American Horror Story: Did Ryan Murphy Break A "No Vampire" Rule?

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American Horror Story is notorious for its excessive and exuberantly bloody storylines, but did show co-creator Ryan Murphy go a step too far and break his own «no vampire» rule? Back in March 2012, Murphy promised fans at Paley Fest that the FX anthology series would never tackle vampires or werewolves in any of its subsequent seasons. While the show has so far managed to adhere to its «no werewolf» rule, fans still wonder whether or not the bloodsuckers-of-an-ambiguous-nature, as explored in later seasons of American Horror Story, can rightfully be classed as vampires (similar to Midnight Mass).

Back in 2015, Lady Gaga made her mainstream acting debut starring as Countess Elizabeth in American Horror Story: Hotel. The season was somewhat controversial, as most of the characters, including the Countess, are bloodsuckers who are able to maintain peak health, youth, and vitality by imbibing blood regularly, thanks to an «ancient blood virus.» Ryan Murphy explained (via Entertainment Weekly) that he was interested in this «different» take on the vampire trope: «I liked doing vampirism but I didn’t wanna do vampires.» Five seasons later, Double Feature aired. Split into two stories, season 10 begins with Red Tide (potentially inspired by a true story), a tale about a community of Provincetown creatives who indulge in a black pill, the likes of which greatly enhance the talent of the user. An unwelcome side effect of the pill, however, is a thirst for blood. The rejects who take the pill and lack talent transform into pale, bloodthirsty Nosferatu-esque shells of their former selves who hide in the woods during the summer and attack town residents in the winter. There's even a dentist who conveniently knows how to sharpen