American Horror Story: 1984 has lived up to its hype

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"It’s been a nice surprise," says Cheryl Eddy. "Ryan Murphy’s earlier ode to all things slasher, Fox’s Scream Queens—which also featured 1984 stars Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd—was pretty mediocre (though casting Jamie Lee Curtis was genius). But Scream Queens, which was set amid the mean-girl culture of a sorority house, took place in the present day, and it abandoned its slasher leanings to become more of a shrill murder mystery by the end of its first season. The decidedly more adult AHS: 1984 aims for authenticity by placing itself squarely in the time period that spawned so many Halloween and Friday the 13th imitators and sequels. Plus, it has campy fun with well-chosen era signifiers that manage to be both grimy and bubblegum at the same time—starting with its squad of coke-snorting aerobics enthusiasts who decide to ditch L.A. ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympics and take jobs as counselors at the recently reopened Camp Redwood."