I don’t know why, but I love freaking myself out via scary movies. This can be proven by the fact that I’ve seen every Paranormal Activity movie in theaters (except for Marked Ones…sigh), despite the fact that I spend the whole time in the theater turning my knuckles white on the arm rests thinking, “Why do I do this to myself?”

So, when I first heard about the TV show American Horror Story in 2011, I had to check it out. Based on previews, it seemed like the scariest show to be on television since Are You Afraid of the Dark? and MTV’s Fear, and sure enough, the first season successfully creeped me out. The late night time slot allowed it to be edgier than other programming on television, and helped make it one of my favorite shows.

Then came the announcement that the Murder House we’d called our second deranged home in Season One would no longer be the setting for Season Two, which also meant the characters would not be the same. AHS fans were livid, including myself, wondering how you could possibly go on with a show without continuing with the original story. But then, Asylum came out and while it took some adjusting, we were sucked into this messed up institution just like we were sucked into Murder House.

Unfortunately for me, I lost interest in Asylum somewhere in the middle of the season, finding it to rely too much on shock value that just wasn’t doing it for me. It was sad, considering how much I loved the first season, and I was ready to call it quits on the series. That is, until Coven flew into the scene. And well, if you’ve been following me on social media, you know how much I love these boss ass witches trying to be the next Supreme.

Coven is coming to a close, and I love it enough to give Asylum another go. At least until the next season starts up, which is only just now being teased with hints on setting and time period. Whatever it ends up being, one thing is for sure. I no longer doubt the AHS formula of telling a new horror story with each season. As much as I love following the same characters over a span of multiple seasons, the way AHS is delivered keeps things fresh, and we get to see our favorite cast members take on new and twisted roles that keep us coming back for more. As one of the only horror TV shows I care to tune into, I hope this series lasts a long time, and has many scary stories to tell for years to come.

All amazing GIFs via stilesthilinski