Source: Spoiler TV
Well, it’s finally happened. Lana is free. I guess my theory that they were going to milk that storyline until the season finale was off. I mean, when she put a bullet through Dr. Thredson’s head? That’s the sort of thing you just don’t bounce back from, not even in a wildly unpredictable/nonsensical Ryan Murphy kind of way. Then again, I still have two episodes to be proven wrong on that one. Still, in all of American Horror Story: Asylum’s short history, last night was the episode so many of us were hoping for: Lana is out, Thredson is dead, and it looks like things might work out. I guess I had more riding on this storyline than I thought, but now that the show has given me everything I wanted, in one episode no less, it’s hard to imagine where the show will go from here. In a weird way, I’m not sure I’ve ever been so disappointed as to get everything I hoped for. I mean, just from a storytelling standpoint, that all seems too simple, right? Maybe I’m just fickle. Regardless, I’m cautiously optimistic for Lana for the rest of this season. Although, it looks like, in true Ryan Murphy fashion, I’ll be hating her and wantingher dead by the end of the next episode… unless that preview was grossly out of context. Drastic and unbelievable character changes are kind of Ryan Murphy’s “thing” so I wouldn’t be surprised.
Unfortunately, “Spilt Milk” is pretty evenly split between Lana’s debacle, one of my favorite storylines, and alien baby mama drama, unquestionably my least favorite addition to American Horror Story: Asylum. I mean, I know the show is weird, but seriously? This isn’t just a bizarre plot, it’s borderline soap-opera caliber stuff. Evan Peters, an incredibly talented actor, tries to sell it, but “Spilt Milk” sabotages him at every turn. I think my favorite moment was when he brings Grace back to his home with Alma, only to find his abducted… or murdered… or, I don’t know, something wife breast-feeding what appears to be his child. All that was missing was one of those Maury paternity test celebration dances when he finds out he is not the father. Who are we kidding? Of course he’s the father. Ryan Murphy could never let that opportunity slip past him. Still, the most laughable moment of “Spilt Milk” (actually, I haven’t even touched the Dylan McDermott stuff, so let’s just say one of the most laughable moments) is Kit’s demands to the Monsignor. Ignoring the fact that Grace herself has acknowledged he’s still in love with, or at least getting over, Alma, Kit insists on doing everything in his power to release Grace. Here’s the thing, though… Grace is being tortured like the rest of the folks at Briarcliff, sure, but she- well, she did something wrong. Lana was wrongfully imprisoned there. Kit was framed. In fact, Grace is the only one who comes to mind who actually belongs in an institution. The whole Kit and Grace thing feels like a clumsily-written piece of shipping fan fic, but evidently, we’re going to have to suffer through that and whatever other alien stuff American Horror Story: Asylum throws our way. I’m slightly intrigued to see if they answer all the questions that have been posed with the alien sub-plot, but I’m not holding my breath.
In other news, Sister Jude is still locked up with the crazies. Like, I’ve enjoyed seeing the tables turned on her, but once it was done, it felt like American Horror Story: Asylum didn’t have much more use for her. They just kept her around because she’s Jessica Lange and she was in the first season. Same with Dylan McDermott, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong, watching Adam Levine act was more painful than watching him get murdered, so I’m glad he’s no longer in the picture, but this whole “Johnny” bit? It just doesn’t do anything for me, except remind me why I hate pop psychology. I mean, seriously, did the writers just take a Psych 101 class and think they knew all it takes to make a man a murderer? It’s lazy, at best. Still, although I’m pretty sure it isn’t supposed to be, that whole framing device is at least worth a cheap laugh. Hiring a prostitute so he can drink breast milk is more hilariously disturbed than it is creepy or frightening.
It’s a shame when a 13-episode series has to resort to filler episodes, but so much of “Spilt Milk” felt inconsequential. Lana finally making it out of Briarcliff was a really big thing, sure, but what else? Okay, maybe it isn’t that nothing happened, because a lot did. None of it seemed to have any effect though. Most of the episode felt like set-up for the finale. Doesn’t Ryan Murphy know he has to keep things at least mildly interesting to get viewers to stay tuned til the finale?
WTFs of the Week
I’m not letting this Grace thing go… are we seriously going to pretend she didn’t murder her family?
Was it “Bring Your Drunk Kid to Work Day” on the set of American Horror Story: Asylum? It’s not just me, the camera work (split screen, food POV cam) was crazy this week, right?
Where do you think this whole Lana thing is going? I mean, what else does she have to do now that she’s out?
What are your thoughts on this week’s episode?
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I share pretty much the same thoughts. They are really stretching it this season with the inclusion of an alien storyline, not to mention that god awful Anne Frank story arc. Very disrespectful to Anne and her family in my opinion. I also don't believe it was necessary to include a Nazi among the cast of characters. He was bad enough already. And they even connected him to a real-life Nazi doctor who had a thing for experimenting with twins. Very sick stuff.
But anyway, the only thing I didn't particularly like was how they handled the abortion and then Lana's eventual delivery of the baby. Some may disagree but I find it a stretch to say that abortion is synonymous with mass murder/rape or killing someone in self-defense. Murphy has already done the so-called "demon baby" plot, with total disregard for the health and livelihood of the mother. If anything the past two seasons have seemed like an endorsement for abortion in a very twisted way.
Lana's reasoning didn't really make sense, though I sympathize with her for not going through with the abortion. It just seems like more torture added onto an already very tortured character. I'm surprised she isn't catatonic given all that has been done to her. And they really need to stop using rape as a plot point. It's bad enough that Wendy was murdered but did they need to show Thredson raping her dead body? This show is so triggering.
And totally agree that Grace isn't innocent. I'm a bit conflicted regarding her situation. I could understand her killing the father in self-defense, but then going after the rest of her family indicates something being very wrong. And I don't like the institution whatsoever. It was evident before the main characters were placed in the asylum that their treatment of people wasn't good. They don't really say much about prisons back then, but between the two prison may have been better for Grace compared to Briarcliff.
I'm guessing Lana's seeming change of heart may have something to do with blackmail or extortion. Though I can understand her wanting to distance herself from the institution as much as possible, having been a victim for so long and having her life destroyed. I don't think it was strictly b/c of her pursuit of the story. She was really in the wrong place at the wrong time. So maybe in the end, after having lost so much she decides to kind of just throw in the towel. She did have that conversation with her friends about the story.
Also b/c she is told that Jude is dead, which we know isn't true, maybe that kills a little bit of her thunder.
Lol, you and Fangs for the Fantasy have the same opinion when it comes to the camerawork. I think they did a much better job in previous episodes. More skilled and less trying to be arty and edgy.
One thing that I liked about this episode is no one said that their freedom meant that everything had been made up to them. That they had finally received justice. B/c they lost so much in the end and continue to suffer.