TV Show Review

TV Review: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: Season 5, Episode 10: She Gets Revenge [FX]

Mare Winningham Denis O'Hare American Horror Story She Gets Revenge

FX‘s American Horror Story She Gets Revenge TV Show Review. American Horror Story: Season 5, Episode 10: She Gets Revenge was an emotional, comedic, rollercoaster that was less about revenge and more about love. Once again, it was Liz Taylor’s (Denis O’Hare) night to shine. Iris (Kathy Bates) and Liz were American Horror Story‘s version of Thelma and Louise. Gun-toting besties, couples drama, comedy and forgiveness were the order of the night. Plus, someone in the music department is a Drake fan.

She Gets Revenge opened with a suicidal elderly couple blowing each other’s brains out. Yeah, that’s the kind of clientele Hotel Cortez attracts. We also saw Liz contemplate his mundane existence in a place where he no longer feels at home. He wanted to kill himself, but Iris stopped him, not only because dying on the premises would bind him there forever, but also because he was not actually ready to die. Thing is, Liz still had some unfinished business. He needed to make amends with his son who he abandoned long ago to live as a woman in Hotel Cortez.

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Mrs. Evers (Mare Winningham) was a great help with the family reunion. I say that only as much as she arranged the meeting, but Mrs. Evers also made Liz think twice about it. She talked to Liz, flippantly and with bigoted remarks mind you, about the fact that Liz’s son, Douglas (Josh Braaten), might be completely taken aback by Liz’s appearance as a woman. So, the crafty solution was for Liz to pretend he was just a bartender, allowing he and his unwitting son to talk for hours. What was truly remarkable about the night was how Douglas knew, and wanted nothing more than finally to have a relationship with his father, Liz. After so many heartbreaking and gut-wrenching scenes this season, it was such a relief to witness something heartwarming. (Although, this show has conditioned me to expect violence in the midst of happiness, so in the back of my mind I kept thinking Douglas would be attacked by the faceless man or something. Happy to be disappointed there.)

We watched events unfold as an interesting love triangle (or square?) was resolved with bullets. Donovan (Matt Bomer) found Valentino (Finn Wittrock) alone in his seedy hotel room while The Countess (Lady Gaga) lured Natacha (Alexandra Daddario) to the penthouse in Hotel Cortez. These were Top Five, some of the funniest death scenes in American Horror Story: Hotel so far.

Donovan and Valentino argued over who had better cheekbones. Natacha and The Countess, who was dressed in a spectacular little black structured dress, kissed and petted each other till they finally showed their deadly intentions. The scenes were cut together as a wonderful round robin of petty insults that had me chuckling throughout. Two women fought over one man, two men fought over one woman. Unfortunately, both Valentino and Natacha brought knives  to gunfights (actually Valentino had a sword), and they both caught bullets to the head. Thus, Wittrock has lived and died twice on American Horror Story: Hotel – bye bye once again.

Meanwhile, John (Wes Bentley) and Alex (Chloë Sevigny) stepped off their divergent paths to finally face one another. I had been waiting for this. These two have been living worlds apart in the same building. John has been distracted with completing his gruesome masterpiece, adding a pair of sinful ears to his collection of body parts. He only needs one more kill. Sally (Sarah Paulson) played the sinister cheerleader in his ear. She actually seemed content for the first time in the season, but of course only for a second. He could not stay with Sally because she is toxic. John’s priorities had changed. He wanted his wife and family back. Honestly, I refused to cheer or feel sorry for any of these people. Although, finally, John and Alex admitted they are the world’s worst parents for abandoning Scarlett. That, I did applaud.

We saw John and Alex work together to round up the vamp kids before they caused even more damage in Los Angeles. The ungrateful brats looked like they would turn on Alex – their maker – until they realized that spreading the virus was killing kids too. I am still not completely certain what this virus does to the human body, but it does not work every time, as we saw with Ramona’s father, and now with one of the children who was turning. John and Alex led the unsuspecting vampire brat pack back to the hotel and into The Countess’ new dungeon to let Ramona (Angela Bassett) feast. I did feel sorry for them.

Although Donovan killed The Countess’ maker and first love, She Gets Revenge did not end with The Countess avenging Valentino …or anything really. Instead, we saw Donovan in the penthouse dancing to Drake’s “Hotline Bling” (and I could not breathe I was laughing so hard. Yes, Drake has broken into the horror genre – standing ovation). The chaos did not end there because while Donovan was professing his love to The Countess, throwing himself at her mercy… Iris and Liz busted into the penthouse guns blazing with “Hotline Bling” blasting in the background! I suppose the revenge belonged to Liz and Iris. Best Ending Ever!!! She Gets Revenge was one of my favorite episodes this season. What did you think?

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of American Horror Story: Hotel below in the comments section. For more American Horror Story: Hotel reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our American Horror Story: Hotel Page, and consider subscribing to us by Email, “following” us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ or “liking” us on Facebook for quick updates.

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PopcornMovieMaiden

I am ...a lover of all things film/TV ...a poet with a law degree ...a D.C. native, who frequents local and international film festivals ...a couch potato with opinions.
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