American Horror Story is one of my favorite shows currently on TV. It extends beyond just being a horror show with its wild writing, compelling characters, and ensemble cast. I am pretty sure I have re-watched all the seasons at least one time through (if not three or four).
Besides the off-the-rails storylines, one of my favorite parts of AHS is actor Evan Peters (he is the blorbo from my shows). His acting makes each character pop and come to life. The characters may not look that different from Peters himself, but the way he portrays them makes each one unique. Although I am a little saddened he is not appearing in the upcoming 11th season of AHS, it just gives me a chance to revisit some of my favorites from past seasons. So here is a list of the best of Evan Peters’s AHS roles.
5. Kai Anderson (Season 7: Cult)
Kai Anderson is the only one of Evan Peters’s characters on American Horror Story that I was immediately repulsed by. The entire Cult season made me uneasy in ways the other seasons didn’t. Maybe it was the use of trypophobia (fear of small holes) or it could’ve been because of the close ties to the 2016 Presidential election. Kai’s first scene showed him in his parent’s basement, cheering for Trump’s 2016 victory.
At first, he might just appear to be another MAGA initiate, but Kai is something even more insidious. Using his charm and bizarre manifesto of living without fear, Kai gained a cult following. He literally started a cult based on confronting fears and creating chaos in the world. Regardless of prior political leanings, people fell under his spell and followed his every order—up to and including murder.
4. Tate Langdon (Season 1: Murder House)
Way back in season one, I got my first taste of Evan Peters when he played the troubled Tate Langdon. He is a client of one of the Murder House residents, psychiatrist Dr. Ben Harmon, but he quickly connected with Dr. Harmon’s teenage daughter, Violet.
I totally loved Tate with his 90s grunge look and sad/conflicted vibe. But then we found out a lot more about adorable Tate. Such as raping Violet’s mom while wearing a rubber fetish suit, committing a school shooting, and being a ghost. I could deal with the ghost thing, but everything else is repellent and evil. I will say that in the later season, Apocalypse, we found out that all of Tate’s bad behavior was because of the influence of the Devil and he was just a sweet sad boy who needed a hug. Bad or good, he is still an interesting character.
3. Jimmy Darling (Season 4: Freak Show)
Jimmy Darling is one of the most wholesome of Peters’s AHS characters. Jimmy was part of Fräulein Elsa’s Cabinet of Curiosities. He performed under the name “Lobster Boy” because he was born with fused fingers (ectrodactyly) that resembled claws. Jimmy considered all the members of Elsa’s group family and he fought to protect them. He did murder a police officer at one point, but he was trying to save conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler. Because he was helping them and he felt guilty about it, he gets a pass.
Charming and funny, Jimmy easily went unnoticed while visiting the small town near where the Cabinet of Curiosities camped. Although he would often hide his hands under mittens, he does eventually accept himself and even kept his unique hand appearance when he could have switched to “normal” looking prosthetic hands. To supplement his income, Jimmy would service unfulfilled housewives at Tupperware parties with his distinctive fingers. He’s just a good guy all around.
2. Austin Sommers (Season 10: Double Feature – Red Tide)
When we meet Austin, he is a successful Broadway playwright. He visits the sleepy seaside Provincetown in the off-season to focus on writing new material. We found out that during that time he takes the magical little black pills that fuel inspiration in creative people. Austin started out as a struggling drag performer before he takes his first dose of “muse” medicine.
And here he is, my problematic fav. Does Austin Sommers murder people? Yes. Does he drink their blood? Yes. Does he convince others to use a dangerous drug just for creative inspiration? Yes. But I still love him because he is hilarious and awesome. Also, his fashion choices are just a delight. Even knowing what I do about Austin, I would probably still try to hang out with him.
1. Kyle Spencer (Season 3: Coven)
Coven is my favorite AHS season and that may be due in part to Kyle Spencer. The season introduced Kyle at a frat party. Although he is a frat boy, he is not your stereotypical frat guy. He attended school on a scholarship, wanted to become an engineer to prevent civic disasters, and he tried to police his out-of-control frat brothers. Unfortunately, his brothers were disgusting and gang-raped Madison Montgomery. When he tried to confront his friends, Madison used her witchy powers to flip their party bus and unintentionally killed Kyle along with the guilty men. To make things right, Madison and Zoe (who was already in love with Kyle) sewed him a new body and resurrected him.
Kyle’s road to normalcy is long and hard. At first, he cannot speak and has to deal with the fact that parts of his body once belonged to his deceased frat bros. With the help of several witches and a polyamorous relationship with Madison and Zoe, he eventually got better. Now he is the dream zombie boyfriend who helps protect the coven of witches. He’s just the best.
(featured image: FX)
