Why It's Time to Retire the Murder House in the 'American Horror Story' Franchise
Published July 30 2021, 10:38 a.m. ET
Spoiler alert: This article contains potential spoilers for American Horror Stories.
While American Horror Stories might not be quite the same as the Ryan Murphy powerhouse American Horror Story, it has breathed new life into the franchise. It's like Goosebumps for adults. And because the first two episodes feature the Murder House, it makes you wonder just how much more content either show can get out of the haunted mansion.
According to an American Horror Story spoiler Instagram account, its final days are imminent. The rumor is that by the end of the first season of American Horror Stories, the Murder House will be burned to the ground. You can take that how you will, but it does bring up an interesting idea about finally getting rid of the house. And in a way, it's time.
Will the Murder House be burned down in 'American Horror Stories'?
For now, the rumor about the Murder House being set ablaze and burning down once and for all is just that — a rumor. But it might be the best time to finally say goodbye to the Murder House once and for all. It served its purpose in Season 1; it set up a series that still reaches new fans to this day.
The show returns to the Murder House in Season 8. And its presence in the first two episodes of American Horror Stories is perfect in setting up the new series. But at this point, haven't we milked the Murder House for all that it is?
Sure, it's fun to revisit old ghosts that we might have met or heard about in other seasons. But there are so many other ideas and directions to take the show at this point.
The Murder House is almost like a crutch for the writers by now. Take Season 8, for example, when the house is revisited. The season has a lot going on. The writers congest it further by adding the Murder House, almost as a ploy for viewers to accept all of the messiness.
The Murder House lore could actually mean a new storyline for 'American Horror Story.'
It's revealed in one season that the Murder House is a gateway to Hell. If it's burned down, the property could still harbor some kind of power. In Season 8, it's finally explained that most of the evil that inhabits its residents is a result of the house's powers and not the people themselves.
Destroying the house might not stop the evil that lurks inside it. Therefore the series could revisit the area, even if the house is permanently destroyed.
The show's writers seem to love calling back to the Murder House. If it's burned down, a portion of another season could be devoted to characters going back to the property to see if it's still supernatural. This would also tie in the original AHS to American Horror Stories.
It's still not clear how American Horror Stories will destroy the house (if the rumor is true). Maybe the season finale will go back to the first story of the season, in which a new family moved into the infamous house. Or, perhaps the fire will be an accident set in motion by some trespassing teenagers.
However it happens, it seems that fans might finally be ready to let the house go.
