Looks like I was right about the time frame for when Tate shot up Westfield High School, seeing as this week’s episode opens in 1994 with the police at the door of Murder House. And when I say there’s a police presence, we’re talking a full SWAT squad in riot gear and toting assault rifles with laser scopes. I can only imagine how shocked Constance is when this zomg scary police show up at her door demanding to see Tate.
Then we get to see the final moments of those dead teens from last week. First we see the cheerleader and the jock chatting it up at a library table, and then suddenly one of the other kids rushes in and blockades the door. It’s not enough though, because Tate soon bursts in after shooting the lone teacher that rose up square in the midsection. Tate methodically marches through the library, killing each student one by one, and it’s an interesting sequence reminiscent of news reports from various real-life school shootings.
The jock tries to tell the cheerleader everything’s going to be OK, but we know that’s a lie. He confronts Tate, who calmly shoots him in the chest. Then he kills the cheerleader, and we’re back to Tate’s house where the SWAT team all have laser dots on his chest. Constance meanwhile is freaking out, saying “he’s just a child!” like that’s going to do anything to stop the cops from bringing him in. We fade out on Tate with roughly a dozen laser dots on his chest.
Then we come back to Violet researching the Westfield High Massacre. And now she finds the truth — that her Romeo is actually a ghost. She’s understandably freaked out, and runs crying for Vivien. Instead she discovers Constance sitting in the kitchen smoking. Constance warns us that the house will make a believer in the supernatural out of anyone. “How can you be so arrogant to think that there’s only one reality that you can see?” Constance says. Reminds me a bit of Shakespeare — “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Constance brings Violet over to her house, and introduces a medium who says she can help Violet to understand the truth. Tate doesn’t realize he’s dead, and that’s why Constance wanted him to see Ben the Psychiatrist — so he can move on to the next life. Violet naturally thinks the medium is bull, so the woman grabs her and tells her that an elderly woman named Mary is interested in talking to her. Violet freaks and runs out of Constance’s house like her hairs’ on fire.
And holy shizmonkeys has Vivien’s baby suddenly reached term? Oh wait no it’s just a creepy dream.Vivien wakes up, and has apparently called Luke the Security Man to check up on the house. They get to talking, Vivien reveals Ben had an affair and Luke shares that his wife cheated on him with another woman. They’re getting closer now, and it’s almost sweet. Ben shows up to work, and he and Vivien predictably argue about it because she doesn’t want to see his face anymore. She ardently declares they’re getting a divorce and selling the house; he’s allowed to be a father to their kids — apparently Vivien thinks he’s a good one — but she will not be his friend. Can you say that arc is boring in its predictability? More interesting is Violet’s fantasy upstairs about slitting her own throat open with the razor she’s been using to cut her arms.
Ben’s latest patient is a man named Derek who’s terrified of urban legends, particularly the “Piggy Man” who’s supposed to pop up and kill you after you say “Here piggy piggy piggy” three times while looking in a mirror. Ben tries to convince him to face his fears, but based on the show’s history I get the sense this is going to backfire in a biiig way for poor Derek. After the patient leaves, Violet comes into the office sobbing and apologizes for causing her parents’ divorce. She tells Ben that “It’s the darkness. It has me.” She’s clearly freaked all the hell out now that she’s discovered her boyfriend is actually dead. Kind of puts a damper on the teenage hormones, methinks.
Oh, do you remember that ultrasound tech who fainted two weeks ago? Well apparently she up and quit because she believes Vivien is carrying the antichrist to term. Umm, yeah … that makes me more and more convinced that the baby Vivien’s carrying is the Rubber Man’s and not Ben’s. You’ll recall that Vivien got busy with the Rubber Man (who she thought was Ben) back in episode one. Creepy baby FTW!
Constance is being a shockingly good neighbor this episode, going so far as to bring Vivien “special foods” just for the baby. This extends to beef pancreas as well as a few other strange meats off the cow that apparently offer good prenatal nutrition. “We need that baby. We need another sweet child around here,” Constance says right before she leaves. Makes me wonder what the house needs the kid for.
Violet is chilling with the mean girl she and Tate freaked out back in episode one. Girl reveals that she believes in a beautiful Devil instead of an ugly one seeing as the Lord of Evil was once God’s favored angel. And apparently the reason the Devil wants to ruin humanity is because a baby was once promised to him, but that promise was broken so now he’s waging war against the human race. I really don’t want this show to move into being about God versus the Devil; it’s such a fun horror-drama as it is right now. Except for the whole Vivien/Ben storyline that I saw coming a mile away. Violet takes some pills from the mean girl, which have apparently been the only thing helping her sleep. And then we get a chance to visit with the teacher from the opening sequence, who in response to Violet’s quest for answers about the shooting theorizes that maybe Tate wasn’t such a good person after all.
Moira reveals her hatred for Ben in this episode. She declares that cheating on one’s pregnant wife is a crime tantamount to murder, and that “Dr. Harmon” will do it again if he gets the chance. Later in the episode, right after Vivien tells Moira they can’t afford to pay her anymore (and Moira declares she’ll work for free until they sell the house), our ghost maid serves the lady of a house a brain in a cup. Vivien nearly has a food orgasm as she devours it in a rather creepily shot sequence. Then when she’s done it look s a bit like she’s going to puke.
When Violet comes home later that day, she sees something move in the corner of her eye. She imagines that it’s Tate, and goes through the house looking for him. For some godforsaken reason she heads down to the basement, where she’s confronted by practically everyone who has ever died down there. Troy and Brian run past her shattering firecrackers, the nurse and those two crooks from Home Invasion pop up, as does Dr. Charles Montgomery … all right before Violet runs out of the room screaming.
Ben tries to convince Derek to face his fears, and in fact brings him home to the apartment to have him attempt the Piggy Man call in the mirror. Derek does so, and one of the dead nurses from Home Invasion appears in the shower to creep him the hell out. Derek tries the mirror thing again when he goes home alone at the end of the episode, except right as he finishes saying “Here piggy piggy,” a robber pulls open the shower curtain and shoots him dead. Apparently two men wanted to rob Derek and not kill him, but the murderer says “He called me a pig.” Poor, poor Derek.
Constance is hanging out with the medium, and decides she wants to apologize to Addie. The medium makes this happen and Constance reveals that she was proud of Addie when she was alive. Addie says that where she is on the other side “she’s a pretty girl at last.” And she’s thankful that Constance couldn’t get her to the lawn at the old house because she didn’t want to be with Tate. Now Addie knows what Tate is, she’s terrified of her brother. And now I really want to know what Tate is … ’cause having him be just a school shooter is way too pedestrian for this show.
Oh and then we see how Tate died. Apparently he pulled a gun when those cops stormed his room and they shot him dead. Tate stands now in Violet’s room like a jilted lover and says he’s going to leave her alone if that’s what she wants. He’s confused though as to why she’s so distant right now. He doesn’t realize the truth about himself or the house, and it’s really become rather sad. Violet of course feels bad for him, and cuddles with her Ghost Boyfriend on the bed as the episode ends.
Next week is an open house! So what do you think? Anyone going to make an offer?
If you missed the last episode be sure to read our ‘American Horror Story: Halloween’ part two recap to catch up.
