American Horror Story- Murder House- Final Thoughts

**This post contains spoilers**

American Horror Story: Murder House is a bold show, that’s not afraid to take any chances. Gore, blood, sexual situations, a few “crossing the line” curse words (“sh**”) every now and then, and American Horror Story’s toes touch the line to provide an unforgettable experience for fans of the show.

Murder House features characters with real depth. Constance is a tortured soul with a troubled past, Ben is a habitual liar, and he’s running out of second chances, and Violet is a depressed and isolated teenage girl, who’s desperate for companionship and understanding.

On top of that, the cast is top notch, with Jessica Lange delivering numerous show-stealing performances. Lange is phenomenal, and Lange takes a more villainous turn in Asylum (season 2) as Sister Jude and in Coven (season 3) as Fiona to cement her status as the top mainstay on the show. Dylan McDermott is an ideal choice for the Ben character. McDermott is a natural, when it comes to portraying an anti-hero, or someone, who’s stuck in the middle of the good VS evil zone. Yes. Ben is a caring father, who loves his family, but he willingly engaged in an affair with Hayden, and the affair destroyed his family.

Taissa Farmiga emerges as a star in the making in American Horror Story’s first season, and Farmiga nails another high profiled character (Zoe) in Coven. You won’t see too much of Sarah Paulson as Billie Dean Howard here, but Paulson receives bigger roles in Asylum as Lana Winters and in Coven as Cordelia Foxx (Fiona’s daughter). Evan Peters? When you consider his performances as Kit Walker (Asylum) and Kyle Spencer (Coven),  Tate is still number one for overall quality. Tate is a disturbed kid with a broken life and a nasty mean streak, and Peters brings his A game as Tate.

Consistency is not a problem for Murder House. After each episode, I had to know the answer to this one reoccurring question: What’s next? The cliffhangers, the shocking character deaths, the reveals, the suspense, and the twists and turns. Murder House pulls you into a dark world of betrayal, violence, carnage, and gloomy dilemmas, and you’re hooked in until the very end. I never fell into a down period, where I wanted the show to end, and I can’t remember one tedious slump. Halloween Part I is a prime example, because I’ve seen all three seasons of American Horror Story, and I believe it’s the best episode from all three seasons. The look of panic and shock on Ben’s face, when he opens the door to see Hayden at the end is a great memorable moment.

Murder House sets the stage for a ghostly series with spooky atmospheric tension at the house, and for residents from the past or unfortunate victims of the house’s wrath, the Murder House is a source of pain and fear for a variety of reasons. Larry lost his family in a fire, Moira was shot to death by Constance, and we all know about the tragic end to The Harmon Family’s story. The Murder House is a living, breathing haunted house with a strong heartbeat, any unsuspecting victims are walking into a death trap, and underestimating the house’s power (i.e. Ben in the finale) is a deadly mistake.

Three yeas later, and horror themed shows have a stronger presence on TV. The Walking Dead is an unstoppable juggernaut, Salem popped up on WGN America, From Dusk Till Dawn debuted on El Rey Network, FOX has Sleepy Hollow, NBC has Hannibal, CBS stumbled across a surefire hit with Under The Dome, and Penny Dreadful premiers tonight.

Of course, American Horror Story is still around to establish a recognizable name for a horror TV series, and after three seasons, American Horror Story steps up to the plate for number four with Freak Show. I have mixed feelings for Asylum and Coven, but my hopes are still high for quality with season four. Key players from the past including, Lange, Paulson, Peters, and Denis O’Hare are returning, and the addition of reliable veterans (Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett) from Coven is a positive sign.

Also, the return of Emma Roberts should add a spark to the show, because Roberts was an amazing villainess as Madison Montgomery in Coven. Although, according to reports, it’s Jessica Lange’s last season on American Horror Story, and it‘ll be sad to see her go. Hopefully, she’ll receive a send-off worthy of remembrance, because Jessica Lange  is one of the founders for American Horror Story, and she’s in the small circle for stacking the first set of bricks for the foundation to build American Horror Story’s legacy.

Follow the links below (in chronological order) to read comprehensive reviews for all twelve episodes of American Horror Story: Murder House!

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house.html (Episode 1- Pilot)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_3.html (Episode 2- Home Invasion)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_4.html (Episode 3- Murder House)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_5.html (Episode 4- Halloween Part I)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_11.html (Episode 5- Halloween Part II)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_12.html (Episode 6- Piggy Piggy)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_13.html (Episode 7- Open House)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_14.html (Episode 8- Rubber Man)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/04/american-horror-story-murder-house_18.html (Episode 9- Spooky Little Girl)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/05/american-horror-story-murder-house.html (Episode 10- Smoldering Children)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/05/american-horror-story-murder-house_9.html (Episode 11- Birth)

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/05/american-horror-story-murder-house_10.html (Episode 12- Afterbirth)


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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 12- Afterbirth

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: The countdown for the big move begins in Boston with nine months to go, and Ben (Dylan McDermott) finds the perfect house in Los Angeles. Ben praises the Murder House as a symbol of “hope” for a new beginning, but Vivien (Connie Brittion) is still reluctant to trust Ben after the affair with Hayden (Kate Mara). Vivien has plans to move to Florida with Violet (Taissa Farmiga) before the new school year starts, and Vivien is planning a new life without Ben. Eventually, Vivien lowers her guard to accept Ben’s request to fly to Los Angeles to inspect and evaluate the Murder House.

In the present, Vivien is dead, and Ben is alone in the house. Vivien tries to adjust to the afterlife with some help and guidance from Moira (Frances Conroy). As a ghost, Vivien makes the tough choice to stay in the shadows and hide from Ben, because she wants Ben to leave the house with the baby. If Ben sees Vivien or Violet, Ben’s grief will take control, and Ben will stay in the Murder House, risking his life and the baby’s life.

One day, Ben visits Constance (Jessica Lange) to pick up the twin. Constance takes on the role of a babysitter, but Constance stalls Ben because she’s trying to protect the baby. A forceful Ben takes the baby, and before his return to the Murder House, Ben spots a picture of Tate (Evan Peters) and Addie (Jaime Brewer) on Constance’s kitchen counter. Ben puts the pieces of the puzzle together, and Ben immediately suspects Constance as an accomplice in Tate’s scheme, and Ben blames Constance and Tate for Vivien’s death. Constance warns Ben about the dangers of returning to the Murder House, but an angry Ben ignores Constance’s warnings.

At the Murder House, a lonely and depressed Ben prepares an exit strategy for the baby with paper work, and instructions for Vivien’s sister, Jo. In his mind, Ben accepts the idea of a new life for the twin in Florida with Jo, and Ben prepares to commit suicide with alcohol and cigarettes to ease the pain.

Ben  tries to pull the trigger on his handgun, but Vivien appears at the last second to stop him. Violet appears, and together, Vivien and Violet convince Ben to leave the Murder House to protect the baby from the evil forces. Ben grabs the baby, but a vindictive Hayden blocks Ben’s path to the front door on the staircase……….

Review: Why? Why would you go back into the house after EVERYTHING that happened there??? The break-in, Ben witnessed young Moria’s transformation, a group of ghost delivered his children, and his wife died in the house.

And guess what happens, when Ben runs into Hayden? At first, Ben tries to ignore Hayden, but a group of evil ghosts (under Hayden’s orders) attack Ben from behind. The evil ghosts strangle Ben with a rope, and they use the rope to hang Ben from the chandelier. Ben’s death looks like a suicide, and Hayden takes the baby.

Ben’s mind-numbingly stupid choice to return to the house brought a facepalm out of me. Constance is not an angel, but as a former resident with years of history tied to the house, she knows about the dangers and the consequences for a return.

Ben (as a ghost) reunites with Vivien and Violet, but Hayden is sitting in a rocking chair with the evil twin. Keep in mind, Ben, Vivien, and Violet don’t know about the details surrounding the prophecy, and they don’t know Tate’s child is the Antichrist.

Anyway, Constance confronts Hayden about the baby. As the only living person in the Harmon’s circle, Constance is an ideal candidate for a mother/guardian, but Hayden won’t let go without a fight. Luckily, Travis (Michael Graziadei) pops up out of nowhere to slit Hayden’s throat wide open. Travis takes advantage of an incapacitated Hayden (remember, she’s already dead, so she can’t die again), and Travis snatches the baby. Travis hands the baby to Constance, and a happy Constance leaves the Murder House with her new grandson.

Is Constance is a sneaky liar with a hidden agenda? Yep. But when you consider all the limited options, Constance is the best choice for a mother. Vivien is dead, Ben is dead, and Violet is dead. And you can’t raise a child in a house full of ghosts. Whether you like her or not, you can’t deny Constance’s dedication. She is willing to pour all of her love and care into her grandson, and Constance will do anything to protect him. Oh, and to keep the secret safe from the outside world, Constance hides the baby in a closet.

Constance’s cover story? Well, Detective Granger (Charles S. Dutton) and Detective Barrios (Malaya Rivera Drew) return to ask Constance more questions about Ben’s “suicide,” and they want to know what happened to the baby and Violet (remember, Tate hid her body in a crawlspace). Constance tells Granger and Barrios Violet ran away with the baby after Ben’s suicide to start a new life. It’s a perfect cover, because Ben staged everything at the house (papers, keys to all the doors, instructions for Vivien’s sister, etc.) for the aftermath of a suicide, so Constance’s story/lie works as a logical conclusion for Violet’s whereabouts.

So what’s next for The Harmon Family as ghosts? Together, Vivien, Ben, Violet, and Moira join forces to put a stop to the murders and never ending violence at the house. The good spirits at the house (Moira, Elizabeth, etc.) are tired of all the deaths of innocent families, who unknowingly walk into a murder trap. But the evil spirits (Hayden, Nora, etc.) are filled with rage and bitterness, and they will unleash their wrath on the new tenants.

The Harmon Family’s first test as a team? The Ramos Family. After Marcy’s (Christine Estabrook) fabricated sales pitch, Miguel Ramos (Anthony Ruivivar), his wife, Stacy (Lisa Vidal), and their son, Gabriel (Brennan Mejia) move into the Murder House. After a series of bizarre incidents and an appearance from Violet, Gabriel (or “Gabe”) suspects something fishy, but Miguel and Stacy are overjoyed at the thought of a fresh start in the new house (sounds familiar, huh?). And Miguel and Stacy are planning to have another baby to fill Gabe’s void after he graduates from high school.

One night, with some help from Elizabeth (Mena Suvari), Beau, and the exterminator from “Smoldering Children,” Vivien, Ben (as the Rubber Man), and Moira (using her old form, and her seductive, younger form) launch an all out assault to scare Stacy and Miguel out of the house. The showcase for a real life haunted house works……but there’s a problem upstairs with Gabe and Tate.

Tate is still heartbroken over losing Violet, and Tate noticed a connection between Gabe and Violet during Violet’s visit to his room. Tate’s solution to help Violet? He’s going to kill Gabe, so Violet can have another companion. Luckily, Violet shows up to say good-bye to Tate with one last kiss, and Gabe uses the distraction to escape the Murder House with his parents. After the kiss, Violet disappears again, leaving Tate alone.

Remember Nora (Lily Rabe) and the stillborn twin? Well, Charles (Matt Ross) made a mistake, because the baby took one breath before his death. But Nora can’t handle the responsibilities for being a mother. Enter Vivien. Vivien is the biological mother, but Nora uses her deal with Tate as an excuse to keep the baby.

Still, Nora can’t handle the child. She scolds Vivien (oddly enough, a delusional Nora mistook Vivien for one of her servants), and she calls the baby a “weakling.” Vivien remains calm, and Nora agrees to a deal with Vivien: Vivien will give an exhausted Nora a temporary break to take care of her child. After Vivien’s talk with Nora, Vivien asks Moira (old Moira) to be the godmother for the baby, and Moira gladly accepts.

After the fiasco with The Ramos Family, Tate approaches Ben for advice. Naturally, Ben is disgusted with Tate, and he diagnoses Tate as a psychopath. Tate apologizes for raping Vivien, murdering Chad and Patrick, hurting Violet, murdering the kids at Westfield High School, and burning Larry alive. Ben reminds Tate he’s not a priest, so Tate’s confession is worthless to him. But Ben offers a Tate a solution for his problems: Tate needs to apologize to the innocent victims directly. They need to forgive him first. Then, the healing process can begin.

The story jumps to Christmas night, and the house is empty again. Together, Vivien, Ben, Violet, Moira (old Moira), and the baby celebrate Christmas together after they decorate the tree as a team. Tate is stuck outside with Hayden. Hayden pushes Tate to forget about Violet and move on, but Tate is still in love with Violet, and he’ll wait “forever” for Violet’s forgiveness. The Harmon’s story concludes with the entire family (and Moira) standing around the Christmas tree to celebrate a peaceful and happy future at the Murder House.

The Harmon Family accepts and embraces their roles as protectors, but Ben had the PERFECT chance to escape with the baby. Although, you could say Ben’s death is a better option for him. Let’s face it, Ben was DEVASTATED and depressed without Vivien and Violet. Do you really think he’s the best choice to raise a child? Oh, and there’s the Antichrist problem, because you know, Ben is raising a child, who’s full of pure evil.

Instead, Ben is with his wife and his daughter for all eternity, and you can see the happiness in Ben’s eyes after the Christmas celebration. Also, to give an extra tidbit on Marcy’s life after Ben, Vivien, and Violet, Marcy adopted Hallie, the dog. And Marcy is stuck with the Murder House after The Ramos Family‘s sudden departure. She’s forced to sell at another reduced price, and the tour guide for famous homes in LA hurts Marcy chances with the story of Vivien and Ben’s deaths, and Violet’s “disappearance.”

Nora? Well, Moira was right, when she said Nora didn’t have one “motherly bone” in her body. It’s strange, because I wanted to feel some sympathy for Nora, as this broken woman, who made too many mistakes in her past. But Nora showed her true colors again in the basement with Vivien. The nasty, hateful, snobbish, and condescending Nora resurfaced, and it’s hard to feel any sympathy for Nora’s dark side.

And kudos to Ben for giving Tate some advice for his problems. Ben could’ve ignored Tate, and turned his back on him, but Ben offered some advice for someone, who needs A LOT of help. I said this before, but I have a hard time believing in Tate as this malicious person. He’s someone, who makes a lot of stupid mistakes, and yes, he needs to serve some form of punishment for his crimes. But Tate needs some guidance and proper direction, because his childhood was a  mess.

What happened to Constance and the baby? The timeline jumps three years into the future. Constance visits her hairdresser, Helen, and she uses another cover story for the baby. Constance accepted the role of a mother/guardian for Michael (the Antichrist), the son of distant cousins on her mother’s side. The parents died in a tragic highway accident, and Constance rescued Michael from a childhood in an orphanage.

After the tragedies (Addie’s death, Beau, Tate’s death, etc.) and all the suffering (Hugo’s affair with Moira) in her life, Constance finally understands her role in the world: Everything was a test to prepare Constance for raising the Antichrist (or Michael). Constance is a survivor, and she has what it takes to guide and take care of Michael.

But there’s a big problem at home. Constance returns to her home to find a trail of blood leading to Michael’s room. In Michael’s room, Constance finds the babysitter’s mutilated dead body. Michael has spots of blood on his face, and he’s sitting in a rocking chair with this big smile on his face. Constance kneels to Michael, and she says “now what am I gonna do with you?” Constance takes some time to comfort Michael, and the screen cuts to black to end the first season of American Horror Story.

Constance’s speech about her duties as a mother for Michael is something to admire, and Jessica Lange nailed the delivery as always. You can feel all the emotions pouring out of Constance. The sadness, the heartbreak, the happiness, and the relief. After so many years of searching, Constance found her purpose in life, and she embraced her role as Michael’s mother.

It’s hard to (or almost impossible) top Birth’s emotional roller coaster after Vivien’s death, but Afterbirth is a satisfying season finale, and they give you everything a fan could ask for in a season finale. Afterbirth provides more than enough closure, a few happy endings, and they tie up all the loose ends here. And there’s a diabolical cliffhanger with a sinister Michael smiling after the babysitter’s murder. Constance as Michael’s mother is a debatable choice for a number of reasons, but when you stop and think about it, Constance is the ideal choice to raise Michael, and she’s the only one, who can handle him.

I alluded to this earlier, but there’s a hole in logic with Michael. Again, Vivien, Ben, and Violet never heard Billie Dean’s explanation for the prophecy, so they don’t know about Michael’s future as the Antichrist. To add to that, Constance never told Vivien and Ben the truth about Michael. Is there a chance Constance was afraid of retaliation from Vivien and Ben? Vivien, Ben, and Violet working together to stop the Antichrist at all costs is not out of the realm of realistic possibilities, but I’ll look the other way for one simple reason: Constance will do ANYTHING to protect (remember, Constance offered the twin fathered by Ben to Chad and Patrick, but she gave explicit “off limits” instructions for Tate’s twin) her grandson.

The nine months intro is very eerie with hindsight. Ben wanted to believe in the Murder House as a symbol of hope, but the Murder House was a symbol of pain and misery for his family. The Murder House destroyed Ben’s family in the living world, but there’s a tricky catch 22 dilemma here. The Harmons suffered brutal deaths in the Murder House, but they have a second (or third?) chance at happiness together in the afterlife…..and it’s happening at the Murder House. When it’s all said and done, he should’ve been more careful, and Ben learned a hard lesson about buying a cheap haunted house.

Rating: 9/10

Well, that's a wrap for the first season of American Horror Story! Barring any unforeseen setbacks or hurdles, I'll post my final thoughts on the season tomorrow. The day is clear for the most part, so I'll keep my fingers crossed! lol.

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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 11- Birth

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: In 1984, a young Tate Langdon follows his toy truck into the basement at the Murder House. During Tate’s expedition in the basement, Tate’s mother, Constance (Jessica Lange) sleeps on the couch with a stack of past due bills on the table.

In the basement, Thaddeus (or The Infantata) scares and attacks Tate, but Nora (Lily Rabe) appears to protect him. Nora stops Thaddeus’ attack, and Nora teaches Tate a trick to fight the malevolent spirits at Murder House. If a ghost appears for an attack, Tate needs to shout “GO AWAY!”, and the ghosts will disappear. After the close call encounter with Thaddeus, Nora comforts a frightened Tate in the basement.

In the present, Tate (Evan Peters) changes his mind about the deal with Nora. Tate is trying to protect one of Violet’s brothers, because he doesn’t want to take a chance of ruining his relationship with Violet. But Nora won’t take no for an answer. A determined Nora wants to be a mother again, and she will take one of Vivien’s twins, with or without Tate’s help.

Violet (Taissa Farmiga) is running out of time and options to explain the complications and hurdles for her suicide, as Ben (Dylan McDermott) prepares for the trip to Florida. Violet is dead, and she can’t leave the house, but Ben forces Violet into the car for the trip to pick up Vivien (Connie Britton) at the hospital. Unbeknownst to Ben, Violet reappears in the house after Ben passes the stop sign on the streets.

At the hospital, the doctor explains a complicated and deadly dilemma for Vivien’s pregnancy. The dominant twin (or the “Alpha,” Tate’s twin) is draining all of the resources and nutrients from the weaker fetus. In time, the dominant twin’s needs will lead to the death of Vivien’s weaker twin. The doctor urges Ben to postpone or cancel the trip to Florida, but Vivien refuses.

Violet awaits Ben and Vivien’s arrival at the house, but Chad (Zachary Quinto) and Patrick (Teddy Sears) have other plans for the twins. After Chad and Patrick renovate the nursery with their own special touch, Chad announces his plans for the twins: Chad and Patrick will steal the twins from Vivien. After the first birthday, Chad and Patrick will smother the twins with pillows, because Chad wants “cute” babies “forever.” To add to the problem, Nora is anxious to steal Vivien’s twins, and Hayden (Kate Mara) is lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect chance to sabotage Vivien and Ben’s plans for a happy and peaceful second chance.

Violet turns to Constance and Billie Dean Howard (Sarah Paulson) for help. Billie Dean offers a solution to stop the evil spirits at the Murder House with an ancient Roanoke spell, but Violet needs personal possessions from the spirits to make the spell work. With Tate’s help, Violet needs to secure Patrick’s ring and Chad’s expensive watch, and to complete the spell, Violet will burn the watch and the ring, and shout “Croatoan” to banish Chad and Patrick from the house forever.

Violet tries to explain the consequences for a death at the Murder House to a confused Ben, but Ben and Violet run into a bigger problem with Vivien. In the car, Vivien experiences uncontrollable labor pains, and Constance shows up to help Vivien into the house.

Time is running out, and Vivien is stuck in a tight spot, because she can’t refuse the Murder House‘s helping hands. Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross) returns to deliver the baby with some help from Nurse Maria (Rosa Salazar) and Nurse Gladys (Celia Finklestein), and Constance gives Ben a last minute pep talk about helping Vivien. Ben and Vivien cling to a shred of hope for escaping the Murder House with the twins to start a new life in Florida, and Chad crushes Violet with a devastating secret……….

Review: Poor Vivien. She pushed and pushed, but resiliency wasn’t enough to save her here. Vivien and Ben lose the weaker twin (the twin fathered by Ben) to a stillbirth. After the death of the first twin, Charles quietly presents the deceased infant to Nora, and Nora takes the child without hesitation.

Vivien is weak and exhausted, and the arrival of the second twin (the evil twin, or the Antichrist fathered by Tate) takes a disastrous turn for the worst. The evil twin enters the world as a healthy baby, but Vivien’s body suffered too much damage during birth. Charles tries to save Vivien, but he can’t stop the bleeding. An apologetic  Ben pushes Violet to hold on and fight, but Violet appears to steer Vivien in a different direction. Violet urges Vivien to let go, but Vivien doesn’t have a choice. The birth of the evil twin caused severe hemorrhaging, and Vivien dies after Ben’s desperate pleas.

I know I’ve been hard on Vivien throughout the season (Vivien hiding an affair with a married man from her past), but Vivien’s death is an easy pick for a memorable and sorrowful moment in Birth. Think about everything Vivien endured this season. The miscarriage, catching Ben in the act during his affair with Hayden, the break-in (“Home Invasion”), Tate’s rape, Ben committed Vivien, and on top of that, she’s carrying the Antichrist. Whether you love her or hate her, you have to admit Vivien suffered until the very end.

It’s an emotional send-off for Vivien. During the birth of the first twin, there’s a sequence, where they jump back and forth between the past and the present with flashback footage of Violet’s birth. You’ll see another heartfelt moment during the “Will she stay or die?” tug of war between Ben and Violet, and it’s easy to understand both POVs. On one hand, Ben wants Vivien to stay in the living world. He wants to prove himself to Vivien. He wants to prove he can change, and Ben desperately wants a second shot at a happy life with Vivien. Violet is lonely in the afterlife at Murder House, she misses her mother, and Violet is hoping for a second chance to apologize to Vivien for all the years of rebellion and disrespect.

Connie Britton did a good of expressing Vivien’s fatigue and strong sense of defeat towards the end. Vivien was battered physically and emotionally, and she finally reached a point, where she had to let go, and Vivien joins Violet in the afterlife at Murder House. And kudos to Dylan McDermott for selling Ben’s heartbreak over Vivien’s death with an unnerving look of shock, and a few tears.

The Roanoke spell? Yeah, it’s bogus nonsense. Violet followed Billie Dean’s instructions step by step. She burned Chad’s watch in the fireplace, and Violet shouted “Croatoan!” over and again. At first, Chad flinched and convulsed…..but Chad was humoring Violet with an over the top performance.

Violet is out of options to stop Chad, Patrick, and the rest of the evil spirits at the house, and Chad rips Violet’s heart into pieces, when he reveals the truth about Vivien’s second twin and Tate’s rape. A furious and heartbroken Violet confronts Tate about the rape. Tate tries to apologize, and Violet professes her love for Tate, but she rejects the apology. Tate begs for a second chance, but Violet uses the “GO AWAY!” trick to silence Tate, and Tate disappears. Vivien shows up to ease  a sobbing Violet’s pain, she admires Violet’s bravery, and Vivien reassures Violet as a support system and a shoulder to lean on in her time of need.

Violet‘s “go away” decision with Tate was a tough one, because she found her soul mate in Tate, but Tate crossed the line and a point of no return with Vivien and the second twin. Is Tate remorseful about about his crimes? Well, Tate whimpers and his face quivers with welded tears during the confrontation, and you can feel the sadness in Tate. After all, Violet is on a short, short list of people, who took the time to bond with Tate, and Violet wanted to help him.

Still, Tate had to answer for his crimes at some point. We’re talking about a guy, who murdered a group of innoncet high school kids, he murdered an innoncet Chad and Patrick, he burned Larry Harvey, and he raped Vivien. Maybe he’s oblivious, maybe Tate has a few screws loose, or there’s a good chance Tate is a good person with a big heart, but he makes one too many catastrophic mistakes as a klutz. BUT Tate needs to serve some form of punishment for his crimes. You can only ask for so many free passes or mulligans, and Tate exhausted his supply of second chances a long time ago.

It’s all about Vivien’s birth and the fight to protect the twins from the evil forces at Murder House here. Birth packs a powerful emotional gut punch with the shock of Vivien’s death, and Violet’s decision to banish Tate from her life at the Murder House. Violet had to punish Tate, and Violet is the only person in the world, who loves Tate, so she made the tough choice to cut ties with him forever.

It’s a strong show before the finale, and you’ll see a handful of top notch performances from Taissa Farmiga, Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, Dylan McDermott, and Lily Rabe. And a big thumbs up for Zachary Quinto. It’s easy to forget about him in American Horror Story’s first season for a few reasons. Chad and Patrick are limited to sporadic appearances, this season’s cast is loaded with talent, and Jessica Lange steals the show 90% of the time.

Quinto brings a consistent A game with his performances as Chad. Chad is this vindictive and sassy nuisance with a nasty mean streak, and he’s hell bent on destroying happy lives, because Chad loves to play the role of a spoiler. Chad is the one, who told Violet the truth about Tate, and in Halloween Part 1, Chad is the one, who made the subliminal suggestion for Vivien to check Ben’s phone bill for calls from Hayden.

The tension for “who’s going to steal the twins?” throughout this episode is unreal, because EVERYONE is a suspect (including Constance). Oh, and Moira (Frances Conroy) has a brief cameo here. She sheds a few tears at the sight of the new baby, but her screen time is too short for a significant impact on this episode.

If you’re looking for lots of blood and gore in this episode, you’ll be disappointed. Birth takes a restrained approach to the extreme stuff. It’s a wistful and touching show, and the final scene is a good example for Birth’s somber tone. After Violet banishes Tate, a dead Vivien appears to console Violet with a hug. Violet is full of tears, and Violet tells Vivien she’s “sorry” Vivien lost the baby (the first twin). Vivien’s response? “But I didn’t lose my baby.”

Also, Birth takes some time to explore the relationship between Nora and Tate with the intro. Nora is the one, who taught Tate the “go away” trick, and as a child, Tate confided in Nora as his real mother. But Tate chose Violet over Nora in the end, and she eventually turned her back on him, but Tate tried to help Violet in her mission to protect Vivien.

And it doesn't last long, so if you blink, there's a good chance you'll miss it, but they show a brief glimpse of Thaddeus as The Infantata during the 1984 flashback. Thaddeus' pale and ghoulish complexion is genuinely creepy, but it's hard to feel any feelings of shock for The Infantata's debut first look, because The Infantata takes a backseat to a stack of prominent storylines (the birth of the twins, Violet working with Tate to stop Chad and others, the end of Violet and Tate's relationship, etc.) and Vivien's death.

There’s only one episode to go, and we have a lot of unanswered questions. What’s going to happen with Ben? Violet and Vivien are dead, and Hayden is determined to ruin his life, so Ben is all alone now. Will Ben raise the evil child with no help? Or will Ben leave the Murder House to start a new life by himself? What’s going to happen with the evil twin, who survived birth? Constance took the baby from Vivien and Ben to clean him off in the kitchen…but she never returned. Will Vivien confront Nora about the stillborn twin in the afterlife at Murder House? Deal or no deal,  that’s Vivien’s child, and you have to believe she’ll put up a fight for him.

Constance wants a grandchild, and you can’t forget about Hayden. She wants Vivien’s baby, but she’ll have to fight Constance for control, and Ben is the X factor, because Ben is the only reliable and logical choice for a parent. And you can’t ignore the elephant in the room with the Antichrist problem. For now, he’s a seemingly harmless baby, but what’s going to happen, when the second twin grows and develops?

Rating: 10/10


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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 10- Smoldering Children

**This post contains spoilers**

I know I said I would finish off Murder House in April, but some unexpected things changed in real life. Oddly enough, the changes kicked in after that post. lol. Nothing serious, just a lot of time consuming stuff, and I don't know how it happened, but this weird foot injury threw a monkey wrench in a lot of my plans.

Finishing Murder House is a day to day thing for the time being, and I'll try to wrap things up as quickly as possible, and I'll put the finishing touches on this review series with my final overall thoughts in a separate post. Now let's get to the review!

Synopsis: In 1994, Constance (Jessica Lange) returns to the Murder House with her son, Tate (Evan Peters) and her daughter, Addie (Jaime Brewer) to start a new life with Larry Harvey (Denis O’Hare). Larry had plans to leave his wife, Lorraine (Rebecca Wisocky) and their two daughters, Margaret and Angela, but an enraged Lorraine committed suicide by locking herself in a room upstairs, and Lorraine started a fire to kill herself and the girls.

Larry refused to ignore his obsession and never-ending love for Constance. One night, Larry and Constance celebrate the return to the Murder House and their new union as a family with a grand dinner and a honey roasted ham as the centerpiece, but Tate breaks his silence before the dinner. Tate isn’t buying Larry’s nice guy act, and he’s disgusted with Larry and Constance’s relationship as lovers. Tate knows Larry murdered Beau (Sam Kinsey) under Constance’s orders, and Tate scolds his mother, because he will never be Constance’s “perfect son.”

One morning, Tate prepares for the shooting at Westfield High School with cocaine and an array of guns. But Tate surprises Larry at his job with a can of gasoline and a match before the shooting. A befuddled Larry temporarily ignores Tate to finish his work. Tate takes advantage of Larry’s defenseless position, and without hesitation, Tate dumps the can of gasoline on Larry, and Tate uses a lit match to burn Larry in his office. After the attack on Larry, Tate casually walks away to complete his mission.

In the present, Detective Granger (Charles S. Dutton) and Detective Barrios (Malaya Rivera Drew) surprise Constance with a visit at her house. Granger and Barrios show Constance the grisly pictures for Travis’ (Michael Graziadei) mangled corpse. After his death, Travis is labeled the “Boy Dahlia,” and Travis accomplishes his goals for success with posthumous fame.

But a heartbroken Constance doesn’t care about headlines and news reports. Constance immediately suspects Larry as the culprit for Travis’ murder. Constance believes Larry murdered Travis out of jealously, but Larry tells Constance the truth: Larry moved the body out of the Murder House, but he didn’t kill Travis.

Constance is stuck in a seemingly inescapable dilemma, because Granger and Barrios suspect Constance as the murderer after a talk with the local shopkeep, and Constance drops her unregistered gun in front of the detectives. They need a face for the popular Boy Dahlia case, and Constance is the perfect fit to complete an infamous story about a crime of passion and betrayal.

Meanwhile, Ben (Dylan McDermott) visits Vivien (Connie Britton) in the asylum. Ben tells a devastated Vivien the truth about her pregnancy: Ben is not the father of both twins, and the Rubber Man is the second father. Ben believes Vivien’s story about the rape, and Ben promises to fight for Vivien’s release, but Vivien refuses to take one step inside the house after her release. Ben supports a fragile Vivien, and Ben won’t stop until he uncovers the identity of the Rubber Man.

At the house, a cop visits Ben with an unsettling report about Violet (Taissa Farmiga): After sixteen consecutive absences at school, Ben is one absence away from a trip to juvenile court. Ben tries to help Violet during a self-imposed exile inside her room, but Ben runs into another problem with an unexpected infestation of flies.

Ben scouts boarding schools for Violet’s fresh start. Tate is terrified at the thought of losing Violet forever, so Tate reawakens his alter ego as the Rubber Man to stop Ben’s plans for relocating Violet………

Review:  “Let it go, Larry! She doesn’t love you!”

I almost stood up and shouted every word above during this episode. It’s obvious Larry will do ANYTHING to capture Constance’s heart, but Constance doesn’t share Larry’s feelings. Need proof? There’s a scene, where Constance surprises Larry at his apartment to confront Larry about Travis’ murder. Larry throws himself at Constance with another “I love you” speech, but Constance responds with “that’s your problem.”

It’s funny, because towards the beginning of the season, I wanted to feel some sympathy for Larry. After all, here’s another guy, who succumbed to the evil forces at the Murder House, and the evil forces forced Larry to burn his family alive. But any feelings of sympathy for Larry disappear, when the truth behind Larry’s lies are exposed. For starters, Larry wasn’t a victim of a fire. Tate set Larry on fire. On top of that, we’re talking about a guy, who willingly kicked his wife and two daughters to the curb for Constance.

The relationship between Constance and Larry? Well, there is no real relationship. A delusional Larry believes in a happy relationship with Constance, but Constance is just using Larry, and he’s a doormat for Constance to wipe her feet on. She used Larry to murder Beau, and she used him to move into the Murder House again after the fire.

Towards the end, Larry visits the Murder House to hide Travis’ belongings. At the house, Larry runs into Lorraine, Margaret, and Angela. Margaret and Angela are playing tea time with Travis, and Larry promises vengeance on Constance for ruining his family. But Lorraine isn’t buying  into Larry’s pleas for forgiveness. Lorraine reminds Larry he’s the one, who willingly turned his back on the family, and Larry made a willing choice to start an affair with Constance. Larry begs and begs for a second chance, so Lorraine issues an ultimatum. You want forgiveness? You want to show me and our daughters you’re really sorry for what you did? Okay, “prove it.”

Larry’s solution to his problems? Larry takes the blame for Constance, and he confesses to the murders for his punishment. That’s right. Larry kills two birds with one stone with his confession. Larry clears Constance’s name, because Granger and Barrios were determined to pin the murder on her no matter what. And with the jail sentence, Larry can serve his time for abandoning Lorraine and the kids.

But it’s not over yet. As a prisoner, Larry requests one last visit from Constance before a transfer to Illinois to serve the rest of his sentence. The sight of Constance isn’t enough, because Larry wants Constance to tell him he loves her. He doesn’t care if it’s the truth or a lie. Larry wants to hear the words “I love you” out of Constance’s mouth. Larry puts his hand on the window, waiting for a response from Constance. Constance touches Larry’s hand from the other side…..but she pulls away at the last second, and an ungrateful and cruel Constance walks away from the visit, leaving Larry all by himself with no comfort.

Larry was more than willing to live a lie in his own fantasy world, but Constance wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Larry needed Constance’s lies for comfort during a lonely life sentence, but Constance flipped one more proverbial middle finger to Larry in the end. Yeah, Constance is ruthless and nasty, but I’ll say this again, it’s hard to feel any sympathy for Larry, because he’s too gullible and foolish. Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me, and if you sucker me or stab me in the back after that, then I’m just an idiot for not learning my lesson.

So what’s going with Violet? She’s missing school, she locked herself in her room, and Ben has plans for a non-negotiable trip to a boarding school. Violet promises Ben one more shot at public school, but Tate stops Violet before her departure one day. Tate convinces Violet to agree to a suicide pact, but Violet backs out at the last second. Violet tries to run…..but she can’t leave the house, and you know what that means. Violet is dead (remember, if you die at the Murder House, you’re stuck on the property forever).

Remember Violet’s failed suicide attempt in “Piggy Piggy”? Well, Violet swallowed too many pills, and unfortunately, Violet succeeded in her attempt at suicide. After her death, Tate hid Violet’s rotting corpse in a crawlspace to spare Violet the shock and all the pain from dying , and Violet’s dead body is the magnet for the flies. Oh, and Tate murdered the exterminator after he discovered Violet’s body, because Tate was trying to guard the secret from Violet.

Violet is dead, and Ben is on a mission to catch the Rubber Man, but the Rubber Man surprises and attacks Ben after a shower. During the fight, Ben pulls off the mask to see Tate’s face, but Tate incapacitates Ben with a beating and a rag with chloroform.

For now, Violet confides in Tate as her only companion in the afterlife at the Murder House, BUT Violet doesn’t know about Tate’s alter ego as the Rubber Man, and she doesn’t know Tate is the one, who raped Vivien, and Tate is the father for one of Vivien‘s twins.  And what about Ben? Will he retaliate for Tate attacking Vivien? Or will Ben ignore Tate for the time being to focus on Vivien? For the first time in a long time, you get the feeling Ben and Vivien are on the same page. They’re focused on the twins, and moving out of the Murder House at all costs, but the evil forces (Chad, Patrick, Teddy, Hayden, Nora, etc.) are determined to sabotage Vivien’s plans for a clean escape with the twins.

It’s hard to say anything meaningful about Malaya Rivera Drew and Charles S. Dutton. They’re pursuing Constance, but in the grand scheme of things, they’re stuck in bit parts, because they’re taking a backseat to Constance, Larry, Ben, Violet, and Tate. 

Murder House closes another chapter with Constance and Larry’s story, and any man, who crosses Constance Langdon learns a hard and lasting life lesson. Remember Hugo? Constance refused to bury Hugo with his “lover” (young Moira, Alexandra Breckenridge), so Constance chopped Hugo into pieces, and Constance served the pieces of Hugo’s body to a pack of dogs as a meal, because Hugo was as worthless as “dogs***.” Also, the gruesome flashback with Constance feeding a dismembered Hugo to the dogs? Nasty stuff.

Smoldering Children is a progressive and satisfying episode, and they tie up a lot of loose ends with Travis, Constance, and Larry here. We’re only one episode away from the finale, they’re moving the pieces in a big puzzle to set up the finish, and we’re still in the pins and needles stage, because you don’t know what’s going to happen with Vivien, the twins, and Ben. Will they allow a delivery for the twins at the Murder House?  Will they have a choice? What happens if they run out of time for a safe delivery? And what’s going to happen, when Violet explains the complications attached to her death? 

Rating: 8/10

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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 8- Rubber Man

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: The clock is ticking with six months on the calendar for the big move, and The Harmons are still piecing everything together, while Marcy (Christine Estabrook) puts the finishing touches on the deal. Chad (Zachary Quinto) and his boyfriend, Patrick (Teddy Sears) are the current residents at Murder House. A depressed and frustrated Chad struggles to find a spark to fix the intimacy issues in the relationship. 

The solution? Chad visits a local BDSM shop to purchase a full body latex suit. Chad tries to seduce Patrick with some help from the suit, but Patrick rejects Chad’s advances. A disgusted Chad scolds Patrick for his cold and uncaring attitude, and Patrick crushes Chad’s hopes for bringing a baby into their lives.

Chad throws the latex suit in the trash, but a stranger picks it up. Who is the stranger? It’s Tate (Evan Peters). Tate wears the latex suit, and as the Rubber Man, Tate murders Chad and Patrick. To complicate the situation, Nora (Lily Rabe) is having a lot of trouble accepting her death, and she misses her baby boy. Tate steps in to help Nora with one promise: Tate will find a way to give Nora a newborn baby.

In the present, a shaken Vivien (Connie Britton) is losing control. Vivien’s sightings of a dead Nora are dismissed as paranoid delusions, but Moira (Frances Conroy) emerges as a believer and a support system for Vivien. Violet (Taissa Farmiga) is still bitter towards Ben (Dylan McDermott), and Violet blames Ben for her mother’s catastrophic nervous breakdown.

Vivien is haunted by a series of ghostly sightings, and Hayden (Kate Mara) is determined to destroy everything in Vivien’s life. With Tate’s help as the Rubber Man, Hayden devises a plan with a reluctant Nora: The Rubber Man will haunt and torment Vivien, pushing her to the edge. And when Vivien finally snaps, Ben will be forced to commit Vivien to the “loony bin.”

As a patient in an insane asylum, Vivien will be labeled as an unfit mother, and to complete Hayden’s plan, Hayden will take one of the twins to replace her dead child with Ben, and Nora will take the other child to replace Thaddeus. Luke (Morris Chestnut) is on a short list of allies to protect Vivien, and Vivien is running out of time and options, as Hayden executes her master plan. Does Vivien have enough to endure Hayden’s taunting? Or will Vivien crack under the pressure?

Review: Tate as the Rubber Man? It’s not a complete shock, because the foreshadowing is too obvious in the first half of the season. At first, AHS: Murder House wanted the audience to believe Tate was just using the latex suit to scare and play pranks on Violet. Now, there’s no more guessing, hints, or different candidates. Tate is the Rubber Man, no questions asked. Tate is the one, who impregnated Vivien on the pilot episode, and now we have an official nickname for the man in the latex suit.

Chad and Patrick‘s deaths? Yeah, the murder-suicide was a set up, with Tate leading the way. He murdered Chad and Patrick……but Moira (the older Moira) helped Tate plan the murder-suicide. Moira had the inside scoop for Chad and Patrick’s active social lives, so to kill any suspicions, Moira gave Tate a gun to complete the set up.

Why did Tate murder Chad and Patrick? Because Tate wanted to help Nora in her quest for another child. Chad and Patrick had plans for a baby, but Patrick’s infidelity ruined their relationship, and Patrick crushed any hopes for a child. With Chad and Patrick dead, Nora could wait on a new family to move in, and Tate could focus on their possible plans for another child. Creepy, creepy stuff.

Vivien is hanging on by a thread in this episode, and she finally snaps, when Hayden pushes her. Vivien reaches a breaking point with the house and Hayden’s games, and after the warning from Moira, Vivien makes the decision to leave the house with Violet in the middle of the night. But Violet and Vivien run into a surprise inside the car outside. Remember the three whack jobs (including one of Ben’s patients) from Home Invasion (Episode 2)? They reappear in the car as ghoulish figures to haunt Vivien and Violet. Frightened, Vivien and Violet retreat to the house for safety.

Ben returns to play the role of a protector, but Vivien is not interested in Ben rejoining the family as a helping hand. Vivien tells her story to the police, but they have trouble believing Vivien’s story, because the maniacs from Home Invasion are dead or missing. In reality, we know Tate (with some help from Constance’s cupcake) murdered the trio.

One day, Vivien fakes an illness to distract Marcy, and Vivien steals Marcy’s gun. At night, Hayden and Tate double-team Vivien in her room with another round of scare tactics. Hayden taunts Vivien (i.e. smashing Vivien‘s panic button for Luke), and Tate (as the Rubber Man) tries to force himself on Vivien. Out of panic and fear, Vivien grabs the gun, and she shoots the first person, who walks through the door of her bedroom. Unfortunately, the wounded victim is Ben.

Luke arrives on the scene, but he’s too late. Vivien pleads her case to the police, but they can’t find any signs of forced entry. The police, Ben, and Luke have a hard time buying into Vivien’s story, and Ben is out of options. To ensure Vivien and Violet’s safety, Ben commits Vivien to an insane asylum, but a stunned Vivien is relieved to leave the house. 

Wait a minute. Vivien is not the only one, who witnessed the ghoulish versions of the maniacs from Home Invasion. Violet is the second witness, so Violet should’ve told the truth to protect her mother, right? Well, Violet was about to tell Ben the truth, but Tate stopped her.

Why? Because Tate didn’t want to lose Violet. If Violet confessed to sightings of dead people, she would join her mother in the asylum, so Tate convinced Violet to tell a lie to Ben and the second group of police (Violet told the truth to the first group of cops. Yeah, I know. Weird) officers. But you can see the look of heartbreak on Violet’s face during a talk with Ben, because Violet feels the guilt.

There’s a lot to digest in this episode. It’s not a big shock, but we finally know the identity of the Rubber Man, and Violet is an x-factor in all of this. How is she going to react, when she finds out the love of her life impregnated her mother? Will Violet forgive Tate? Or will Violet launch a mission to stop Tate’s plans for Nora’s new baby?

And what about Vivien? Will she succumb to a life inside an asylum? Or will she fight back to reclaim her family, her home, and her life? If I’m using this episode as a measuring stick, you have to believe in the chances of Vivien throwing in the towel. It’s hard to ignore the defeated look on her face towards the end, and the odds are stacked against her, because Ben threatened legal action to stop Vivien’s plans of a move to Florida without Ben.

Hayden is hell-bent on destroying Vivien’s life, and she’s not walking away without a victory. And how do you fight someone, who’s dead? The dilemma with the twins raises a lot of questions, because Ben and Violet are unaware of Tate’s plans with Nora and Hayden. And Vivien can’t use the asylum as a safe house for the twins, because Ben stepping in and taking the twins back to the house is a foregone conclusion.

To add to that, you have the elephant in the room with Tate’s latex suit. Vivien found the mask laying around the house (another scare trick from Hayden), and Vivien tries to jog Ben’s memory with a reminder of the wild night….but Ben was downstairs, when Tate was wearing the suit.

Rubber Man ties up the loose ends for Chad and Patrick’s story (they never showed the full “murder-suicide” in Halloween Part I. They only showed the attack on Chad), they give you an inside look for the downfall of the relationship between the two, and they show a detailed flashback for the origins of Tate’s suit. You’ll see a good amount of spooky moments in Rubber Man (the flickering lights during an attack from Hayden, the sight of the three nutcases from Home Invasion in the backseat of the car, etc.), and it’s hard to ignore the earth shattering vibe in this episode. Ben forces his way back into the house, Vivien is gone, Tate is working with Hayden, and Hayden is holding a seemingly insurmountable lead in the feud with Vivien.

Murder House is on a roll towards the march to the finale, and Rubber Man ends with a plethora of intriguing and through provoking unanswered questions. Also, Violet missed two weeks of school, but they never provide a proper explanation for the absences. They just lead you in the direction of Violet being the rebellious spoiled brat, and that’s it.

Oh, and one more thing. I’m glad Vivien FINALLY made the decision to leave the house before something bad happens. There’s some time left before the end of the season, so Ben, Vivien, and Violet are not in the clear yet, but it’s refreshing to see a character with enough common sense to make a move before they hit the point of no return for a haunted house.

I’ve seen my fair share of horror movies, shows, and horror themed material over the years, and oblivious protagonists, who wait too long to leave a HAUNTED house really annoy me. Yes, we see ghosts, dead people are walking around,  someone in the family is possessed, and we’re pretty sure the evil forces in the house are the main reason for a series of strange incidents and injuries, but let’s wait it out until the end to be 100% sure. You know, when there’s no possible chance of an escape, and someone in the family dies, because they had to sacrifice themselves to save the group. Ugh.    

Rating: 8/10


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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 7- Open House

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: In 1994, Larry Harvey (Denis O’Hare) is obsessed with Constance (Jessica Lange). Larry lives in the Murder House with his wife, Lorraine (Rebecca Wisocky) and their two daughters, but Larry can’t control his urges to indulge in an affair with Constance.

One night, a grieving Constance asks Larry for a favor. After Tate’s death, the state has plans to take Constance’s disfigured and feral son, Beau (Sam Kinsey), and Constance will go to jail for charges of criminal child neglect. Beau lives alone in the attic, and he’s shackled in chains. The favor? Constance wants Larry to go to the attic and murder Beau before the police arrive. Larry is willing to do anything to please Constance, so Larry surprises Beau in the attic, and Larry murders Beau.

During dinner, Larry announces his plans to leave Lorraine and his daughters, because he can’t deny his feelings for Constance. Larry promises financial support for Lorraine and the kids, but Lorraine locks herself in the girls in a room upstairs, and Lorraine sets the room on fire. Larry breaks the door down, but Larry ran out of time, and a helpless Larry watches the horrifying demise of his family.

In the 1920’s, Nora (Lily Rabe) tries to adjust to Charles’ (Matt Ross) creation. Charles used the beating heart from one of the abortion patients to resurrect the Montgomery’s dismembered and deceased son. But Nora walks into an unpleasant surprise in the nursery. The new Thaddeus (Ben Woolf) is a savage monster, and Nora is ashamed of Charles’ creation. Nora is overwhelmed with guilt, shock, and grief, so Nora murders a defenseless Charles with a gunshot to the back of the head. After Charles’ death, Nora turns the gun on herself, and Nora commits suicide without hesitation. 

In the present, Marcy (Christine Estabrook) hosts an open house for the Murder House with Vivien’s (Connie Britton) help. A wealthy Armenian developer is interested in buying the Murder House with a ridiculous lowball offer, but Vivien is desperate to sell, so she considers the offer.

The younger version of Moira (Alexandra Breckenridge) seduces the developer, with hopes of building a swimming pool in the backyard, and Moira persuades the developer to tear down the gazebo, and release Moira’s (Frances Conroy) remains, so she can move on to the afterlife with her mother.

But there’s a big problem with the developer’s plans for a swimming pool: He’s lying. The developer plans to tear down the house for a bigger profit, and his actions force Moira and Constance to seriously consider a temporary partnership to stop the developer.


Larry shows up to the open house to ask questions as an interested buyer. But an irritate Ben (Dylan McDermott) surprises Larry at his home, because Larry ignored Ben’s “If you step foot on this property again, I’ll kill you” warning.

Vivien is still furious with Ben, but a shocking announcement  from the doctor changes Vivien’s thought process. Vivien is healthy and safe, but new test results reveal Vivien is pregnant with twins. Ben is happy, and Vivien wants to express her joy with two new children in the family, but one question bothers her: How is this possible?

Violet (Taissa Farmiga) experiences a series of strange occurrences after her suicide attempt. Violet can see dead victims, who share a dark past with Murder House, but Tate (Evan Peters) offers a solution for Violet’s problems: Violet needs to stand up to the dead Murder House residents and victims of the past, and if the fear is too much for Violet to handle, Violet needs to shout “Go away!” to send a clear message with no mix-ups. Tate is Violet’s shield of protection from the malevolent forces at Murder House, but what’s going to happen, when Tate disappears? 

Review: Larry Harvey is a liar. Larry wasn’t the one, who tried to burn down the Murder House years ago. Lorraine is the one, who started the fire, and she’s responsible for the deaths of Larry’s daughters.

On top of that, Constance is using Larry. Larry is obsessed with Constance, and he’s head over heels for her, but Constance doesn’t feel the same way. Constance sees a weak and pathetic man with no self-respect, because Constance knows she can use Larry to do her bidding (i.e. murdering Beau) with no questions asked.

Ben? Yeah, he’s not worried about Larry anymore, and you can see it with Ben’s demeanor during the surprise visit to Larry’s apartment. Throughout the first half of the season, Ben was always unnerved, frustrated, and angered by Larry’s presence.

Here? Ben is cool and calm, because he knows Larry is nothing more than a sniveling weasel, who’s obsessed with the house and Constance. To put an end to Larry’s constant harassment and surprise visits at the house, Ben files a restraining order against Larry, and Ben will report Larry to the police. And Ben leaves Larry’s home with two words to crush Larry’s hopes for a $1,000 loan and a chance at moving into the house again: “Game over.”

The end to Nora and Charles’ story? Gruesome. It’s the best word to describe it, and Nora couldn’t shake the guilt for ruining the lives of the young abortion victims. As far as Thaddeus goes, we never see Thaddeus, when Nora visits the new and improved version in the nursery. You’ll hear a lot of hissing, and you’ll see Lily Rabe’s petrified facial expressions, but that’s it.

The less is more thought process/approach works here, because Thaddeus as a monster is horrifying and hideous, and they can’t show the audience a full view, because it’s too much to handle. And there’s a nasty shot of Nora’s bloody chest after a failed breast feeding attempt, because Thaddeus wasn’t interested in milk. Also, the shot for the splatter of blood after Nora turned the gun on herself is genuinely sickening.

The Armenian developer lied to the younger Moira for sexual favors. He never had any plans to build a swimming pool. Nope. The Armenian developer is going to tear everything down for his future projects, so what’s going to happen to the dead residents and victims from the past, who reside and walk the earth at Murder House? Will they fade away into nothing? Or will they answer for their crimes with an eternity of punishment? Tate “hates” Constance, but Constance believes in a second chance to fix her relationship with Tate. Beau can’t comprehend the situation, and with a happy Addie resting in the afterlife, Constance is terrified at the thought of an eternity full of loneliness and despair.

The thought of the unknown after the destruction of the house  is enough to scare Moira, and together, Moira and Constance agree to bury the hatchet (temporarily) to work together. And a delusional Larry provides a helping hand, because he’s clinging to the hopes of buying the Murder House for a second chance with Constance.

The plan? The young Moira lures the Armenian developer into the basement with the promise of oral sex. But Moira ends the pleasurable experience with dismemberment. Larry pops out of nowhere, and Larry uses a plastic bag to suffocate the Armenian developer. But Constance orders Larry to remove the developer before he “expires,”(you can walk the earth as a dead person, if you die at the Murder House) because Constance doesn’t like the idea of a confrontation in the future.

Ben is stuck in no man’s land, but he reaches out to Tate for help with a disgruntled and suicidal Violet. Tate offers his advice to Ben, but there’s a bigger problem with Violet: She can’t control sightings for dead victims (including Beau) of the past. Tate offers a solution, and when Violet tells the ghostly figures of Murder House’s past to “Go away,” they disappear without a trace. Violet has a temporary solution for the “I see dead people” problem, but that’s not going to last for long. The evil forces of Murder House are persistent, and “Go away” won’t solve the problem in the long run.

Towards the end, Violet is going through some pictures from the attic. Vivien joins Violet in her room to look at the pictures, and Violet shocks her mother with a grainy black and white picture of Nora, Charles, and Thaddeus from the 1920’s. Remember, Nora took a tour of the house with Vivien as an anxious buyer in episode 3, and Violet wasn’t around, so she doesn’t recognize Nora’s face.

Vivien’s eyes are stuck on the picture with this stunned look, because she gave a tour to a dead woman, and the screen cuts to black with Vivien looking at the picture to end the episode. It’s another great cliffhanger. How is Vivien going to handle the Nora problem? Will she tell someone? Or will she keep the secret to herself out of fear? Because Vivien’s going to have a tough time convincing others to believe in a story about a dead woman from the twenties walking around the house.

Open House ties up some more loose ends for Charles and Nora’s story, and you’ll see how far Moira, Constance, and Larry are willing to go to protect the house. They’ll do ANYTHING to save Murder House, and the union between Moira and Constance is a nice surprise, because they’re bitter enemies stuck in a never-ending feud. The Armenian developer? It’s kind of hard to feel sympathy for his death, because he crosses the line for unlikable characters. Basically, he’s a suave and soulless businessman, who’s obsessed with money, and women are just disposable sex objects for him.

Also, you have to believe Ben is on the verge of forcing his way into the house again. Vivien is clearly having trouble carrying the load on her own, and Ben needs to put in some more work for the redemption zone, but Vivien is struggling  alone. On top of that, Vivien has to deal with the Nora problem, because Violet is not alone in the boat for witnessing dead people walking around the house.

You’ll see another excellent performance from Jessica Lange in Open House. Yes, Constance is a heartless and manipulative person, but I could feel a little bit of sympathy for her in this episode. You can see the devastating look of heartbreak on Lange’s face, when Tate dismisses Constance’s pleas for reconciliation. And Lange’s passionate and emotional talk with Moira about losing the Murder House? Amazing. You can feel Constance’s desperation and fear, because Lange’s performance is spot on.

Larry is reduced to a hollow shell of a man here. He’s not a creepy and intimidating menace anymore. Now, he can’t bully Ben, because Ben knows the truth about Larry, and Larry is Constance’s punching bag. And the twins? Wow. Another legit shocker, and remember, we still don’t know if Ben is the father, because the stranger in the latex suit seduced an unsuspecting (on the pilot episode) Vivien during Ben and Vivien‘s romantic day/night. Open House features another jaw-dropping cliffhanger, and the story is progressing at a nice pace. I thought about a lower score, but I’ll give this one an extra bump for Lange’s top notch performance.   

Rating: 9/10

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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 6- Piggy Piggy

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: In 1994, Tate Langdon (Evan Peters) walks into Westfield High School with a set of guns. Tate goes on a vicious shooting spree with no mercy, as the entire school desperately seeks shelter. In the library, Tate corners five students. Stephanie Boggs (Alessandra Torresani), Kevin Gedman (Jordan David), Amir Stanley (Alexander Nimetz), Kyle Greenwell (Brando Eaton), and Chloe Stapleton (Ashley Rickards) beg for their lives in the library, but Tate murders everyone after a series of pleas for mercy, failed attempts at reasoning with Tate, and one act of defiance from Kyle.

Tate returns to the Harmon’s future home with his mother, Constance (Jessica Lange), but a SWAT team invades the house. The SWAT team forces Tate into a surrender at gunpoint, but Tate reaches for a gun under his pillow at the last second. Tate tries to pull the trigger, but the SWAT team murders Tate, leaving a distraught Constance to grieve over her dead son in the hallway.

In the modern world, Constance introduces Violet (Taissa Farmiga) to a medium named Billie Dean Howard (Sarah Paulson). Constance and Billie have a plan, but they need Violet’s help. Tate is dead, but Tate is oblivious and he refuses to accept his place in the afterlife, and Ben (Dylan McDermott) couldn’t help Tate. Constance paid for the sessions with Ben to help Tate cope with his death, but Tate’s obsession with Violet complicated the patient/doctor relationship, so Violet is Constance’s last resort. The plan? Violet needs to convince Tate to cross over into the afterlife, and accept his death with no questions asked.

Meanwhile, Ben is living alone, and he’s trying to help a new patient named Derek (Eric Stonestreet). Derek can’t shake his fears for urban legends, and the “Piggy Man” urban legend is ruining Derek’s life. The Piggy Man was a butcher from Chicago in 1893. He wore a mask made of flesh from a pig’s face, but the Piggy Man suffered a gruesome death one day after an accident in his peg pen. According to the legend, whoever speaks the Piggy Man’s name repeatedly, while standing in front of a mirror will unleash the Piggy Man’s wrath. In the end, the Piggy Man will return to the living world, and murder the victim, who speaks his name.

Vivien (Connie Britton) opens up to Luke (Morris Chestnut) about the split  from Ben, and Luke shares a story about his problems with infidelity and his ex-wife to help Vivien. Money is a big problem in the Harmon household, so Vivien tries to fire Moira (Frances Conroy), but Moira refuses Vivien’s demand.

Instead, Moira will work for free, because she won’t leave a pregnant mother alone without a man in the house to take care of her. Together, Constance and Moira continuously feed Vivien a series of strange meals for a raw meats only diet to help the baby with Moira as the cook. Vivien is trying to move on after life with Ben, but she wants some answers from the ultrasound technician, who fainted on Halloween night during Vivien’s emergency trip to the hospital………

Review: Murder House opens the door to reveal more details about Tate’s past here. Now we know Tate is the one, who murdered the group of five from Halloween night, and Constance reaches out to Violet for help, but there’s one big problem: Violet is afraid of Tate.

Violet uses her computer to research the details behind the shooting, and Violet questions a teacher, who was paralyzed by Tate in the shooting. Violet is clearly shaken up and disturbed after the personal investigation. At first, Violet gravitated towards Tate, because she was attracted to the loner and the misunderstood outcast. Now? Violet sees a cold-blooded murder.

Although, Violet’s faith in Tate is restored after a failed suicide attempt. Violet is having trouble sleeping, so Leah (Shelby Young, the bully from the pilot)  offers Violet some pills for the problem. But a distraught Violet pops one too many pills. Luckily, Tate was in the house (Violet was alone), and Tate rescues an unconscious Violet.

Vivien hits a few bumps in the road during the early stages of her life without Ben. She’s lonely, but Luke is a reliable support system for security, and he’s around, if Vivien needs someone to talk to. Constance and Moira? There’s something fishy about the mission to “help” Vivien. All the raw meat meals, Moira choosing to work for free, and Constance’s perky attitude? Yeah, something’s not right, and you have to believe Constance and others are working to together to complete some kind of diabolical plan for Vivien’s baby.

Remember the ultrasound technician? She quit her job at the hospital, because the image from Vivien’s visit is still haunting her, but she agrees to meet Vivien at a church (it’s the only place, where she feels safe from Vivien). So why is she afraid of Vivien and her baby? The ultrasound technician spotted something evil in Vivien’s womb. The ultrasound technician recalls sightings of hooves from a small demonic figure. Vivien dismisses the technician’s sightings, and the technician scolds Vivien with foreboding warnings after the talk.

Wait. A woman, who’s possibly carrying a demonic baby? The pregnant mother developing a taste for raw meat? And a kooky (Constance) neighbor, who’s trying to lend a helping hand with a secret agenda for the evil baby? The similarities to Rosemary’s Baby in this one episode are almost impossible to ignore, and the doctor is an ideal candidate to add to the list of suspects. Sorry, but she’s too cheery, and she’s dismissing all of Vivien’s concerns as harmless hiccups? But I’ll say this, the only big difference (for now) is the husband (Ben) is not apart of the scheme to help his career.

The Piggy Piggy stuff? It’s a sinister twist for the Bloody Mary folklore legend, but don’t get your hopes up for something special. A robber murders Derek after a “face your fears” mirror test from Ben, and if I’m using this episode as a measuring stick, it’s safe to say the Piggy Piggy storyline is a one and done deal.

Piggy Piggy is another solid episode for American Horror Story’s first season, and it’s nice to see a debut appearance  from Sarah Paulson here. From what I remember, Paulson’s role is limited in the first season, but she’s a mainstay for American Horror Story, and Paulson’s characters receive prominent roles in season 2 (Asylum) and season 3 (Coven).

The flashback for Tate’s backstory is genuinely dark and disturbing, and Violet and Tate’s relationship is put to the test after Violet learns the truth about Tate’s past. Ben? He’s on the outside looking in for the first time in years. There’s a scene with Ben, and he’s walking by the house. From the outside, an exiled Ben watches Vivien and Luke share a friendly chat, and you can clearly see a happy Vivien. And Vivien’s not in the mood for forgiveness, because she’s “disgusted” with Ben and his relationship with Hayden.  

What’s going on with Vivien and her baby? I find it hard to believe Moira and Constance are trying to help Vivien with the hopes of a positive outcome. They’re taking advantage of a vulnerable and lonely woman, who’s desperate for companionship, and hopefully we’ll learn more about the stranger in the latex suit, because there’s a GOOD chance he’s the father of Vivien’s baby (remember the pilot episode).

Rating: 7/10

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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 5- Halloween Part 2

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: Following the events of Halloween Part 1, Violet (Taissa Farmiga) is safe and sound with Tate (Evan Peters) during an unusual date night. But the date takes a bizarre turn, when a group of disfigured and bloody high school kids ruin Violet and Tate’s peaceful moment on the beach.

At the house, Ben  (Dylan McDermott) attacks Larry (Dennis O’Hare) after another heated argument, because Ben is sick and tired of Larry’s demands for a $1,000 loan. Ben’s ultimatum? If Ben catches Larry in one more trespassing incident, Ben will kill Larry without hesitation.

Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to protect Violet, Tate lures the bloody high school kids away from Tate and Violet’s hiding spot with a chase to the beach. Violet tries to call 911 for help, but Constance shows up to force Violet into a talk about Addie’s (Jaime Brewer) death. At first, an enraged Constance (Jessica Lange) blames Violet for Addie’s demise, but Constance lightens her tone, because she needs a shoulder to lean on.

A panicky Vivien (Connie Britton) suspects something fishy after an eerie phone call from Hayden (Kate Mara), and a frustrated Chad (Zachary Quinto) smashes pumpkins on the porch after Patrick’s (Teddy Sears) disappearance. Vivien hits the panic button for Luke (Morris Chestnut) after a series of warning signs for Hayden’s intrusion, but Hayden corners Vivien with a shard of glass, and Ben is unconscious after a sneak attack from Larry in the basement.  Suddenly, Nora (Lily Rabe) surprises Ben with a few words of encouragement. Nora’s pep talk gives Ben some motivation, but Hayden is determined to murder Vivien and Ben’s unborn child for revenge……….

Review: Tate’s speech about high school? It’s disturbing and dark, and Evan Peters did a wonderful job of selling Tate’s disdain for high school life. Tate and Violet are sitting on the beach together, and Tate expresses his disgust and hatred for having to fit in, to be normal, and gain acceptance. Tate rejects the idea of needing a memorable run in high school to enjoy life, and Tate dismisses high school life as a blip on the radar. There’s a glassy and far-off  look in Peters’ eyes during the speech, and you can really feel Tate’s sadness about high school during this scene.

Who are the disfigured high school kids? Well, a few things are clear. For starters, they’re dead, but that’s okay, because the dead can walk the earth on Halloween. On top of that, the kids have a score to settle with Tate, and they’re not leaving until Tate gives an explanation or an apology.

Tate tries to fight a series of flashbacks with some clues to the incident, and Tate escapes prosecution during sunrise. Chloe (the only cheerleader in the group) pushes Tate for an explanation, but the high school kids run out of time, because they only have “special visit privileges” to the living world for one day (Halloween), and their time is up.

Constance calms down after a talk, but Constance drops a bombshell on Violet during their harmless chat: Tate is her son, and Addie is Tate’s sister. Tate is an unstable kid, and Constance knows the news of Addie’s death would crush Tate, so Constance urges Violet to keep Addie’s death a secret, and Violet agrees.

At the house, Ben confronts Hayden, but Larry smacks Ben in the back of the head with a shovel. Ben is out cold, and Larry tries to burn the house down, but Chad shows up at the last second. Upstairs, Hayden confronts Vivien, and a shocked Hayden snaps, when Vivien announces her pregnancy. Remember, Ben never told Hayden about the baby with Vivien.

To make matters worse, Hayden reveals her pregnancy with Ben to Vivien, and the plans for an abortion. Vivien tries to talk some sense into Hayden, but she won’t listen. Instead, Hayden smashes a frame with a picture featuring Violet, Ben, and Vivien. She picks a BIG piece of glass from the frame, and Hayden tries to cut the baby out of Vivien.

After some help and a pep talk from Nora, Ben shows up. Hayden will spare the baby and Vivien’s life….under one condition: Ben has to tell Vivien the truth. With no other choices in front of him, Ben reveals all of his dirty secrets about his secret relationship with Hayden, including a recent trip to Boston to reunite with Hayden.

A stunned Vivien and Hayden are heartbroken for different reasons, Hayden drops the piece of glass, and Luke arrives on the scene to apprehend Hayden for a trip to jail. Without any resistance or arguments, Ben packs all of his belongings to leave the house with one good-bye kiss on Vivien’s forehead. 

This is going to sound really strange to some people, but Vivien is kind of a hypocrite in this episode. Why? Well during a phone call with Hayden, Vivien reveals details for her affair with a married man from the past. Of course, the affair happened before Vivien met Ben, and I’m assuming Ben doesn’t know about Vivien’s affair.

Eh, wait a minute. Why is Vivien so judgmental towards Ben for his affair with Hayden, when she did the same thing at a younger age? I’m not saying Ben deserves a clear 100% pass. Not at all. He’s a habitual liar, who ruined the lives of two women, and he deserves his punishment. BUT Vivien is standing on this holier than thou pedestal, and she’s scolding Ben left and right? Sorry, but that doesn’t work for me.

Yeah, I know. Vivien is the victim, and a psycho stalker is determined to ruin her life, but Vivien should be more understanding. Am I saying Ben deserves Vivien’s forgiveness with no strings attached? No. But She's not in a position of authority to lecture others about morals, because Vivien's past is tainted. 

Anyway, the build and all the “Where is she hiding?“ teasing for the confrontation between Hayden and Vivien is just perfect. Hayden’s mind games include, cryptic writing (“ask him”) on a steamy bathroom mirror, a fire in the bathroom, and a nasty Halloween prank. The prank? Vivien walks into the kitchen, and there’s an explosion of blood in the microwave. Vivien is distraught, because she believes Hayden microwaved the family dog, but Hayden used some tomatoes to trick Vivien.

The moment with Hayden holding Vivien hostage, and Ben trying to play the role of a peacemaker is a real nail-biter, because you have no idea what’s going to happen next. Will Hayden listen to Ben? Will Hayden cut Vivien? What’s going to stop Vivien from launching a sneak attack out of the blue? 

And there’s a symbolic shot with Ben looking at the broken family picture towards the end.  If you’re wondering, it’s the same frame Hayden smashed during the confrontation with Vivien. The smashed picture is symbolic, because Ben’s family is broken, and Hayden is the catalyst. Ben deserves a lot of blame, but Hayden is one of the main reasons for the Harmon’s demise as a family.

Also, there’s a little cliffhanger for Hayden’s fate after the fiasco at the house. Luke is driving Hayden to the local police station. At the police station, Luke steps out to open the backdoor……but Hayden is gone with no signs of an escape. Luke is baffled, because Hayden seemingly vanished into thin air. Oh, and Luke doesn’t know Hayden is a walking corpse.

Towards the end, there’s a shot of all the Murder House’s victims (Chad, Patrick, Nora, Moira, Nurse Gladys, Nurse Maria, etc.) walking together. It’s a bizarre and creepy sight, because you can see walking casualties for the Murder House’s wrath. Patrick tries to apologize to Chad, but when you look at the hopeless looks on the faces of the victims, Patrick’s apology is insignificant, because the Murder House victims are doomed to suffer an eternity of hopelessness and misery.

I’ll tell you this right now, if you’re expecting a bloody brawl between Hayden and Vivien in Halloween Part 2, you’ll be disappointed. The long-awaited confrontation between Vivien and Hayden delivers, because you hear both sides of the story from different POVs for the women in Ben’s life, and the timing was perfect. Ben ran out of lies and excuses, and you can’t tip-toe around the Hayden problem for another three or four episodes, because you‘ll run into a dog chasing its tail problem. To add to that, the Hayden confrontation adds the essential big event to this episode to maintain the momentum after Halloween Part 1.

What’s going to happen, when Tate finds out about Addie’s death? Will he turn on Violet? Remember, Violet encouraged all the pretty girl stuff. Also, Tate and the group of high school kids obviously share a dark past together, and you have to believe Tate is trying to block the memories out of guilt. And Nora helping Ben was a nice surprise, because she’s an unlikely choice to fill the role of a helping hand.

Larry Harvey? He’s running out of options for his $1,000 loan, because Ben finally stood up to him. No requests, no talks, no compromises, no delays. Ben issued a simple and blunt warning to Larry, but Ben is not out of the woods yet. Larry is still alive, and it’s clear Larry is more than willing to complete the mission to destroy Ben’s life with help from Hayden.

Rating: 8/10

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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 4- Halloween Part 1

**This review contains spoilers**


Synopsis: In 2010, Chad Warwick (Zachary Quinto) and his boyfriend, Patrick (Teddy Sears) are stuck in a miserable dead in life at the Murder House. Chad is preparing an extravagant Halloween showcase for the house, with the hopes of a front page magazine cover for a prestigious home decor magazine. Chad and Patrick are broke, but Chad keeps his fingers crossed for some positive publicity for the Halloween showcase to help sell house, giving Chad and Patrick a chance to move on with their lives.

After a heated argument about Patrick’s infidelity with his personal trainer, Patrick leaves the house, but the stranger in the latex suit surprises an unsuspecting Chad. Chad thinks Patrick is wearing the suit as a sign of good faith to move on after the argument, so Chad approaches the stranger. The stranger in the latex suit attacks Chad, the stranger dunks Chad’s head in a tub of water and apples, and the stranger breaks Chad’s neck. A stunned Patrick suddenly returns to apologize, but Patrick is stuck in a stunned silence after witnessing the sight of Chad’s corpse and the stranger in the latex suit…..

Ben (Dylan McDermott) and Vivien (Connie Britton) point the finger at Marcy (Christine Estabrook) for the lack of progress during a failed campaign to sell the house, so Marcy suggests a solution to fix the problem. With Ben and Vivien’s permission, Marcy hires two “fluffers” to redecorate and add a much needed sense of style to the house for a showcase on Halloween night. Marcy’s choices for a bargain deal for cheap fluffers? Chad and Patrick.

A panicky Vivien purchases an alarm system with Luke (Morris Chestnut) as an on-call security guard. Violet (Taissa Farmiga) reconnects with Tate (Evan Peters), and Tate reveals more details for the chilling backstory surrounding Nora Montgomery, Charles Montgomery, and the house. After a series of vehement refusals, Ben agrees to treat Tate again with a new set of rules: The treatments must take place outside of the house, and Tate is not allowed in the house under any circumstances.

On Halloween, Moira (Frances Conroy) visits her sick mother, and Constance (Jessica Lagne) buys a mask with a beautiful woman’s face for Addie (Jamie Brewer). Addie is tired of her annual Snoopy costume for trick-or-treating, and she wants a change as a “pretty girl” after a makeover from Violet.

Vivien reaches another tense boiling point with Ben on Halloween night, but a series of debilitating stomach pains forces Ben and Vivien into an emergency hospital trip. Violet is at home alone with strict “Do not open the door” orders from Ben, but a frustrated Larry Harvey (Dennis O’Hare) shows up. Larry bangs on the front door with demands for the $1,000 payment from Ben, and Violet runs into another problem, when the stranger in the latex suit returns………

Review: A vindictive Chad is still bitter about Patrick’s infidelity, so he decides to sabotage’s Ben and Vivien’s marriage. Chad suggests tearing down the gazebo (remember, Hayden’s corpse is buried under the gazebo) to expose Larry and Ben’s secret, and Chad takes his prying to another level with a crippling suggesting for Vivien. Using Chad’s suggestion, Vivien checks Ben’s phone bill to see a series of phone calls with Hayden’s number. During another tense argument, Ben lies about his trip to Boston (i.e. he never visited Hayden). 

Ben is stuck in another tough spot with Vivien. He’s running out of lies and time, and you can feel Vivien’s frustration here. To make matters worse, Vivien leaves a voicemail on Hayden’s phone, because she wants the truth about Ben’s trip to Boston……and Hayden returns the call. The look of devastating shock on McDermott’s face is priceless, because Hayden is supposed to be dead.

Charles and Nora? Tate tells another creepy tale (in an attempt to scare Violet) for the Montgomery’s creepy past. A vengeful boyfriend for one of Nora’s abortion clients kidnapped the Montgomery’s baby boy after a cryptic phone call. After the kidnapping, the police returned the dismembered corpse of Charles and Nora’s child in a box. Nora is focused on the funeral, but Charles uses his unconventional methods as a surgeon to “cheat death,” and Nora is horrified at the sight of Charles’ abomination.

During the hospital visit for her mother, a conflicted Moira removes the breathing tube on her mother’s life support machine, and Addie suffers a horrible death during her trick-or-treating spree. A hit and run driver kills Addie, and a grieving Constance tries to bury Addie in the Harmon’s backyard for a resurrection, but Addie loses the fight for her life. You can love or hate her character, but you have to feel sympathy for Constance after Addie’s death, and Jessica Lange did a great job of selling Constance’s overwhelming heartbreak for Addie.

Remember Hayden? Yeah, she’s not gone. For the finale, Vivien and Ben return to the house. The alarm is going off, and Violet is gone. There’s a knock on the door, but it’s not Larry Harvey. Instead, Hayden is standing outside, and a rattled Ben slams the door in Hayden’s face before Vivien notices anything.

A great shocker to close the show, and the timing is PERFECT. In the scene before Larry’s return, Violet is in the house alone, and Larry is banging on the door. Unbeknownst to Violet, the stranger in the latex suit is standing behind her.

There’s a pulse pounding shot with a petrified Violet standing in one place, with the stranger in the latex suit a few steps behind her, and you can hear the fiasco with Larry frantically knocking and ringing the door bell at the same time. The synchronization during this scene is brilliant, because Violet’s fate is up in the air, and you have no idea what’s going to happen first. And to add the icing on the cake, they pull the plug at the right moment with a sudden cut to the next scene.

As far as new editions to the cast go, Morris Chestnut’s screen time is limited here, so I can’t say too much about him, but you get a feeling he’ll play the role of a reliable support system for Vivien.

Halloween Part I is flawless, and so far, it’s the best episode for American Horror Story’s first season. My memory is kind of hazy, and I’m reliving the first season now, but I watched every episode in Asylum (season 2), and I vividly remember Coven (season 3, the most recent season). So when you compare this episode to other AHS episodes, Halloween Part I is a top contender  for the best AHS episode in all three seasons. On top of that, the short run time for this episode helps a lot, because you're dying to see what's going to happen next, when the credits start rolling.

The finale is loaded with suspenseful “edge of your seat” moments and nerve-wracking tension, the big return at the end is genuinely shocking, and Halloween Part I features one of the best cliffhangers you’ll ever see.  What happened to Violet? Will Constance seek revenge against Violet (remember, Violet is the one, who encouraged the “pretty girl” stuff)? Is Tate hiding something? Who is the stranger in the latex suit?

Halloween Part I features tantalizing unanswered questions, and there’s something fishy about Marcy. Out of all the people to hire, why would she choose a deceased Chad and Patrick? Marcy alluded to her close relationship with Chad and Patrick in Episode 3 (or “Murder House“), so there’s a chance Marcy is working with the evil forces (Constance?) at the Murder House to sabotage Ben and Vivien.

Rating: 10/10

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American Horror Story- Murder House- Episode 3- Murder House

**This review contains spoilers**

Synopsis: In 1983, Moira (Alexandra Breckenridge) is trying to clean a room in The Harmon’s future home, but Constance’s husband, Hugo interrupts her. Hugo is looking for more after an unexpected one night stand with Moira, but Moira quickly rebuffs his advances. Hugo won’t take no for an answer, and Hugo tries to rape Moira, but Constance surprises Hugo and Moira with a gun. Constance shoots and kills Moira. Hugo begs for a second chance, but a heartbroken Constance murders Hugo after a brief pause. Constance bursts into tears, and with no one else to turn to, Constance takes a seat next to Hugo’s corpse for comfort.

After the home invasion, Vivien (Connie Britton) pushes Ben (Dylan McDermott) to sell the house, because Vivien doesn’t want to raise a child in their new home. Ben dismisses Vivien’s concerns with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, but Vivien is determined to move.

But there’s one problem with Vivien’s plans: The Harmon’s are broke. Ben lied about a series of bad investments, and without the house, The Harmon’s don‘t have enough money for a move. Ben agrees to Vivien’s one last chance terms, and Vivien forces Marcy (Christine Estabrook) to help The Harmon’s sell their home with the threat of a lawsuit (Marcy lied about the number of murders in the house).

Meanwhile, Larry Harvey (Denis O’Hare) pesters Ben for a $1,000 loan, and a returning Hayden (Kate Mara) surprises Ben with a visit at the house. Hayden is still bitter about Ben abandoning her at the clinic, and Hayden drops a bombshell on Ben: She never had the abortion. Hayden is keeping the baby, because she wants Ben as a father, and Hayden is planning a new life with Ben as a family man. To add to his growing list of problems, Ben accuses Moira of theft for his missing tape recorder, and Ben tries to fire Moira (Frances Conroy), but Vivien demands answers for the hostile confrontation.

Violet (Taissa Farmiga) leans on Tate (Evan Peters) for comfort, and Violet threatens Vivien with the promise of running away, if Vivien and Ben sell the house. A distressed Vivien (using an inconspicuous disguise) takes a tour to learn about the history behind her infamous new home. The “Murder House” was built in 1922 by Dr. Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross). Charles lived in the house with his socialite wife, Nora (Lily Rabe), and their infant child. The tour guide retells the gruesome story for Charles and Nora’s past, but Vivien abandons the tour, when she suspects signs of a miscarriage…..

Review: The Murder House? That’s a creepy nickname for The Harmon’s new home, and the backstory for Charles and Nora Montgomery is very eerie and disturbing. An anxious Vivien listens to the tour guide’s shocking story, and the details hit Vivien in the face like a series of hard slaps.

Charles was a famed surgeon, who built The Murder House in 1922 for his wife Nora, a needy and whiny socialite. As a couple, Charles and Nora had one child, but Charles hit a downward spiral  with an addiction to drugs. As an addict with a disturbing “Frankenstein complex,” Charles experimented with animals in his basement. Need an example? Charles tries to sew wings on a small pig. Yeah, after one look at Charles’ creation (using that word loosely), you’ll think twice about making any “When pigs fly” jokes again.

But mangled pigs are low on the totem pole for the Montgomery’s list of problems. A snobbish Nora is complaining about a shortage of maids around the house, and Charles doesn’t have enough money to take care of the stack of unpaid bills. The solution? Charles performs illegal abortions for Nora’s handpicked clients in the basement, but in 1926 Nora and Charles’ relationship hit a shocking climax.

Charles and Nora’s backstory is genuinely creepy (i.e. the shot of Charles’ failed experiments in the basement), and Nora (in the modern world) surprises Vivien with a visit one day. Keep in my mind, Vivien’s doesn’t recognize Nora’s face, so Vivien assumes Nora is another potential buyer for the house. Vivien shows off the house for Nora on a mini tour, and Nora is not happy about the modernized upgrades in her precious home.

But an emotional Nora recalls memories from her past as a mother, after Vivien announces her pregnancy. Vivien microwaves two cups of water for tea, but when she turns around, Nora disappears. Towards the end, Vivien is sleeping, and Nora quietly sneaks in her room. Nora tries to touch a sleeping Vivien’s stomach, but Vivien turns at the last second.

“If you lie to me again, we’re threw.”

That’s Vivien’s stern warning to Ben after Ben tells the truth about the Harmon’s dire financial situation. But Vivien’s not the only one, who’s sick and tired of shenanigans in the new house, because Ben FINALLY reaches a boiling point with Moira after the mysterious case of the missing tape recorder.

Ben fires Moira on the spot, because he’s tired of Moira’s tempting sexual advances, but Vivien wants both sides of the story before a final decision on Moira’s future as The Harmon’s maid. Ben pleads his case to Vivien: Moira is trying seduce him for another affair, but Ben is trying to fight off and ignore Moira. But Vivien isn’t 100% sold on Ben’s side of the story. After a visit from a detective (more on that later), it’s revealed men and women see different versions of Moira. Men see an attractive and irresistible young woman (Alexandra Breckenridge) with a skimpy and revealing wardrobe. Women? They see a withered old woman (Frances Conroy) with a frumpy maid’s outfit.


Anyway, Vivien bites her bottom lip to agree with Ben, but Moira throws a fit, when Vivien tries to fire her. Moira promises a lawsuit for Ben’s attack (Ben grabbed Moira’s shoulders), if Ben and Vivien fire her. Vivien wants to leave the house without a lawsuit, so she agrees to Moira’s terms (extended lunches with no questions asked, extended breaks, etc.).

Unfortunately, Moira’s blackmailing scandal takes a backseat to a bigger problem: Hayden’s return. Ben abandoned Hayden at the clinic to support Vivien and Violet after the break-in. Well, Hayden’s not too happy about Ben’s willing choice to comfort his family, so Hayden returns to force Ben into a corner with no escape route. Ben tries to dodge Hayden, but Ben forgets to show up to a crucial meeting with Hayden at a local Norms. A furious Hayden tries to expose Ben for his lies, but a nervous Ben agrees to an immediate meeting with Hayden. Hayden calms down, and together, Ben and Hayden leave the house for a talk.

But a surprise visit from Larry Harvey complicates Ben’s plans for a peaceful talk. Ben and Hayden take a few steps outside, and BAM! Larry Harvey smacks Hayden in the face with a shovel . Ben tries to stop him, but Harvey uses the shovel to kill Hayden. Harvey killed Hayden as a favor to Ben, because Harvey believes death is the only solution to stop Hayden’s plans for destroying Ben’s marriage and his family. Oh, and Harvey still needs the $1,000 loan.

With no realistic escape options, Ben works with Harvey to cover up Hayden’s death. Harvey digs the hole to bury Hayden’s body next to Moira’s remains in the backyard, and Ben uses a suggestion from Constance to complete the full proof plan: Ben builds a gazebo over the grave for Hayden and Moira.

Wow. Jaw-dropping stuff. Constance kills two birds with one stone. The gazebo helps Ben with his problem, and Constance earns another point in the never ending feud with Moira (with her remains buried under the gazebo, Moira is stuck at the house). Hayden’s death? A complete shocker, and the set up was perfect. A calm Hayden and Ben are walking out of the house together, and Larry clocks Hayden with the shovel before she has a chance to react.

For now, you get the impression Ben is in the clear. Hayden is gone, the situation with Moira is on ice, and during the closing moments of this episode, Ben and an oblivious Vivien share two tall glasses of iced tea. But it’s American Horror Story, and we’re only three episodes into this season, so ANYTHING can happen to change Ben’s seemingly quiet lifestyle.

Oh, and a detective investigating (Ben uses doctor/patient confidentiality as a shield)  an attempted suicide for one of Ben’s patients (Sally Freeman) returns his missing tape recorder. But there’s a disturbing plea from Freeman during a session. She threatened suicide, but Ben was stuck in one of his blackout phases, so he doesn’t remember the incident. Also, Ben collapsed in the doctor’s office with Vivien, and Ben (unknowingly) experienced another blackout in the backyard. Of course, Ben points the finger at a bitter and vindictive Moira for poisoning his coffee (tests reveal a foreign substance in Ben’s blood work). Moira’s response to the accusation? “Prove it.”

Murder House is another satisfying episode for American Horror Story’s first season. For now, Ben is safe, but he’s skating on thin ice with Larry. And you have to wonder what’s going to happen with Vivien after the strange false alarm? Long story short, the doctor dismissed Vivien’s spot of blood in her pants, as a harmless and normal discharge. BUT the bleeding stopped, when Vivien entered the house?

They introduced some new characters in this episode, and you have to believe in Nora having a major impact on The Harmon’s life. She’s another dead face with connections to the house’s past, and if I’m using the ending as a sign for things to come, Nora is targeting Vivien and her baby.

Rating: 7/10

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