Ryan Murphy

The People v. O.J. Simpson will conclude the first American Crime Story run on Tuesday, hailed as one of TV’s best, where early days drew mostly snickers for John Travolta’s hilarious wig. Now, we may have all-new hairpieces to snicker at next year, as Travolta has expressed an intent to return for the second, Hurricane Katrina-based American Crime Story.

By this time last year, we’d known for weeks that Lady Gaga would take American Horror Story into its fifth iteration, Hotel, while Season 6 remains horrifyingly opaque. At the very least, we know that Ryan Murphy apparently has two ideas in store for the 2016 run, even if he has no idea which to pick.

It was around this time last year we first learned Lady Gaga would lead American Horror Story into its Season 5 Hotel setting, while thus far Season 6 has only Gaga and Angela Bassett to its name. Now, Bassett offers a small tidbit to her Season 6 character that may point toward the overall direction of Ryan Murphy’s next Horror Story.

Bryan Fuller’s CBS All-Access revival of Star Trek has upped its fan cred twice over with the additions of Nicholas Meyer and Rod Roddenberry, though many also point to Fuller’s diversity pledge with past suggestions of Angela Bassett and Rosario Dawson. Sadly, Bassett doesn’t believe herself available, and we have American Horror Story to blame.

Even after culture sensation Lady Gaga bafflingly won a Golden Globe for her American Horror Story: Hotel role as The Countess, one had to wonder if the prolific musician would commit to American Horror Story Season 6. Ryan Murphy’s invitation appears to have worked, as Gaga herself confirms Season 6 involvement.

American Horror Story always provides a yearly guessing game to determine its next cycle’s focus, while curious recent reports suggested internet horror meme “Slender Man” might take some of the spotlight in Season 6. Not so, unsurprisingly, though we might expect Season 6's true focus to feel otherwise familiar.

The O.J. Simpson trial was a cultural milestone for an entire generation. Just as our parents and grandparents remember where they were when JFK was assassinated, many of us can recall with distinct clarity where we were when Simpson notoriously fled the police in a white Bronco with a gun to his head. The media coverage was breathlessly sensational, but there is nothing sensationalized about The People v. O.J. Simpson, the flagship season of Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story, which is undoubtedly the very best thing Murphy has ever produced.

It takes a special brand of viewer to make heads or tails of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story these days, and it seems Hotel and Asylum star Chloe Sevigny isn’t even one of them. Not only did the actress have an “existential crisis” over the violence, but also isn’t certain if she’d be asked back for Season 6.

Now that we’ve largely washed away the stench of American Horror Story: Hotel, talk naturally turns to the sixth chapter of Ryan Murphy’s FX frightfest, still largely under wraps. We know of at least one returning cast member, while a new report suggests that Season 6 might actually feature urban legend meme “Slender Man.”

FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson will undoubtedly milk a connection to Ryan Murphy’s more Horror-bent branch, but rest assured, the new series won’t veer so hard into crazy camp. Then again, You might not know it by the latest People v. O.J. Simpson trailer and sneak peek.