirrups.
And that's the main point, of course. You want to be uncomfortable after each episode's col open, and I'll always applaud the team at AHS for doing something so creative each year.
I Like The Idea Of AHS Using Pregnancy As The Main Source Of Horror Again
As I said, this isn't the first time pregnancy has been used as a plot device in American Horror Story. We saw it in both the first season, Murder House, as well as Double Feature's first half. We've even seen pregnancy used in plenty of horror movies – one of the best horror movies ever, Rosemary's Baby, revolves entirely around that concept, and it's a clear inspiration for this season and its source material.
Even so, I genuinely love the idea of using it as the main storyline in this. Sure, it's been a part of the plot in the past, but it always felt more like just another character description rather than something that moves the inciting incident. In this, we are introduced to that topic in the first few minutes, and it sets the tone for the rest of the season.
Not only that, but pregnancy itself is scary and in the wrong hands, is capable of causing as much harm as good. As such, I can understand why it could be used quite successfully in a horror-scape such as this.
And The Inclusion Of Spiders Is A Great Scary Addition
I freaking love spiders. I don't know why. I would let a tarantula crawl all over me. I'm weird that way -- which is what makes this season so much fun for me already.
I feel like in American Horror Story, spiders have never been an intricate part of the web of stories we have been given, but from the first episode, we know it will play a significant role in this season. We've seen black widow spiders referenced, but whether that is a hint about Anna and Dexter's story, we'll have to see as the story goes on.
But I Do Not Trust The Husband At All
Matt Czuchry's Dexter is super suspicious, and I don't trust him at all. Let's first address the fact that he called his deceased wife the "love of his life" when his new wife was right before him. I understand his feelings, but saying it right there, to someone he promised to spend the rest of his life with, with just an afterthought of adding on “until I met you” – something felt way off, like it wasn’t genuine.
That itself, even if it was a mistake, is such an "ick" line to say and should have given Anne (Emma Roberts) a red flag. But he's just sketchy the whole episode. Even the way he speaks to Anne feels off – and I think there's something else up his sleeve.
It's Always Nice To See Denis O'Hare
There have been many cast members of American Horror Story that have appeared in multiple seasons. Roberts is one of them, of course, but so is Denis O'Hare – someone who also had a role in the American Horror Stories Season 2 cast. And he is always a delight to see, always bringing something truly unique and nutso.
The actor does a great job portraying the most unsettling characters that don't necessarily scream creepy but make you uncomfortable. I'm genuinely surprised he's never won an Emmy for his performances. He deserves the recognition – and I can't wait to see him in the show more, even if he probably has a lot to do with Anna's current mental woes.
Surprisingly, Kim Kardashian Fits The Role She's In
One of the biggest criticisms of this season, before it released its first episode, was that Kim Kardashian was cast as part of the main story, and some people were not huge fans of that – which, understandably, I can get.
Kardashian isn't necessarily known for her excellent acting skills, since she's never acted for a scripted TV series like this before. But her performance on Saturday Night Live was fun, and quite honestly, many people thought Lady Gaga wouldn't be impressive in her role in American Horror Story: Hotel --and she won a Golden Globe for her performance.
While Kardashian is not on that level, she surprised me in the episode. Her acting was decent, and her character didn't feel like it was shoved in there just because she's a well-known name. She's a publicist for Anne, which makes a lot of sense. I look forward to seeing her more and the rest of the American Horror Story: Delicate cast.
But Cara Delevingne Felt Like A Severe Afterthought
Yeah, I don't know about Cara Delevingne's character either. It's a shame at the moment, because I like the model-turned-actress. She's been in some great movies and TV shows, and has been an enjoyable part of them. I quite enjoyed her as Enchantress in Suicide Squad back in 2016.
But her part in this feels like an afterthought. Yes, I know it's the first episode, but the entire point of the first episode of any season is to set up the rest of the show and establish storylines – and I am not interested in her storyline. Her character says nothing and stares weirdly at Anne, as if she knows something the young actress doesn't know, before vanishing.
I'm more interested in the older woman spilling blood all over Anne's lips during her procedure. Why does she keep showing up? But Delevingne isn't giving anything from me, at least not yet.
That Being Said, I'm At Least Curious And Want To Watch More
Even so, I will say I am at least excited about what this season has to offer – and that's saying a lot for American Horror Story.
The last few seasons haven't been my cup of tea. Double Feature was fun for the first half, but the second half was not for me. I couldn't even finish NYC at first, truthfully, and I am literally from New York – I thought it would be added to our list of the best shows set in NYC, but it's not even close.
It's been hard for me to be really invested in this show for the last couple of years. This was the first time in a while I genuinely wanted to turn on the TV to check out the next episode, and I was annoyed when the premiere ended because I wanted to know what happened next.
While I don't think that American Horror Story: Delicate will break barriers for being the best horror TV show right now, it'll at least be a lot more fun than we expected. And I believe there might be a hint of a return of some classic AHS tropes there that will make this all the more entertaining.
