‘American Horror Story: 13’ Episode 1: New & Familiar Faces Meet a ‘Wicked’ New Evil

American Horror Story is officially back, and Season 13 wastes little time reminding us just how much history this franchise has to play with. Warning: Spoilers ahead for American Horror Story: 13 Episode 1.

With familiar faces — and familiar characters — returning to the fold, the new season reaches into AHS‘s past while setting up a fresh nightmare of its own. And if the premiere is any indication, longtime fans are going to want to pay very close attention to who’s back, what’s changed, and the connections hiding in plain sight.

Here’s everything that happened in the American Horror Story Season 13 premiere.

The first episode opens on Joey Pollari as Ben, who is compulsively counting the objects in a waiting room as his partner Kira (Madelaine Petsch) is livid over his inability to go on her birthday trip. Suffering from triskaidekaphilia, and seeing as her birthday falls on the 13th and she’s meeting 13 of her besties, the number is uber important to her.

As it turns out, Ben suffers from triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13, which puts a damper on their relationship.

Kira goes without him to celebrate “all things 13.” Determined to save his relationship, Ben rushes to the airport to join her, passing by the many “13s” he sees along the way.

And then the plane falls apart in a midair disaster, seemingly confirming his worst fears.

FX

Skip to Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, where Supreme Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) and Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts) are helping newbie Ophelia (Avantika) work on her telepathy. A storm rolls in, and with it, a harbinger of doom that scares Cordelia to her core. “So much vengeful death,” she ominously states. “Something wicked this way comes.” Madison thinks it’s climate change.

Meanwhile, Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange) wheels in a man of advanced age, who rises from his wheelchair and advances toward the fireplace. As Ben and Kira’s plane is ripped apart by unseen forces, killing many of Kira’s friends, the man spits up bile.

Eric Liebowitz/FX

One month later, an unharmed Ben is in New York, arriving at the Apollyon Building (“The Destroyer” in Greek) to meet a client when he’s sent to the 13th floor. In a room dominated by a painting of The Last Supper, he meets Constance about a position as a night attendant. Her casual bigotry is on full display, along with her charm, as she leads Ben through the vast apartment to meet Mr. Nas (Fedor Steer) and his doctor, Dr. Phibes (John Waters), an unusually chipper sort whose medical bag is stocked with old-time remedies like snakes.

How the Pope of Trash made his way into AHS is a story he told TV Insider. “I know Ryan because I was in Feud. I played William Castle. And I know Ned, one of the writers, who’s from Baltimore,” Waters explained. “I was thrilled to be asked again.”

Eric Liebowitz/FX

As for plot details and character insight, Waters was tight-lipped. “I don’t know what happens in this! I shot it out of order! I don’t know what happens either! I’m going to watch it tomorrow night for the first time like everyone here.”

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As they take Mr. Nas for a stroll, Ben explains that he survived because the pilots managed to get the plane under control, and somehow he didn’t have a scratch on him. Twelve of Kira’s friends and Kira died, but Ben survived in seat 13F, as did Kira’s friend in 13B.

After they sponge-bathe Mr. Nas and thoroughly clean his naughty bits, Ben takes a moment to himself, where he hears a bit of exposition about a worldwide string of grave robberies involving nefarious people from history.

From the next room, he hears a thud, and Mr. Nas is nowhere to be found. Ben has a panic attack and lies down, only to suddenly find himself face-to-face with Mr. Nas.

American Horror Story: 13, Season 13, Thursdays, 9/8c, FX and Hulu