Episode 2 Home Invasion

I was concerned that American Horror Story would not be able to continue being so good after the pilot episode. After watching Home Invasion, I’m not worried at all. Jessica Lange rules as Constance. And Evan Peters as the broody Tate with a horrible secret will definitely relate with angsty teens.

Released: 12 Oct 2011

Runtime: 43 min

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Writer: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk

Actors: Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters

We start with a flashback to when the house was a dorm for nursing students. Several of the girls leave, only two remain behind. A man comes to the door asking for help but has a secret agenda. He’s able to subdue the girls and kill them, adding to the ghosts who live at murder house. The man, Franklin, becomes notorious for his kills.

In the present, Ben gets a new patient who has nightmares of getting cut in half by an elevator. At first she seems like a typical patient but she slowly gets creepy when she realizes the house is where Franklin killed the two girls earlier.  Ben gets a phone call from Hayley, the woman he had an affair with back in Boston, (the one that Vivien caught him with). Turns out she’s pregnant and wants Ben to be there for her when she gets an abortion. So of course Ben isn’t honest and lies to Vivien about why he’s going to Boston. Sigh.

Constance, mad about how the Harmon’s are treating Adelaide, makes cupcakes laced with ipecac. Which is hilarious because Constance gets frustrated with Adelaide but that’s ok. But when Adelaide constantly breaks into the Harmon’s house and they get frustrated with her for it, that is bad. So Constance brings the cupcake over to the house but senses that Vivienne is pregnant and won’t let her eat them. Tells her to give it to Violet. Though I do like the scene of Constance and Vivienne kind of bonding over the pregnancy.

That night a woman (Ben’s patient), knocks on the door, claiming to be hurt. Vivienne, smartly, doesn’t let her in. Unfortunately the woman and two of her friends break in. The three are serial killer fans and want to reenact the Franklin murders. Little do they realize that they are messing with the wrong house.

Vivienne and Violet try to fight back and bond a little bit. That was nice to see. They both are split up and each are to reenact one of the women’s deaths. One is supposed to be drowned in a bathtub upstairs and one is supposed to change into a nurse's outfit, hogtied, and then stabbed to death. Lucky for the both of them, Tate is around and with the help of the house they dispatch with two of them. The one that posed as a patient eats the cupcake that Constance gave to Violet, thus getting violently ill. Tate injures her with an ax, but she escapes the house and dies down the street.

While this was going on Adelaide had snuck into the house and saw what was going on. She goes to Constance to tell her. Unfortunately Constance is busy with her hot young boyfriend and doesn’t believe her. She locks her in a closet with mirrors. Poor Adelaide.

The next morning Ben finely checks his phone while Hayley is getting the abortion and finds out about the home invasion. He just abruptly leaves and doesn’t tell Hayley anything. Which, the night before, we realize that Hayley isn’t the most stable person. We know she isn’t going to take this very well.

Constance, Moira, and Tate take care of the bodies before the cops can find them. So the cops think they escaped and are not dead. They believe the two killed the one member who escaped. Ben is pissed that Tate was in the house when it happened but Violet reminds him that Tate was there and saved them. Vivienne insists that they must sell the house.

I felt this was a really good episode. I feel we get a lot of Tate and I think Evan Peters does a great job as Tate. And of course, Jessica Lange as Constance is alway great. I do enjoy the flashbacks of the house and murders is a nice touch and a good way to get small tidbits of the history. The way Ben left Hayley, I know there’s going to be consequences. That girl is crazy! I’m definitely enjoying this TV show. So far I recommend this season if you’re bored.

And now for your Forever Final Girl Exclusive…Did you know?:

• Maria's prayer is An Act of Resignation by Pope St. Pius X. It is a common prayer for Catholics when they prepare for death.

• The book that Violet is reading when her mother brings her the cupcake is The Stranger by Albert Camus. Camus' books were also used as props in the Hannibal tv show.

• This episode they use a lot of the musical score from Psycho.

Kills/Blood: 4/5

Sex/Nudity:  1/5 

Creepiness:  4/5

Enjoyment:  5/5

My Rank: 3.5/5

IMDB: 7.9/10