Season five of one of the most terrifying TV shows in the United States premiered on October 20th on Fox UK, and will keep its spot in the timetable at 10pm every Tuesday. After much speculation about whether or not American Horror Story would be renewed for a fifth season, it came with a great surprise that producers Brad Falchuck and Ryan Murphy chose Lady Gaga to star in the show. Despite the public’s accelerating enthusiasm online regarding the singer’s contribution, the spotlight should also shine on other new cast members such as Matt Bomer, Max Greenfield (New Girl) and surprisingly Naomi Campbell. Rumor has it that Michelle Pfeiffer will also join the cast, which still consists of Kathy Bates, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Denis O’Hare, but this season seems to be one of many firsts, as it’s without original cast member Jessica Lange.

This series will not be as psychological as Asylum, it will not be crafty like Coven, or as freaky as Freak Show, instead, if you are able to imagine something even scarier you will get American Horror Story: Hotel. As the name suggests, it takes place in the controversial Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, currently under investigation by Detective Lowe (Wes Bentley) due to a series of murders and unusual events. The season opens with two girls checking in and finding something terrifying that haunts room 64, followed by the title sequence and an adapted version of the usual theme song. Compared to the previous intros it’s more gruesome, sexual and splattered, three words that shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. Don’t be surprised to see blood and sex, both at the same time, just twenty minutes into the first episode ‘Checking-in.’

What contributes to the overall feeling of terror and unexpectedness is the eccentric lighting and dark scenery followed by bright shots and trippy fish-eye camera angles. However, the signature element of the show remains the same; the supernatural contrasted with the ordinary. Even though it’s based in this decade, the scenery is like something out of the 1920’s Art Deco, but within the luxurious and maze-like hallways of the hotel lie many terrifying secrets ready to haunt our dreams. Murphy reveals in an interview for Entertainment Tonight his own fear of hotels, “A lot of people have keys to those rooms and they can come in and get you, since I started shooting, I always check under the bed now.”

As we wait for the next episodes to air, spoilers go viral on the web as much as complaints do. The first episode has been branded as ‘disturbing,’ ‘vile,’ and ‘inappropriate.’ But American Horror Story lovers know that it is full of graphic, nail-biting scenes and that the nature of the show is indeed to shock, and this season will surely meet our expectations. So, are you ready to check in?

Matilde Rossi