American Horror Story Episode Ten: Halfway Home

American Horror Story has me still clutching my pearls, while cowering in a corner trying to figure out why did I deserve such an ass-kicking from last night’s episode. Let’s list the top “OMFG!!!!” moments of the tenth episode of American Horror Story titled “Smoldering Children,” which was an apt title, IMHO.

One Tragically Down, Two (Three? Four?) To Go…

The huge reveal about Violet still has my mind reeling and I personally don’t know what to think, or rather feel, about the revelation that can only be called a “huge freaking game changer.” Granted, I predicted (as well as others) Violet’s death after she took that cocktail of sleeping pills back in episode six “Piggy, Piggy,” but the way the show was written and shot after that event you really had no clue. The reveal itself was utterly devastating and Taissa Farmiga simply delivered Violet’s anguish to the point that I actually had to turn my head in pity. It was the equivalent of a friend losing someone close and you having no idea how to console them in their time of need. In Violet’s case, she only has a slew of psychopaths (all hellbent on killing her family, mind you) to turn to for guidance in dealing with her new state. If the girl was damned before, then she really hasn’t seen anything yet.

But let’s go back to the hints dropped since “Piggy, Piggy” that clued us in on Violet becoming the House’s latest ghost resident. First there is the (kind of obvious) fact of Violet not leaving the property since “Piggy, Piggy.” Maybe this is why the ghosts of the home intruders materialized in Vivien’s car to scare Vivien and Violet back into the house. Imagine if Vivien had of managed to drive away, but have Violet disappear in thin air while doing so. Now that would have been one hell of a reveal… The second clue would have Tate’s murderous attempts to make sure Violet didn’t ever “leave him,” begging for them to be together forever. The way Tate took out the exterminator once the guy found Violet’s body was as if he was a guard of a sacred tomb. So while the signs were there all along, they really weren’t clarified until last night when you look at the big picture.

Now that Violet has become one with The House, will her parents follow in her footsteps or will they become like Constance and find a way to stay put as long as Violet’s soul is there? And how will she factor into American Horror Story‘s Apocalypse?

Fool For Love

We were also given the true past of henchman/creepozoid Larry, aka the Burned Man, who really didn’t kill his family, burning himself in the process. However, it turns out that Larry was actually set on fire by Tate before the kid carried out his attack at Westfield High. How Tate simply walked out the building without anyone saying anything is perplexing as hell, but I digress.

So it’s clear that Larry has suffered a lot in the name of love, but is he redeemable in his actions? Personally, not at all. Right after his wife immolated herself and his two daughters, Larry moved Constance and her children right back into the house without blinking an eye. It’s a repulsive move on his part that really didn’t affect him until last night’s episode, especially after Larry saw Travis being the family man that he never could (or will) be. Maybe this is what his wife meant by him being “on the cusp.” He’s finally seeing the error of his ways, or he’s getting a clearer understanding of how much pain his actions have brought unto those around him, just as Ben did last week.

Now that Larry has confessed to the murder of Travis (which he didn’t do), is he really out of the picture for good? If so, could this correlate to the theory of American Horror Story having a mostly new cast next year? In some respects, no. Larry’s story is seemingly finished unless he has some power to manipulate people from behind prison walls, or if he changes his story and gets of scot-free. Or he could play the insanity card. The possibilities are endless, but the most plausible thing at the moment would be for him to just rot where he is, because I can’t see what role he could play in the last two episodes.

All American Psycho

Then there is Tate. Tate, Tate, Tate, what in the hell can we say about the guy. Continuing to call him a sociopath now doesn’t even cut it this late in the game. While his character could be seen as one of the most tragic of American Horror Story‘s ‘pantheon’ of ghosts, Tate sometimes has an irredeemable streak, which shows itself quite often. The source of his anger and hate is a mystery still, at least for these two eyes and noggin, because it has to be something more than just “mommy issues” for this kid to completely abandon his sanity.

Tate has become the epicenter of American Horror Story, besides the House, that is. He’s The Rubber Man, he torched Larry, he’s Constance’s son and Addy’s brother. He was Ben’s patient and is the father of one of Vivien’s twins. Plus, let’s not forget all of the ghosts that are in the basement courtesy of Tate. In short, Tate is technically the House’s “key,” which could probably be one of the main reasons why Constance wants him to “move on” so badly. With two episodes to go of American Horror Story, I would be shocked if Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk manage to solve Tate’s issues by the finale. If not, then here’s hoping we get a conclusion of sorts to Tate’s story earlier on in season two.

Reunited?

Ben and Vivien are finally facing each other again and, most importantly, are on the same side in terms of trying to deal with the hell that has been thrown in front of them in the form of the twins. However, how will Violet’s death affect the more than fragile couple? Also, will Ben remember seeing Tate as the Rubber Man? Again, it will be most interesting to see if these two make past the season finale, and if so, how much will the character dynamic shift, as well as their sanity, next year afterwards. I mean seriously, how much more of this hell can Ben and Vivien take?

So with two episodes left in this crazy first season of American Horror Story, place your bets on how you think it will all end? And how are you really feeling about Violet’s death?

Refresh your memory with Kevin Fitzpatrick’s recap of last night’s episode of American Horror Story.