American Horror Story Season 13 Review: Worth Watching?

Jessica Lange once said she would never come back to American Horror Story. On September 24, 2026, she came back, and critics have plenty to say about it.

This American Horror Story season 13 review covers the first three episodes, which FX and Hulu released together. The season reunites many fan favorites from past seasons in one crossover story.

Reviews are split. One critic calls it a return to form. Another calls it the most confusing opening the show has ever had.

You have 13 episodes of October to spend on this show. Here is what the scores, the critics, and the first three episodes tell you before you press play.

Quick answer: American Horror Story season 13 is a crossover season that pulls characters from earlier seasons into one story. Critics praise Jessica Lange and the campy tone. They criticize the cluttered plot and the slow setup. Metacritic shows a mixed score of 58 out of 100 from four reviews.

What Is American Horror Story Season 13 About?

American Horror Story: 13 is the thirteenth season of the FX horror anthology from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. It is set mainly in New York City.

The story follows Ben DeSoto, a hospice caretaker played by Joey Pollari. Ben has triskaidekaphobia, which is a fear of the number 13. He takes a strange job at The Apollyon, an eerie building filled with characters from past seasons.

Ben cares for Mr. Nas, an elderly man who lives in a creepy penthouse. Constance Langdon, played by Lange, is his daytime carer.

In the third episode, Constance hosts a holiday party and handles two surprise guests.

Murphy compared the season to an Avengers movie, The Hollywood Reporter reported. He said characters from every season team up against one ultimate evil. He also said he spent years writing it.

The number 13 shows up everywhere. TV Obsessive listed it in sunflower spirals, tortoise shells, vials, gate numbers, and place settings.

That setup raises a big question for anyone who has not seen the old seasons. Will you be lost?

Do You Need to Watch Earlier Seasons First?

Reviewers describe the season as built for longtime fans. TheWrap wrote that it was made with superfans in mind, for better or worse.

JoBlo reported that the first three episodes lean heavily on Coven, Cult, and Murder House. They also nod to a few other seasons.

Hulu’s official watch guide suggests a refresher on Murder House, Coven, Hotel, and Cult. All 12 earlier seasons stream on Hulu in the US.

Newcomers will miss many cameo jokes and callbacks. They can still follow the main plot of Ben and the penthouse.

Longtime fans face a different problem. Familiar faces do not fix every flaw, as the reviews show.

American Horror Story Season 13 Review: What Critics Are Saying

Early scores sit in the middle. Metacritic lists a score of 58 out of 100 from four reviews as of October 1, 2026. It labels that score mixed.

On Metacritic, Slate gave the season 70. Radio Times gave 60, while TheWrap and Slant Magazine each gave 50.

Rotten Tomatoes shows 86% from seven critic reviews. The audience score sits at 46% from more than 100 ratings.

These numbers will change as more reviews and ratings arrive. Only three episodes are out, so the sample is small.

The Critics Who Liked It

Slate’s J. Bryan Lowder called the opening a “relieving return to form”. He wrote that the show has found its blend of camp and gross-out horror again.

TheWrap’s Michel Ghanem called the season a “beautifully puzzling ode to superfans.” He liked Lange most and called the start of the season slow.

Radio Times’ Louise Griffin chose “hellishly flawed but still fiendishly fun” to sum it up. She argued the show has reached its peak in spectacle, not in quality.

Dread Central called the start busy and disjointed. It still said the season has the potential to become something special.

The Critics Who Did Not

Vulture’s Jen Chaney was far harsher. She said watching the season feels like being stuck in hell. She called it the “most incoherent debut” in the show’s history. She still praised Lange for giving the shaky story some stability.

Slant Magazine’s Michael Savio said the first episodes drag whenever Lange leaves the screen.

JoBlo said the story feels bland so far. The reviewer was also confused about why the many threads connect. JoBlo added that the season feels more like a farewell tour than a greatest hits album.

Screen Rant criticized the shorter episodes. Writer Ben Gibbons said the season jumps from one story to another without a single thread to hold viewers.

One caveat matters here. JoBlo noted that FX did not offer advance screeners. These reviews cover only three of the 13 episodes.

So what do the early reviews agree on? One name keeps coming up.

What Works in American Horror Story Season 13

Jessica Lange Steals Every Scene

Nearly every review praises Lange, even the harsh ones. She plays Constance Langdon, the sharp-tongued mother from the very first season.

Per Variety, Lange plays all four of her characters from the first four seasons. She also plays a fifth, secret character.

Her return was not a sure thing. When asked about it in February 2025, she answered “Oh Christ, no,” Deadline reported.

Murphy won her over by meeting her terms. Lange said she would only return if she could play all four of her classic characters, according to E! News.

“Ryan Murphy talked me into coming back,” she said.

She told Variety the draw was “just the idea of bringing those four characters back.” Murphy also promised her a musical number. “He did promise a musical number for one of the characters,” Lange told The Hollywood Reporter.

Camp and Atmosphere

Slate praised the fish-eye lenses, the cat-growl soundtrack, and Lange’s zingy one-liners. Those touches give the opening a classic look.

Film Focus Online rated the first two episodes 3.5 out of 5 each. It called the season atmospheric and darkly funny.

The same review said Murphy and Falchuk use odd camera angles and ominous sound to build dread. The story takes its time before it jumps into the deep end.

Reunions and Cameos

Murphy said Sarah Paulson plays six to seven roles this season. Evan Peters plays five.

John Carroll Lynch returns as Twisty the Clown. Tig Notaro appears as Ricochet, a clown school teacher. John Waters plays Mr. Phibes, a mysterious phlebotomist.

Dread Central called the cameos cathartic. Fans of the old seasons get many moments to cheer.

The audience showed up too. Streaming tracker FlixPatrol reported that the show topped Hulu’s chart among all programs after the premiere. It also led Disney+ among series.

Not everything lands as well as the cast does. The problems start with the story itself.

What Does Not Work in AHS 13

A Crowded, Disjointed Plot

Vulture, Screen Rant, JoBlo, and Dread Central all point to the same issue. Too many stories compete for attention in the first three episodes.

Dread Central lists plane crashes and clown school massacres among the early events. Those scenes sit next to Ben’s hospice job and Constance’s holiday party.

TheWrap said it is hard to imagine how Tuberculosis Karen and Mamie Eisenhower will fit into the story. Both are characters from earlier seasons.

A Weak Lead

Ben is meant to be the ordinary man who guides viewers into this strange building. TV Obsessive said he is the least compelling person in every room.

The same review said Ben plays essentially one note. TheWrap agreed that Ben is not the most interesting protagonist.

Lange covers for him in many scenes. When she is gone, the gap shows.

Shorter Episodes

Variety reports the season has 13 half-hour episodes. JoBlo noted it is the longest season since Freak Show in 2014, counting episodes.

Metacritic lists episodes 4, 5, and 6 at 29, 26, and 24 minutes. That mix gives the writers more episodes but less time in each one. Screen Rant says the story suffers for it.

An Overused Number

The number 13 is the season’s main gimmick. TV Obsessive said it is hammered so hard that it stops feeling clever.

The reviewer could not tell if the show was winking at the audience. It may simply have been congratulating itself for counting.

If you want a tight story, these flaws matter. If you want camp and cameos, they matter less.

Cast and Characters in American Horror Story Season 13

The main cast reads like a reunion. Here are the biggest names and the roles they play:

Jessica Lange: Constance Langdon, plus her other earlier characters
Sarah Paulson: Cordelia Goode, plus several other roles
Evan Peters: Kai Anderson, Tate Langdon, and James Patrick March
Angela Bassett: Marie Laveau
Kathy Bates: Delphine LaLaurie
Emma Roberts: Madison Montgomery
Billie Lourd: Winter Anderson and Mallory
Gabourey Sidibe: Queenie
Leslie Grossman: Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt
Frances Conroy: Myrtle Snow
Joey Pollari: Ben DeSoto, the new lead
Madelaine Petsch: Kira, Ben’s girlfriend

Why Ariana Grande Is Missing

Variety announced in October 2025 that Ariana Grande would join the season. She left in July 2026 because of scheduling conflicts with her tour, Deadline reported.

Murphy later said a Scream Queens crossover was planned for the season. It was scrapped after her exit, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Grande was set to play Chanel.

Episode Schedule and Where to Watch

The season airs on FX in the US at 9 p.m. ET, and it streams on Hulu at the same time. The international home is Disney+, from September 25, per TechRadar.

In Canada, Australia, and the UK, new episodes reach Disney+ the day after the US broadcast.

Here is the release schedule:

September 24: “13,” “1:13 AM,” and “Rauhnacht”
October 1: “Is That All There Is?,” “Date Night,” and “The Return of Devil’s Night”
October 8: “The Baddest Witch of Them All” and “Hell No”
October 15: “The Devil Is in the Details” and “The Prodigal Son”
October 22: “Madison’s Happy Ending” and “Sisters in Arms”
October 29: the finale, which airs on its own

What to Expect From Episodes 4 to 6

Episodes 4 to 6 arrived on October 1. Reviews of them were not out when this was written.

Episode 4 follows the holiday guests after Constance’s party winds down. In episode 5, a friend of Ben’s girlfriend wants to reconnect, whether he is ready or not.

Episode 6 brings back the witches of Miss Robichaux’s Academy. They turn to powers older than the school itself as an unseen force closes in.

Can You Watch It in India?

JustWatch India listed no streaming option for season 13 when this was written. It does list earlier seasons of the show on JioHotstar.

Check JioHotstar and Disney+ for updates before you plan a binge.

Should You Watch American Horror Story Season 13?

Watch it if you love Lange, Coven, or Murder House. The cameos, the camp, and the dark humor are the main reasons to tune in.

Skip it, or wait, if you want a tight story with one clear thread. The early reviews say the plot is messy and the lead is weak.

The final verdict depends on the last ten episodes. Reviews so far cover only the first three.

The finale airs on October 29, 2026. By then you will know whether the crossover pays off.

FAQ

When does American Horror Story season 13 end?

The finale airs on October 29, 2026, and it runs on its own. The first two weeks had three episodes each. After that, the season drops two episodes at a time.

How many episodes does American Horror Story season 13 have?

The season has 13 half-hour episodes, according to Variety. The first three arrived on September 24, 2026. The rest come out weekly until the finale.

Is Jessica Lange in American Horror Story season 13?

Yes. She plays Constance Langdon, her character from the first season. She also plays three other earlier characters and one secret new one. Lange confirmed that she has a musical number.

Do I need to watch earlier seasons before American Horror Story: 13?

Reviewers say the season is built for longtime fans. Hulu suggests a refresher on Murder House, Coven, Hotel, and Cult. You can follow the main plot without them, but you will miss many callbacks.

What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for American Horror Story season 13?

As of October 1, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes shows 86% from seven critic reviews. The audience score is 46% from more than 100 ratings. Metacritic lists a mixed score of 58 from four reviews.

Where can I watch American Horror Story season 13 in India?

JustWatch India listed no streaming option for season 13 at the time of writing. It lists earlier seasons on JioHotstar. Disney+ is the international home for the new season.

American Horror Story Season 13 Review: Lange Returns, but Is It Worth Your Time?

What Is American Horror Story Season 13 About?

Do You Need to Watch Earlier Seasons First?