Fall, traditionally, is a time when our favorite TV shows reappear on our screens. How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreations, and Homeland are among the many names that come to mind when we think of the returning autumn lineup. Fall, specifically October, is also a time of frights and fear, ghosts, spirits, and a whole lot of horror. That’s why it seems appropriate that American Horror Story: Coven is premiering at the most terrifying time of the year.

The new season of the well-received FX show is star-studded, with returning cast members like Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Taisaa Farmiga, and of course, the incredibly talented Jessica Lange, as well as new cast members such as Gabourey Sidibe, Emma Roberts, and Kathy Bates. This season is unrelated to season one and two, just as how two has nothing to do with season one. The story is exciting, yet simple; a young girl named Zoe (Taissa Farmiga) finds out she is a descendent of the witches from the Salem Witch Trials, and is sent to a school in New Orleans to learn about her power.  If you feel as I did (frightened to watch this gory show) it’s important to understand seasons one and two, whether you plan to watch them or not. While you don’t have to have seen the prior seasons to understand season three, here’s a recap so you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into, as the show is very addictive.

In season one, Vivien (Connie Britton) and Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott) move to Los Angeles, California with their daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga). Vivien has suffered a miscarriage and discovered Ben has been cheating on her with another woman. The family moves to start a new life, and soon finds a house that is beautiful, old, and inexpensive. Unfortunately, there’s a problem. The past owners were found in a brutal and tragic crime scene: a murder-suicide. This does not concern the Harmons, and they move in as soon as they can. However, they start to discover more and more about the house’s mysterious past and the many murders that have taken place within the residence. The rest you’ve probably guessed by now: haunted house, ghosts, etc. However, what makes this show infinitely watchable isn’t the shocks or scares, but the well-developed characters. The leading actors, Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott, present a typical American couple experiencing unfortunate bumps in their romantic road. Their fears and desires make them even better than just a husband and wife team. The supporting characters perfectly complete the show. The eerie maid, Moira, played by Frances Conroy, is such a depressed and deflated woman, you begin to wonder…is she even alive? My personal favorite, Constance Langdon, played by the brilliant Oscar winner Jessica Lange, is a demonic southern belle. She has had such anger and seethes with underlying wrath throughout the show; she alone haunts your dreams. If you like shows such as Desperate Housewives or Mad Men, and like a little scare every once in a while, season one provides enough jolts and lots of drama to make it an exciting show.Season two, Asylum, (which I don’t endorse as highly as season one, but still give it a good recommendation) takes place in 1964 in a haunted asylum called Briarcliff. Bloody Face, a murderer who has slaughtered many women, is captured and put into the sanitarium, and is “taken care” of by a group of strict nuns and a sadistic experimental doctor. At this time, Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) investigates the controversial hospital, when she is suddenly forced to stay because Sister Jude (Lange) discovers Lana’s secret: her homosexuality, which was not accepted back then as it is today. So begins a series of bloody, crazy, and horrific attempts to escape.  Many of the residents and nuns begin to ask the question we all seek an answer to: how well do we really know each other, or better yet, how well do we know ourselves? The show, again, has great characters, but is a little gorier and less dramatic than the previous season; it’s a show that’ll make you jump out of your skin, with a diluted sense of substance. Either way, the plot is still exciting. Season one’s true star may have been Jessica Lange; in season two (even though Lange is still excellent) Lily Rabe takes the cake. As Sister Mary Eunice, a once naïve nun turned evil, Rabe is excellent at playing both personalities, being devilish, cynical, and sadistic, with a darkly humorous touch of apathy towards others’ pain.

If you want a Halloween haunt, and you want a good TV show to watch this season, American Horror Story is truly an entertaining pleasure. Beware: it is violent and vicious. Another warning: you’ll be instantly hooked.