Welcome to Briarcliff

"Welcome to Briarcliff"
American Horror Story episode
The titular mental institution of Briarcliff Manor in its present condition
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 1
Directed by	Bradley Buecker
Written by	Tim Minear
Featured music	"There Goes My Baby" by The Drifters "Voices of Light V: Patar Noster" by Richard Einhorn "Lovemaker, Lovebreaker" by Frank Fafara "Dominique" by The Singing Nun "Bucket of Blood" by Pino Donaggio "For The Last Time We'll Prey" by Pino Donaggio
Production code	2ATS01
Original air date	October 17, 2012 (2012-10-17)
Running time	46 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Chloë Sevigny as Shelley Adam Levine as Leo Morrison Jenna Dewan-Tatum as Teresa Morrison Clea DuVall as Wendy Peyser Mark Consuelos as Spivey Britne Oldford as Alma Walker Joe Egender as Billy Marshall
Episode chronology
← Previous "Afterbirth" Next → "Tricks and Treats"
American Horror Story: Asylum List of American Horror Story episodes

"Welcome to Briarcliff" is the first episode of the second season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 17, 2012 on the cable network FX. In its original airing, the episode was watched by 3.85 million viewers, the largest audience of the franchise thus far, 2.8 million of which were from the 18–49 demographic.

This episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special in 2013. It was also nominated for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie.

The episode introduces the season's main cast. It follows reporter Lana Winters' (Sarah Paulson) plight to expose Sister Jude's (Jessica Lange) sadistic insane asylum and Kit Walker's (Evan Peters) unjust commitment to the institution. Chloë Sevigny guest stars as Shelley, a patient at the asylum. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

Leo (Adam Levine) and Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) are two horror junkies visiting reputedly haunted sites on their honeymoon. They explore the Briarcliff Manor Sanitarium, an abandoned mental institution and once a tuberculosis hospital where many thousands died. Teresa having a fetish for the haunted, the couple begins having intercourse inside of the building. Teresa interrupts the session after hearing something move inside of the asylum, promising to make it up to Leo if they go investigate. They track down the sound to a locked door with a food hatch, through which Leo sticks his arm where it is severed by an undetermined cause.