Anyone watching the new season of American Horror Story will already know that it’s been a bit of an assault on the senses.

The 13th run of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series serves as something of a “greatest hits” outing, bringing together characters from previous seasons in one massive (and, at times, baffling) crossover event, with the cast including returning faces like Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Kathy Bates.

In the latest instalment, Jessica – as her Freak Show alter-ego Elsa Mars – was seen leading a Satanic ritual that saw 13 different women being condemned to hell.

So far, so American Horror Story.

What viewers were definitely not prepared for was that Jessica would then appear in another form, as former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

“Margaret Thatcher, school milk-snatcher,” Elsa says of the former PM, describing her as a “common enemy to the common people” and “union-busting bitch” whose “callous disregard sent Irish hunger-strikers to their death”.

The two-time Oscar winner, as Thatcher, was then heard repeating the infamous line: “Crime is crime is crime. It is not political, it is a crime.”

After refusing to apologise for her actions while in power, Jessica’s Thatcher was then seen being confined to hell.

Other historical women depicted in the sequence included Wallis Simpson, Brigitte Bardot, Jezebel and Eva Braun, as well as fictitious AHS characters like Tuberculous Karen and Hypodermic Sally (both of whom were played by Sarah Paulson).

If all of that left you feeling a little confused, rest assured that those watching the episode felt pretty much the same:

Thatcher was prime minister between 1979 and 1990, and died in 2013, at the age of 87, after suffering a stroke.

She has previously been portrayed on the big and small screen by the likes of Meryl Streep and Gillian Anderson.

Meryl picked up her third Oscar win for her work in the historical biopic The Iron Lady, while Gillian won an Emmy for her performance in season four of Netflix’s The Crown.