Ryan Murphy Reveals His Favorite ‘American Horror Story’ Season Amid Fan Debate

Avatar photoRobert Milaković
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‘American Horror Story‘ has spent over a decade reinventing itself with each new season, providing creator Ryan Murphy a unique chance to reflect on more than a dozen distinct chapters and select a personal favorite. As the franchise promotes its most ambitious crossover season yet, this kind of reflection has naturally surfaced during the press cycle.

The promotional tour for season 13 has led both cast and crew to face questions about the show’s entire history, and Murphy has been candid in sharing opinions that don’t always match popular fan consensus. Given the divisive nature of certain seasons within the anthology series, any definitive ranking from the show’s creator was bound to spark discussion.

That discussion is now in full swing. In a recent interview, Murphy revealed his favorite season of ‘American Horror Story,’ choosing one of the franchise’s most polarizing entries. “My favorite season is the season which everybody hates, which is Roanoke,” Murphy told Page Six. “That is my favorite season; it’s my favorite form,” he elaborated, defending his choice by stating, “I loved making it because it was playing with form.”

Murphy’s choice is particularly notable as it directly contradicts the opinion of one of the franchise’s key performers. Sarah Paulson, who has appeared across ten seasons of the anthology series, has previously stated that Roanoke is her least favorite installment, describing it as a filming period she found personally underwhelming after her role in ‘American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.’

This disagreement between Murphy and Paulson has turned into a running joke between the two collaborators. After seeing footage of Paulson discussing her feelings about the season, Murphy responded directly, writing, “JUSTICE FOR ROANOKE! My favorite season, Sarah’s least favorite… but she was so good in it!” He added that the two have had genuine arguments over the topic.

Fan reactions to Murphy’s choice have been notably mixed. Some viewers quickly supported his pick, with one commenter stating that Roanoke was “the only one that actually gave me the long-term creeps,” while others firmly sided with Paulson’s original assessment, highlighting just how divisive the season has remained nearly a decade after it originally aired in 2016.

Screenshot 2026 09 10 at 16 19 08 American Horror Story Rotten Tomatoes

Murphy’s comments come during the promotional push for ‘American Horror Story’ season 13, an all-star installment designed to bring back beloved characters from across the anthology’s twelve-season history. Sarah Paulson is set to portray as many as six or seven different characters throughout the new season, while Jessica Lange returns to reprise all four of her previous roles and Evan Peters takes on five separate characters.

Speaking on the red carpet with Entertainment Tonight, Murphy described the new season as featuring returning characters from every prior installment, “including characters we thought would never come back,” setting up what he’s characterized as a crossover event years in the making. The ambitious ensemble also includes Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Angela Bassett, all facing what Murphy has described as the franchise’s ultimate evil.

With season 13 already in the works and Murphy telling The Hollywood Reporter that he’s simultaneously developing ideas for a fourteenth season, it’s evident that the creator has no plans of slowing down anytime soon, regardless of controversial season rankings.

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