American Horror Story: Asylum Episode 203
“Nor’easter”
Written By: Jennifer Salt
Directed By: Michael Uppendahl
Original Airdate: 31 October 2012
In This Episode...
A storm is coming. Arden and Thredson hunker down in the asylum, and Sister Jude sets up movie night for the first time ever. (The movie? Signs of the Cross.) So this is the backdrop for tonight’s lunacy.
First off, Sister Jude is a mess. Someone left a newspaper in with the mail that featured an article on the little girl she killed in 1949. Then Sister Mary Eunice comes in wearing lipstick that Dr. Arden said to give her: Reckless Red. Then she gets a phone call from the girl she killed, and discovers her broken eyeglasses on the table. This drives Sister Jude to drink all the communion wine - something she swore off.
Next up, Sister Mary Eunice, now possessed by whatever demon that was supposed to be exorcised last week. She comes on to Arden in a vile way. She becomes furious, calls her a whore, throws her out of his office, yadda yadda yadda. One of the inmates, known only as the Mexican (their words, not mine) sees the devil in Sister Mary Eunice’s eyes. The Sister visits her in her room, prays with her, and kills her with a pair of scissors and feeds her to the creatures in the woods.
Then, the escapees. Or would-be escapees. Grace and Kit decide that movie night would be the perfect time to run. Shelly wants in; Grace agrees. Lana kind of wants in, but not if Kit is in on it. She speaks confidentially to Thredson and begs him to get a message to Wendy. He visits the home and discovers the doors and windows open, no one home, and fresh blood. This matches the M.O. of Bloody Face, and Thredson tells this to the police, who have no interest in reopening a heinous case that they believe has been solved. He confides in Lana, and she decides to believe him and apologizes to Kit. Kit takes it in stride, and they allow her to join their jail birds team.
During the movie, Lana, Grace, Kit, and Shelly sneak out and head to the hidden tunnel entrance. On the way, they discover Carl, one of the orderlies, searching for the Mexican. Shelly sacrifices herself with what she is best at, and comes on to Carl. He cannot resist, and she lures him into a room, allowing Lana, Kit, and Grace to sneak by. They promise to try to wait for her, but Shelly knows better, and asks Lana to write a really kick-ass (my words) expose to shut Briarcliff for good.
Halfway through blowing Carl, Shelly is disgusted and leaves him with his dick in his hands (literally.) She races for the tunnel, but is caught by Arden and dragged into his office. Filled with lust and self-loathing, he throws Shelly over a desk and rapes her - or he tries. In her attempts to free herself, she catches sight of his penis and starts laughing hysterically. “Were you in an accident?” Arden knocks her out cold. When Shelly wakes in the morning, she is strapped down to Arden’s table. He has amputated both legs at the knees, and has loads more experiments planned.
The trio who did make it out are not faring much better. The delight in the freedom that cool night air and pouring rain provides, then make a bee-line for the road. On the way, Grace stumbles on something. “I think we found the Mexican.” A few more steps and they run into the woodland creatures Sister Mary Eunice has been feeding: horrible, cannibalistic mutants, obviously the remnants of Arden’s horrible experiments. They run, screaming, trying to get to the road, but another mutant pops out and gives chase. The trio have no other option but to return to the tunnel, and therefore return to the asylum.
Dig It or Bury It?
Last week’s exorcism episode would have been more appropriate to air on Halloween night. This episode was surprisingly low-key, especially compared to season one’s epic two-part Halloween blowout. That said, this episode - with the Bloody Face (see below) and the forest mutants - really hit home the “horror” in American Horror Story. Very Wrong Turn, very Texas Chainsaw, and very unlike any television show on the air. I believe that this obvious ode to gruesome horror flicks may hurt its Emmy chances, but who needs Emmys when you have cannibal mutant hill people?
Bloody Face
We open with another nearly-pointless look at Briarcliff now. Teresa tries to hide from Bloody Face. Bloody Face stabs Leo, then goes for her. Leo is not really dead; he jumps up and stabs Bloody Face right back. The newlyweds run, Teresa calling 911, when suddenly Bloody Face appears again. They turn to run the other direction - there is a Bloody Face there, too. Bloody Face #2 shoots them both dead, then removes his mask. Both the Bloody Faces are teens wearing masks. One is shaken by the shooting; the other is excited by the thrill. Both shit themselves when another (presumably the “real”) Bloody Face appears.
Prophecies?
Suspicions stir up that Arden may be a war criminal, and Briarcliff gets a new patient.