American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 2 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (Review)

Kooky neighbours who are definitely up to no good, more clown attacks, and manipulation. Lesbians! We're under attack! This is American Horror Story: Cult Episode 2!

John Carroll Lynch as Twisty

We pick up directly where episode one left off. Ally is in her bed when the three-headed clown suddenly appears next to her (creepy AF seriously). She runs downstairs to Ivy and tells her what is happening. They go to investigate only to see that there is no clown (of course). Meanwhile in Ozzie's room, he is greeted by Twisty and the three-headed clown. They chase him into the bathroom, but when they reach him Ally and Ivy find him back in his bed having a night terror. This is another great scene making us question whether Ally is losing her mind or the clowns are in fact real. Of course, Ivy does not believe Ally and Ozzie asks for Ivy when Ally tries to comfort him.

We pick back up with Kai as he is using the video he shot last episode to paint himself as a victim of violent attacks by migrant workers. He announces that he is going to run to fill the vacant seat on the city council now that the Changs have been murdered (he definitely orchestrated it). It is revealed that the video of Kai's attack was filmed by a couple named Harrison and Meadow Wilton. The Wiltons then move into the Changs old home (they have to be working with Kai). Ally witnesses this and decides to snoop around as they are moving in. She peers into the window to see an assortment of random costumes and props. Harrison catches her causing her to run away as he calls to her.

Back at the restaurant Ally catches two of her employees arguing and wielding kitchen utensils at each other. The first employee Richard, harassed the other named Pedro for not speaking English. Fuck you! You keep that cholo shit out of my kitchen! Ally pulls Richard aside and tells him to leave Pedro alone. He tells her he wants him fired and she replies that she does not want to fire an immigrant in the current political climate (he's such a racist asshole).  Here AHS: Cult is continuing to play on the current political issues in America.

Billie Lourd as Winter and Cooper Dodson as Oz

At the Mayfair-Richards home Winter makes her appearance bringing Ozzie back from school. He is refusing to talk to her. She continues to harass him until he finally opens up asking why she lied to his moms about what they saw when the Changs were murdered (busted). Winter tells him that they need to tell people what they want to hear. He tells her that he is scared the clowns will come and kill him. She replies, They won't come back for you. She then uses the pinky technique that Kai used on her in episode one to convince Ozzie to open up to her more telling him, You're going to give me your fear Oz. I'm going to keep it for you. It'll make us both stronger. This scene is a great example of how this season is strategically putting plot pieces in place for what I can only imagine are going to be great pay offs later on.

Billy Eichner and Leslie Grossman as The Wiltons

When Ally and Ivy return home Winter informs them that Oz is across the street with the neighbours. They run next door to find the Wiltons showing Oz their bee colony. Ally is worried that Oz could be stung, but Harrison reassures her that the bees don't sting when they're gainfully employed. He decides to show Ally a large honeycomb which triggers her trypophobia. She regains her composure and reminds them of the murder that took place in the home they are now staying in and the Wiltons brush it off with glib jokes (seriously these people are nuts).  Harrison gives a speech about bees and their hive mind wonderfully bringing in the metaphor that has been so prevalent in the teasers for this season. A hive is the perfect natural community, because every single member of the hive is completely committed, 100%, to a singular task. There's no arguments. There's no complaints. There's no "me." Meadow notices their discomfort and invites them inside to get out of the sun.

While inside they continue to open the Mayfair-Richards revealing that they are the presidents of the Michigan chapter of the Nicole Kidman Fan Club (cause of course), explaining the costumes and props, and that Harrison is gay; they married as part of a friendship pact from when they were younger. Ally becomes uncomfortable at all the openness and says they need to take Ozzie home. As they're leaving Ally sees the blood stains from the murder and asks the Wiltons how they can live in the home so soon. They reply We don't scare easy (totally in the damn cult).

That night as Ally and Ivy are in bed, Ozzie is scared and wants to sleep in their bed. Ivy gets a notification that the alarm at the Restaurant has been tripped. Ally says she'll go after Ozzie looks sad that Ivy has to leave (girl, bad idea). When she gets to the restaurant everything seems to be normal until she shuts the alarm off. She hears a sound in the meat room (of course it's the meat room) and decides to go investigate. When she gets there distracted by all the blood she backs up into a hanging body. She turns around to Richard hanging from a meat hook (I mean, are we really sad?). The tension in this scene is great, starting with a well executed steadicam shot following Ally though the restaurant until she reaches the meat room.

Sarah Paulson as Ally Mayfair-Richards

We come back to Ally barring al the windows and doors in her home. Ivy brings her therapist, then leaves to go get supplies for the restaurant. Through their conversation we learn that Richard was actually alive when Ally found him, but she accidentally pulled him down further on the meat hook while trying to save him (the poor girl just can't catch a break). After taking her statement the detective who found the Changs decided that the obvious suspect was Pedro much to Ally and Ivy's protests, even going as far as to ask his immigration status. The therapist asks Ally how she is feeling after what happened and Ally explains that she feels vindicated. The world is fucked up. And the election made it worse. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. She reveals that the Wiltons gave her a gun so she could feel safe again (terrible idea) and her therapist protests. She tells him he can't change her mind or tell Ivy.

Evan Peters as Kai Anderson

After the therapist leaves Kai comes to the door saying he is campaigning. He offers Ally safety and security and warns her that she's 40% more likely to a victim of a violent crime at the hands of an illegal immigrant, and that the murder and rape rates are at the highest they've ever been. She questions his numbers saying they don't sound correct to her and asks where he got them. Facebook he replies snidely (seriously Kai?). She tells him he should check his numbers and says I want to build bridges not walls. He asks her why she feels the need to have the bars if she wants to build bridges. Are you gonna melt all this metal down and build a bridge? She forces him to leave after he becomes more aggressive. This is another great scene where writers are tackling relevant topics in creative ways. Do we build walls in the name of safety or do we empathize with others and meet them where they are?

We go back to Winter and Oz in another interesting scene between the two. Winter walks in as Ozzie is making his bed. You don't need me to tuck you in or any lame shit like that do you? she asks (um harsh). Ozzie tells her that he is afraid the clowns will be back in his dreams. He doesn't know whether he is awake or asleep. If you're not sure, just ask she replies before closing the door.

We then get an extremely interesting, but unnerving interaction between winter and Ally. Ally is sitting at a table contemplating whether or not she should take her pills. She confides in Winter that she promised Ivy she would, but does not want to. Winter tells her that there are other ways to relax and makes her a bath. As she is pouring in the bath salts she seductively takes off her sweater (so subtle Winter). She leaves after Ally becomes uncomfortable and tells her she can take it from there.

As Ally is in her bath Winter returns. She tells Ally to lean forward and begins to rub her back with soap. Ally has an extremely strange reaction to this as if she is in some sort of trance (perhaps the soap is drugged?). Winter moves the soap down to her one of her thighs and tells Ally that she won't tell Ivy about the pills. She then leans in to kiss her before Ally stops her (come on girl really? She's married). Suddenly, the house alarm goes off.

The rest of the episode is an extremely well done sequence of tension. We see a clown inside of Ozzie's room. He wakes and asks the clown if he is asleep and the clown says he is so he goes back to sleep. Ally and Winter run down the stairs to see what is happening when Harris runs to the door yelling Lesbians! We're under attack! He informs them that seven states have all lost power due to a terrorist attack. He says they should stay inside to keep safe. Winter leaves to go home much to Ally's dismay as she is now alone. She calls Ivy having a breakdown, but her phone dies. Ivy decides to send Pedro to the house with supplies so she can keep working.

Ally runs through the house locking all the windows and doors when she hears a noise. She runs to the security system trying to find out why the back up batteries did not kick on, but nothing works. She runs to a closet where all the wires for security system are and sees that they have been cut. When she turns back around a clown blows out the candle she is holding. She falls back in fear, but gains her composure. She runs to the stairs to find a woman wearing what can only be described as a mask made of hands with a pentagram carved over the forehead (this shit is seriously creepy). She runs up the stairs and knocks the woman over the side. She makes it to her room and grabs the gun that she got from the Wiltons. She makes her way to Ozzie's room and wakes him up.

They run down the stairs and make it to a side door. Ally tells him that when she opens the door she needs him to run as fast as he can to the neighbour's house. When she opens the door a man appears in front of her. She screams and fires the gun shooting the man. It was Pedro. Ally stares in horror seeing what she has just done. This is the cliffhanger we are left with.

Episode 2 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark expands on the set up found in episode 1 while managing to be an extremely entertaining and thought provoking entry in the new American Horror Story season. The writers continue to touch on current political themes and pop culture while providing us with tension filled horror that feels real and grounded. It's a new tone for the series, but in my opinion it works extremely well. The performances and cinematography are also up to par with the best of the series.

For all these reasons I give American Horror Story: Cult - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark 4.5 out of 5 cauldrons!