Thursday, November 10, 2011

Dollar Bin Horror Review:American Horror Story-"Piggy Piggy"

By Eric Polk-
You know Reaplings, I've watched some bizzare, graphic things in my time(1992 Vice-Presidential Debate, for example)but last night's episode of American Horror Story nearly tops them all. So much of an attack on your visual sense, I thought I was trippin' on acid and I don't do drugs!

After Violet confirms online that Tate was killed after his massacre, Constance introduces her to a medium, Billie Dean and she and Constance explain that Tate is unaware he is dead. Constance has been sending him to Ben, hoping a breakthrough will help him pass on and they need Violet’s help, though Violet is shaken by the revelation. Ben needs to use the house for his therapy sessions to make them money, and Vivien agrees out of necessity. Ben sees a new patient, Derek who is terrified by the urban legend of “Piggy Man”, who will slaughter anyone who repeats a specific mantra in the mirror. Ben also begins noticing that Vivien has developed a personal relationship with the security officer.

Constance and Moira help Vivien with the pregnancy, preparing healthful foods for her in the form of sweetbreads. Though initially disgusted with the dishes, Vivien develops a ravenous appetite toward them, which disturbs her. She contacts the nurse who fainted during the ultrasound, who has quit her job and claims she saw that the baby was the Antichrist. Taking Ben’s advice to face his fear, Derek repeats the mantra in his bathroom mirror, but is ironically shot and killed by an armed robber hiding in his shower. Violet tries to confront Tate in the basement, but is mobbed by the other ghosts. Overwhelmed, she attempts suicide, but Tate saves her. Tate tearfully confesses that he loves her and cannot understand why she has turned cold toward him. He plans to leave her alone, but she comforts him. Constance speaks to Addie through Billie, and receives closure, but learns that Addie is glad she was not revived as a ghost and that she now fears Tate, knowing what he did.

I'm going to go on record and say this episode was a big mess. Borrowing obvivous elements from The Omen and Candyman(a movie that itself borrows from the Bloody Mary urban legend) takes away from the show's haunted house premise. It was as if the producers now are trying to cram every horror movie convention in a 60 min show as opposed to following the origins of the show. Nevertheless, the episode was disturbing on many levels and quite graphic.  Stay tuned...

3 comments:

Daph said...

I like the David Lynch vibe this show gives off. Keep it coming fast, and Horror Strong!!

C. Hagen Radick said...

I've been saying since the show started that they were going to have a difficult time maintaining the pace and intensity shown in the first few episodes.

Even my girlfriend, who is in love with this show, said there wasn't much new in this episode other than confirming what she and I had already figured out.

I'll watch the rest of the season, but no guarantees on season two yet...

Michael McGuire said...

A little late to the party, but I agree that too much is trying to crammed in (hm, that sounds disturbing). Part of the appeal of the show is the frenetic pace, but they are diluting the mix. I mean, according to the show's mythology, Piggy Man won't be appearing again since he died outside the property. So what was the purpose of the whole vignette?

And spot-on with the Omen reference. This was way over the top for me, and why even go there? The mystery of what the nurse saw was far more frightening than the boogie-boogie Son of Satan reality.