Is Tate From American Horror Story A Ghost?

The status of Tate Langdon in American Horror Story: Murder House is one of the many ambiguous things that makes this show so great. He’s a ghost, died in the 90s as a result of the school shooting that happened in the house and was trapped inside the Murder House along with the rest of the spirits. However, in the show, he is able to interact physically with the living, particularly with a young girl named Violet. As the story unfolds, Tate is able to form very real relationships and even appears to grow in some ways. However, he is stuck in the house and unable to move on, a constant reminder of the atrocities that he committed while alive. The scene in which Violet discovers that Tate is dead is very chilling. It is not just the realization that he is a ghost, but also the way in which the house appears to twist his soul in order to cause harm to others.

However, there are also very human moments where you are reminded of the atrocities he committed (like the school shooting). It makes him a very complex character. A lot of fans are even left wondering whether he’s just a ghost or something even more malevolent. The fact that Tate can embody so much human vulnerability and also be this monstrous force of nature to create so much pain and suffering in a lot of ways is what I think makes him one of the most memorable characters in the AHS universe.

Oh Tate from ‘Murder House’. Although Tate is a ghost in the show (he died in 1994 and according to the rules of AHS, anyone who dies in the house becomes a ghost and is trapped there forever), he doesn’t behave like a typical ghost. While most ghosts are depicted as rattling chains and moaning, Tate is dressed in hoodies, appears to be in love, and is incredibly angry and infantile. However, the show plots Tate out in a way that makes him feel truly alive, and therefore his reveal is extremely tragic. Remember when Violet tries to leave the house with Tate and he is unable to cross the property line? I died. The reason Tate is so tragic is because he is a soul who has been trapped in the house at his worst moment forever.

I never saw Tate as a ‘boo’ style ghost in the house, in the sense that he wouldn’t suddenly appear and scare someone. His appearance and disappearance was sort of explained in his obsession with Violet. But the full reveal of who he was was somewhat of a shock. My main point about Tate though is that the house magnifies all of his worst attributes, and he’s not a peaceful ghost even after death. He’s stuck in this form of a 17-18 year old, volatile, obnoxious kid. Death doesn’t change who you are, it just traps you in your own personal hell.

Tate Langdon is 100% a ghost. But, in the world of ‘American Horror Story’, ghosts are handled differently than your typical spook. They have substance in this world, and can touch and manipulate objects and people. He’s even a father of a child, which makes sense, since the child was conceived in the Murder House. According to the ‘AHS’ lore, ghosts in the Murder House are stuck reliving the same moment over and over again, reliving the same trauma. Tate’s haunted by his own cycle of violence. For much of his storyline, however, you often forget that he’s a ghost. His relationship with Violet is painfully real, and it’s often jarring when the show is like, “Oh, wait, no, he’s a ghost.” The way that Tate is able to be haunted is not through jump scares and creepy special effects. His is an emotionally haunting story. You pity him, you hate him, and you can even find him sort of charming and wish that he were more than just a plot device. He’s a very real and relatable character, even in death. And that’s thanks in part to the amazing work of Evan Peters. The way that he is able to bring so much emotion and depth to a character who could have been so one-dimensional is incredible. He’s a character that will stick with you long after the season has ended.