American Horror Story Is Dying, And Only The Return Of Jessica Lange Can Save It

Jessica Lange was the "American Horror Story" franchise's grand dame for its first four seasons. During that time she brought to life four completely different women who stood distinct, and around whom each new storyline turned. 

The first season, "Murder House," featured the envious Constance Langdon, whose quest for vengeance (and a healthy child) results in death, mayhem ... and eventually, the apocalypse. Then there's the sympathetic Sister Jude of "Asylum," whose deep guilt and grief over causing the supposed death of a girl in a car accident consumes her and leads her, unwillingly, into her vocation. No one can forget her in "Coven" as the in-charge Supreme Fiona Goode, arguably Lange's most fearlessly wicked performance on the show. And she rounded out her work on the series with her most sympathetic — Elsa Mars, head of a crumbling circus in "Freak Show."

Has anyone else on this show — aside from Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and perhaps Lily Rabe — managed to bring to life such a high number of memorable creations? And none of them (except for perhaps Paulson) has managed to anchor the show so strongly, and with such sympathetic and yet repulsive performances. More importantly, each of Lange's women is distinctly monstrous and flawed in different ways, but vulnerable and oddly loving. The truth is there's no one in the show's rotating cast who has ever been quite as memorable as Lange.