In an unprecedented move, “American Horror Story” creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk (“Glee”) announced the series’ 10th season would be a package deal, showcasing two separate stories over a 10 episode span. Appropriately titled “Double Feature,” the season is divided into separate parts, exposing fans to what could be considered two seasons in one.

On paper, “Double Feature” deserves praise for taking an experimental approach to the series’ tradition of presenting a different story per season. However, by attempting to cram two stories into a standard-length season, the concept quickly loses its luster. With little time allotted for each story to be completed, their ideas and themes are ultimately left underdeveloped. Thus, the season’s setup comes off as a misguided gimmick, rather than a fresh subversion.

Titled “Red Tide,” the season’s first half depicts a small town plagued by a pill which allows people to excel in their artistic talent. However, those who take it become bloodsucking vampires. The concept is a satire on the concepts of fame and the entertainment industry, portraying the talented as those who feed off of the talentless in order to thrive.

Despite “Red Tide’s” clever ideas, it falls short of meeting its potential because of a limited episode count. Spanning six episodes, the plot displays interesting ideas and characters which deserve more attention than they ultimately receive. Pacing also proves to be an issue, as the plot drags until the final episode, which rushes to make an unfortunately sloppy ending. 

Though “Red Tide” has its issues, it stands as a stronger narrative compared to the season’s second half, “Death Valley.” 

Resigned to a meager four episodes, the second story depicts extraterrestrials’ pursuit to birth human-alien hybrids by impregnating captive subjects. Simultaneously, “Death Valley” depicts aliens’ involvement in U.S. government affairs from the 1950s to the 1970s. Though its bizarre premise deserves some attention, the overall execution is lacking. 

Inspired by conspiracy theories, the ideas depicted had the potential to be presented as intelligent play on fantastical real-life concepts. However, the limited amount of time allotted for their exploration reduces them to brief nods to what could have been in a full length-season.

One redeeming quality of “Double Feature” is that, keeping in tow with “American Horror Story” tradition, actors from seasons past return for the season, assuming new roles. To the delight of fans, regulars Sarah Paulson (“Ratched”) and Evan Peters (“Mare of Easttown”) star in the season following their first absence from the series in season nine. Paulson, who played different roles in both halves of the season, reigns as the standout of the season’s cast.

Overall, it is apparent “Double Feature’s” poor turnout is the result of a rushed production. After a year without a new “American Horror Story” season, it is understandable that the creator’s would wish to make up for this lost time with what appears to be double the content. However, what seems to be a novel idea comes off as misguided, given the setup hinders the season’s ideas from being fully-developed. Rather than mash them together, the stories would have greatly benefited from being presented in their own standalone seasons.

Image from TV Promo via YouTube