SPOILERS: 'American Horror Story: Asylum' Releases First Five Minutes Of Premiere

by uInterviewOctober 10, 2012, 12:00 amNews >

The TV moment you've been waiting for is almost here: FX thriller American Horror Story is back with its second installment, Asylum, next week — and to whet our appetite, the network has released the first five minutes, plus opening credits, of the premiering episode. The verdict? You'll need a change of clothing after viewing.

“Welcome to Briarcliff Manor, a notorious insane asylum home to the deranged serial killer, Bloody Face. Lurking in the shadows of this 'sanctuary of healing' are terrifying evils that blur the boundaries between reality and insanity,” writes Tim Minear of the Bradley Buecker-directed premiere. The first scenes show newlyweds Leo (Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and The Voice) and Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) visiting the final stop on their kinky haunted honeymoon tour, the creepy Briarcliff Manor — a tuberculosis ward later turned into an asylum for the criminally-insane, now supposedly abandoned. Steamy scenes quickly turn scary as shadows lunge from the depths, mid fellatio no less. No sign of Joseph Fiennes, James Cromwell or Jessica Lange yet, but we're sure the talented actors will show up for the party soon, as the new storyline is set in the same manor in 1964, when Sister Jude (Lange) presided over the Catholic Church-owned institution with an iron fist — and a host of torture devices.

Alongside them, French newcomer Lizzie Brochere is set to play one of the residents of Briarcliff, and she will in turn be joined by season one veterans like Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe. "I think Ryan [Murphy]'s doing something with American Horror Story that hasn't been done on television recently, which is create a repertory company of actors,'' returning actor Zachary Quinto, who plays psychiatrist Dr. Thredson in season two, told Entertainment Weekly. ''To have the opportunity to come back and play characters that are totally different is so appealing to me.''

The show is doing something right, anyway, since it averaged over 4 million viewers in its debut season and was nominated for 17 awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, at this year's Emmys. But that's only served to up the ante: ''When I read [the scripts] I was like, 'This is nuts.' Then when we did the table read, and we read it aloud, there was something more grounded about it. But it's provocative, and that makes it fun to watch," added Chloe Sevigny (Big Love), who plays sex-obsessed inmate Shelley. It's not just sadistic nuns and psychotic killers, though; there are also — wait for it — aliens and Nazis! "We are going Ryan Murphy-style all the way to the crazy house,'' says Paulson, referring to the show's co-creator Ryan Murphy. ''I don't think people tune in to the show because they want My Dinner With Andre,'' jokes Murphy. ''I think they want to be scared. I'm just writing what I would like to see. I'm scared of aliens and I'm scared of Nazis and I'm scared of nuns. So it's the perfect stew of horror and fear.'' Although it's usually advisable to take the network's comments with a grain of salt, somehow we suspect FX president John Landgraf is not exaggerating when he warns: ''I think this season is going to be the scariest thing anybody has seen on television.''

American Horror Story: Asylum premieres on October 17, 10 pm ET, on FX.

Watch the first five minutes of the episode on the show's Facebook page, here.

If you need a refresher, don't miss these trailers and promos for the anticipated second season: