**This post contains spoilers**
The Story- In the present, Lana, now in a relationship with a woman named Marian (Joan Serverance), prepares for a big interview with April Mayfield (Camille Chen) before she’s set to be honored at the Kennedy Center. Unbeknownst to Lana, Johnny Morgan has infiltrated the film crew, so he can carry out his plan of murdering Lana.
Kit tries to move on after the deaths of Grace and Alma, and Jude might actually have one more chance at a peaceful life after Briarcliff.
My Thoughts- If we’re talking about enduring ups and downs, and going to hell and back during this season, you have to put Kit Walker at the top, or at least near the top of that list. So many highs and lows, including becoming a father, luckily being able to spend time with two women he loved dearly, and unfortunately losing both of them.
So what did Kit do in attempt to find peace and move on after everything he went through? Kit bonded with Jude by visiting her at Briarcliff, but he didn’t stop there. Kit also decided to take Jude home to live with him and his kids.
Seeing Jude live a normal life was surreal. After she got through the detox phase of her recovery at Kit’s house, Jude was able to just be happy for a while. She enjoyed life, and Jude became a grandmother figure for Kit’s children, something both of them desperately needed.
There’s a heartwarming scene where Jude has a mental breakdown, reverting back to Sister Jude, as she destroys parts of Kit’s house with a broom, while also trying to harshly discipline the children. Instead of running away in fear, Julia and Thomas go to comfort Jude, leading her into the woods for a walk. It’s a big moment, because maybe THIS is what Jude needed all along to curb all of that anger and resentment inside of her. A simple gesture of care and love, and someone who would be there to genuinely look after her.
Jude’s death scene was executed wonderfully here. This particular visit from the Angel Of Death felt bigger than the other visits. Jude said her farewells to Julia and Thomas, and before the kiss of death, the entire background fades to black. Jude was finally at peace with her decision to let go. She found a family, enjoyed herself, taught Kit and the kids how to swing dance, and she was finally ready to move on.
And what about Cardinal Howard? Well, as Lana put it, Howard’s guilty conscience finally got the best of him. Through flashbacks it’s revealed Lana pressured Cardinal Howard for answers in a parking garage before she released her report on Dr. Arden’s crimes. Howard eventually slit his wrists in a bathtub with a straight edge razor, killing himself quietly. Lana’s explanation for what type of man Howard was hit the nail on the head. He was a delusional and pompous liar, who only cared about advancing his career.
Dying by suicide all alone, and that grisly image of Howard’s corpse sitting in a bathtub full of blood was truly something else. Still, it’s hard to feel sympathy for Howard, especially when you consider how he turned his back on Jude, the one person who was willing to go to hell and back for him.
Kit’s story was filled with so many twists and turns, and high moments of happiness and devastating lows. While other seasons of AHS gave Evan Peters a chance to really show off his acting chops, Kit Walker was still one of his best performances. Kai Anderson from AHS Cult was a more layered character. But Kit was more straightforward and a truly earnest and admirable human being.
Think about everything Kit had to go through. Grace was brutally murdered in front of him twice, he lost Alma, he was falsely accused and imprisoned, and for a long period, he had to take the fall as Bloody Face. But Kit never once made the decision to turn to the dark side. Kit Walker stayed true to who he was until the very end. He always made sure to do the right thing, and to do right by other people, even if they didn’t necessarily deserve kindness. Out of everyone in the cast, Kit had every reason to succumb to evil temptations, but he always chose happiness instead. Kit got remarried, helped Jude, and he raised his children. Kit was dying of pancreatic cancer, and he refused Julia and Thomas’ offers to care for him, because he wanted them to live their lives.
Grace’s prediction came true, as Kit’s story ends with the aliens coming to take him away for good (presumably) this time. Kit sacrificed so much to help others. You’re lead to believe he’s awaiting bigger plans, and it was nice to see him receive a peaceful and mysterious ending.
The big confrontation between Johnny Morgan and Lana did not disappoint. It was tense, emotional, and heartbreaking in the end. The flashback showing Lana meeting Johnny as a child and protecting him from bullies at school showed Lana actually did have feelings for him. Johnny revealing he’d always hoped for Lana to return one day to raise him and be his mother was a gut punching moment, because you could tell this is one of the many big setbacks that led him down a dark path.
The back and forth verbal sparring between Lana and Johnny was done well here. There’s a point where Lana tries to tell Johnny she had to give him up, so he could have some kind of a life, but Johnny is quick to call her out on all the lies. Johnny tells Lana she gave him up for selfish reasons, so she could chase her dreams without any problems. And to be honest, it’s hard to disagree with Johnny. As the story progresses and Lana ages, you can see her becoming more and more narcissistic and pretentious. Similar to Monsignor/Cardinal Howard, you can kind of see that relentless urge she has to do whatever it takes to advance her own career.
Did Lana finally expose and shutdown Briarcliff with her documentary? Yes she did, but it’s hard to ignore that one of her motivations to do so was just to put another notch on her belt of accolades. She didn’t solely do it out of the kindness of her heart. Also, remember Lana surprised Kit at his house with a camera crew, because she wanted to document Jude’s life after Briarcliff. But Kit would only speak to her as a friend off camera.
Johnny had Lana right where he wanted her. Alone with no one to help her, and a gun in his hand. Johnny was prepared to kill Lana, but Lana disarmed him. Without using physical force, Lana was able to get Johnny to lower his guard with a mother’s touch and a mother’s love. After all, this is what Johnny was craving for so many years. He just wanted someone, anyone to love him. Lana actually took responsibility for Johnny’s broken life before shooting him in the head and killing him. Lana told Johnny everything was her fault.
I do believe Lana had to kill Johnny. It wasn’t just a it’s him or me scenario. Johnny definitely had Thredson’s DNA in him, and Lana couldn’t take the chance of letting him go, so he could return to finish what he started, or hurt someone close to Lana. It’s an ironic ending for Morgan, because he died the same way his father did: a gunshot to the head from Lana. Dylan McDermott was fantastic as Johnny Morgan throughout the season. McDermott’s committed performance gave you the impression that Morgan was a deeply disturbed and dangerous man, who you shouldn’t mess around with.
AHS Asylum ends with a flashback to Lana’s first visit to Briarcliff. Sister Jude gives Lana an ominous warning, when she tells her “if you look in the face of evil, evil’s going to look right back at you.” You can look at and interpret Jude’s warning a lot of different ways. I’ve always thought Jude was simply trying to warn Lana, that she’s too ambitious for her own good.
And as far as the staring or looking in the face of evil part of the quote goes, think about Lana’s horrible ordeal with Bloody Face/ Thredson. She desperately wanted to report on an “evil” man, because she believed Bloody Face would take her career to the next level. It did happen. Eventually, Lana reached so many high points of success, but look at what she had to go through to get there. Two big examples that stick out are Lana murdering Thredson and her own son, who Lana considered to be a dirty secret for years.
Anyway, I’ve always loved the final moments of AHS Asylum. Lana walks away, unaware of the struggles she’s about to face, and Jude looks at the Virgin Mary statue with admiration as Dominique plays in the background. The scene gives off a strong simpler times vibe, because both women have no idea what’s coming next, nor could they have possibly prepared for it.
With AHS’ anthology style, Madness Ends feels more like a series finale than a season finale, but it’s still a satisfying finale. With the exception of Kit’s mysterious whereabouts, the loose ends are tied up here, and Madness Ends delivers a strong emotional punch. Jude’s path to redemption is one of the big highlights here, and the teased confrontation with Johnny Morgan and Lana finally crossing paths delivered on every level.
Rating-10/10
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