Alright, AHS fans. It’s time to put your thinking caps on, because the latest teaser for American Horror Story season 6 has dropped. And while most of the teasers have all largely had a similar vibe of an isolated home in the middle of nowhere, lots of creepy knives and scythes, the occasional medical professional, and maybe a low-key alien abduction, they’ve felt sort of tonally cohesive.
Did they make sense? Hell no, but those teasers rarely make a ton of sense until we get the scoop on the new season (and sometimes I still don’t get the teasers fully until after I see the whole season). But even though they were confusing, they felt connected…sort of.
However, the latest teaser, “Blind Date” is totally different from the rest. This latest teaser gives serious old Hollywood vibes, and is reminiscent of old horror flicks like Creature from the Black Lagoon. The teaser kicks off with a creature that looks like a mashup of a praying mantis and the Creeper from Jeepers Creepers, as it pulls a woman in 50’s attire into the water as she screams about needing to return to her sorority. Then, after she gets pulled under, we see that the two are holding hands. Aww?
So what does it mean? Does it even have to do with the new season? Well, it turns out it could just be a weird teaser to get us pumped for the season with zero correlation to the show. At the Television Critic’s Association press tour, the FX CEO, John Landgraf, dropped the bomb that most of the teasers this season are misdirects to help keep season six’s story and theme a secret from fans, after we were all so certain it would be about Roanoke. Landgraf explained, “We just thought itâd be really fun to keep it a mystery. So we are.” That would explain why some of the teasers felt like already-covered ground with the alien abductions and creepy doctors (Asylum), ghostly shadows in a house and a demonic baby (Murder House), and even the sorority mention could be nothing more than a nod to Murphy’s other show, Scream Queens. If they’re using subtle homages in their misdirection, that is.
So for all of you AHS teaser decoders, it looks like this season you won’t be able to extrapolate season-long themes and villains based on teasers. It does, however, explain the recurring ?6 that is attached to every teaser. At least we’ve gotten that figured out, right? We officially know that we know…absolutely nothing. Welcome to AHS season six, friends.
Do you have theories about AHS season six? Which teasers, if any, do you think are legit? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Image: FX Network