AMERICAN HORROR STORY s11: e3 and e4: SMOKE SIGNALS and BLACK OUT

 

AMERICAN HORROR STORY season 11: eps 3 and 4: SMOKE SIGNALS and BLACK OUT

 

This season is playing upon expectations of previous nonsensical seasons and surprising us by playing things, uhm, completely straight. Well, straight as in “not over the top” and “not farcical” or for any comedy at all. And for me, at least, serious horror works better than all the previous ten seasons. The synopsis below of season 11 eps 3 and 4 have major SPOILERS so don’t go on. In fact, the rest of his review has major spoilers.

 

First, the Whitely character is so creepy and filmed well that he IS scary. This show hasn’t been this scary since maybe season one’s creep factor. BUT this is more realistic. Whitely in the elevator during the black out is one of the truly terrifying images as two men (one is Daniel played by Hale Appleman of the magnificent THE MAGICIANS tv series where he’s amazingly good and also plays gay or bi), unthinking and meaning well to catch a killer, Hardy (or Hardly?) boys style, track him to an apartment (they believe it is his but is it?) and go into an elevator with him, which is downright stupid.

 

Then, the lights go out and there is a black out. Gosh, that’s terrifying. And the truth is, even though these two gay men are acting stupid, we DO CARE about them unlike dozens of stupid AMERICAN HORROR STORY characters in the past who were just stupid for stupid sake…or to get bloodily killed. Though no gore yet in the elevator, the no gore factor in that scene alone makes it scarier.

 

Okay, I don’t know what the cats connection is and I would rather they not involved animals here. One seems to have been hungry and ate the deceased (and poor guy) Hans. Gross. And not necessary but this is AMERICAN HORROR STORY so…but please release the cats from contract.

 

The other thing is: I’ve lived through two major black outs, one in the 60s which is more memorable because I was in Brooklyn and had an aunt trapped underground (an African American man led her and others to safety across the third rail using the cushions! Which would make an episode of this) so I know black outs can be scary and hazardous.

 

One thing I can totally do without is the whole virus flesh wounds thing. It’s just gross and I guess gross scary? It’s a turn off and added to their fixation on making cats seem like villains (they’re not, they’re heroes as are dogs), AND the whole flea thing (TOTAL GROSS), I might not be able to keep watching. But again, going in this is the irritating and gross AMERICAN HORROR STORY we’re watching here, regardless of a welcome change in tone and narrative to a more serious type of horror that’s not gimmicking us. AND…somehow I like it more than all the others put together.

 

I was sure, thanks to past AMERICAN HORROR STORIES seasons and scenes, that Gino in that freezer was up for it and would die. His partner Patrick rescues him. And then, as IN past seasons, Patrick DOES cheat on him by engaging a buff man with S and M (whipping which is doubly gross!). Pat’s wife visits again and during the black out. I thought for sure Gino would let her stay because a black out is dangerous but this is glossed over for other involvements. Which works.

 

Patrick has a problem. He’s willing to come out at work to his irritating boss AND to tell Gino he’s working on being better.

 

Which is more than Gino can do. Gino does not know how annoying, irritating and judgmental HE himself is. Joe Mantello is so good he has Gino imbibed with some good natured qualities (brave against Patti LuPone’s Kathy Pizzaz, herself at first standoffish but later imbued with warmth and care, all of which is amazing for a show filled with nasty characters in past seasons and no one we can identify with). Joe makes Gino likeable when based on lines he should not be. He’s a whiner and does not appreciate his very hot boyfriend Patrick at all, nor their connection. He’s always looking for a way to put Patrick down and / or get out of this relationship.

 

When Gino is in the freezer we DO care about him but due to past AHS characters that I liked--- dying so suddenly, I tried not to care too much. Surprise, he’s saved.

 

Even the scene where Gino and Patrick separate (do they watch horror movies?) in the hospital to track down Whitely (who, btw might just be one of two killers, the big buff leather man can’t be him and it’s implied it COULD be Patrick!!!!) is not cliché by merit of how it is filmed and Whitely being so evasive and smarter than…well, everyone. AND that’s scary.

 

Oh and I sincerely care about both the buff Adam and muscled, lean Theo. I really want their cute and sexy relationship to work out. Sam is a monster, well played with depth by Zach Quinto, who might come between them as he is Sam’s boyfriend or ex boyfriend if Theo is sincere (he seems to be) about leaving Sam. Sam likes rough SandM and he tries to explain off his abduction and caging of a handsome youth named Stu as that youth (Stu) wanted it. That’s not what we saw on screen!

 

I’m also not sure how Stu escaped that big buff masked leather man just stood there and let him go but I’m glad he did. I liked poor victim Stu and am glad he survived…at least for now.

 

On the negative side, if Adam and Theo had been hetero sexual, that sexy sex scene would have lasted a lot longer. As it is, it just gets going when it ends and we move to the next morning or something else. Come on, stop that. Even the great and now cancelled TOM SWIFT on the CW was brave enough to REALLY show a lot of skin and everything but actual penetration! And it was done classy but over the top sexy and it worked. That show should have stayed on the air.

 

Back to this: the casting works, the characters work, the writing works, the serious tone is scary and works. We or maybe just I, relate to and love the characters and the setting. Things that don’t work for me: the cat connection (I love cats too much to let them be used in a horror series) and the virus crap (too disturbing) and its connection to TWO serial killers.  

 

So there’s a lot here to like and to draw me back to the season. Is Patrick a killer? Will Gino ever appreciate him? Is Sam really as bad as it looks? Will anyone survive? Will Theo and Adam hook up again? Gosh, the scene where Sam has Adam get in his limo was tense and made me worry for Adam! Sam’s crazy and could easily have abducted Adam.

 

 

THE PLOTS:

 

SMOKE SIGNALS

Fran elaborates, claiming the virus is a biological weapon. Sam’s prisoner, Stewart, escapes. Patrick questions Sam, who insists everything was consensual. A call from Mr. Whitely leads Patrick to a warehouse party. There, he follows a harnessed man into a backroom and whips him. Adam and Theo go on a date at the Ascension Club, where Adam insists Big Daddy is still alive. Whitely orders Adam a Mai Tai before Big Daddy seals the bar doors shut and sets the club ablaze with a Molotov cocktail. Dr. Wells takes blood from Adam and Whitely for testing. Gino and Patrick chase Whitely around the hospital. Whitely restrains Gino in the morgue and locks him in a freezing drawer.

 

BLACK OUT

Power grid failures cause black outs across the city. Patrick rescues Gino from the morgue. Gino implores Kathy, the proprietor of a local bathhouse, to give a statement regarding the murders to the Native. Hans, the emcee of the warehouse parties, is found dead by his friend Daniel. Theo breaks up with Sam for Adam. Sam intercepts Adam on the street and picks him up for a ride. He declares that Theo will grow bored of him. Patrick comes out to Captain Marzara. Fearing he may be the killer, Barbara shows Gino Patrick’s leather mask. Whitely calls Patrick at the station, identifying him by name. In Central Park, Big Daddy hunts Patrick with a chain mace. At a black out warehouse party, Adam and Daniel encourage others to organize. Pleading for the truth, Gino confronts Patrick with the mask and passes out. Daniel and a friend follow Whitely into his apartment complex. The three are in an elevator when the power goes out and Whitely brandishes a knife.

American Horror Story NYC Recap, Season 11 Episodes 1 and 2 (vulture.com)