Unveiling the Mind-Bending Twist: American Horror Story Season 12 Shocks Fans by Revamping its Iconic 1968 Movie Inspiration

Summary

American Horror Story season 12 is taking a departure from its usual formula by adapting a horror novel as its story, making it a unique entry in the series.

The upcoming season of Delicate takes inspiration from Rosemary's Baby but diverges by introducing doctors as a clear threat right from the beginning. It delves into medical trauma in a more explicit manner than its predecessor, effectively addressing serious issues while still preserving the campy and unpredictable essence of the show.

While American Horror Story season 12 draws inspiration from a classic '60s horror movie, it has already deviated from its source material in a significant way. The show's unpredictability has been a defining characteristic since its beginning, constantly surprising and baffling viewers with its twists and turns. This was exemplified in American Horror Story: Apocalypse, where the heroes were killed off midway through the story, only to start fresh with an entirely new plot. While this approach can be jarring, it can also be invigorating and thrilling, as demonstrated by American Horror Story: Delicate.

When Kim Kardashian was cast in a major role for American Horror Story season 12, many expected it to follow the series' usual pattern of outrageous twists and stunt casting aimed at boosting ratings. However, American Horror Story: Delicate will be a departure from the show's typical formula. In a break from tradition, the storyline for this season will be based on a novel. Author Danielle Valentine's Delicate Condition is a horror novel that revolves around an independent actor who becomes convinced that a mysterious entity intends to terminate her pregnancy and that she cannot trust those closest to her.

American Horror Story: Delicate Makes Its Medical Horror More Explicit Than Rosemary's Baby

Delicate Condition and American Horror Story season 12 draw heavily from Ira Levin’s acclaimed bestseller, Rosemary's Baby. Although both share similarities, particularly in plot, Delicate takes a distinct approach. While Rosemary's Baby is set in NYC, Delicate diverges from this by introducing unique twists in its plot. Notably, in Delicate, the doctors pose an immediate threat from the beginning, unlike in Rosemary's Baby where the connection between the devil-worshiping cult and the medical establishment is only revealed towards the chilling end. Delicate's first teaser showcases menacing nurses brandishing syringes filled with spiders, while the main character is restrained on an operating table. Conversely, in Rosemary's Baby, the protagonist visits a new physician based on her neighbors' meddling, only discovering later that even her trustworthy doctor was involved in the scheme.

American Horror Story: Delicate Underlines One Major Theme From Rosemary's Baby

Why American Horror Story Season 12 Changing Its Movie Inspiration Is Good

American Horror Story season 12 has cast Kim Kardashian in a prominent role, indicating that the show will maintain its campy nature in Delicate. However, this does not imply that the series will shy away from addressing serious matters. In American Horror Story: NYC, the show explored the distressing history of the AIDS crisis, and it appears that Delicate will tackle medical trauma even more explicitly than Rosemary’s Baby did many years ago. The teaser trailer suggests that the main character of Delicate cannot trust anyone, including medical professionals. Similarly to Rosemary, who only discovered this truth in the ending, Delicate's protagonist Anna is shown fleeing from nurses in the promotional materials.

To prevent spoiling its ending, American Horror Story season 12 needed to deviate slightly from the plot of Levin's novel, Delicate Condition, which has been likened to an updated version of Rosemary's Baby. With Rosemary's Baby being highly influential over the years, what were once groundbreaking twists now seemed predictable to contemporary viewers. In this regard, there was no point in concealing the nefarious intentions of the seemingly ordinary medical practitioners within the show's healthcare institution, who would instantly be suspected by astute viewers.

American Horror Story: Delicate deliberately sets the stage for its doctors and nurses to be involved in sinister activities, leaving room for the introduction of additional antagonists, villainous accomplices, and unexpected plot twists. If Delicate Condition and its adaptation simply retold Rosemary's Baby's storyline word-for-word, both the novel and American Horror Story season 12 would be repetitive. However, by altering the specific plot details of Rosemary's Baby while retaining its most terrifying themes and ideas, American Horror Story season 12 can deliver a renewed version of the iconic original that pays homage to Levin's bestselling novel.