American Horror Story: Delicate
The twelfth season of the American horror anthology television series, American Horror Story, subtitled Delicate, is based on Danielle Valentine's book, Delicate Condition, the first season of the series to be based on a novel, instead of having an original storyline. The ensemble cast includes returnees Emma Roberts, Denis O'Hare, Dominic Burgess, Zachary Quinto, Billie Lourd, Grace Gummer, and Leslie Grossman, with newcomers Matt Czuchry, Kim Kardashian, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Cara Delevingne, Julie White, Juliana Canfield, and Maaz Ali.
American Horror Story: Delicate
8
September 20, 2023 –
present
Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for cable network FX, the series is produced by 20th Television. The season premiered on September 20, 2023 and will be split into two parts, with the second part premiering on April 3, 2024. The season was met with generally positive reviews, with praise going to the aesthetic, the more psychological horror in comparison to earlier seasons and the performances (particularly that of Dexter-Jones and Kardashian). However, there was some criticism for the pacing and episodes feeling repetitive.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
On January 9, 2020, American Horror Story was renewed for up to a thirteenth season.[3] On April 10, 2023, series co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that the season would have Halley Feiffer as showrunner and be based on Danielle Valentine's upcoming book Delicate Condition, making it the first season in the series' history to not have Murphy as showrunner and to lean into source material. Murphy also announced that the season would be titled Delicate.[4]
Casting[edit]
Matt Czuchry joined the twelfth season's cast on April 6, 2023.[5] On April 10, 2023, Murphy announced that the season would be led by Kim Kardashian and series veteran Emma Roberts. Murphy described the season as "ambitious and unlike anything [the series has] ever done" and Kardashian's character as "fun, stylish and ultimately terrifying". Kardashian's involvement in the series is her first in scripted television (besides a one-scene appearance in an episode of the 2008 reboot series of 90210) and was being planned by her and Murphy since 2022, after Murphy was impressed by her work as a host in an October 2021 episode of Saturday Night Live.[4]
On April 24, Cara Delevingne was spotted filming scenes for the season with Roberts.[6] The same week, Annabelle Dexter-Jones and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez joined the cast in undisclosed capacities.[7][8][9] On May 1, Variety mentioned Odessa A'zion among the confirmed cast members.[10] In June, People reported that Zachary Quinto confirmed he would make a cameo appearance in the season. The actor also praised Kardashian's performance, stating, "I don't think she needs my advice. She seemed really in her element, and I was really impressed by her spirit and her openness".[11]
Filming[edit]
On May 1, during the Met Gala, Kardashian told Variety that production for the season had begun, and her scenes will be filmed later that month.[10] On May 4, the third day of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in New York City, it was rumored that production had paused. However, Deadline Hollywood reported that filming for the twelfth season did not stop and cast members were using a studio back entrance to avoid the picket line.[12] On May 10, 2023, it was announced that production for the season has stopped due to the strike.[13] Filming was officially suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[14] Filming resumed at the end of November 2023[15] and wrapped on January 22, 2024.[16]
Release[edit]
Marketing[edit]
On July 20, the season's first teaser trailer was released. Described as "sinister" by press, it presents white-haired women in a circle and motherhood imagery, including Kardashian holding a baby; Kardashian, Roberts and Delevingne are the only actors to appear, with all of them wearing bright red lipstick. The teaser features a modified version of the English nursery rhyme "Rock-a-bye Baby".[17][18] After watching the teaser, Kyle Denis of Billboard pointed out Rosemary's Baby (1968) as a possible inspiration for the season.[19] A full trailer was released on September 6.[20]
Reception[edit]
Streaming viewership[edit]
According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, American Horror Story: Delicate was the seventh most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States during the week of September 18–24, 2023,[23] the ninth during the week of September 25 to October 1, 2023,[24][25] and the ninth during the week of October 9–15, 2023.[26] According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, American Horror Story: Delicate was the ninth most streamed program across all platforms in the United States during the week of October 12, 2023.[27][28]
Critical response[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10, based on 13 reviews. The website's consensus reads: "American Horror Story reins in its Grand Guignol excess for a softer touch in Delicate, refreshing the series' formula with a slow-burn chiller about the anxieties of pregnancy."[29] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[30]
JP Mangalindan of People reported that multiple critics praised the performance of Kim Kardashian upon the season premiere.[31] Anthony D'Alessandro of Deadline Hollywood called her "perfect" for the role of Siobhan Corbyn.[32] Patrick Ryan of USA Today stated that Kardashian succeeded to embody the valley girl persona in a clever way.[33] Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast found Kardashian to be the best element of the season, while complimenting the performance of Emma Roberts.[34] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gave Delicate a grade of three out of five stars, said that Kardashian provides a new and better screen presence compared to other media she starred in, and found Delicate to be more accessible than the previous seasons owing to its focus on the thriller genre.[35]