In American Horror Story, almost everything is about connection and reflection. In other words, the series is very good about using symbolism and foreshadowing to link together concepts, connect to certain emotions, or hint at the show’s theme.
This means that every cross over and every detail holds some relevance to the overall point of AHS, including the items in the show. Viewers see items that reflect what the season will be about even in the opening theme sequences, which are carefully created to accompany each unique season.
Each season is full of items that reveal something more that’s happening or going to happen in the story. Throughout the eleven seasons, impressive creative effort has gone into ensuring that no detail was unnecessary to the greater story. While one could easily make an endless list of items from the series that had a deeper purpose, the point could just as easily be made by pointing out a few examples.
The Gimp Suit
Perhaps one of the most obvious examples of this is the gimp suit, which first appears in season one, "Murder House." So far, the suit has been worn by multiple people, has appeared in multiple seasons, and even made an appearance in the spin-off series, American Horror Stories.
Creator Ryan Murphy has explained before that his inspiration for the suit came while looking at a book that pictured one, and he thought to himself how disturbing it would be for the one you love to walk in the room in it. While the full significance of the suit to the storyline is still not set in stone, the way that it’s continually used in the show makes its connection to the theme clear. The theme is centered around the darkness within humanity, and the suit symbolizes the dark side of love.
The Red Lingerie
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In season two, "Asylum," when viewers meet Sister Jude, she is a strict and devout nun. However, viewers later see her in her red lingerie and get a glimpse at who she really is. She wears the lingerie in hopes that her longing for the Monsignor will be returned, but it also foreshadows to viewers what will be revealed about her past. While the lingerie alone doesn’t symbolize much, her wearing it does. For a nun to be wearing sexy lingerie (in red, the color of passion), audiences are reminded once again of the sinful habits of humanity.
The Hotel Check-In Book
In season five, "Hotel," in the Devil’s Night episode where all the ghosts of killers come together, Richard Ramirez writes his name in the check-in book. On the line above it, the name “Danielle Lavesque” is written. While many viewers may not have thought anything of this, the name has actually come up before, in season one. It is the name of one of Tate’s mass-shooting victims.
The shooting would have happened in 1994. The hotel, having been around since the 20s, would have been around for this character to stay in. However, it’s not clear why their name would have been the last name written before Ramirez wrote his, considering that it was written several years after both of their deaths. The name is an obvious nod to one of the show’s art directors, but it’s possible there could be a deeper significance to the name since it’s used more than once in the show. The importance of items like this in the show offer up connections and possibly hints, but usually in a subtle way, because of the information that they can reveal.
The Clown Masks
One of the most successful uses of props in the series is the clown masks from season seven, "Cult." Upon first seeing them introduced in the show, one might simply brush them off as creepy clown masks, used to amp up the fear factor of a concept very relevant to modern-day society. However, as who is behind each mask begins to slowly get unraveled, it becomes clear how much the masks foreshadow their wearer. Beyond that, they also reflect the message of the season. A cult could be applied to any setting and make for an unsettling story, but the inclusion of the political race makes it obvious that the clown masks were an intentional choice. They are meant to reflect voters that follow the words of politicians blindly.
Gino's Turquoise Jewelry
Even the most recent season of the show has significant and easy-to-miss items that give viewers a deeper understanding of the story and characters. In season eleven, "NYC," the obvious item of focus is probably the gimp mask, because it’s so familiar to viewers. While its significance in this season is a bit different, its relation to the theme is essentially the same. It is the subtler items in this season that hold importance but go overlooked.
For example, once Gino has lost everything and is awaiting his impending fate, he begins wearing turquoise jewelry. Turquoise jewelry is often worn to combat viral infections (along with using ointments and medicines). While all of these cures may just seem like doing what’s expected in this situation, the helpless feeling conveyed by the final episode suggests that they’re more significant than that. While the tone of the episode is sad, lonely, and reflective of what Gino was feeling about his circumstances, his use of medicines and going to protests shows that he still has not given up hope for a cure. This represents the message of this season: that the LGBTQ+ community has been, and still is, neglected by the US government. It’s a heartbreaking and helpless feeling for members of the community.
Again, several more examples could be included to illustrate just how brilliant the attention to detail is in American Horror Story, but these examples seem to make that clear. From costumes and accessories, to the many props that bring a setting to life, nothing in AHS is without purpose.