The latest episode of AMERICAN HORROR STORY opened with a disclaimer stating that it was edited for content due to the recent Vegas shooting. Where art resembles the darkest of reality is a scary dilemma when it comes to censorship, I’m scared to find out what it is they edited out. The scene in question (or what I’m assuming is the scene in question) was still presented in violent fashion and didn’t hide much to the imagination.
Kai is running a platform utilizing fear tactics to gain a political following where ignorance rules society. His cult has succumb to his seduction and that leads to his rally being the setting a mass shooting that’s fucked up and hit way too close to home. The opening segment leads one to believe that Ally has officially lost it as she is who we see holding the gun when officials show up to shut it down. In a true American twist, the episode ends with us finding out that Ally was only trying to stop the assassin who turns out to be a bewildered Meadow who defines one who is truly under an evil spell. Our cast of characters are in the crowd including Ivy who we watch maneuver her way through the crowd, striving to avoid the gunshots. It’s filmed a little too beautifully and made me extremely uncomfortable, but this season is probably designed to do so. While still a batshit crazy show, this is the most grounded season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY.
Fortunately, there were some light moments sprinkled throughout thanks to Meadow who sheds some new insight into the cult. While at times I had a hard time believing all these people would be driven to gruesome violent acts because of Kai, my insecure self could definitely relate to Meadow’s story. Her love for Harrison goes unrewarded as a marriage would when both only like dick, but Kai gives her the attention she craves from her partner. He notices her artistic capabilities and looks her in the eye the way her gay partner never would. While Harrison is sleeping with our underused, yet extremely hot, detective, Meadow is being used as another pawn in efforts to make Kai a martyr even if it means him getting shot. She becomes the media monster the public loves to focus on as Ally seems to be old news as the racist who shot the immigrant.
Kai met his only worthy political opponent in Sally, who really knows how to place things into perspective and sees right through Kai’s tactics. However, that is cut short when her home is invaded by the clowns who stage her suicide along with a Facebook post to accompany her message. While it seemed a little too easy for everyone to believe there’s nothing suspicious about her death, it makes me question if it really would be this easy if something like this were to really happen. Some of the absurd events of this season truly mimic some of the actions of our current president and it’s a bit uneasy when you’re not sure if you should be offended or laugh at our reality.
What upset me the most was that Meadow is no more as she kills herself after gunning down victims at the rally. While I knew she was not to be trusted, her presence was much needed on a rather grim season. Even in a moment of fright, she still feels the need to ask for a cappuccino from her savior. But who knows? As previous seasons have proven, once a character is dead, that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing that face again.
Tags: American Horror Story, TV
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