The Bizarre Subplot That American Horror Story Just Can't Quit

Summary

The concentration on pregnancy in season 12 of American Horror Story may not come as a shock, considering that the horror genre has delved into this theme for many years. However, the show has a tendency to handle delicate subjects poorly.

American Horror Story has previously featured subplots revolving around pregnancies and babies. However, in the upcoming season titled Delicate, the show will take a new approach by making the sinister/supernatural pregnancy the central theme. This decision comes with significant risks, given the show's tendency to handle sensitive topics without subtlety, and the controversies surrounding previous pregnancy storylines.

American Horror Story season 12 will be exploring a recurring theme of the show, which has its drawbacks. Pregnancy can be a terrifying experience, despite its beauty, as it involves messiness, stress, and varying levels of fear. Movies and novels, like The Exorcist and We Need To Talk About Kevin, often delve into the horrors of parenthood. However, classic horror stories have long focused on the topic of pregnancy itself, such as The Brood by David Cronenberg, It's Alive from 1974, and the iconic 1968 adaptation Rosemary’s Baby.

Given this background, the announcement of American Horror Story season 12's story was not a complete surprise. Based on Danielle Valentine's novel Delicate Condition, the season, titled Delicate, will center around a pregnant actor haunted by a sinister force. The casting of Kim Kardashian in this season was more unexpected than the storyline itself, as the horror genre has frequently addressed the subject of pregnancy over the years. However, this particular horror anthology series has a disappointing track record of mishandling this potentially sensitive topic, as seen in earlier seasons of American Horror Story.

Delicate Continues American Horror Story's 12-Year Supernatural Pregnancy Trend

Except for Freak Show, Roanoke, and 1984, almost every season of American Horror Story has featured a subplot involving supernatural pregnancies or babies. From the Antichrist baby, Michael Langdon, to Alma and Grace's babies in Asylum, and the alien babies in Death Valley, the show has explored various eerie connections. However, for the first time, Delicate's story revolves entirely around pregnancies, making it the main focus of the entire season rather than just a subplot. This may make the upcoming American Horror Story season 12's storyline feel repetitive for long-time viewers and even risk generating too much controversy. In previous seasons, these pregnancy subplots were balanced with other compelling storylines, preventing them from becoming too overwhelming. For example, if Murder House solely focused on the decision of raising Michael Langdon, the season would have been much darker. Similarly, if Asylum didn't have the presence of serial killers, zombies, alien abductions, and possessed nuns to divert attention from the story of Alma and Grace's babies, it would have been a more somber and challenging watch. These previous seasons smartly avoided dwelling too much on their pregnancy subplots for extended periods. In contrast, American Horror Story: Delicate places the primary emphasis on the pregnancy plotline throughout season 12.

Delicate Makes AHS's Pregnancy Obsession Its Main Focus

Pregnancy horror is a delicate challenge. Exploring the themes of pregnancy, fertility, and childbirth can be quite intricate, as they involve complex and emotionally charged subjects. Approaching these stories in a campy and often gruesome manner, like in a horror anthology show, poses a risk of mishandling them with insufficient care. While Ira Levin's renowned novel "Rosemary's Baby" and its film adaptation stand as classics in this genre, there have been numerous disappointments like "False Positive" (2021), "Visions" (2016), "Baby Ruby" (2023), "Unwelcome" (2023), and "Bed Rest" (2022). Despite attempting to make pregnancy the captivating centerpiece of a horror narrative, all of these movies failed to strike the right tonal balance, earning substantial criticism from reviewers.

American Horror Story Season 12's Pregnancy Focus Is A Huge Risk

Casting Kardashian in American Horror Story: Delicate was already a significant risk for season 12. However, basing the entire season's story on the controversial and divisive topic of pregnancy is simply inviting trouble. American Horror Story is known for tackling sensitive subjects such as addiction, abuse, assault, and trauma with a heavy-handed approach. Therefore, delving deep into a theme that few recent horror movies have successfully explored is a daring gamble. Additionally, considering NYC's mishandling of the AIDS epidemic subplot, viewers have little reason to expect that Delicate will be a surprising success.

The pregnancy storylines in previous seasons of American Horror Story have been highly controversial and divisive. Therefore, it is a significant risk for the show to make it the primary focus in Delicate. Given the show's decline in recent years, it doesn't need another reason for viewers to be put off. While remaking Rosemary's Baby could potentially lead to success, pregnancy horror remains a precarious theme for American Horror Story.