Michael Yarish/FXIf The Exorcist is your favorite movie, then tonight's episode of American Horror Story was definitely the one for you. If it's your idea of a nightmare, then sorry about your sleeping pattern tonight.
American Horror Story followed its debut with an action-packed episode that offered a brutal exorcism and some backstory on a couple of people at Briarcliff. Plus, we were let in on some dirty little secrets that the staff has kept tucked away. Oh, and Zachary Quinto is here, which makes everything better.
Briarcliff's New Inmate: Guess who's here to stay? The demon that was inside a young boy who was brought to the asylum by his parents. Dr. Oliver Thredson (Quinto), the new psychiatrist at the hospital thinks the idea of an exorcism as treatment is insane, in fact, he thinks most things going at Briarcliff are insane. For example, treating homosexuality with electroshock therapy. They performed an exorcism anyway, unsuccessfully, and eventually the boy died from cardiac arrest. But Sister Mary (Lily Rabe) was the victim of really wrong place, really wrong time because the demon just leaped from his body to hers. So now we have a possessed nun running around, but that wasn't the only havoc wreaked by the demon.
Sister Jude's Dirty Little Secret: While left alone with the possessed kid, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) got a talking-to from the demon. He knows her secret. Not only was she promiscuous in her past (a fact we kind of assumed since she is still fond of the red lingerie), but she hit and killed a young girl while driving drunk. The little girl was wearing a blue dress, which explains the significance of this promo.
Lana Isolates Herself: Way to make friends, Lana (Sarah Paulson). At first, your friendship with Grace (Lizzie Brocheré) seemed to be a saving grace, what with your plan to escape together through the creepy tunnel Sister Mary used to feed the creatures. But then you had to go and believe that Kit (Evan Peters) did murder his wife, which, granted, might be a safe assumption if you are going off your instincts. During the exorcism, the demon knocked out the power and all of the doors opened, making it prime time to escape. Kit wants to come along, but Lana thinks he's a psycho killer, while Grace doesn't. In the end, Kit and Grace are the ones making a run for it, and Lana screams her head off that the killer is escaping. The duo get caught, but Kit takes the fall in front of Sister Jude, who beats him with a cane picked out by Lana (it was her reward for tattling). We doubt that Kit or Grace will want to play with Lana any time soon.
Dr. Arden's Nightly Activity: Dr. Arden (James Cromwell) is lusting after Sister Mary, which is made apparent multiple times during the episode, specifically when he hires a hooker to dress up as a nun for him. She finds photos in his bedroom of women bound and gagged, but it's unclear as to whether it was purely for sexual reasons, or if he's the one running around town decapitating women. Regardless, the hooker manages to escape him by biting him in the arm and with a swift kick to his family jewels. It's also through him that we get Shelly's (Chloë Sevigny) backstory, when she tries to seduce him with a sad tale of a cheating husband who had her locked up when he found her in bed with two Navy men.
Bloody Face Is Still on the Loose: In present time, Theresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) is trying to drag Leo (Adam Levine) away from Bloody Face, but to no avail. Leo ends up being stabbed multiple times wihile his new wife has to watch in horror. Worst. Honeymoon. Ever. Back in the '60s, Wendy (Clea DuVall) is moaning to her gal-pals that she needs to go get Lana out of the Braircliff, and she resolves to do so in the morning. Too bad come morning she is attacked (and presumably killed) by Bloody Face. So either it's not Kit, or he has a copycat.
Burning Questions:
- What will become of the newly widowed Theresa in present time?
- If Dr. Arden isn't Bloody Face and is just a creep, who is the one killing women?
- What does the demon have planned while inside Sister Mary's body?
- Who else has a dirty little secret from their past besides Sister Jude?
- Will the phrase mossy bank make you shudder forever?
What did you think of tonight's Exorcist-themed episode?