Hi all! 

Today I am ranking all the episodes from American Horror Stories – Season 3: Part 2.  AHS and American Horror Stories are not the same thing. They are set in the same universe (created by the same director: Ryan Murphy) but stand on their own as separate television shows. One is a continuing story; the other is made up of individual stories. This year, there was a 5-episode Halloween special, added to Season 3. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Spoilers Ahead!

Check out my Season 1 ranking here

Check out my Season 2 ranking here 

Check out my Season 3, Part 1 ranking here

1.) Clone

In first place, we have Clone. 

‘Following a debilitating accident, a tech billionaire assigns a robotic clone to temporarily replace himself…or at least, that was his plan.’

I ranked this episode so highly because I love the lead actor, Victor Garber. He was perfect in this role. It had an unexpected twist I didn’t see coming, plus a shocking, almost controversial ending. In the age of A.I, horror is tackling that subject matter more and more. I really enjoyed this spin on it. I certainly hadn’t seen it done that way before. I’m also a petty queen, so I liked the revenge aspect. The story begs the question: if you could clone yourself to meet your every need, would you? 

2.) Leprechaun

Up next, we have Leprechaun.

‘In order to make ends meet, a group of unemployed labourers break into the local bank. What begins as a run-of-the-mill heist, devolves into anything but.’ 

Similar to Clone, this story had such a unique take on its concept – the leprechaun. It was also by far the most action-packed out of the five episodes. I think it was set up really well. The small town vibes were immaculate and for a short episode, we were given plenty of characterisation. The creature design was cool, the horror was certainly there and the deaths were fun. Having said that, the ending, whilst unpredictable, was a tad cheesy. I would’ve put it first had the female lead been less irritating.

3.) Backrooms

In third place, we have Backrooms.

‘A desperate father will do anything…and go anywhere, for a chance at finding his missing son.’

This episode was my most anticipated, so I’m a little disappointed it didn’t take my number one spot. The Backrooms is a fictional location, originated from a 4chan thread. The place is usually portrayed as an impossibly large, extra dimensional expanse of empty rooms, accessed by exiting reality. Since its inception, a whole bunch of video games have been made about it; each one scarier than the next. Unfortunately, American Horror Stories didn’t go far enough with it. It could’ve been a lot more horrifying than it was. The lead barely spent enough time there and when he did, he was not being chased by a terrifying creature; rather his own son. It was still a good watch, but sadly did not meet my expectations. 

4.) X

Up fourth is X.

‘After a dangerous patient disappears, a determined hospital nurse sets out to find her, uncovering a horrifying truth in the process.’ 

I want to give this episode props for creativity. It was shot entirely in black-and-white, giving off an almost noir stylisation. It also had some scary moments. The gaping mouth lady was terrifying to look at. Having said that, I was quite underwhelmed. The doctor performing awful experiments on his patients trope has been done time and again. It had a fake-out toward the end I didn’t appreciate, plus there were some highly unbelievable moments. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me. 

5.) The Thing Under The Bed

Last, but not least, we have The Thing Under The Bed.

‘Against the wishes of powerful forces, a grieving wife peels back the sinister history of her neighbourhood, in an attempt to prove her innocence.’ 

My main issue with this story was the characters were so unlikable. The lead was a whiny, terrible friend. Her husband was pressuring her into making a baby and the story didn’t make much sense. Ryan Murphy is known for his high highs and low lows. This was a low low. 

Thank you so much for reading. How would rank the episodes?

Peace & Love xoxo