American Horror Story: The Name Game (#2.10)

I don't really know how to start with this episode, as it's sort of a blur aside from the brilliant acid trip that was the title song, so I'll just start there.  I'm not sure if Jessica Lange lost a bet with Ryan Murphy or some of the page's of Glee's newest episode got shuffled into the AHS script or if there was far too much kahlua was in the morning coffee on the set, but that was both spectacular and ridiculous.  Seriously-Jessica Lange will probably get an Emmy just for the way that she can mashed potato, and deservedly so.  Kudos also to Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters who brought such goofy charm to their dancing (particularly greaser Kit Langdon, who can definitely rock the monkey).  I'm positive I saw both of them break character, but I just can't remotely blame them.  That was one of my favorite things ever, and not just on AHS.

That being said, I suppose I have to dive into the rest of the rather light-on-substance episode (particularly considering how long it's been since our last episode).  The biggest new information, of course, was from Sister Mary Eunice and Dr. Arden, both of whom (spoilers ahead) were no longer for this world come the end of this episode.  I feel like Sister Mary Eunice was far, far too easy to defeat considering all that had been thrown at her in the preceding episodes.  After stealing the virginity of the completely weak Monsignor, he finally grew a backbone and threw her off of a third story balcony, much to the complicated chagrin of Dr. Arden.  My question was, "why?"  Sister Jude, Grace, Dr. Arden himself-all of them seemed strong enough to overcome the devil, but the Monsignor has been such a milquetoast (and ancillary) character all season that it seems a bit silly that he was able to succeed where other, stronger characters were not able to have success.  It also seems like this was a big, anticlimactic discard of one of the season's more compelling stories.  In fact, if I had to rank the four "horror" aspects of the season, it'd be: Bloody Face, the demonic possession, Dr. Arden's experiments, and the constantly disappearing aliens bringing up the rear.  Considering Dr. Arden destroyed his experiments and Sister Mary Eunice appears gone from this world, we're left with the aliens, which seems a bit odd since we haven't had enough time to care much about them, and of course Bloody Face, which seems appropriate, as this has really been about Lana's journey as much as it has been about Jude's.

Dr. Arden's experiments weren't the only ones to die this episode-in a highly morbid scene, he decided to burn himself alive with the carcass of Sister Mary Eunice, and damn himself with his beloved.  If the writers were trying to find some remorse in the character, I found none-his preoccupation with Sister Mary Eunice always seemed wildly creepy, especially considering his nazi-past, and again, a bit anti-climactic, as he didn't deserve to pull his own lever (again, Sister Jude, Kit, or a demon-free Sister Mary Eunice would be more appropriate given his history with them).  Alas, Lily Rabe and James Cromwell both seem to be gone from the remainder of the series-the big question is, who is next?  My gut is telling me it will be Kit, but that's just a hunch.

Kit, again in a story that I'm not as drawn into for some reason this week (Evan Peters usually being one of my favorite parts of AHS), got to meet his alien-assisted offspring, and for some reason no one is questioning the giant elephant in the room-that Grace managed to give birth to a baby that was conceived like a week ago, and did so after dying.  It's the kind of awkwardness that I'm going to just let simmer for a second, since that's all the show seems to have focused on it....we good?...okay, moving on.

Kit, in seeing his child, confessed to Dr. Thredson, out of fear that Thredson would hurt his child or Grace, where the tape was with Thredson's confession.  Luckily for all of us, Lana (who I am hoping and praying gets out of this intact, even if the odds are against her, since none of my Harmons survived last season) saved the day and hid it somewhere else, hopefully for keeps.  Armed with the ultimate in blackmail (Thredson's baby), Lana has developed nerves of steel, or pluck, as she called it.  Thredson is now the one caught between a rock and a hard place-he can't kill Lana because of the baby and he can't incriminate Kit because then the tape will come out.  It's the story I am most excited about for next week, even though I have a sneaking suspicion we may have more alien babies on the docket.

Lastly, I will say the second best thing about this episode, after of course the dance-off, which was the final moments of Sister Jude with the Mother Superior.  After an electroshock session that fried Sister Jude's mind, she finally grasped enough sanity to tell Mother Superior that Lana didn't belong here, and in doing so, may have fulfilled her promise to Lana that she would get her out of Briarcliff.  This is AHS, so I cannot count on anything, but I have to say, I am starting to believe that this season, we may see a true happy ending for at least one of our characters.  Stay tuned...