'American Horror Story: Asylum': 3 Hudson Valley ties

Wednesday October 17, 2012 10:30 AM By Chris Serico

Photo credit: Frank Ockenfels/FX | Jessica Lange plays Sister Jude on the second season of FX's "American Horror Story."

Up for a scare and can't wait until Halloween? Tonight marks the debut of the second season of FX's "American Horror Story," which has three key connections to the Hudson Valley.

Set in a sanitarium in 1964, "American Horror Story: Asylum" stars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Zachary Quinto, James Cromwell and Joseph Fiennes. Via press release, "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy has said "Asylum" describes not only this seaon's setting — Lange's character, Sister Jude, runs the insane asylum that was once a tuberculosis ward — but also as a "haven for the unloved and the unwanted." (For more, check out Newsday's review of the pilot.)

But Westchester and Rockland residents with a keen eye for pop culture might pick up on three regional ties to the program, even before it even airs.

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1. The asylum is called Briarcliff Manor. It's not yet clear if that's just the name of the building, or if the structure is supposed to be in the Westchester village of the same name. Either way, the county has some newfound cred among horror fans.

2. Lange has called Palisades home. Palisades has long been a haven for celebrities who like the proximity to New York City and lofty houses with relative isolation. Perhaps Lange, who's already won an Emmy Award for her performance on the series, will channel that sense of isolation from the rest of the world when she plays Sister Jude in the confines of the asylum.

3. Kate Mara, who starred in the first season of 'AHS,' grew up in Bedford and graduated from Fox Lane High School. Although she's not a part of season two, Mara played a student with a vindictive afterlife in the first season. Thrillers seem to have run in the Mara family of late: Kate's younger sister, Rooney, snagged an Academy Award nomination for her title role in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and starred in the 2010 reboot of the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise.

Can't wait until tonight for another sneak peek? Check out the official trailer below.

Tags: Palisades , Jessica Lange , Bedford , Kate Mara , Briarcliff Manor , Westchester , Rockland