American Horror Stories: How new spinoff ties into previous seasons of AHS

Spinoff of hit horror series debuted in the US last night

Hit horror anthology series American Horror Story launched a new spin-off in the US last night (16 July).

Instead of changing focus every season, however, American Horror Stories is comprised of a number of standalone episodes, each telling their own distinct story.

Despite this, however, viewers of the two episodes which debuted yesterday were pleased to discover that the series contains a number of tie-ins to previous seasons of the core American Horror Story series.

Here’s a breakdown of the connections between the two shows that were spotted in the first two episodes of American Horror Stories.

Spoilers follow for episodes one and two of American Horror Stories...

The first episode of American Horror Stories featured the notorious Rubber Man suit, initially seen in the first season of the original AHS, Murder House.

The haunted suit was once worn by Tate Langdon (Evan Peters). It later returned in season eight, Apocalypse, when the show revisited the Murder House in which the suit resides. This time, it is a teenage girl called Scarlett who is attracted to the suit.

Attentive viewers may catch an oblique reference to Dylan McDermott’s psychiatrist Ben Harmon, in a flashback scene featuring another therapist.

Sarah Paulson in ‘American Horror Story: Roanoke' (Frank Ockenfels/Fx/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Episode one also features the return of The Infantata, the monster otherwise known as Thaddeus Montgomery, who appeared in the first season of AHS.

The second episode of American Horror Stories brings the return of the “Piggy Man”, a memorable figure in season six, Roanoke, of the original series.

American Horror Stories can be watched on Hulu in the US. No UK release date has currently been announced.