'AHS: Hotel' Gets Commandingly Religious in Opening Credits

By now, we know the drill when it comes to American Horror Story teasers and opening credits. Creepy imagery here, desolate locales there, performers in spooky makeup, et cetera, and so on. So arrives the American Horror Story: Hotel opening credits, albeit with a strangely commanding religious twist.

Ryan Murphy shared our first look at next week’s surprisingly demure title credits, for those expecting Lady Gaga to kick in anything more upbeat with the music. Strangest of all, and undoubtedly a clue to the season itself, each actor’s name appears flanked by a neon depiction of one of the Ten Commandments. Which, you know … sure. Why not.

Debuting on October 7, so reads the American Horror Story: Hotel premiere synopsis:

“Checking In”
Detective and family man John Lowe investigates a chain of gruesome murders in Los Angeles. A mysterious tip points him to the enigmatic Hotel Cortez.
Written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk; directed by Ryan Murphy.

Elsewhere, the Hotel cast thus far includes Max Greenfield, Cheyenne Jackson and Lady Gaga, returning Coven alum Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Asylum star Chloe Sevigny, Freak Show guests Finn Wittrock, Matt Bomer and Wes Bentley, and franchise regulars Lily Rabe, Denis O’Hare, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson. FX boss John Landgraf described American Horror Story Season 5 as an “unusually large reinvention” of the series, while Jessica Lange remains open to appearances in future seasons.