All-New Nightmares in American Horror Story: Cult’s 2nd Episode

After the thrilling, in-your-face first episode of “American Horror Story”’s seventh season, we were left wondering just how much further the show would go into the realm of trying to make sense of 2017. Well, the answer after seeing the follow-up is definitely up in the air.

New Suspects

The latest episode picks up shortly after the massacre of the Chang family, as Ally and Ivy meet the new neighbors that have moved in next door. Of course, as is expected with this twisted show, the neighbors, played by Billy Eichner and Leslie Grossman, are not the most normal people around. Then, once another politically charged murder occurs at Ally’s workplace, she looks into ways to defend herself, which eventually culminates in an unfortunate turn of events when the power goes out.

A lot of time spent watching “American Horror Story” has always been devoted to wondering WTF is going on, and the show’s newest episode, appropriately titled “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”, carelessly ventures into that territory throughout. Whether it’s the multiple allusions to bees, Twisty finally crossing over into the real world or the very odd bath sequence, “Cult” seems to be finally setting up a clear direction, one that we’re sure will end in some sort of bloody massacre.

Face-to-Face

In what was the best scene of the episode, Paulson’s Ally and Peters’ Kai come face to face to allude that this will be a season full of mind games. Setting up the corruption coming from both sides, the show alludes to this through the shocking finale where Ally prematurely pulls the trigger on an innocent man, and we’re sure the consequences of this will explode in the coming episodes.

Taking cues from the eerie masks and premise of “The Purge” franchise, it certainly seems as though this new season of “American Horror Story” has imagery that stands up next to the series’ best. Whether the story will ever reach the heights of seasons like “Asylum” or “Murder House” is up for debate, but with this second episode of the show’s seventh season, we’re cautiously sipping at the Kool-Aid.