How many murders have been committed in this house?
As with the premiere, this week’s episode opens with a murder that occurred in the house some American Horror Story time ago. The year was 1968 and after three young girls who lived in the house head out to see a concert the remaining inhabitants, Maria and an older woman who is a nurse, are left alone in the house. Following a knock on the door, Maria lets in an older gentleman under the pretenses that he is injured. While she is cleaning his wound, she notices that he really isn’t injured. He ultimately ends up killing the both of them. Stabbing Maria to death and drowning the nurse in a bathtub.
We fast forward to present day to a counseling session between Ben and Tate. Tate pushes Ben’s buttons and reveals the sexual fantasies he’s been having with his daughter Violet. He also reveals that Violet told him about Ben’s previous indiscretion. Ben promptly tells Tate to leave and turns his attention to his cell phone that has been buzzing. He soon learns that his former lover – and student- Hayden (Kate Mara) is pregnant and that she wants him to return to Boston so he can accompany her to have an abortion. Ben makes up a lie about a former patient in order to do so.
Before Ben leaves though the first of two home invasions occur and he meets a new patient. While they are sleeping the house alarm goes off and Ben goes off in search of the breach. He finds Addy in the basement rolling a boll. After sending her back home through a basement door he proceeds to walk up the stairs and the ball rolls back to where Addy was sitting. Of course Ben doesn’t see it, it’s only meant for us. But was it Addy that set off the alarm or Tate? Before the alarm goes off, we see him standing at the foot of Violet’s bed. Although, I am beginning to have my own thoughts as to whom Tate could really be. The following day Ben’s new patient, Bianca, reveals to him that the house is part of a murder house tour. Following their session she seems to have trouble locating the door to leave.
Meanwhile, Constance has whipped up some cupcakes meant specifically for Violet. They are laced with ipecac syrup and Addy’s spit. Ipecac syrup causes heavy vomiting and severe stomach discomfort. Why would she want to hurt Violet? Is it retribution for how Vivien treated Abby in the pilot episode? Or, is there something else going on here? Constance delivers the cupcakes and while at the house tells Vivien that she knows she’s pregnant. Since Vivien is having doubts about the pregnancy, she asks Constance whether the baby is okay, which Constance’s assures her that it is. We also learn that Addy isn’t Constance’s only child, that in fact she had a few children who all had problems except for a boy who was perfect. Could that be Tate?
That night, after Ben leaves, the second invasion in the Harmon family home occurs. Late at night the doorbell rings and when Vivien goes to investigate it a woman, Fiona, is standing there with blood on her head. Sound reminiscent of anything? Fiona urges her to open the door and even starts banging on it. Vivien tells her to wait as she will call the police for her. When she goes in search of her phone it’s not in the kitchen where it usually is. She calls for Violet and tells her to call the police, but of course Violet’s phone is missing as well. When Vivien returns to the door Fiona is no longer there, but someone else has gotten into the house, a man in a mask is standing behind her. Okay, on a side note the movie I am instantly reminded of was “The Strangers” (2008) which starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.
Turns out that Ben’s patient, Bianca, and her friend Fiona and a gentleman enjoy reenacting murders and they were planning on reenacting the 1968 murder from the flashback in the beginning of the episode. Little do they know about Tate’s disappearing and reappearing ability; he seems to be everywhere at once. Ultimately Vivien and Violet survive the night. The same cannot be said for the three intruders. Bianca is tempted by the cupcake that Violet discarded and instantly becomes ill. As she is dealing with that Violet is able to lure Fiona into the basement after Tate’s urging. Tate practically slices Bianca in half with an axe and she makes her way out of the house only to die in the street a few blocks away. Fiona and the guy are killed in the basement and Constance, Tate and Moira dispose of the bodies. How many times have they done that before?
Ben returns home after seeing he had thirteen missed calls from Vivien. He apologizes to her for not being home when everything happened and she replies by saying they are not home as she wants to sell the house. We obviously know that they don’t sell, but, what is it that makes them stick around?
Some stats and info about American Horror Story, “Home Invasion”
TV SHOW – American Horror Story
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 1, Episode 2
AIRED ON – October 12th, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Hulu/FX
GENRE – Horror, Drama
CREATED BY – Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy, Halley Feiffer
CAST – Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Denis O’Hare, Lily Rabe, Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy, Emma Roberts, Jessica Lange, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Angela Bassett, Cheyenne Jackson,
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.