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The Spiciest Episodes of American Horror Story

A close-up shot from American Horror Story shows a woman in the throes of passion with a creature.
(FX)

“American Horror Story” is a television show we all can’t seem to stay away from. Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, “American Horror Story” is an anthology series with self-contained stories that still cross over. With recurring and new actors who play unique roles each time, “American Horror Story” takes your worst nightmares and makes them worse.

Some call “American Horror Story” wild, weird, and downright grotesque at times, but the more Murphy and Falchuk keep making it, and the more the audience watches, the more likely FX will keep it coming! “American Horror Story” premiered in 2011, and now it’s in its 13th season, reuniting characters from different stories and creating memorable episodes.

Speaking of memorable episodes, we couldn’t help but think of the spiciest within this franchise. Some are extra spicy, but others just bring a little heat, because that’s one thing “American Horror Story” knows how to do: serve us the grotesque with a side of “WTF?”

10. “American Horror Story: Coven” — Episode 8

“American Horror Story: Coven” is the second-best “American Horror Story” after “Murder House,” and I will happily stand by that. “American Horror Story: Coven” gives us complicated dynamics, a compelling story, and complex characters, all of which come together in Emma Roberts’ character, Madison Montgomery.

Love her or hate her, Madison held her own in the coven and in life, and could have been the next Supreme if Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) hadn’t slit her throat. There will never be a spicier moment than in Episode 8: Madison comes back in a flowing red dress, turning like a girl on prom night, and spits her iconic line to Fiona: “Surprise, Bitch. I’d bet you thought you’d seen the last of me.”

9. “American Horror Story: Coven” — Episode 2

The second episode of “American Horror Story: Coven” shows that sometimes all you need is a fertility ritual to turn everyone on. When Cordelia finds out that she isn’t “ready” to have a baby yet, she and her husband take alternative methods to have a child. They perform a ritual involving pricking each other’s fingers, a fire circle, eggs in four corners that crack on their own, snakes slithering all over them, hellish visions, and Cordelia’s eyes turning black. This doesn’t achieve their baby goals, but it sure makes for one hell of a scene.

8. “American Horror Story: Cult” — Episode 1

If there’s one thing consistent about “American Horror Story,” Sarah Paulson’s characters are gonna have a bad time. For the premiere of “American Horror Story: Cult,” Sarah Paulson’s character Ally Mayfair-Richards suffers from multiple phobias, including clowns and trypophobia (fear of holes), but it’s when she takes a late-night visit to the grocery store that her hallucinations run wild when she sees two people in clown masks having sex against the watermelons and smashing them to the floor. We would also suffer a panic attack and leave immediately. Ally, you did nothing wrong.

7. “American Horror Story: Freak Show” — Episode 1

One of the spiciest moments at the beginning of “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” honestly, says a lot about 1950s housewife repression. In the first episode, we move into a house where housewives gather for a Tupperware party. They talk about how often they sleep with their husbands (not much), and you’re still unsure why they’re there.

6. “American Horror Story: Roanoke” — Episode 9

Honestly, “American Horror Story: Roanoke” isn’t as bad as people make it out to be! I mean, it has Lady Gaga as a forest witch named Scàthach, Sarah Paulson having a bad time, and it shifts from mockumentary to reality TV— what more could you ask for?

Even though the series was much less to be desired, it still has some spicy moments. You’d think I’d be talking about the forest scene between Matt Miller (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Scàthach, but instead, I’m talking about Sophie Green (Taissa Farmiga).

Sophie was a fan dedicated to the made-for-TV documentary “My Roanoke Nightmare,” where stories are based on true events. But being a fan isn’t enough; she wants to figure out whether “My Roanoke Nightmare” is real, and she finds out it is. What we get is a found-footage-like nightmare via GoPro cameras strapped to her head, and we watch her and her friends die. It’s absolutely terrifying, but in an “oh, that’s spicy cause it’s uncomfortable” kind of way.

5. “American Horror Story: Coven” — Episode 3

“American Horror Story: Coven” was truly the gift that kept on giving. In episode three, Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) and Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) deal with the Minotaur — a formerly enslaved person, Delphine’s torture victim, and Marie Laveau’s (Angela Bassett) former lover. Marie sends the Minotaur to kill Delphine, but Queenie notices him, tries to get him into the greenhouse, and seduces him. However, the Minotaur nearly kills Queenie when he gored her, turning their encounter deadly. Fortunately, Queenie survives to see another day in “American Horror Story: Season 13,” but we will always remember her riding the bull. (It was there. Had to do it.)

4. “American Horror Story: Murder House” — Episode 6

Lily Rabe is one of “American Horror Story’s” superstars, and in every season she’s not in, you feel her absence. In “American Horror Story: Asylum,” she stars as Sister Mary Eunice, a sweet, caring nun at Briarcliff Manor who the Devil possesses after an exorcism. As she’s possessed, she manipulates, lies, and creates chaos within the walls of Briarcliff, but it’s her discussion with Jenny Reynolds, a child murderer, that really makes your stomach turn — it feels eerie and haunting.

As Sister Mary Eunice talks, the perspective switches to Mary Eunice’s experience, then to the Devil’s. They talk of God, morality, bullying, and even the confession that Mary Eunice is now the Devil so casually. But it’s the end, as Mary Eunice cleans the knife in front of Jenny’s eyes, encouraging this child to “defend” herself. We know another seed is being planted in an already-overfull pot.

3. “American Horror Story: Asylum” — Episode 11

“American Horror Story: Asylum” has one of the most “hell yeah” moments you will ever see. Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) visits Briarcliff Manor to see if she can get the scoop on “Bloody Face,” a serial killer known to be one of the sources of abuse at the manor. When she gets there, she is immediately thrown into constant abuse and suffering because of her sexuality, even having her partner, Wendy (Clea DuVall), die because she was coming to get her out.

However, when Lana escapes, a sister and the patients help her take a tape belonging to the villainous Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto). You might want to know where the hot moment is. As Lana moves toward the taxi, you hold your breath. You hope and wait for her to leave this place. When she gets in, you finally let out a breath, and as Dr. Thredson looks at her, her face is toward him, tape pressed against the glass, and she gives him the middle finger. Tell me that’s not hot.

2. “American Horror Story: Murder House” — Episode 8

Throughout the first season of “American Horror Story: Murder House,” we are introduced to The Rubber Man, a figure who is in a skin-tight BDSM latex suit. Even though he is a menacing, murderous presence, we never learn his identity. In Episode 8, we learn that Tate Langdon (Evan Peters) is the Rubber Man.

Everyone was shocked. Why? Tate pretended to be Ben (Dylan McDermott) and had sex with Vivien (Connie Britton) to conceive a baby for the lingering spirit of one of the former tenants of the house, Nora Montgomery (Lily Rabe), to care for again. But that’s not all. Tate was also currently in a relationship with Vivian’s daughter, Violet Harmon. You can’t get much better drama than “American Horror Story: Murder House.”

1. “American Horror Story: Hotel” — Episode 1

As you can probably tell from these blurbs, the first episodes of an “American Horror Story” season are something to behold. This first episode has one of the most controversial demons we’ve ever seen, and a cast of characters that you may never want to see again. However, one of the best, and probably a little too on-the-nose, entrances to the franchise is The Countess (Lady Gaga) and Donovan (Matt Bomer), who walk in with high fashion and a high blood count. After staring at a couple on an outdoor screening of “Nosferatu,” the couple invites them back to the hotel, where they engage in a foursome before slicing their necks and devouring their blood. It’s a sleek, bloody, sexy scene that introduces their characters and leaves your mouth open until The Countess says, “Call housekeeping.” Just delicious.

In this article

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You can watch every season of “American Horror Story” — and “American Horror Stories” — with a Hulu subscription ($12.49–$21.49/mo.).

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If you have Disney+, you probably also have Hulu, since they’re bundled together — and eventually merging into one service.

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Prime Video ($8.99–$19.98/mo.) also has every season of AHS — for subscribers.

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