We have reached the annual American Horror Story Halloween episode and it's definitely a doozy! As we all know at this point, anything goes on Halloween - this show allows the spirits to walk freely, the dead to become the undead, and "real" people to pop up where you least expect them to. Tonight's episode is no exception, with a Devil's Night Dinner at the hotel filled with departed (but not quite gone) serial killers from the 1970s/80s. How did these crazies get along, you ask? Here's what went down in episode 4 of AHS Hotel.
The Religion Of The Insecure
Ms. Evers is trying like hell to clean another pair of bloody sheets in the room above John's. Each time she scrubs and lifts the linens out of the bathtub they become blood soaked again. Is this her Halloween punishment?
John wakes up to find blood dripping down one of his walls and heads upstairs. We then flash back to 1925 where Ms. Evers is encouraging her son Albert to go trick or treating. She has supplied him with a sheet so he can dress up as a ghost. This costume choice is certainly, um, fitting. She stops to talk with another mother and son and during this conversation, Albert is abducted and taken away in a car.
John knocks on the door and asks if some sort of accident happened in the room. Ms. Evers claims she always goes "a little mad" on Halloween. She tells John she lost her boy on Halloween, saying she wasn't paying enough attention and wishing she had made him a proper costume. John sympathizes and keeps her company while she has a drink. Ms. Evers further explains that Albert's kidnapper took many boys to his farm. When he was finally caught, all that was recovered of Albert was a bloody sheet. The police found a mass grave of bones but never quite determined how many boys had been killed. She stops her story there because the morning is almost gone and there's still so much to do before the the evening's shin dig.
Because John is still 95% clueless, he goes to his office to research these killings and can't figure out why he's never heard anything about this before. His partner tells him the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders happened more than 60 years ago. Actually, more than 85. John's computer confirms that said killer was born in 1909...and the online photos also confirm that Ms. Evers either has a doppelganger from the 1920s, or something is amiss in the Hotel Cotez. No shit, John.
Give Me That Thing I Love
Alex brings Holden home with her (no word if she had to invite him in) and she immediately begins to examine him to see what's wrong with him. His temperature is wayyyy low and he's acting strange. Alex heads to the kitchen to pour him some juice and returns to find Holden sucking on their dog's ripped neck. You're thermometer and stethoscope aren't going to help you here, my friend.
Holden wants to talk to his "other mommy" because he doesn't feel well and Alex takes him back to the hotel. The little guy goes right to his coffin in the bottom of the empty pool and Alex is shocked. The Countess Elizabeth appears then, promising answers to Alex's questions. Mother Monster explains that she saved Holden like she saves all of her children...she says John was neglecting Holden and he came with her willingly. He then contracted an ancient virus that ensures heath, vitality and everlasting life.
Alex is getting a little antsy now and pulls a gun out of her purse. She demands that Elizabeth change Holden back, or Alex will kill her. Ha! I guess Alex didn't pick up on that "everlasting life" comment. Elizabeth tells Alex that there is no cure and no going back. She does, however, offer Alex the opportunity to be with her boy forever. In return, all Alex needs to do is pledge her undying loyalty. Alex takes off, but not for long. The next time we see her, Elizabeth is explaining "the transition" and then Alex begins to drink her blood.
I'm Gonna Marry The Night
Richard Ramirez checks into the Hotel Cortez on Halloween, saying hello to Liz Taylor and reminding her that he has a standing reservation on "Devil's Night." It's his third year in a row, since, you know, Richard Ramirez died in 2013. Liz shows Richard to his room, where James March has left him "presents." He sure he - there are two people sleeping in the hotel bed. Richard murders them, then greets James with a big smile on his face.
He's not the only killer in town today. While John is still wrapping his head around his perpetual confusion, he bellies up to the hotel bar and asks Liz Taylor to make him a double martini. As he starts to drink, even though he previously wouldn't go near alcohol, he meets Aileen Wuornos. Yup, the chick from Monster (love Charlize Theron). She's dead too and played by Lily Rabe, whom I've missed terribly. John buys her a beer and compliments her Halloween costume. "You look just like her!" She asks him how long it's been since he's been laid and instead of mentioning Sally's disappearing act, he says he's got a room. Off they go. Before any sexual activities occur, Aileen knocks John out and ties him to a chair. When he wakes, he's confused (natch) and tries to tell this woman that she's not realllllly Aileen Wuornos. She welcomes him to Devil's Night in reply. John busts out of the chair, they fight, he cuffs her to the bathroom sink, and he checks her wallet to see who she really is. Well John, her driver's license is either an amazing fake ID or she's Aileen Wuornos.
John heads down to the lobby and tells Liz Taylor about his attacker. He goes to call the cops but the phone is on the fritz. Liz tells him that Mr. March is protective of his Devil's Night guests and assures him that by the time he gets back to his room, Aileen will no longer be cuffed in the bathroom. Liz goes over the evening's guest list with John, which also includes Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and the Zodiac Killer....but strangely enough, clueless John is also an invitee to the dinner party.
John arrives to dinner wearing a tuxedo that had appeared on his bed. He raises his glass of absinthe like everyone else but still doesn't understand his surroundings. He tells Aileen that she'll be leaving the hotel in his custody after dinner, and when James March introduces himself, John says the builder of the hotel has been dead for more than 80 years, blah blah blah. James says that John should know by now that the impossible becomes possible in this hotel, but dude still believes the dead killers around him are actors in costumes. "We are the Mount Rushmore of murder!" March replies. He tells John that each of the killers around him had once been guests at the hotel and he had mentored them all. The Devil's Night party participants start telling John their stories as well, and James defines them as American success stories because people write books and create movies about them. "You've made your mark in history."
Ms. Evers comes in with dinner and the conversations continue. The absinthe has gotten to John at this point though so when the group begins to stab the shit out of the businessman Sally has procured for dessert, he passes the eff out. When he wakes (I feel John is always waking up on this show) Sally is there alone and says he's hallucinating. Must be the alcohol. She walks him back to his room and promises she won't disappear this time.
So, as intrigued as I am with the whole Holden eating the dog thing and Ms. Evers' losing her son to a chicken coop, I seriously could have spent the entire hour (and more) watching the dinner party. It's was probably less fun for the viewers who aren't familiar with the dinner guests (some of the jokes about Dahmer's preferences and Gacy's business sense probably went over some heads tonight), but this certainly was creative. My only complaint/worry is Devil's Night might be the only night we see Lily Rabe this season. The woman stole the show in Asylum and Coven. Next week we will probably get back to John's Ten Commandments Killer, Ramona's revenge, and Tristan's Keanu Reeves impression. I may need to watch this episode a few more times first though...
No comments:
Post a Comment