“Fans of American Horror Story have theorized for years that each of the seasons corresponds to one of the circles of hell from Inferno, the first section of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem The Divine Comedy. But Season 8 has viewers reworking that idea to make it a bit more specific. This AHS: Apocalypse theory has fans brushing up on their Dante to see if it actually fits this season better than it does the show as a whole.
“In Inferno, Dante is guided through the nine circles of hell by the poet Virgil. Each circle is devoted to a specific sin: the first is Limbo, followed by lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. Since those are common themes throughout AHS, viewers began to suspect that each season was inspired by one circle. It became so popular that creator Ryan Murphy commented on it, telling TV Guide in 2017, ‘With AHS, I do like the Dante’s Inferno theory. I’ve read a lot about it. I know what the fans think. I have a theory about the show that I’ve never told anybody and probably won’t until it’s over, but that theory is a good one.’
“The theory has evolved in the wake of Season 8’s premiere. Now some viewers have started to wonder if every episode of Apocalypse represents one of the nine circles instead.” […] –Megan Walsh, Romper, September 26, 2018
