Not gonna lie, I am STILL confused about what exactly happened in last week's premiere of American Horror Story. Something about stripping wallpaper and aging debutantes and a gimp ghost? Sure, tons of stuff happened, but what did it all add up to, exactly? Was there, buried deep within that pile of homages, an original, unified story to be told? Well, as it turns out, maybe? Last night's follow-up, "Home Invasion," managed to improve on three of the pilot's shortcomings in major ways. First of all, the story made sense! Second, it ratcheted up the slow-burn suspense, and the result was WAY scarier. Also, it managed to tie together some of the insanely disparate threads. That said, everything was still absolutely crazy though, don't worry about that.
Once again we began with a flashback: It turns out the Harmons' home was once a female boarding house, and in 1968 a couple of co-eds were brutally murdered while their roommates were out seeing The Doors (honestly, I would've rather been murdered). The scene was trippy and suspenseful, involving slow-motion shots of girls walking down the stairs to "Age of Aquarius," a "wounded" motorist, and some truly unpleasant acts of violence. But how about that unbearable moment of dread when the killer disappeared from the frame and his intended victim could do nothing but wait for what was coming? So terrifying! If anything, that moment was far scarier than the (unsurprising) bloodletting that followed.
Fast forward to present day, where it was business as usual/insane at the Harmon residence. There weren't any gimp ghosts or dead ginger twins this week, but everyone else had fallen back into their typical patterns. Ben was still having sessions with Tate (the world's worst teenager), who insisted on discussing what it would be like to deflower Violet. Good times! Meanwhile at a nearby empty swimming-pool-turned-skate-park, Violet was hanging out with the bully she and Tate had terrorized last week? Not sure how that works, but the former bully DID look pretty fetching in her huge floppy hat, face bandages, and white-streaked hair. Also, the world's campiest next door neighbor/murderess Constance was busily baking poisoned chocolate cupcakes. Typical crazy neighbor stuff.
Right after Vivien admitted to Ben that something wasn't right with her pregnancy (how long had they BEEN there, anyway? Four days?) he was called away by his former mistress (Kate Mara) with two words any guilty husband loves to hear: "I'm pregnant." That left Vivien and Violet alone in the house to deal with a horrifying intrusion by a trio of cult murder enthusiasts looking to re-create the 1968 incident we saw in the flashback.
THAT'S when things took a turn for the extremely awesome: The various ghosts of the house JOINED FORCES to protect Vivien and Violet from the would-be murderers! I did NOT see that coming. Tate (who'd been sneaking around the house, obviously), lured two of the murderers to the basement, where they were dispatched by the ghosts from the original incident. And then he personally murdered the third intruder with an AXE TO THE STOMACH. Dang, guy!
Anyway, then THIS happened:
Tate, Constance, and Moira all stood in the basement and conspired to clean up the bodies so as to keep the Harmons unaware of what happened. So they're all definitely in league, but to what end? Only the gimp ghost knows for sure.
Then in the final scene, Vivien announced that it was time to sell the house. Good thinking! Honestly though, credit where credit's due: I thought it would take a frustratingly long time for the Harmons to realize they need to leave this joint. This was only the second episode! Personally I would have been sleeping in my car by night two, but that's a personal preference (anti-dying). I mean, I doubt they'll have an easy time selling the place and/or moving out of it, but they are certainly easier to sympathize with now that we know they're not morons!
One thing this episode slightly cleared up was the ghost-or-not status of many of the weirder characters. We know that Moira (Frances Conroy) was at one point murdered by Constance (Jessica Lange), but it's not clear whether that means she's a zombie or maybe she just had super-awesome health insurance back in the day and got better? Also, what about Constance herself? Or Tate, for that matter? The fact that we got to see the inside of Constance's house (where she seduced a young hunk!) suggests that she's probably among the living. As for Tate, he's definitely had some tangible "interactions" with people and seems to have a mother somewhere (whom Ben called when he tried to cancel their sessions). But perhaps I'm giving these things too much credence, seeing as this show's sense of reality is firmly rooted in dream logic.
As much as this episode made a whole lot more sense than last week's, it wasn't without its WTF moments! Here are seven right off the top of my head:
1. Bianca's elevator dream.
2. Constance's young male lover.
3. Adelaide's mirror prison.
4. Burn victim dude giving Ben advice on being a good husband?
5. Constance could SMELL Vivien's pregnancy?
6. Bathtub ghosts.
7. Tate watching Violet sleep!
Aaaaaahhh!!!
Also, because this is American Horror Story, there were a lot more horror references. Here are the ones I caught:
• Three masked intruders like in The Strangers.
• Axe to the stomach like in The Shining.
• Streaked-white hair like in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
• Madman at the door like in When A Stranger Calls.
• Unhealthy pregnancy suspicions like in Rosemary's Baby.
• Poisoned pastry like in Flowers in the Attic.
• A cake left in the hallway like in Alice in Wonderland.
• Exposition-heavy detectives in the final scene, like in Psycho.
• The names Bianca and Tate as in the Manson family's victims.
What else did I miss?
All in all, this episode did a lot to convince me that American Horror Story may just have legs as a weekly serial. I'm suddenly curious as to how the mythology will come together, plus I really hope we'll get to experience more tangential horror events interfering with the house's intentions, like this episode's trio of intruders. Scary stuff! However, let's be honest, we're definitely still in the honeymoon period when it comes to the entertainment value of this show. Some of the violence, particularly in the opening scene, was almost too unpleasant to watch. Also, in horror MOVIES we can accept someone being terrorized for 90 minutes. But for 12 hours? It truly remains to be seen whether we'll be able to maintain sympathy for these people for very much longer.
QUESTIONS, SO MANY QUESTIONS!
... Why do you think Constance was so insistent that Violet eat the poisoned cupcake? Did she know that one of the killers would eat it instead? Or was she trying to bump off daughter #1? Also why didn't Vivien get sick from eating half of one?
... Is Tate the "perfect" son Constance claims to have once had? Is the thing in the basement one of Constance's malformed children?
... If Moira used to work for Constance, then did Constance once live in the Harmons' house?
... Is Ben's former mistress kind of nuts? Do you think she went ahead with the abortion?
... Why was Adelaide so terrified to be reminded of her Down Syndrome? Has she not always had it?
... What did you think of the episode overall? Are you still on board with the show?
I really like this show, my only concern is that due to it being a Series, how many short seasons before things start to get too far fetched? I do not want to see a finale with the entire cast being dead from the beginning and this was just their hell. NO "LOST" COP OUT PLEASE!!!!
I think I know why the house did protect Vivien and Violet: This has to be about procreation. I'm almost sure that Ben isn't the father of Vivien's baby - remember the guy in the black rubber suit - but the evil thing in the house is (maybe through Tate?). By killing the intruders the house did save its offspring and the other potential surrogate mother Violet.
I think you got good insight. Also, Tate did mention that they had to ensure the Harmons stays so that Dr. Ben can treat him. There is definitely more to Tate just needing his shrink, I don't even think he is alive!
I honestly do think that Constance made the cupcakes and offered them to Violet because she's connected with the house and knew that they would end up playing an important role. It seems a little too coincidental to be otherwise.
I didn't find anything in the episode as "So terrifying!" For a blogger who seeks everything horror-related to make sense of this show, how does this episode appear as "terrifying?"
I agree with i'm_right below. "None of WTF moments you listed Price [had] the same effect [as] those in the pilot." Those were scenes we have come to expect from AHS, so, when they happen, they make perfect sense. However, they do make us stick a pin in them for future reference.
I think this episode should've been paired with the first and redone as a complete 2-hour Pilot since it WAS wriiten by the creators. That would make it more logical for Vivian to say "We're selling this house!" But those (2-hr Pilots) have gone the way of LOST and 24.
Streaked-white hair like Nadine in Stephen King's THE STAND
C'mon! Constance's hunk is just a prostitute, isn't he? That was really clear to me...
What an interesting show this is! During the entire episode, I thought how stupid or naive are these people. Living in a house with all that heavy history, crazy neighbours, weird visitors, torture, murder and blood stained walls... You can't even have a decent night of sleep. Enough to drive anyone crazy. But on the other hand, I would like to have a go at staying here and see what happens... LOL!!!
I loveit!
But vivan didn't get to eat the half because they were to busy talking. Can see her put it down afterwards.
yes, ALTHOUGH she did put it down after eating small pieces broken off ...Wouldn't she atleast have gotten sick? I guess she is pregnant, so she wouldn't have noticed feeling physically ill. DID ANYONE ELSE FIND IT FUNNY HOW SHE WAS SO QUICKLY PREGNANT AGAIN after having sex with that random person in the black leather fetish suit? Just curious if anyone feels the same.
Exactly
Easily my new favourite show.
Am i the only one who liked Adelaide's mirror prison ?
i thought it was nice and sad and jessica preformance was amazing !
+++1
so far it is keeping me interested. Hope it doesnt feed us all the goodies then serve disappointment later on in the series
I'm with wantbalckwolf here, guys. Don't get me wrong, I like the show so far but the main difference between the pilot and this ep is the total disappearance of the scary stuff ! The story made more sense, that's right but none of WTF moments you listed Price made me the same effect that those in the pilot. It's like the show suddenly turn into a soft core horror show.
The suspense and tension is there though. I'm still curious of how things will turn for those characters so wait&see.
Maybe it's just me but I don't find this show scary. I do find it weird, and a little more interesting than most of the crap on tv these days. I do like all the possible stories to come out of this house. I'm a Steven King fan so this show is right up there with the stuff I like.
i'm confused by the show.. are the ghosts trying to protect the Harmons because they're living there now? if so, why did so many past inhabitants (and visitors) get killed there? so far it seems as only outside forces are trying to harm them, the ones inside are just trying to get laid
I think that Tate IS Constance's son. The model of perfection who had something else wrong with him.
That being said, we don't know what Constance's last name is. We don't know if she has a house number or a cell number or both and if the Harmons are aware of that number. So when Ben called the mother and she got a upset, wasn't it strange the within the next scene or two Constance was suddenly making Violet poisoned cupcakes?
And I totally think that's /why/ she was making the cupcakes. Constance wants Tate to be at least somewhat cured (even though she's a nutcase herself) and Ben no longer wanted to treat him because he crossed a line with Violet.
So she tried to poison Violet to remove Tate's temptation which in her eyes would make Ben continue to treat him.
And based on the previews for next week's show, it seems hinted that Moria targets 'weak' husbands. I wonder if perhaps that's why Constance killed her. Because Moira tempted her husband. But then again, Constance probably wasn't so much better since she seems to sleep with younger men a lot. "Business meetings." If it is Tate, that might be what he meant in the pilot when he said his mother is a 'filthy cocksucker' and his father left because of that.
I think I might love this show. I'm interested to see where it's going.moreless
do anyone remember that girl from buffy the vampire slayer season 7 playing cassie the girl that was gone die.its creppy seeing her play a villian LOL its the girl in the first photo wearing the mask.
If they can sustain the quality of this episode for the rest of the season then I'm definitely on board. Great episode all around... To answer the second part of your first question: They never showed Vivien actually eat the piece of cupcake. She just held it between her fingers for the entire scene, and then put it down when Ben walked in.
you missed:
Adelaide in a closet like in Carrie.
That part made me laugh though. This show is seriously scaring me! I love it.
Getting more & more engrossed.
Okay, American Horror Story pilot was freaking brilliant! Just because somethings didn't make sense doesn't mean that they can be called 'shortcomings'.
I thought the hunk Constance was ''making music'' with WAS her son. Didn't she say he was a model of perfection? And the guy then asks her if she thinks he could be a model... two and two, you guys.
Knowing Constance, Tate is her son, she's doing her other son, that crazy, tiny basement demon is her son/daughter, the gimp ghost is probably her hubby, and so she'll claim Vivien's new child, too.
Really Price Peterson, Really? Are you twelve or something? Because when i read your articles referring AHS I feel like i'm talking to my son who's twelve and can't figure out obvious things (that adults understand).
And how many times have you watched the show? Your question -"Also why didn't Vivien get sick from eating half of one?" - watch it again Price! - Vivien never eats the cupcake - she puts it back on the plate and Moira takes the plate with both halves away.
Really, if you're writing for TV.com maybe do your job and check the facts instead of throwing incompetent reviews to the readers.
P.S. Love the show!
thank god someone else notices that the morons who write reviews dont watch the show.
I honestly don't get the hate and bashing for this show, its the most awesome new show in a long time, so unlike anything on tv... Besides whats with the bashing of the teens, the girl is hot and cute (yes I said it) and Tate has some awesome dialogue + they dont act like unrealistic paper cutouts ala the Terra Nova kids. Oh and they can actually ACT as well, also unlike the Terra Nova kids.
Hope they can keep the WTF going in this show
Yup, I think it's a zillion times better than Terra Nova. That was a huge disappointment for me. I HATE shows that think there has to be something going on every single minute as if we will change the channel if there isn't some big "moment" happening. I LIKE trying to figure out what is going on.
I totally agree with hjmnyc, below.
Waaa waaaa waaaaa! That's what all you people sound like. What a shame. I'm waiting for a critique worth reading.
You could always try writing one instead of waiting?
My husband also said that he thought Tate was Constance's son. So that makes me wonder, who was Ben talking to on the phone when he said he couldn't treat Tate anymore?
And did Vivien actually eat the half piece of cupcake? I thought she held it in her hand but I don't actually remember seeing her bite any.
I hope the mistress (Hayden?) actually has the abortion but I can't see her going through with it because I don't think Ben will have it that easy. The woman is a nut and I think she truly wants Ben to herself. I can see her showing up later on and being some kind of stalker.
I liked episode two much better than episode one. I still don't feel any sympathy for any of these people though. I would love it if the ghosts got them all lol
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I think that Tate, the basement troll, and the attic gimp are Constance's kids.
Being pregnant with attic gimp's kid may've made her immune to the cupcake..? Ehh..
Ben should've tried to go in with his mistress when she had the procedure. If you're going to get them to have one, you not only have to take them there, you have at least try to go in with them. Closure 101.
I'm loving the ridiculousness of the show, even the anticipated ridiculousness of whatever convinces them to stay in the haunted murder ghost house. It feels like something Quentin Tarantino would make during a low-suck year. Bring it on.... more
As for question one: i don't think that Vivien actually ate the cake, she was just holding it. But it still remains to be seen as to why constance wnated violet to eat it. As far as i can remeber she hadn't hurt Adelaide in the previous episode to warrant such a thing.
Question 2: I totally think that Tate is her son, like when he said to her "if you want him to keep treating me". like why would she want him to be treated? So I think that he's the son.
Question 3: I think that Moira did live in the house, it's probably how she lost her kids and husband, and apparently maid.
Question 4: I think that Ben's mistress wasn't a student, but his patient. cuz she seems to have an irrational fear of cellphones, and abandonment issues. And without him there, she most certainly didn't go ahead with the abortion.
Question 5: I don't think that Adelaide was terrified of the down syndrome, per say, more that she wasn't the perfect child her mother has made aware she wanted.
Question 6: I love the show sooo much, I'm not even sure why, maybe cuz I like the whole idea of it, and that it doesn't make perfect sense. I most certifiably don't care for the lead characters, but rather prefer the maid, Tate, Adelaide and Constance. They are the most interesting of them all.moreless
when i see new shows promo i decide right then if the show is worth my time.once i decide it is worth my time i give a show 4 ep in before i decide if its good or bad.i mean terra nova was okay but it fallen downhill as the show go.so terra nova bad 4 me then charlies angels started off pretty bad but i keep watching b/c when i give a show a chance from a promo i stay for 4 eps and to my surpriese the show got better and better.ringer started off okay but as it went on it got better and better.now the american horror story the promos look good so i watch it.the first ep was okay this ep the 2nd is like uh?it confusing.so one ep good the other bad.i give the show 2 more eps beofer i decide if i want to keep watching:)moreless
I liked how the house helped them out. I thought, this house is a jealous house, and it isn't done playing.
1. Ryan Murphy said it was because Violet is going to interfere with her "master plan," which will be revealed in the fifth episode.
2. I don't think so. But maybe. And, wow, that'd be interesting...
3. Sure.
4. I doubt it. I have a feeling she's going to keep it and use the pregnancy to try to ruin Ben and Vivien's marriage.
5. IDK, but that mirror room scene was kind of ridiculous. And not in a good way. It kind of reminded me of "Carrie."
6. I LOVED the second episode. The first episode left me unsatisfied, so "Home Invasion" was a pleasant surprise. I'll definitely be tuning in for the third episode!
P.S. Price, can't wait for your TVD recap tomorrow! They're always a highlight of my week.
Okay before I even read the rest of this I have to say a part of me HATES you for saying you'd rather die then see The Doors...u lose all cool points in my book for that...on to read the rest.
I'm SO glad someone had a shred of taste and posted this. Price Peterson lost any credibility with that simple statement. Blasphemy!
Why is Jessica Lange doing this TV show? Personally, I think it's a shame that an acclaimed, two-time Academy Award winning actress (who is still gorgeously HOT) is doing basic cable. I enjoy AHS, but her appearance on it is a real head-scratcher.
It will depend on how the show does in the ratings for the season .... Glenn Close does a great job on Damages and has picked up a few Emmy's along the way .... and when I see what's coming out in the cinema these days ...... well, I can see why more and more quality actors are turning to TV .... with shows like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Dexter and Damages ..... that's where the best storylines are currently being produced, and lets face it ... if you're getting $1m per episode for perhaps 20 weeks work and you can still make a movie in the same year ..... that's not bad.
She went on a (fairly accurate) rant about female actresses in Hollywood being discarded as they age, while male actors not only get distinguished roles, they often have waaay younger female counterparts. The truth is hardly conducive to getting acting gigs.
She's way too good for AHS, but I love her in it. She nearly makes the show.
So many actresses make that rant after they hit that age, and seem to forget that in their younger years, they were the young babes with the older men, essentially "taking" the roles from the more age appropriate women. Sally Field likes to make that whine too, unless she is working a lot. Don't anybody jump on me, I AM an older woman and understand it can see unfair, BUT LIFE IS UNFAIR
She's the creepiest thing about it so far.