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American Horror Stories S2 May Have Copied Its Dark 1st Story
The idea behind the American Horror Stories season 2 premiere episode, set to air this summer, may have been copied from another popular series.

American Horror Stories S2 May Have Copied Its Dark 1st Story

The idea behind American Horror Stories season 2’s dark first story may have been borrowed from another popular franchise. The American Horror Story spin-off show, an episodic anthology series, met with primarily negative reviews during its first run. The first story in American Horror Stories 8-episode season 2 nightmare procession is a story that fans of Pretty Little Liars might find familiar.

Written by Manny Coto and directed by Loni Peristere, American Horror Stories season 2, episode 1 is officially titled “Dollhouse.” Filmed almost entirely on location at the picturesque Andrew McNally House in Altadena, the episode boasts a cast that includes Kristine Froseth, Abigale Corrigan, Simone Recasner, Maryssa Menendez, Emily Morales-Cabrera, and more. Little else is known about the plot at this point in time, though fan theories suggest that the female cast members play “dolls” who are prisoners within the titular Dollhouse, held against their will by some maniacal captor.

If fans’ assumptions are accurate, then the premise will be extremely similar to Pretty Little Liars’ season 5, episode 25, “Welcome To The Dollhouse.” The Pretty Little Liars season 5 finale sees the main characters transported to a mysterious subterranean prison, dubbed a “dollhouse,” by their archnemesis who operates under the alias “A.” During their stay, the girls are forced to dress up like dolls and partake in dangerous games for A’s pleasure. That is, when they aren’t confined to their rooms. Photos from behind the scenes of American Horror Stories‘ “Dollhouse” reveal star Kristine Froseth wearing 18th century-style doll-like attire (via Instagram), as well as one of the main sets for the episode, which depicts (via Instagram) something resembling a prison corridor, perhaps where the “dolls” are forced to sleep. This is strikingly similar to Pretty Little Liars’ “Welcome To The Dollhouse” episode.

Of course, the two ideas are unlikely to be completely identical. The divisive American Horror Stories’ “Dollhouse” is believed to be set during the 1960s within an actual house, whereas Pretty Little Liars takes place in the modern-day and the titular prison is subterranean. Though it is likely that the main characters of Stories will be confined to cells beneath the ground floor, as per set photos; the Pretty Little Liars characters found themselves in a strikingly similar predicament.

The premise behind the American Horror Story franchise is to adapt old ideas into new stories, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that there are some similar influences at play here. American Horror Stories season 2 has yet to premiere, so the extent to which its “Dollhouse” episode copies Pretty Little Liars remains to be seen. Either way, the concept is suitably strong for an opening episode. Perhaps most importantly, this concept suggests that the series might stay clear over the show’s overdone Murder House.