TV Review: ‘American Horror Story’ Season 11, Episode 7
by Frank Martin
This week’s first episode of American Horror Story was a pivotal one. Up until this point, the season has been branching off in many different directions. The show has done its best to focus on each character and give them their time to shine, but it was beginning to become overwhelmed by all of the plates it was spinning. But in this episode, one of the plates finally fell in dramatic fashion; resulting in the end of a great plot thread while also boosting characterization and setting up the rest of the season for what’s to come.
Last episode ended with Henry (Denis O’Hare) getting kidnapped by the Mai Tai killer. Gino (Joe Mantello) saw it happen and wisely called Patrick (Russell Tovey) to come and help. Of course, they were taken prisoner themselves in a rather convenient bit of writing. Still, the trio was able to break free and end the Mai Tai killer once and for all. That was just the opening of the episode, though. From there, Hannah (Billie Lourd) and Adam (Charlie Carver) start focusing on the disease side of the season as that will, undoubtedly, become the main plot up until the finale, when it unravels the mystery of who or what Big Daddy is.
The best kinds of fictional serial killers are ones that want to send a message and truly have something to say; using their crimes as art to portray that message. That’s where the Mai Tai killer falls. This season is primarily about the gay community, and so it features a bunch of gay characters dealing with real problems the community faces. But it wraps the plot with enough horror to drive the point home without becoming preachy. This episode brought that tension-filled plot line to a conclusion while also wisely using it as a springboard for what will surely be a great second half of the season.
American Horror Story airs Wednesdays on FX.