American Horror Story 5x03 Mommy / 5x04 Devil's Night

Yeah, so this is awkward - I didn't have the time to recap the episode last Thursday and then I kinda forgot to recap it. But I warned you it may happen. So we are doing the double feature today.

Last week's episode unfortunately showed us more of Alex. Is there anyone watching who actually cares about this arc? Anyways it turns out Alex loves her abducted son way more than her husband - whom she wants to divorce - and daughter - whom she throws the most epic side eye since Catelyn Tully. So Alex goes to Hotel and after being teased by Naomi Campbell's ghost (by the way don't you badmouth Zara) she runs into Holden and takes him home, because oh well what could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile the inept detective gets played by Sally who he wants to arrestr. It was a really fantastic scene with the lights flickering in an elevator and Paulson being excellent again. However Wes Bentley is so lost this season, he was wonderful in Freakshow but here he is just boring. Thankfully, we got some real  acting powerhouse from Kathy Bates when Iris shared scenes with Donovan. Bomer is a very talented actor but it's a big challenge to enjoy his acting and looks when he plays such a loser.
After Donovan gets dumped by Countess he hits the streets and feeds on some junkies. And then he is taken by my new favorite character this season already.

The best thing about the episode, as is frequently the case with this show, was Angela Bassett who finally showed up. She plays Ramona Royale a former Blaxploitation star who hooks up with the Countess. There is an outstanding little scene showing us the couple riding in the elevator, moving from each other bit by bit as their styles change and the years pass. It was really outstanding in its simplicity.
Anyways, it turns out that Ramona, who was turned by the Countess, wanted to turn a man she loved for her and for that the Countess kills him. Ramona is now out for revenge and she tells Donovan she is coming after her precious children, the ones she abducted. Meanwhile, after Donovan tells her she means nothing to him and she should kill herself Iris wants to commit suicide with the help of Sally.

There is a great scene where Liz Taylor talks to Donovan and tells him that nobody in this whole world will love him as much as his mother. So Donovan barges in on his mother, now dead, and Sally and feeds his vampire blood to his mother, turning her.

In last night's episode detective John was invited to Devil's Night - an annual "party" hosted by Mr. March for the famous serial killers including Zodiac and John Wayne Gacy. Lily Rabe returns to the show, this time as Aileen Wuornos and does a terrific job as usual, but it's really a shame she isn't given a whole season, but just the two episodes. 

The dinner sequence was really good especially when Sally entered the scene, leading a man she picked up in front of a hotel for him to be killed by all the serial killers. Those scenes were one of the highlights, as we had to suffer through more of Alex and her story arc which ended with the Countess turning her into vampire...so, what, everyone is gonna get turned now?
That storyline also featured her vampire kid, Holden, killing a dog. As if I didn't dislike that child already, now they do this. I really hope this whole family perishes as soon as possible. Sevigny is given such an annoying character to play and Bentley is absolutely bland in his role. A good pay off to that whole story would rescue it, but somehow I doubt anything good is coming.

The standout of the episode was Mare Winingham - apparently Mrs. Evers child was taken years ago by the same killer who was featured in Clint Eastwood's heartbreaking Changeling. Her scene where she was telling John about how she lost her boy was the best thing about the episode.
The episode was very focused but it was one of the weaker ones of the season so far. The amount of time spent on Alex and John is taking that time away from far more interesting characters. I am impressed with Murphy still keeping many things a mystery, especially Sally. We don't really know what her deal is and it is mentioned in this episode that bringing that man to the killers buys her "a year of freedom".

The episode was unfortunately missing Bassett who thank God returns next week. Bomer and Bates were also absent. But in their absence Peters who is quickly becoming the MVP of the season was shining even more. It's a bit of a shame that all those people brought in to play the killers weren't given more to do, but hopefully that changes the next week.

Next week looks far more eventful than these two, so let's hope it all just gets better and better with each one from now on: