Popular anthology series, American Horror Story, brings us yet another season of terror, but what is the plot and theme of season 12 so far?

The most recent installment in the ever-popular horror franchise, American Horror Story, is here just in time for the spooky season of October. The first few episodes of season 12 are available to stream on Hulu or watch on the FX cable channel. This new season titled Delicate is deviating from the anthology’s typical formula of original stories and instead is based on the novel Delicate Condition by Daniell Valentine. Ryan Murphy has also passed the torch to Halley Feiffer as the primary writer and showrunner for this season while Murphy focuses on other projects.

Joining the cast in this newest addition to AHS is Emma Roberts as actress Anna Alcott and Kim Kardashian as Siobhan Walsh, Alcott’s publicist. Additional cast includes Zachary Quinto, Cara Delevingne as Meg, Matt Czuchry as Dexter Harding, Billie Lourd as Olympia, Denis O’Hare as Dr. Crawford, Leslie Grossman as Emily Chapman, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Cora.

Although this is the series’ first adaptation, we all know what AHS is capable of producing, which means that expectations are high from fans and critics alike. So let’s take a look then at what this newest season is about and go over what we have seen so far from the first few episodes. And perhaps we will be able to deduce more about what is to come for the remainder of American Horror Story: Delicate.

The Plot and Theme of Delicate

As mentioned previously, this season is based on the book Delicate Condition, in which a pregnant woman, Anna Alcott, believes that there is a sinister force at work actively sabotaging her attempts to have a baby. Despite her medications going missing and appointments being changed, Anna is determined to start a family with her husband. And finally, after everything they’ve been through, she gets the good news that she is pregnant. But that good news doesn’t last long when her doctor informs her she has had a miscarriage.

However, Ann is not so convinced as she can feel something growing inside her. Things further unravel as Anna begins to receive threats from an unknown stalker and no longer feels safe. And to make matters worse, no one believes her, and she is left with an ever-growing sense of dread.

American Horror Story has, of course, put its own spin on the story, but overall, it follows the same plot line with a successful young actress who simultaneously wants to grow her career in addition to wanting a baby. The season touches on a number of themes, including societal pressures of pregnancy, motherhood, infidelity, and sanity. This story closely resembles the classic horror film Rosemary’s Baby, in which a woman believes someone is trying to hurt her unborn baby, but no one believes her.

What We’ve Seen So Far

The first episode begins with Anna running from a mysterious intruder in her house. The most likely suspect seems to be Sonia, a local artist who coincidentally shows up in various locations where Anna is and seems to be watching her. Sonia also resembles Dexter’s ex-wife, who we find out died in a kitchen fire. This resemblance causes Anna to be suspicious that her husband is having an affair with this woman.

We are also introduced to Siobhan, Anna’s publicist, whom she met at an IVF support group. However, one of the most mysterious characters so far is Preecher, an old lady who seems to be haunting Anna. Although, we don’t know yet if she is real or just a figment of Anna’s imagination.

The second episode picks up after the break-in, where Anna gives her statement to the police. Dexter, however, is not so convinced that this wasn’t all in her mind. Later, Siobhan dismisses Anna’s concerns and helps her refocus on her campaign for Best Actress at the Oscars. Siobhan also supplies Anna with her B12 shots, which look suspiciously like blood, making us wonder if Siobhan is up to something duplicitous.

A couple of weeks pass in a daze, and Anna takes a pregnancy test, which turns out positive. Anna’s mental state is in serious question, however, when it seems that she may have killed a fan who confronted her while she was sick. Unfortunately, after a strange and brutal ultrasound, Anna is told she has suffered a miscarriage.

Anna grieves the loss of her baby in the following episode but insists that they continue to try for a baby. Dex doesn’t seem too keen on the idea, but Anna believes that some force at work is trying to stop her, and she is determined not to let it win. After this dispute, she takes a walk through the woods, where reality becomes warped with Preecher’s ominous appearance following a series of strange events. Anna later confides in Siobhan about her concern that her husband is having an affair and her difficulty moving on after the miscarriage. Siobhan’s solution: focus on work. But that is short-lived when Anna finds herself confronted by a cult of women.

The most recent episode takes us back in time to Queen Mary, who is giving birth to her baby when her sister enters the room. Dark figures take the child to fulfill Mary’s deal for a successful reign in exchange for her child. Then we go back to Anna, where she confronts Dex about Sonia, brings a raccoon carcass into the house, dresses it in baby clothes, and faces a PR crisis. Later, at a doctor’s appointment, Anna discovers that her pregnancy was viable after all when they can detect a heartbeat. In other good news, Anna is nominated for a Golden Globe award, but of course, the episode must end on a dark note with Anna eating the rotting corpse of the raccoon.

American Horror Story: Delicate will air its mid-season finale this Wednesday, October 18, on FX and streaming on Hulu.