American Horror Story has been scaring audiences (and thoroughly freaking them out) since 2011, and with each season comes a new story, a new cast of characters, and a new and terrifying bad guy. In season one there was “Rubber Man”, season two gave us Bloody Face, and season three showcased the Minotaur. The upcoming season, it’s just been announced, will feature a villain so scary he will rival all three of them.

According to executive producer Tim Minear at this year’s Comic Con, John Carroll Lynch has been added to the cast as one of this season’s darkest characters, and Minear says he will “scare the shit out of you”.

Describing American Horror Story: Freak Show as “Douglas Sirk meets Zodiac”, Minear says it will be completely unlike previous seasons. And while the story of a freakshow in 1950’s Florida could be completely campy, those involved with the production say they’ve worked hard to make sure it has some darker elements to avoid that cheesy factor.

“Some years it’s going to be big and bright and brash and campy the way Coven is. Other years it’s going to be dark and brooding—like Asylum was. I guess I would put Freak Show half-way in between the two. It’s not quite as brooding and formal and Hitchockian as Asylum, it’s got a little bit more humor and a little bit more camp, but its got a brooding period feel to it also,” FX CEO John Landgraf said.

While this year’s villain hasn’t exactly been revealed yet, fans of the show know they won’t be disappointed when it comes time to be terrified. And with show regulars Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, and Jessica Lange set to star again this year, it’s sure to be one of the best seasons yet.

American Horror Story: Freak Show premieres on FX in October.

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