After 10 seasons, American Horror Story is giving its legions of hungry fans something new. Subtitled Double Feature, this year's outing into the strange and horrifying boasts two stories: one by sand, and one by sea. Part 1 (Red Tide) was a modern tale of vampirism and the price of success. But as we leave Red Tide behind in favor of Part 2, Death Valley, the show is trading the grim tone and wintry color palette of Provincetown, Massachusetts for the desolate desert landscapes of New Mexico and California.
The story begins in 1954 when President Eisenhower discovers that a UFO has been shot down by the Air Force. In true American Horror Story fashion, the horror mounts when an alien body is recovered in the wreckage. As Eisenhower and those close to him begin to unravel the mystery of the aliens (and what they want), the horrific events and discoveries that take place lead to incredible moral and political implications. Meanwhile, in the present, a group of four college friends retreat to the desert for a "no-tech" vacation. But it's not long before they start to discover strange things happening around them... and to their own bodies. Death Valley flips back and forth between the dual timelines and stories but American Horror Story has been known to feature converging plots so it might only be a matter of time before both stories intersect.
If you've just finished up Red Tide and are wondering who's who as the story makes the jump from sea to sand, here's a breakdown of Death Valley's characters, cast, and where you might have seen them before.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Neal McDonough)
A relaxing day of golf is interrupted when he is informed that the U.S. Air Force shot down a UFO in Palm Springs. Eisenhower approaches the scene to find an alien body in the wreckage, sending him down an uncomfortable path of hard truths and difficult decisions. Once he is told what the aliens want from him (and what they'll give in return), Eisenhower is forced to do what's best for the good of the country as a whole, even if it means endangering the lives of some.
With over 25 years of film and television credits to his name, McDonough is best known for his role as Sean Cahill on Suits, as well as television credits like The Flash, Arrow, and the miniseries Band of Brothers. He can also be seen in the upcoming Resident Evil reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Mamie Eisenhower (Sarah Paulson)
Mamie is an assertive and observant First Lady who isn't shy about voicing her opinions and has a keen sense for knowing when her husband is lying. Mamie is quick to believe the truth about the aliens' arrival, going so far as to dip her toe into her husband's political dealings by urging him to make a deal with the aliens. Not to mention accepting the strange "microwave" technology that the aliens have gifted humanity.
Aside from her many memorable characters in past seasons of American Horror Story (Lana Winters in Asylum, Cordelia Goode in Coven, and Bette and Dot Tattler in Freak Show), Paulson is best known for her roles as Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Mildred Ratched in Ratched, and most recently as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. She also can be seen in films like 12 Years a Slave, Glass, and Run.
Amelia Earhart (Lily Rabe)
Amelia Earhart makes a surprising appearance when Eisenhower and his government officials find her near the UFO crash site, 17 years after she first disappeared during her 1937 flight over the Pacific Ocean. Not only is her sudden reappearance a mystery, but she is found with mysterious markings on her back. She claims that she was abducted by aliens after her plane malfunctioned. But is she telling the truth? The mystery surrounding her arrival deepens further when government officials examine her and discover that she's pregnant despite being missing for nearly two decades...and that she hasn't aged at all since her disappearance.
In addition to fan-favorite roles in American Horror Story like Nora Montgomery in Murder House, Sister Mary Eunice in Asylum, and Misty Day in Coven, Rabe has appeared in films like Vice, Fractured, and the upcoming The Tender Bar. She can also be seen in TV series like The Undoing, Tell Me Your Secrets, and the upcoming The First Lady.
Kendall Carr (Kaia Gerber)
Kendall is a self-proclaimed Luddite who first poses the idea of a friends-only tech-free retreat into the desert. Despite trying to impress her college friends with her relinquishing of modern technology, she is tempted by the pull of her cell phone for research purposes when she becomes desperate for information regarding the strange things she and her friends encounter in the desert.
With a career rooted in modeling, Gerber is relatively new to the acting world with her most prominent role being that of Ruby McDaniel in American Horror Stories as well as appearing in the television film Sister Cities.
Cal Cambon (Nico Greetham)
Cal is the college friend and roommate of Troy. During their dinner with Kendall and Jamie, he reveals that he and Troy are dating, unbeknownst to their families. He brags about his worldliness, has an affinity for expensive alcohol, and is quick to realize that something is wrong during their desert getaway.
Cambon is fairly new to the world of film and television. He appeared in the film The Prom and has television credits in shows like Glee, NCIS, Into the Dark, and American Horror Stories.
Troy Lord (Isaac Cole Powell)
Troy is the boyfriend of Cal who keeps their relationship a secret from his religious parents. At first, he finds it difficult to believe when strange things befall their friend group but quickly realizes just how much danger he and his friends are in.
Despite being mostly known for his theatre credits like West Side Story and Once on This Island, Powell has appeared in the recent film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen and can also be seen as George in the upcoming Sex and the City revival And Just Like That....
Jamie Howard (Rachel Hilson)
Reeling from a recent breakup, Jamie is happy to step away from her current predicament in favor of an off-the-grid vacation with her friends. She is the first character to take initiative when she realizes that something very strange is happening to her and her friends.
Aside from Jamie Howard, Hilson is also known for her role as Mia Brooks in Love, Victor, Beth Clarke in This Is Us, and Harmony Curtis in Rise. She can also be seen in the upcoming Untitled Lakers Project.
Maria Wycoff (Rebecca Dayan)
Maria is a 1950s housewife who finds her world upended when she discovers that she and her son are under attack by aliens on their Albuquerque property. Her son is abducted but she quickly realizes that there's not much she can do to fend off the strange and incredible powers of the oncoming alien race. It's not long before she becomes possessed by the aliens, who use her body as a human conduit to speak with Eisenhower and his government officials. Despite her body being overtaken, the aliens admit that Maria is still "in" there somewhere.
Though her only other television acting credit is Elsa Peretti in the miniseries Halston, Dayan can be seen in films such as Limitless, Novitiate, and Tesla.
Calico (Leslie Grossman)
Kendall, Cal, Troy, and Jamie meet Calico when they find themselves in a mysterious white-walled facility to await an unknown procedure. She used to work as a backup dancer for Ann-Margret and tries to ease the quartet of college friends when they uncover the horrifying truth behind the changes happening to their bodies. She has been in the company of the aliens for years and has been forced to assist them with their endeavors. Despite her imprisonment, she seems relatively relaxed at at peace with her current situation.
In addition to playing Lauren on What I Like About You, Grossman is known for her frequent collaborations with Ryan Murphy on television shows like Popular, Nip/Tuck, and multiple seasons of American Horror Story. She has also appeared on Scandal, The Good Place, and Goliath.
Theta (Angelica Ross)
Theta is a human-alien hybrid who seems to be greatly invested in creating more of her kind in order to ensure the survival of her race. She speaks in a calm and peaceful tone even as the human characters around her are panicked and fearful about the actions taking place around (and against) them. She's a bit of a mystery but chances are more will be revealed about her motives and backstory as Death Valley progresses.
Ross is most recognized for her role as Donna Chambers in American Horror Story: 1984 and Candy Ferocity in Pose, in addition to appearances in Transparent and Claws.
Death Valley also features recurring appearances by Christopher Stanley as Sherman Adams, Craig Sheffer as Richard Nixon, Mike Vogel as John F. Kennedy, and Alisha Soper as Marilyn Monroe, with guest stars including Len Cordova as Steve Jobs, John Sanders as Buzz Aldrin, and Cody Fern as Valiant Thor.
Death Valley of American Horror Story: Double Feature airs Wednesdays at 10pm on FX, and the next day on FX on Hulu.