American Horror Story Season 13 Fiercely Divides Critics & Audiences On Rotten Tomatoes

Published Sep 28, 2026, 4:52 PM EDT Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025. Sign in to your ScreenRant account This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.Critics and audiences are split on American Horror Story season 13. In one of the show's most ambitious seasons yet, it has brought back characters from Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature for the ultimate crossover. Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billie Lourd, and Jamie Brewer are among those who are reprising two or more roles from previous American Horror Story seasons, and in some scenes, have their characters interacting with one another. On Rotten Tomatoes, audiences have given the new season a 42% score, which is tied with NYC for being the worst of the entire series, while critics have given season 13 a perfect 100% score. The audience score is based on more than 100 verified ratings and the critics' score is based on just five reviews as of this writing, with both averages likely to continue fluctuating as more reviews are added. This is the eleventh consecutive season that critics have reacted more favorably than the audience. Season 2, Apocalypse, is the last time the audience score was higher, in this case at 90% as opposed to the critics' 84%. The extent of the divide has never been as extensive before, though, with a record-setting 58% difference between the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter scores for season 13. American Horror Story Season Tomatometer Score Popcornmeter Score Season 1: Murder House 72% 85% Season 2: Asylum 84% 90% Season 3: Coven 85% 76% Season 4: Freak Show 77% 69% Season 5: Hotel 64% 62% Season 6: Roanoke 74% 57% Season 7: Cult 73% 52% Season 8: Apocalypse 79% 75% Season 9: 1984 88% 77% Season 10: Double Feature 80% 50% Season 11: NYC 71% 42% Season 12: Delicate 77% 64% Season 13: 13 100% 42% In TheWrap's review, Michael Ghanem writes that "for a show that carved a reputation by utilizing camp to tell stories that have been, at times, completely Kafkaesque — it feels apt to see the writers really go for it with this mishmash of stories." With Lange, Paulson, Peters, and so many other American Horror Story cast members at the forefront of the season, Lara Kretler at Pop Culture Leftovers is also fully on board: "I’ve seen enough of season 13 to know that I’ll probably keep watching for the killer cast if nothing else. But also… 13 leading ladies, Evan Peters in a gimp suit, and a portal to hell? Dammit, I’m not going anywhere. Bring on the rest!" The Upcoming's Andrew Murray acknowledges that the new season is targeted at longtime viewers as opposed to enticing new ones, but praises the decision to put Lange at the center and for the show being the best that it's been in years: "There’s no doubt that 13 was made with superfans in mind. Not only is it thrilling to see Lange take centre stage, but this season shows signs of being a return to form for the horror anthology." More to come... Release Date October 5, 2011 Network FX Showrunner Ryan Murphy Cast Sarah Paulson Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower Directors Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Jennifer Lynch, Michael Uppendahl, Loni Peristere, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Ryan Murphy, David Semel, Howard Deutch, Michael Lehmann, Angela Bassett, Jeremy Podeswa, Max Winkler, Michael Rymer, Paris Barclay, Axelle Carolyn, Anthony Hemingway, Craig Zisk, Elodie Keene, Jennifer Arnold, Jessica Yu, John Scott, Laura Belsey, Liz Friedlander, Maggie Kiley Writers Halley Feiffer, Ned Martel, Crystal Liu, Charlie Carver, Kristen Reidel, Adam Penn, Douglas Petrie, Todd Kubrak, Reilly Smith, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Joshua A. Green, Akela Cooper, Asha Michelle Wilson Franchise(s) American Horror Story Creator(s) Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy