Smoke Signals (American Horror Story)

The eleventh season of the American horror anthology television series ''American Horror Story'', subtitled ''NYC'', takes place in 1980s New York City, and focuses on a string of killings involving gay men and the emergence of a new virus. The ensemble cast includes Russell Tovey, Joe Mantello, Charlie Carver, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Sandra Bernhard, Isaac Cole Powell, Zachary Quinto, Denis O'Hare, and Patti LuPone, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Tovey, Mantello, and Carver.

Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX, the series is produced by 20th Television. ''NYC'' was broadcast between October 19 to November 16, 2022, consisting of 10 episodes. The subtitle was announced in September 2022. The season received positive reviews from critics, but became the first season of the show not to be nominated for any Primetime Emmy Awards.

Cast and characters

Main

* Russell Tovey as Detective Patrick Read
* Joe Mantello as Gino Barelli
* Billie Lourd as Dr. Hannah Wells
* Denis O'Hare as Henry Grant
* Charlie Carver as Adam Carpenter
* Leslie Grossman as Barbara Read
* Sandra Bernhard as Fran Levinsky
* Isaac Powell as Theo Graves
* Zachary Quinto as Sam Jones
* Patti LuPone as Kathy Pizazz

Recurring

* Jeff Hiller as Mr. Gideon Whitely
* Kyle Beltran as Morris Delgado
* Clara McGregor as KK
* Quei Tann as Lita Steadman
* Kal Penn as Chief of Detectives Mac Marzara
* Rebecca Dayan as Alana Delarue
* Casey Thomas Brown as Hans Henkes
* Hale Appleman as Daniel Kanowicz
* Gideon Glick as Cameron Dietrich
* Matthew William Bishop as Big Daddy

Guest

* Taylor Bloom as Stewart Bowers
* Sis as Dunaway

Episodes

Production

Development

On January 9, 2020, ''American Horror Story'' was renewed for up to a thirteenth season. In February 2022, FX chairman John Landgraf stated that the eleventh season would feature only one story, unlike ''Double Feature'', though it would take place "in different timelines." On September 29, 2022, the official title of the season was revealed to be ''NYC'' and that the season would premiere on October 19, 2022. On October 6, 2022, a teaser trailer for the season was released on the show's social media pages.

Casting

Ahead of any official cast announcements, Billie Lourd, Charlie Carver, Isaac Cole Powell, and Sandra Bernhard were seen filming on set. Additionally, Zachary Quinto, Patti LuPone, and Joe Mantello were reported to be appearing in the season. On August 30, 2022, series veteran Denis O'Hare confirmed his appearance on Twitter. Leslie Grossman, Russell Tovey, Rebecca Dayan, Kal Penn and Gideon Glick also appeared in the season.

Filming

Filming officially began in New York on June 14, 2022, and concluded on October 28, 2022.

Release

The season premiered on October 19, 2022. For the first time in the show's history, two episodes aired each week instead of only one. It was later released on Disney+ internationally.

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 71% approval rating, based on 7 reviews for the season, with an average rating of 6.80/10.

Emma Stefansky of ''The Daily Beast'' stated, "There is an air of unknown doom that hangs about the show even in its first episodes, with people repeatedly mentioning a feeling of ominousness permeating the city, muttering things like, 'Something dark is coming.' Isn't it always? ''AHS: NYC'' has all the Murphy-esque signatures, and more: It's sexy, it's salacious, and it's subversive—not least because of the era and the community in which it's set. Like most seasons of this show, ''NYC'' starts strong, though it's difficult at this point to say exactly what's going on. Who is the leather mask daddy with a murderous streak? Is this perhaps an origin story for the rubber man ghost from all the way back in Season 1? As a horror-tinged dramatization of the oppression that urban marginalized communities faced in Reagan's America, it works, so far." Kayla Cobb of ''Decider'' wrote, "''American Horror Story: NYC'' has been the most realistic this series has ever been. Instead of witches, ghosts, and vampires, this installment is all about serial killers and incompetent cops. But just because this show has a newfound dedication to realism, that doesn't mean there weren't some over-the-top flourishes."

Magdalene Taylor of ''Vulture'' said, "For now, we can rely on one thing about this season: It will be sexy. ''AHS'' almost always is, but the queer '80s New York City setting offers far more creative and erotic fodder than, say, the dilapidated North Carolina colonial farmhouse of ''AHS: Roanoke''. The leather, the coke, the soundtrack — even if the plot this season fails us, at least we'll be fed aesthetically. There are not yet any ghosts, vampires, witches, or demons, but if this season is entirely grounded in reality, it's at least a gritty and exciting one to see. Though this might not be as big of a hit as ''Dahmer'' or ''The Watcher'', ''AHS'' fans likely won't be starved of the campy theatricalism we've come to adore." Ron Hogan of ''Den of Geek'' gave ''American Horror Story: NYC'' a grade of 4 out of 5 stars, asserting, "Now that sort of wild conspiracy theory feels more like the ''AHS'' I'm used to. People on the hunt for a serial killer is all well and good, and can be very fun, but it wouldn't be Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk without something crazier than shirtless hunks in cages to really liven things up. ''NYC'' might be more David Fincher's Zodiac than a take on William Lustig's Maniac for the moment, but there's always that undercurrent of weirdness to everything American Horror Story does that's just waiting to move from a subplot to the main feature."

Ratings

Streaming viewership

Market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, revealed that ''American Horror Story'' was the most in-demand horror series in the U.S. during September 2022, with 26.4 times the average series demand. It outperformed other horror shows, including ''Hannibal'', which ranked second. Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, reported that the show was the fifth most-anticipated returning television series of October 2022. Parrot Analytics later announced that ''American Horror Story'' was the most in-demand horror television series of 2022.

The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which tracks real-time data from 5 million U.S. users for original and acquired content across SVOD and AVOD services, reported that it was the tenth most-streamed program during the week ending October 26. JustWatch, a guide to streaming content with access to data from more than 20 million users around the world, calculated that it was the fifth most-streamed television series in the U.S. from October 24–30. ''American Horror Story'' remained in the top ten most-streamed shows from October 31 to November 13.

Accolades

In its eleventh season, the series had been nominated for two awards.

Notes

References

See also

* Grotesquerie
*Paul Bateson
*Richard Rogers

External links

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{{Portal bar, Speculative fiction/Horror, Television, United States

2020s American drama television series
2022 American television seasons
11
BDSM-related mass media
Gay-related television shows
Television shows about ghosts
HIV/AIDS in television
Television shows about serial killers
Television series set in 1981
Television shows set in New York City
2022 LGBTQ-related television