A lot of people are talking about how confusing this new trailer makes the season seem, but it’s actually pretty predictable. The story starts with a group of girls led by that redheaded Riverdale actress, who is also very enthusiastic about the number 13, superstitions, and all of that. This group is on a plane, and then there’s a plane crash, or something along those lines.

After the crash, the redhead’s boyfriend, Ben, who is a nurse, starts seeing the number 13 everywhere. He eventually ends up at Apollyon where Satan resides. John Waters plays Dr. Phibes who works at the hospital with Ben, so Constance also calls Dr. Phibes & Ben to Apollyon to cater to Satan and work on him. Satan is weak and suffering from a lot of comorbidities, and he’s trying to regain his power somehow, while also seeking vengeance against the witches for defeating the Antichrist.

Jessica Lange’s Constance is catering to Satan in exchange for him bringing back her children, Adelaide and Tate Langdon. Anthony Paul Kelly, meanwhile, seems to be playing a younger version of Satan himself, or somebody directly connected to Satan. 

Then, after the plane crash, Mr. March and the Devil’s Night gang come to Robichaux Academy to warn the witches about whatever is happening, the portals of Hell opening, some impending evil, or whatever ominous event they’re expecting. Or they’re just there to attack the witches because they’re in cahoots with Satan.

That’s when the witches start trying all sorts of things to figure out what’s going on and stop it. They go back to the dead, attempt to bring back Marie & Fiona, and summon Papa Legba, who acts as a communicator between Hell and Earth, so they can negotiate with him.

We also see a lot of shots of Queenie and Cordelia going to Hell and coming back, Madison practicing new witchy powers. They’re also performing the Sacred Taking, so presumably Mallory dies and Cordelia regains her power. Cordelia also blinds herself to use her abilities to uncover the truth.

We see Queenie descent into her personal Hell, presumably to seek out Papa Legba, and she runs into Delphine LaLaurie. That probably happens because whatever is happening with Satan and the portals has blurred the boundaries between the different Hells and their personal afterlives (and this happens only because Ryan Murphy wanted Gabby & Kathy Bates to share scenes again; no significance to the plot like half of other things happening).

And then we have all these Sarah Paulson characters who died in earlier seasons being brought back for some sequence that I’m sure will be completely ridiculous, but entertaining, for some sort of sacrifice or Satanic ritual.

And somewhere in the middle of this entire messy soap opera, Twisty is just out there killing people because hey we need the horror element too. They’ve brought back Twisty, Piggy Man, Mr. March, and all of these other characters mostly for the hype of it.

So, based on my understanding, that’s what’s happening: Satan is trying to regain his power, the portals of Hell are opening, and something dark is coming, with the chain of events beginning after the plane crash. The witches are scrambling to figure out what’s happening and are bringing back people like Fiona and Papa Legba, or anyone else who might be able to help them defeat Satan.

It’s Apocalypse all over again, just in a different setting.

So, yeah. That’s basically the season, give and take: plane crash → number 13 → Apollyon → weak Satan → Constance makes a deal with him → portals of Hell start opening → the witches panic → everyone dead gets dragged back into the story → Twisty kills people for no reason → Satanic ritual → messy supernatural soap opera.

You’re welcome.

American Horror Story Season 13 Explained