American Horror Story: NYC Kills More Key Characters in Week 4, Setting the Stage for Emotional Season Finale
“A leather daddy stalking people with blood disorders”? Must be American Horror Story!
In addition to bringing one killer storyline to an end on Wednesday, the penultimate week of AHS: NYC brought Patrick’s squad back to Fire Island, where another beloved character was tragically lost.
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And by “lost,” I of course mean he was carried into the great beyond by a group of half-naked men sporting deer antlers. (Again, must be American Horror Story!)
Read on for a breakdown of Episodes 7 and 8, then drop a comment with your thoughts below. What are your hopes and predictions for next week’s two-part season finale?
EPISODE 7, ‘THE SENTINEL’ | As Henry and his one remaining ear lay helpless on the Mai Tai Killer’s operating table, Gino and Patrick (sans the back-up he requested) charge foolishly into the killer’s lair, where they’re horrified to discover his Frankenstein Jesus on full display. Whitely admits that he made a mistake by giving his creation a subpar heart, suggesting that Patrick’s “noble” organ would be far more suitable. Lest there be any doubt to the depths of Whitely’s madness, he even claims to believe that his nightmarish Raggedy Andy can actually come to life. (But is he being serious? Who am I to question someone who chops off body parts all day? I need these fingers to type!)
Fortunately, Whitely will never get to realize his twisted dream, because Patrick shoots him dead within moments of freeing himself. (Whitely’s blood splattering on a nearby yellow light, giving the room an orange tint, is actually a very cool effect.) I also appoint kudos to Henry for bravely sawing off his own hand to escape captivity, even finding time to squeeze in a disapproving comment about Patrick and Gino’s age difference before cutting into his bone.
A front-page article in the New York Native hails Patrick as a “hero gay cop,” even if his co-workers aren’t exactly thrilled by Patrick’s candid criticism about his department’s handling of gay crimes. But not everybody is ready to celebrate just yet. To account for the myriad other recent deaths, and fueled by a troubling update on his and Hannah’s shared condition, Adam insists that there must be another killer out there. Gino laughs off Adam’s theory about “a leather daddy stalking people with blood disorders,” then invites Adam to join him and Patrick for a weekend on Fire Island. (The scene of the crime? Really, guys?)
Speaking of getaways, Hannah calls her mother and makes a plan to visit, but the sight of Big Daddy outside her apartment window makes me think there’s been a change of plans.
The episode ends with Gino writing an impassioned op-ed for the Native‘s Pride issue, rallying his readers to embrace their “gay rage” by finding value in their trauma and standing up to the pain and violence that plagues their community. He even attempts to find some “virtue” in Whitely’s dream of building a sentinel to defend his people.
EPISODE 8, ‘FIRE ISLAND’ | This week’s second hour finds the AHS: NYC crew seeking some much-needed R&R on Fire Island. And it’s certainly a motley crew — there’s Patrick and Gino, whose relationship is hanging on by a thread; Adam and Theo, neither of whom are aware of the truth behind their shared symptoms; and Sam, who’s both Theo’s jealous ex-boyfriend and the person who helped Patrick bury someone who died during a drug-fueled threesome. Oh, and Henry. What could possibly go right!
The inevitable fighting begins almost immediately when Patrick dismisses Gino’s fears (about several things, including their shared lesions) as mere PTSD from their encounter with the Mai Tai Killer. But let’s be real, Patrick can’t possibly be as chill as he claims to be. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be having visions of his dead ex-wife, aka Leslie Ghost-man.
Gino, meanwhile, is being haunted by a still-alive Henry, who explains that he “spared” Gino from some very dangerous criminals because — wait for it — he’s hopelessly in love with him. Henry even drops to his knees and gives Gino the whole “if I can’t have you, nobody can!” speech… which is actually far more troubling than romantic.
And what would a weekend from hell be without a visit from Big Daddy? After giving Fran and her friends a good scare, the leather-clad lunatic crashes the boys’ rental house, giving Patrick another chance to play gay hero cop by shooting him in the back of the head. Too bad his corpse inexplicably disappears before they get a chance to unmask him!
Big Daddy next appears in the woods, where Sam has drugged Theo and tied him to a tree — an offering for Henry to do with what he will. The sight of Big Daddy sends Henry running, leaving only Theo behind. But it isn’t Big Daddy who kills Theo. He succumbs to his AIDS right there, and the aforementioned group of half-naked, antler-wearing men carry him away. (Say what you will about this season’s heavy-handed metaphors, this was actually quite a touching moment.)
Launch Gallery: <i>American Horror Story</i>: All 10 Seasons Ranked From Worst to Best
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