'American Horror Story: Hotel' 's Brad Falchuk Promises the 'Darkest Season We've Ever Done'

"Threesomes are amateur hour compared to what's going on here," the producer tells PEOPLE

Photo: Suzanne Tenner/FX; Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty

Don’t expect American Horror Story to lighten up anytime soon.

American Horror Story: Hotel, the fifth season of the FX anthology series, returns Wednesday with plenty of scares and debauchery, says executive producer Brad Falchuk.

“It’s the darkest season we’ve ever done,” Falchuk tells PEOPLE. “It is very sexy and scary.”

The season centers on a fictional hotel in downtown Los Angeles, which is owned by a mysterious woman known as The Countess (Lady Gaga).

“The set is claustrophobic and dark,” says Falchuk. “It’s very different. You’re looking for windows, and you can’t find them!”

The series has never shied away from intense moments, but the creative team has yet to think they’ve gone too far.

“It’s like pornography. You know when you see it. But we haven’t gotten there yet,” Falchuk says of the idea of going too far. “There’s a big story line that is one of the central parts of this – when we first started talking about it we thought it was too dark, too upsetting. But then we realized that’s the whole point, the whole season is about that. So we went back to that – and thank God.”

In 2013, American Horror Story: Coven staged an undead threesome, but he says that’s tame compared to this season – particularly when you throw actors as handsome as (Matt Bomer), Wes Bentley and Evan Peters into the mix.

“Threesomes are amateur hour compared to what’s going on here,” Falchuk told PEOPLE at the premiere, which he attended with girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow. “It’s Lady Gaga. How could you not have it be incredibly sexy with her? And you have six of the sexiest men in TV, all in this one hotel.”

• Reported by MATTHEW COLE WEISS

American Horror Story: Hotel premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.