| Bgcolour: |
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| Showrunner: | Halley Feiffer |
| Num Episodes: | 9 |
| Network: | FX |
| Prev Season: | NYC |
| Episode List: | List of American Horror Story episodes |
The twelfth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Delicate, is based on Danielle Valentine's book Delicate Condition and the first and only season of the series to be based on a novel instead of having an original storyline (although the ending deviates heavily from the novel). It was also the first season not to be run by Ryan Murphy; Halley Feiffer was the showrunner and wrote all nine episodes. 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.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX, the series is produced by 20th Television. Delicate aired from September 20, 2023, to April 24, 2024, and was split into two parts. The season garnered mixed reviews from critics, and ranked among the top-streamed shows in the United States in late 2023. It won a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
See also: List of American Horror Story cast members.
See also: List of American Horror Story episodes.
On January 9, 2020, American Horror Story was renewed for up to a thirteenth season.[1] 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.
Matt Czuchry joined the twelfth season's cast on April 6, 2023.[2] 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.[3]
On April 24, Cara Delevingne was spotted filming scenes for the season with Roberts.[4] The same week, Annabelle Dexter-Jones and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez joined the cast in undisclosed capacities.[5] [6] [7] On May 1, Variety mentioned Odessa A'zion among the confirmed cast members.[8] 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".[9]
On May 1, during the Met Gala, Kardashian told Variety that production for the season had begun, and her scenes would be filmed later that month.[8] 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.[10] On May 10, 2023, it was announced that production for the season has stopped due to the strike.[11] Filming was officially suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[12] Filming resumed at the end of November 2023[13] and wrapped on January 22, 2024.[14]
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".[15] [16] After watching the teaser, Kyle Denis of Billboard pointed out Rosemary's Baby (1968) as a possible inspiration for the season.[17] A full trailer was released on September 6.[18]
On August 15, FX announced that the season would be split into two parts, and that the first part would premiere on September 20, 2023.[19] The second part of four episodes premiered on April 3, 2024.[20]
American Horror Story: Delicate debuted at No. 1 on Hulu's "Top 15 Today" list on its first full day of release.[21] JustWatch, a guide to streaming content with access to data from more than 20 million users around the world, reported that the show was the seventh most-streamed television series in the U.S. during the week of September 18–24, 2023. It subsequently moved to ninth place for the period from September 25 to October 15, 2023. The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which monitors real-time data from 5 million users in the U.S. for original and acquired streaming programs and movies across subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) and ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services, announced that it was the ninth most-streamed program in the U.S. during the week of October 12, 2023.[22] [23] According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, American Horror Story was the most in-demand horror series of 2023.[24] [25]
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."[26] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[27]
JP Mangalindan of People reported that multiple critics praised the performance of Kim Kardashian upon the season premiere.[28] Anthony D'Alessandro of Deadline Hollywood called her "perfect" for the role of Siobhan Corbyn.[29] Patrick Ryan of USA Today stated that Kardashian succeeded to embody the valley girl persona in a clever way.[30] Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast found Kardashian to be the best element of the season, while also complimenting the performance of Emma Roberts.[31] 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.[32]
See main article: List of awards and nominations received by American Horror Story.
| 2024 | Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Commercials & Music Videos – Best Makeup | American Horror Story: Delicate | [33] [34] | |
| Commercials & Music Videos – Best Hair Styling | |||||
| People's Choice Awards | Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of the Year | [35] | |||
| Saturn Awards | Best Horror Television Series | [36] | |||
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Short Form Design | [37] | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | [38] | ||
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Broadcast Short Form | American Horror Story: Delicate | [39] | ||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Contemporary Costumes | Jacqueline Demeterio, Jessica Zavala, Jennifer Salim, Jose Bantula and Jillian Daidone (for "The Auteur") | [40] [41] |