The Correct Order In Which To Watch AHS According To Fans

Fans who have been with "American Horror Story" since it debuted on FX in 2011 (IMDb) hoped that the show was going to be a standout. Thanks to the cast's fantastic performances and the creepy, eye-catching visuals, loyal viewers have been hooked for a decade and still craving more.

Because "AHS" is an anthology series that reinvents itself with a new story and set of characters every season, fans don't necessarily have to watch all of the seasons, or all of them in order, to fully appreciate the ones they do get to see. That may lead to some confusion about whether or not there's a certain timeline you need to follow if you're going to give the show a shot, or if you should just dive in at the beginning.

If you want to start watching "AHS" but you're not sure about the best order to watch the seasons, we have you covered. Reddit recently figured out the correct order in which to watch "AHS."

A Reddit thread gave "American Horror Story" fans a space to share their feelings about the proper viewing order to watch the hit show. u/jhnnsdmn asked season viewers to recommend the best season to start with, writing, "Never watched a single episode in my life so I need help."

As you might expect, most responses were for newbies to start with the first season, "Murder House." u/VinoJedi10 wrote, "Can't skip Season 1. Just start at the very beginning." Another Redditor echoed the sentiment, writing of the first season, "It gives you the vibe of the series and one of, if not THE best twist of the series."

u/brenxo112 recommended that anyone starting to watch "AHS" start with the first season because it helps prepare you for what the show can do. They wrote, "Do yourself a favor and watch 'Murder House' first. If you do like I did you will not understand really what 'AHS' is. ... I started with 'Freak Show' and oh boy I had a hard time watching it lol."

While "American Horror Story" is famous for making each season of the show its own distinct viewing experience, it's obviously becoming more important to have watched previous seasons to help make sure you catch everything that's happening.

For instance, Redditor nazia987 points out that the first three seasons of "AHS" are "completely independent" of each other, but they note that from Season 4 onwards there are Easter eggs, subtle references, and other small nods to the previous seasons.

They also write about how the show's eighth season, "Apocalypse," is a crossover season, and at least a few early seasons are required viewing if you want to understand everything you see. The Redditor wrote, "None of them [past season references] are so big that you'll be confused if you don't watch one of the previous seasons. S8 however, is a crossover season, between S1 and 3, so you need to watch those ones before you watch S8." 

That settles it for us — time for a re-watch from the very beginning.