The Terror: Devil in Silver Scores a Rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes — Critics Are Raving

The Terror is finally back on TV after taking a break that was... let’s just call it a full presidential term plus some. The show’s been missing in action since 2019, despite a killer debut season in 2018 that turned the doomed 1845 Franklin Expedition into straight-up cold-weather horror. People were still discovering that first season years after it wrapped. Season two, called Infamy — set in a Japanese internment camp haunted (literally) — switched things up, but didn’t land with critics quite as well. After that, the series went dark. For a long, long time.

Now we’ve got The Terror: Devil in Silver, which jumps back to the show’s original formula: adapting a novel. This time, it’s Victor LaValle’s 2012 book The Devil in Silver, and you can really feel the difference. LaValle’s not just source material — he’s in as writer, co-creator, and executive producer. Add names like Karyn Kusama (Yellowjackets) and Ridley Scott to the producer credits, and the creative pedigree here is about as stacked as this show’s ever had.

It might sound like a lot of hype, but critics are pretty much confirming it: Devil in Silver currently boasts a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s right up there with the beloved first season (94%), and way better than Infamy’s 80%. If you fell off the Terror bandwagon after season two, consider this your official invitation to climb back aboard.

What’s New In Season 3?

So here’s the weird new territory: Dan Stevens (yes, the guy from Legion and Downton Abbey) is front and center as an everyday working class guy named Pepper. After a brawl with his girlfriend’s ex (who had it coming, honestly), Pepper ends up stuck in a psychiatric hospital. Let’s just say New Hyde Hospital is not exactly a place you want to check into, with or without insurance.

Soon, it’s obvious that not all the things that go bump in the night are explained by poor hospital lighting or shady staff. There’s something else — something literally monsterous — loose in the halls, and surviving might mean Pepper has to stick around way longer than he wants.

The show is pulling some strong horror vibes — if you dig the psychological horror of American Horror Story or From, you’ll probably feel right at home here. Collider called the new season a blend of 'unsettling anxiety, character-first psychological horror, and piercing contemporary social critique,' adding that it delivers for both Terror fans and those who usually camp out in other horror properties. Even Screen Rant admits it's 'complex and thought-provoking,' and that it doesn't lean on cheap or problematic stereotypes.

It’s not a total lovefest, though. RogerEbert.com, always a bit of a hard grader, says: 'The first two installments got under your skin; the third may leave a few scars, but it never goes any further beneath the surface.' Fair enough, but everyone seems to agree it’s worth a watch.

Cast & Characters

• Dan Stevens – Pepper, our unlucky protagonist
• Judith Light – Dorry, a long-time New Hyde resident who’s seen everything
• Aasif Mandvi – Dr. Anand, a psychiatrist who’s more bureaucrat than healer
• CCH Pounder – Miss Chris, the nurse/administrator (aka not someone to cross)
• Stephen Root – The group therapy doc with questionable methods

Not Just Scary – Disturbing

Points where scary slips over into downright disturbing: the visual effects. The body horror is next-level, ramping up in each episode until you’re genuinely wondering what is and isn’t safe to watch while eating. You get some classic supernatural unsettling moments — but the show’s not shy about calling out the real-world horror of the American mental healthcare system either. In fact, a lot of critics say this is where Devil in Silver lands its heaviest punches.

When & Where to Watch

If you want in, new episodes drop weekly on AMC+ and Shudder right now. And yes, it’ll show up on the regular AMC channel eventually... but not until 2026. Yes, you read that right. So if you actually want to stay ahead of spoilers, streaming is the only real option.

Bottom line: if you bailed after Infamy or just forgot this show even existed, now’s the time to give The Terror another shot. This season’s got brains, guts (sometimes literal guts), and one of the best casts the show’s had yet.