The episode opens with Doris Kearns Goodwin telling us about the beginnings of the House of Horrors, as I like to affectionately call it. It was built by Edward Philippe Mott, a wealthy man with Social Anxiety, who just adores his artwork. We also meet his lover and manservant, Guinness.
Unfortunately, his art is not long for this world, and The Butcher and Ambrose destroy it all. Edward punished his staff for what he just "knows" they did, and he locks them in the cellar. Later, Edward is awoken in the middle of the night, and he is taken outside to be "punished" for building his home on the Roanoke land. He is killed by the colonists. Guinness gets away, but he tells nobody about the staff, and they all perish. Guinness is also blamed for Edward's death.
Back to the age of the Millers, the Butcher wants the Millers to all surrender, so that she can have her land back, and she can kill them. Matt wants Shelby to take Flora and go, but, unfortunately, ghosts start to swarm them, and they think they're trapped. Fortunately, Edward helps them out, and leads them to the woods. He then leaves them to fend for themselves, and they are captured by the Polk family.
The Polks take Matt, Flora, and Shelby to their home, and there they find Elias. Elias has been brutally tortured. The Polks have cut off parts of his body so that they can eat him. Unfortunately for him, their Mama (played by Frances Conroy, in her return to AHS) does not like the taste of him (he's rancid), and she has her sons kill him. Mama Polk then tells the Millers of their (and their ancestors) agreement with the Butcher. They would try to keep the home empty, and make sure they had some fresh blood during the Full Moon.
We finally get to see what has happened to Lee. She's being held by the police in her ex's death, but they won't charge her. She is released, and sees a bunch of texts from Shelby. The most important one is one informing Lee that Flora is safe (kinda). She heads to the house.
The Polks are taking the Millers back to the house, in order to be sacrificed. The Millers manage to fight back, killing one of the Polks, and knocking one off the truck and to the ground. But that does not work, as Mama Polk and one of the sons manage to capture them. Mama hits Shelby with an axe, ensuring that they won't run off.
The Millers are taken to the Butcher, and are going to be killed. Just as Flora is about to die, Lee arrives. Ambrose rebels against the Butcher, and saves the Millers. The Butcher and Ambrose burn in the fire. The Pig Man tries to finish the deed, but Lee hits him with her car, and they drive off to a hotel. At the hotel, it is discovered that Shelby has been suffering from nightmares that the Butcher has found them.
This was the best episode of the season. This season is really shaping up to be a good one, and it just keeps getting better. I can't wait for the big twist in episode 6.
Score: 9.5
Grade: A
Loose Ends:
- Well, there you are Evan Peters!
- And then you get outshone by Frances Conroy coming back.
- Nice shoutout to Dandy's death!
- And now Elias is dead. Eww. Eww. Eww.
- Still no opening credits. Maybe next week?
