- Air Date: 01/09/13
- Directed By: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
- Starring: Zachary Quinto, Sarah Paulson, Lizzie Brocheré, James Cromwell, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters
I think that this episode was the weakest of this season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY. Lots of style, lots of plot (remember – plot does not always yield substance), and a whole lot of weirdness. On paper, or your computer screen, that reads like any other AHS episode, but, for all the volatile emotion of this episode, it felt oddly empty. With the episodes slipping away, Ryan Murphy et al are tying up loose ends (kind of), killing off characters (left, right and center) and, ultimately, making up for lost time. While this is a gamble, any ambitious storyteller will have to make, it’s tough to watch such a big stumble so close to the end.
We catch up with Johnny (Dylan McDermott), son of Thredson, as he invites a lady of the night into his apartment. This lady has just had a baby and is, ahem, “bursting”. Johnny pays her to help make up for some lost bonding time with his mother. And if you think that’s creepy, just wait.
Back in the 60s, Kit and Grace get to spend some brief quality time as a family. They decide to name their baby Thomas and get married. Before your heart grows three times bigger, just remember this is AHS. Kit asks about his wife Alma, Grace says something cryptic like “even they make mistakes”. Monsignor Tim shows up at that moment to whisk the baby away and put it up for adoption. Awwww.
Mother Claudia listens to Jude and gets Lana out of Briarcliff, sneaking her right past Thredson, but not before Lana retrieves the tape of Thredson confessing. Lana immediately goes to the police, gives them the tape, and waits for Thredson in his home. After confronting him with the fact that the coppers are on their way, Thredson says he’ll plead insanity and live on. He tells Lana what he did with Wendy’s body, which is waaaaay ickier than the whole breast milk incident from before. As Thredson makes a move for his gun, Lana shoots him in the head, thereby ending the reign of Bloody Face. I, for one, am going to miss Zachary Quinto in the last few episodes. His stylishly evil presence was a nice change of pace from the nun habits and dirt.
The rest of the episode roles out with the effects of Lana’s release from Briarcliff. Kit is released and blackmails Timothy for Grace’s release as well. Lana goes to the cops to get them to speak with Jude/Judy who will corroborate her stories about the treatment at Briarcliff. Timothy informs the police and Lana that Jude committed suicide a few weeks before. But, little do they know that Judy is just chained up in some kind of Dickensian dungeon on the verge on sainthood.
Lana visits a doctor for an illegal abortion and, at the last moment, can’t go through with it. She’s been surrounded by death and insanity and can’t have another life on her hands. We then cut to her laying in a hospital bed with a crying baby brought in. Lana doesn’t want to see her baby, but the baby is allergic to the formula and, frankly, pretty cute. Lana relents and breastfeeds him. Kit and Grace return to his home, ready to play family only to find an intruder in their home! Who could it be? What do they want? Turns out, it’s Alma with a baby. Kit’s got some ‘splaning to do!
