Wednesday, January 23, 2013

'American Horror Story' 213 "Madness Ends" Review

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When American Horror Story ended last year, the most rampant complaint from fans had to do with what happened after the credits ran. To the viewer, there were so many open roads left to go down regarding the future of the Harmon family as they navigated the ghostly social stature of Murder House as well as whatever happened to Constance and baby Michael—the supposed anti-Christ. With the announcement that American Horror Story would be an anthology series following different characters in a different story each season, it became clear that these were questions that would hang in the ether forever. So this time, Ryan Murphy and co. went out of their way to make sure that no loose end would ensnare the further speculation of the fans of the Asylum arc. In doing so, they created a poignant, full-circle, and slightly disappointing final chapter to the tale of Briarcliff and everyone whose lives were tarnished by association with it.






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Due to the very nature of Asylum’s story it was pretty evident that the ending would be a more somber affair than the amazing batshit thrill-ride of last season’s finale. The whole hour was Ryan Murphy’s way of trying to assure the most closure he possibly could and what did that mean? Watching nearly every single character perish or meet a similar fate. The episode was structured around present-day Lana Winters who seriously must have the best surgeon in Paris and a hell of a dermatologist because she looks quite good for being in her seventies by now. A large part of that being how achingly apparent that old-lady makeup job was on screen especially in HD but I digress. She’s being interviewed before she receives an award at the Kennedy Center Honors. We get to see over the course of her story to the young reporter, April, what became of the characters that were left by the end of the season. 


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Jude gets her kiss from the Angel of death and Kit who was dying well he gets abducted by those damn aliens. Do we get any answers about the aliens? Not really but Ryan Murphy has repeatedly said we wouldn’t anyway so there’s no point in dwelling. Everything led up to the final showdown between Lana and her long-lost son Johnny Thredson. It felt more heartbreaking than it may have intended to feel at least for Johnny—a truly broken man who never had a chance at a real life despite what his mother said. He poured his heart out, and she put a bullet in him. But that’s Lana’s way. It was note for note the same way she got Oliver on her side back in ’64 and her tactics still work in 2012.



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That’s because for all of the examples of villainy we’ve been shown all season long, it can be argued that Lana Winters’ special brand of ambition ranks right up there with that of someone like Monsignor, and later Cardinal, Timothy Howard. She re-branded herself as a crusader for victim’s rights after her ordeal with Oliver Thredson but it’s very telling that she couldn’t be bothered to go back to Briarcliff until the book sales for Maniac likely started to dry up and she needed a fresh angle.



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Kit Walker however, turned out to be the most kind and the most compassionate character of the entire Asylum arc. For once, Ryan Murphy wasn’t trolling us when he promised that Evan Peters would be the hero of the season. Kit was the one who went right back to rescue Betty Drake (Jude’s forced pseudonym) as soon as he could while Lana waited for a few years between attempts. That made all the difference in the world and Kit’s actions, along with that of his children Thomas and Julia, allowed Jude’s soul to find solace before her days were up. Evan Peters really got a chance to shine multiple times in the last couple episodes of this season and his bedside scene with an ailing Sister Jude was some pretty emotional stuff indeed. It goes without saying that Jessica Lange knocked the last episode out of the park as her Jude truly got a full and complex arc from beginning to her mortal end.



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If you look back at the thematic elements of this story starting from the first episode onward, this finale was satisfying in that it echoed many of them. The rise of feminism, the downfall of the Patriarchy, and the cost of pursuing ambition no matter what were all present. Jude’s final words to Julia were definitely the kind of ‘women power’ sentiment that would serve her well in the time she grew up in. Nearly every patriarchal male suffered this year in one way or another. As for the cost of ambition, it costs people their very souls as Lana herself becomes something of a sociopath in her need to get the ending she wants for her life’s ongoing story. It really is quite chilling when she has this big tear-filled moments with someone like Johnny just so she can get them to loosen the grip on the gun before she turns it around on them. Her experience with Oliver Thredson a.k.a. Bloody Face changed her in ways far below the surface of her success and acclaim. A true horror story if ever there was one to watch someone fall in such a way. Sarah Paulson has pulled off an excellent performance as Lana Winters in every role that her character was required to fill in this story. I can't wait to see what Ryan Murphy cooks up for her next year.



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Ultimately, American Horror Story: Asylum was uneven at times, but the characters were much stronger this time out than in season one. They could have sustained some momentum in my opinion if they would have had maybe two less episodes than they did. Also, I’m much more of an open-ended kind of gal. I love to think that a story is still happening just because I don’t get to see it. Instead, this year the novel had a full epilogue and left hardly any stone unturned when it came to the fate of a beloved character. It lacked some of the more audacious elements of the first year but that’s what happens in an anthology series--no two should ever be completely alike. I like to think of this show as having a constant learning curve, and I hope that they learn from the successes and mistakes of the tale of Briarcliff when they unveil season 3 next fall. I think it might actually be witches or magic of some kind. See you all then.  

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