American Horror Story: “Mommy” — Oct. 21, 2015
This week on AHS: Hotel, memories of Holden push Alex to a breaking point and a rival of the Countess sets her sights on a bitter Donovan. Special Contributor Tracey M. takes you inside the episode with this recap. – David F.
Photo courtesy of FX
Claudia Bankson (Naomi Campbell) readies for bed. The guest of the hotel’s new owner is spooked by strange noises in the other rooms. Chalking it up to a night of partying, she slips into the cool, white sheets. Suddenly, she’s seized by the throat by the man sewn into the mattress. She grabs a knife to fight him off, he takes it from her and slashes her in self-defense. Now the man’s freaking out and bloody and he runs down to the lobby and throws himself at Det. John Lowe’s feet, begging for help. John calls for help and follows the young man to the ER, running alongside his stretcher (what is he-a lawyer?) The young man keeps saying the strung-out whore tricked him, and that he didn’t mean it. John asks him what he means, but the man flatlines. (Man that sucks!)
John has some questions for Sally when he gets back to the hotel. Did I forget to mention that Sally is skilled with more than just hypodermic needles? She’s our mattress-stuffer, though I’m not sure what Sally’s doing or why. John asks her what she knows about the raving, bloody man. He’s on edge and decides to take Sally in for questioning. He cuffs her and escorts her into the elevator. Sally moves in close, breathes in his ear before running her tongue around it, and puts her hands down his pants. Guess he should have cuffed her in back. She croons how they are meant for each other. The elevator hits the lobby before she can lure him into a kiss, but when the doors open, Sally is gone. Bewildered, John heads to the station where he’s asked to investigate another possible Commandment Murder scene. A woman is dead, her tongue nailed to her desk. John mumbles “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”. John is having a busy day!
Alex Lowe never wanted a family, but married John anyway. Scarlett was born, but Alex felt next to nothing. When Holden was born, Alex fell in love. She felt whole; he was her soulmate. She loved the smell of him, the smell of fresh lavender, and she called his scent her “drug of choice”. She loved Holden more than John or Scarlett. Losing him has broken her. When John finds Alex passed out in the tub with slit wrists, the family goes into therapy. During a recent session, Scarlett told how she saw Holden at the hotel, and how he was different than he used to be, and he smelled like lavender. Scarlett’s story has badly shaken the fragile Alex. Later, she heads to the hotel bar to meet with John.
Liz Taylor is a sequined delight this evening,and her makeup is flawless. She serves Alex and blows a kiss at her before sauntering away to wipe down the bar. Alex serves John with divorce papers. She says she can no longer be with him, losing Holden has ruined their marriage. This will be for the best. John falls apart. Crying, he begs he needs his family, he’s hurting, too and he’s scared staying in this hotel. Alex helps John to his room. She gets him to lay down, and he apologizes for letting Holden get lost. He tells Alex he knows she loved Holden more than him. Alex says losing Holden is not his fault, next thing you know, they’re rolling around on the bed, limbs locked. Lost in the moment, John suggests they have another baby. Exit Alex. Once in the hall, she’s confronted by a naked and finely shredded, bloody Claudia Bankson. She runs in the opposite direction and sees a small, blonde boy.She moves toward him slowly. In disbelief she whispers, “Holden?”
Tristan is in Will Drake’s (Cheyenne Jackson) room. Tristan idolizes James March and he summons him to praise his ideas. March appears and in Clark Gable-like fashion grandly describes his designs and secret places in his hotel. He wants Will and his cronies out of his hotel. Tristan’s happy to help March, he’s still got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Drake.
Will returns to his suite, and begins looking over some old hotel blueprints. He notices they make no sense. Long hallways with no doorways or exits. Multiple laundry chutes, and strange rooms with no doors. He figures they must be the wrong blueprints for this hotel. Hiding in the room, Tristan jumps out to scare Will. Will is still angry about Tristan’s hissy fit during his fashion show, but finds he’s still very drawn to him. They have history. While they share a passionate kiss, Tristan pulls out a knife to kill him, maybe drink him, but the Countess appears and shakes her head. She doesn’t want Drake killed. She plans to seduce and marry Will Drake, then take every penny he has. The Countess goes unseen and Will throws Tristan out of his room.
Iris finally gets to see her son, but Donovan is full of venom. He hates her for kicking his father out, making him eat a diet too high in fiber causing frequent accidents when he was a child. He says it’s no wonder he’s a drug addict. Donovan spits that he used drugs in hopes he would die, and resents Iris saving his life. She brought him to the Countess, and he’s angry to be “alive.” He says that he hates her and she might as well drop dead. He hits the streets and drinks the blood of addicts. He’s high just like he was before the Countess possessed him. He spots a woman standing outside of her car, and draws his knife. Perhaps a little drink to refresh him? He sneaks up to the woman, but she turns around and tazes him right into the trunk of her car.
Donovan wakes up strapped to a chair. His blood is being pumped out and cleaned by machines. 70’s movie star Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett), queen of Black B movies, has plans for him. Back in the 70’s, when Ramona was at the height of her fame, she met the Countess. The two fell in love, and Ramona was turned. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Ramona was mesmerized until she got a gander at minor music mogul Prophet Moses. Ramona’s breath is taken away by this beautiful man. She wanted him to be hers forever. Lost in making love with Mo and getting ready to turn him, the two are confronted by a very upset Countess. She is broken hearted, she loved Ramona more than anything. With a vengeance, she kills all of Mo’s entourage, finishing by shooting Mo in the face. Now Ramona has come back for revenge against the Countess. Perfect timing, as Donovan is still smarting over being dumped.
Iris is brokenhearted and asks Sally to kill her. She wants to overdose, she has no reason to live now that Donovan has revealed his hatred of her. Sally won’t inject Iris until she’s assured that Iris won’t haunt the hotel as well. Sally tells Iris she’s had enough of her over the years.
Donovan returns to the hotel and tries to take refuge at the bar. Liz is outraged by Donovan’s dismissal of his mother. She has a lot of respect for Iris, and with much finger-wagging she manages to make Donvan feel small and petty. Liz tells Donovan that no one will ever love him like his mother.
Sally has injected Iris with enough heroin to overdose, but she’s still breathing. Sally’s resourceful, so she finds a plastic bag and puts it over Iris’s head. Iris struggles for air and gradually stops breathing. Donovan forces his way into Iris’ room, and finds his mother dead. He’s suddenly desperate and slices open his arm and lets the blood drip onto her lips and into her mouth. Iris begins to drink the blood and Sally watches.
”Now there’s some twisted poetic justice….” Sally comments, sucking on a cigarette. Looks like she’ll be spending more time with Iris after all.
American Horror Story: Hotel Airs on FX Wednesday at 10/9c
