American Horror Story: “Devil’s Night” — Oct. 28, 2015
John gets an invitation to a Devil’s Night party; Alex tries to find a medical reason for Holden’s condition on the latest AHS: Hotel. Special Contributor Tracey M. shares her thoughts in this recap. – David F.
Photo courtesy of FX
A gentleman named Richard Ramirez strolls into the hotel lobby. Liz greets him happily welcoming him to the Devil’s night festivities. Ramirez says he died in 2013, and wonders if Manson will be joining them this year. Liz regretfully informs him that Manson is still alive. Ramirez declines a room key. He crawls into a room from the outside and finds a couple sleeping. Ramirez bludgeons the husband, waking his wife. She fights him and runs into the hallway and into the arms of James March. March holds her so Ramirez can finish her off. My the ghosts are lively tonight!
A morning call from Scarlett wakes John from a deep sleep. Scarlett asks if she can stay with her grandmother to bake pies instead of trick-or-treating with him this year. He’s hurt, but tells her to have fun. John notices what looks like blood coming down the walls, seemingly from the room upstairs. He investigates. Of course! Blood? I’m on my way! John knocks on the door and finds Miss Evers fretting over blood-stained sheets in the tub. John is worried about the blood he saw downstairs but sits to chat with her anyway.
Miss Evers reminisces about 1925. (Wait — how old is this lady?) She is taking her son out to trick-or-treat and stops to chat with a neighbor about their costumes. Her son wanted more than a white sheet for a costume. He didn’t want to be a boring old ghost. Miss Evers compliments her neighbor’s costume and turns around just in time to see her son being driven away in a stranger’s car. He was one of 20 children that went missing that year. She says that’s why Halloween is so hard for her, but methinks that’s not the only reason for her uneasiness. All that was found of her son was the bloodied sheet he wore as a costume. She never saw him again. She tells John he can call her Hazel before nervously dashing out of the room to attend to her chores. John glances in the bathroom at the soiled sheets as he leaves the room.
Alex has taken Holden home. The dog barks and growls at Holden, and doesn’t seem to recognize him. Alex can’t believe that Holden is really there. Her beloved boy. He says it’s too bright, and he’s thirsty so she closes the drapes and goes to get him some apple juice — as if! She returns to find him feeding on the dog. Alex is horrified and screams his name. There’s blood around his mouth when he looks up at her. Holden complains that he doesn’t feel well and he wants his mommy. His other Mommy. (Ok, then, buh-bye!)
John is at the station. Detective Hahn (Richard T.Jones) lets him know he received the hospital report. The blood found on Mattress Man was someone else’s. Now they have a body to look for. John asks Hahn if there was any mention of a bunch of child murders that he’s heard of. Hahn says it happened in a town called Warrenville. The town later changed its name to avoid the notoriety. John goes online to research the Wineville child murders, and is shocked to find that these killings took place in the 1920’s. Gee, that would make Miss Evers at least 130 years old! She looks good.
Alex takes Holden back to Hotel Cortez, where he runs up the stairs and leads her to his glass coffin. It’s just the way Scarlett described it. He climbs in and closes his eyes as the lid closes. Alex stares in disbelief, as the Countess appears and offers to answer the many questions Alex must have. The Countess leads Alex to her suite. Alex wants to know what the hell has happened to her son. Why has the Countess stolen him? The Countess explains it was to save him from a life of neglect, the way Alex neglected John. How could she know this? Alex wonders. She demands to know what has been done to her son. The Countess cooly explains what Holden is now. She says the ancient virus he has contracted is a blood disorder that will lead to health, vitality and everlasting life. Alex is on the brink of insanity and draws a gun on the Countess, demanding she change him back — Ooo, cat fight! The Countess says she can’t change him back, and offers to make Alex like Holden so she can be with her true love. The only price is Alex’s undying loyalty. Alex will hear none of it.
John is greeted at the bar by Liz, who’s beautifully decked out in a black, sequined dress with matching headpiece. John decides to order a real drink for a change. Alex always told him he had control issues and had no right calling himself an alcoholic. A young woman joins him at the bar. Liz warns her that John is a cop. John thinks she’s dressed up for Halloween as Aileen Wuornos (Lily Rabe). It’s no disguise. She offers to screw him inside out. Liz warns him he has no idea how ugly she really is. John claims he has on his booze goggles, so she looks good to him. He takes her back to his room. As she babbles on and on about her tragic life story, he begins to believe she is Wuornos. John tries to grab her but she breaks free and they tussle. John manages to handcuff her to the bathroom sink. John storms out of his room and confronts Liz at the bar. He fills John in on what goes on at the hotel on Devil’s night. Then he hands John an invitation.
He returns to his room to find his detainee gone, and a garment bag with a note from Liz. Something to wear for the soiree. It’s a tux, and a dapper John heads to the elevator. He finds the party, and Aileen is the first to greet him. James March is hosting the evening and with sweeping gestures, he directs everyone to their place card. (Hats off to Evan Peters, for superbly capturing the mannerisms and cadence of 1930’s film stars as March) John tells March the owner of the hotel died more than 85 years ago. Laughing, March says John should know by now that the impossible is possible at Hotel Cortez. March asks everyone at the table to introduce themselves. We meet John Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Zodiac killer, Richard Ramirez aka the Night Stalker, and we’ve already met Aileen.
John points to each of them in disbelief, naming the dates they were executed. He refuses to believe they are who they say they are. March boasts about the construction of his hotel and how he designed it to conceal murders with it’s many chutes and ladders. Miss Evers wheels in the dinner cart, and serves all the guests. Ramirez walks over to the phonograph and turns it on. March asks that Miss Evers bring out the amusement; a frightened, naked young man. A special treat for Jeffrey. He caresses the young man, burying his face in his hair and inhaling deeply, as serial killers tend to do. John pulls his gun and fires into Jeffrey’s shoulder. Dahmer laughs it off; doesn’t John realize they’re already dead?! John is restrained as Dahmer proceeds to use a drill to get into the young man’s skull. He seems heavily drugged, he doesn’t even flinch. Dahmer says he’s been a zombie since he injected acid into his brain. John fights against his restraints to no avail. Sally’s hanging out in front of the hotel like a hooker —you guessed it —smoking a cigarette. She’s approached by a young, handsome businessman, looking for some fun. Sally has all the fun he can handle!
March offers to serve dessert and the whole table cheers. It’s the businessman from out front. He’s very high so Sally helps him into the room. Miss Evers brings in a tray of knives. They all take one and proceed to take turns stabbing the man to death. John is flipping out and fighting his restraints, so a sympathetic Sally comes to his aid. She tells him the room is empty; he didn’t see what he thought. John looks around at the empty room. Sally frees him and offers to take him back to his room.
Back in the Countess’ suite, Alex drinks from the Countess, desperately wanting to reconnect with Holden. Alex drinks until she slumps over, dead. Moments later, her eyes open on an eternity of possibilities.
American Horror Story: Hotel Airs on FX Wednesday 10/9c
