American Horror Story: Asylum Episode 207
“Dark Cousin”
Written By: Tim Minear
Directed By: Michael Rymer
Original Airdate: 28 November 2012
In This Episode...
The Angel of Death comes to Briarcliff in the form of Frances Conroy. I have no idea why the Angel of Death waited until halfway through the season to appear (scheduling conflicts?) but she’s here now, and she kisses each person when she reaps their soul. And everyone is having brushes with death this week.
Let’s start with Jude. She has just discovered Goodman bleeding out in his hotel. She calls the police, but it is too late. Goodman is gone. A bottle of whiskey on the night stand calls to her, and she gives in. Sister Mary Eunice calls, taunting her, and telling her that she left the whiskey and a straight razor for Jude. Jude drunkenly heads out to a coffee shop. She goes to the washroom and contemplates the razor - even envisions slitting her wrists - but instead she goes back to her booth. The Angel of Death is there because Jude called her. This is the third time Jude has called for death, and she tells her she is ready, but has one thing she wants to do first. Jude is a mess when she shows up to speak to the parents of Missy, the girl that she killed in the hit and run. She is blubbering as she tries to admit that she was the one responsible, but she can’t get the words out. A young woman in a nurse’s uniform comes in, home off the night shift. This is Missy. Jude did not kill her. She had a few broken bones but obviously was able to move on with her life. Hank, the father, wanted revenge, but his wife calmed him down. “We get to put it behind us and have our daughter back. But the monster who did this has to live with it for the rest of his life.” Jude is at a loss.
Lana calls for the Angel of Death while Thredson is raping her. When Thredson is done and Death offers to take Lana, she has changed her mind. She is not quite ready to give up. Thredson comes back into the basement and says that he and Lana are at an impasse. He rambles for a few minutes that this was a bad idea then offers her her choice of death: slit throat or strangling. He decides it doesn’t matter because he is going to anesthetize her anyway. When he comes at her with a syringe, she fights back and manages to get the injection into him. She then strangles him (not to death, but into brief unconsciousness) with the chain she is bound with, finds the key, and escapes. She runs through the forest until she hits a road - then she runs along the road until a car almost hits her. She jumps in and begs the man to drive off. It soon becomes clear that she chose the wrong car to escape in (not like she had any other choices) for the driver is dangerously unhinged, with a psychotic hatred of women, having just walked in on his wife with another man. Lana begs to be let out; the man ignores her. Then he pulls out a gun, but he turns it on himself. The car is in a terrible crash, and when Lana wakes... she is back in Briarcliff. Lana begs for Sister Jude but Sister Mary Eunice tells her that she is in charge now. Lana tells her everything and Sister Mary Eunice promises that she is safe. Of course, safe is a relative term in American Horror Story.
Grace is nearly dead from a horribly botched hysterectomy. In fact the Angel of Death is ready to take her when a nurse brings her back from the edge. Arden insists that he did not perform the surgery and will save Grace if only so she can save his good name. His miracle cure works and she is up and about the very next day.
Kit is trying to convince his attorney that Thredson tricked him into confessing. The attorney says he might still be able to swing an insanity plea... but Kit has tuned out. He refocuses when he decides to knock out his attorney with a three-hole-punch and escape. He goes right back to Briarcliff and enters through the tunnels, with one of Arden’s mutants hot on his trail. Kit bursts in on the bakery kitchen, where Grace is enjoying a few minutes of alone time. They embrace, but one of the nuns sees him and starts screaming. The mutant shuts her up by ripping her throat out, then goes for Kit. Kit fights back and disembowels the mutant gruesomely. Frank responds to the commotion and, upon seeing Kit, opens fire. Grace throws herself in front of Kit and takes the bullet herself. The Angel of Death finally gets Grace.
Dig It or Bury It?
Lana just cannot catch a break! There were some good twists (Missy) and a couple fun scenes (most notably, Kit versus the mutant) but overall, it wasn’t a stand-out episode.
Patient History
Jude’s first brush with the Angel of Death came when her husband left her. She accused him of giving her syphilis, which led to her sterility. He is mad, calls her a liar, blah blah blah. It was what pushed her to alcohol.
After the hit and run, Jude drank herself into oblivion and missed a gig. The band leader came by to inform her (gently) that she was fired. Jude packs hastily and leaves town, still a drunken mess. She gets into a bad car accident and when she wakes in the morning, she finds that she has crashed into an angel statue at a church. Hallelujah, it’s a sign!
Prophecies?
It’s a very special Christmas episode when Ian McShane guest stars as an insane, killer Santa Claus.