If you have been riding with American Horror Story since Murder House opened its doors in 2011, Season 13 already feels a little different.

This is not simply another new story with a few familiar faces sprinkled in. Ryan Murphy is reaching deep into the franchise history and bringing back some of the characters and actors who made American Horror Story appointment television in the first place.

As a longtime fan, I am fully seated for this one.

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Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, and Gabourey Sidibe are all back. And somehow, after years of believing we had seen the last of her in a major AHS role, Jessica Lange is back too.

American Horror Story 13 is being billed as a greatest hits season, and that description feels about right. Murphy has made it clear this isn’t simply Coven Part 3, even though the witches will play a major role.

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The season draws on several of the franchise’s most popular installments, including American Horror Story Season 1‘s Murder House, Asylum, Coven, AHS Season 4‘s Freak Show, and AHS Season 7‘s Cult.

That means we’ll see familiar characters such as Constance Langdon, Cordelia Goode, Madison Montgomery, Marie Laveau, Kai Anderson, Twisty the Clown, and Rubber Man.

For fans who have watched all 12 previous seasons, that lineup alone is enough to make Season 13 feel like an event.

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Jessica Lange’s return may be the biggest reason to celebrate.

Lange helped define the early years of American Horror Story with unforgettable performances as Constance Langdon, Sister Jude, Fiona Goode, and Elsa Mars.

This season, she is not choosing just one. Murphy says Lange will play all four. That is where things get really interesting.

Sarah Paulson will reportedly take on six of her previous roles, while Evan Peters will play five. Peters even filmed a scene in which two of his characters interact.

Apparently, American Horror Story decided one Evan Peters was simply not enough, and I wholeheartedly and selfishly support that decision.

Angela Bassett is also returning as Marie Laveau, which should be enough to make Coven fans start lighting candles now.

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Emma Roberts is back as Madison Montgomery, Kathy Bates returns, and the cast also includes Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Frances Conroy, John Carroll Lynch, and several other familiar faces.

Newcomers include Ariana Grande, John Waters, Joey Pollari, and Paul Anthony Kelly. Murphy has described Kelly’s character as central to the season, while Pollari’s new character helps anchor the story.

The exact plot is still being kept under wraps, which is classic American Horror Story. What we do know is that Murphy has described the season as bringing these characters together to face an “ultimate evil.”

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Considering this franchise has already taken on serial killers, witches, demons, ghosts, aliens, vampires, and the Antichrist, I am not even going to pretend I know what tops that list, but I will be watching and waiting to find out.

Murphy has hinted that the new threat is above the Antichrist’s pay grade. That could mean almost anything in the AHS universe, which is exactly why this season feels so much fun going in. The episode rollout is just as unusual as the cast.

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Season 13 will feature 13 half-hour episodes, and FX is packing them into six weeks.

On Thursday, September 24, we’ll get a three-episode premiere followed by three more on October 1. The following Thursdays will air two episodes each week, with the finale wrapping up the season on October 29.

That means fans will get the entire season before Halloween, and we will not have to wait a full week between every chapter.

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For a show that loves cliffhangers and chaos, multiple episodes at a time may actually be the perfect way to watch.

American Horror Story has had its ups and downs over 12 seasons. Every longtime fan has seasons they love, seasons they defend, and probably at least one they would rather never discuss again.

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Still, there is something exciting about seeing the franchise look backward while trying something new.

Season 13 feels designed for the viewers who remember why Murder House was such a shock, why Coven became a phenomenon, and why seeing names like Lange, Paulson, Peters, and Bassett in the opening credits once felt like a guarantee that something wonderfully unhinged was coming.

Thirteen is supposed to be unlucky. For franchise fans, it may turn out to be exactly the opposite.

American Horror Story 13 premieres Thursday, September 24, at 9/8c on FX and Hulu.

Which returning character are you most excited to see again, and which past season are you most excited to revisit? Let us know in the comments.

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