‘American Horror Story’ Is All United By A Common Thread, But Which Fan Theories Have It Figured Out?

American Horror Story is infamous for its intricately woven, season-spanning story arcs. In fact, the sheer amount of narrative strings floating around in American Horror Story have often been one of its major targets of criticism — even over 13 episodes, it’s hard to wrap up every terrifying thread. But some of those questions left lingering for American Horror Story fans will be cleared up on future seasons of the show.

Show creator Ryan Murphy has confirmed what many American Horror Story conspiracy theorists have been saying since the show’s second season — every season exists within the same universe, meaning that they interact with each other in ways that we’re just beginning to see now, Ryan told Entertainment Weekly.

“They’re all connected. We’re just beginning to tell you how they’re connected. They’re all very separate, but there’s clues every season that we’re now telling you how the different worlds are intertwined… That’s the fun of the show. Hopefully by the end of the run, be it 10 years or 15 years, people will be able to stand back and be able to say, ‘Oh that was connected to x.'”

While some of the American Horror Story‘s wildest fan theories might not ever come to fruition on screen, Murphy did say some of the ones he’s read online are actually dead-on to what viewers will see on upcoming seasons.

“We have always from the very beginning in the intertwining mythologies and how things connect. This is the first year where we begin to tell you that season two is connected to season four which is connected to season one… there’s definitely a rhyme or a reason and a connectedness to all of these seasons, but in the same way, they’re standalones, which is the fun of it. But it is a puzzle.”

American Horror Story fans will gets their very first upfront taste of this overlapping world this season, when Sister Mary Eunice, the demon-possessed nun from Asylum, returns to work out some unresolved tension with Pepper, the “pinhead” gone alien-messaging vessel from the same season. This will be the beginning of many more connections in American Horror Story, says Ryan.

“Lily coming back and dealing with Pepper is sort of the first unveiling of that connectedness. She’s so great in that role, Lily. I understood she wanted to go off and do her own show. But I was thrilled she was able to come back and give us a couple days and show how Sister Mary Eunice and Pepper are connected and how it’s all connected. I’m glad she’s back in the habit!”

What off-the-wall fan theory do you hope comes true in upcoming seasons of American Horror Story?

[Image via FX]