Note: This story contains spoilers from “American Horror Story” 13.
“American Horror Story: 13” is one confusing ride, but that didn’t make that violent death any less painful.
The milestone 13th season of the FX anthology series cruised along its complex plot with more quality time with Constance (Jessica Lange) and her family after the reveal of the mysterious Apollyon building housing a portal to hell in its basement. The happenings eventually reached “Hotel” serial killer and ghost James Patrick March (Evan Peters), who recruited his merry band of murderers to attack the witches at Miss Robichaux’s — and seemingly killing off a fan-favorite in the process.
But that’s not all that went down in this latest drop of new episodes on FX and Hulu. Here’s how the action played out in Episodes 4-6 of “American Horror Story: 13.”
Episode 4: “Is That All There Is?”
Picking back up with the sacrifice of the Black Dahlia Elizabeth North (Mena Suvari) to hell, we watch as a satanic ritual happens while Ben (Joey Pollari) awakens from his drug-infused slumber to find Mr. Nas. He falls, but Nas picks him up with telekinetic powers and makes him drink the black goo he’s been consuming — Nas’ appearance then changes to his younger self (Paul Anthony Kelly), who urges Ben not to fight him.
Downstairs, “Freak Show” icon Elsa (Jessica Lange) returns for another performance — revealing her biggest wish in death was to reunite with her band of freaks, so now they sing for their supper in the portal under Wilhelmina Venable (Sarah Paulson.) And we get a delightful performance of “Is That All There Is?”
But it appears to have been all a mirage, as Elsa finds herself in a silent hall. Then Venable hands her a folder, with the instructions for the ritual being performed on the Hellmouth — being overseen by old Mr. Nas. The sacrifices are being offered to him so he can reach his full satanic potential. The other sacrifices, whom we meet as they’re thrown into hell, include Hypodermic Sally (Paulson), nazi sympatizer Eva Braun, socialite Wallis Simpson, writer Ayn Rand, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine the Great, Mamie Eisenhower (Paulson), Elena Ceaușescu of Romania, Jezebel, Tuberculosis Karen (Paulson), Margaret Thatcher (Lange) and Short. Sadly, that just makes 12 … the crew counted wrong. Venable takes matters into her own hands and sacrifices herself into the hellmouth, simply saying “Hail Satan!”
With the ritual done Mr. Nas lets out a terrifying scream, but then Ben wakes to Constance and Mr. Phibes (John Waters) towering over him and assuring him he’ll be just fine in this “new dawn.” Later, Constance and Phibes continue to talk about the significance of the number 13 — turns out the 13 is the perfect way for Nas to revitalize his biomarkers. Satan brought back the women from their graves to sacrifice him … for his son Nas! He is indeed the new Anti-Christ, a direct connection to the timeline changes that were done at the end of “Apocalypse.”
The duo also reveals they both made deals with the devil. Constance said the devil approached her in his most beautiful form and she was swooned by his charm. He had chosen her to help him establish a new world order, and she agreed having nothing to lose. That’s how she signed her soul to the devil — in exchange, she got all her kids back. And of course, they sealed it with a kiss.
They learn that there’s still a few sacrifices left to be made to bring Nas back, before the episode ends.
Episode 5: “Date Night”
After the latest sacrifice, Nas finds himself able to walk with a cane, and watches over a still sleeping Ben. He wakes again to a text from Ashley, one of his dead girlfriend’s friends who also survived the plane crash.
Ben invites Ashley (Elle Chapman) to his place for dinner, and she arrives as he listens to a news report about someone stealing the body of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in Italy. Ben and Ashley seem to have an eerily flirty tone, as they discuss how each has been coping since the tragedy.
Ashley is convinced that the crash happened while the plane was flying over the Bermuda triangle. Turns out that since she was using Xanax, her body was too soft to be destroyed when it impacted with the ocean. She was in a coma for a few weeks but eventually survived.
They talk about Kira’s strong personality and wonder why Ben fell so hard so quickly, Ashley wonders if Kira put a spell on him. When things get to silly they decide to start watching something, and she quickly starts to get touchy.
But Ben sees the No. 13 on the screen and starts to freak out. Ashley asks him what’s wrong and eventually they realize they’re both terrified of the number. She tells a terrifying story of a COVID-era wedding being interrupted by a pig-faced serial killer — Piggy Man from “Roanoke” — and Ashley was the only one left alive. She was the only survivor, 13 others died.
She tries to get Ben to remember the origin of his fear, but he admits all of the memories from his childhood are blurry. He was born on Friday the 13th and his mother died at child birth. His father wasn’t too responsible so he was raised by a group of people in his surroundings, who seemed to worship him. Then he ended up on foster care, which was a new form of bad that led to more misfortune.
The trauma dumping set the stage for Ben and Ashley to get intimate. Things seem good at first, until Ashley discovers a tattoo above Ben’s behind. It says “616.” But it’s not a tattoo at all, he’s been branded. (Maybe by Nas?)
Episode 6: “The Return of Devil’s Night”
Episode 6 gives us big crossoversthough that fun faded quickly after the tragedy that befell the witches at Miss Robichaux’s Academy.
The installment taks a break from the action at the Apollyon, instead kicking off with a reunion between “Hotel” killer James March and Jeffrey Dahmer (Seth Gabel) on another Devil’s Night. They take a self-driving car together as they plan an attack with their fellow serial killers in New Orleans. Dahmer marvels at the wonders of Grindr to lure gay victims for his pleasure.
March orders the fellow Devil’s Night killers to get supplies for the mission that brought them back from the dead. Their piece of the “grand plan” to bring Satan to his full glory, which involves sacrificing witches.
Then we make it to Miss Robichaux’s, as the coven has gathered to test their powers under the direction of “Supreme” Cordelia (Paulson). She is testing a young witch’s power of resurgence, Morwenna (Alex Consani) easily makes a dead toad back into a young one. Cordelia presses her about her sudden power surge, and all the other witches seem concerned about their leader’s erratic behavior.
In conversation with Madison (Emma Roberts) and Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), Paulson admits that young witches developing such powers so quickly is another omen of darkness to come. But despite all her powers, Cordelia can’t see the future and doesn’t know how to protect them. She worries that her good heart might be an obstacle in their success, and if she has to embrace the darkness like her mother Fiona (Lange). Maybe they need the old Supreme to survive.
Madison gathers the coven and they all drink absinthe and get to work. You want to guess how many witches are in the group now? Thirteen, of course. Together, they work together to summon Fiona. Cordelia pleas for her mother’s guidance via ouija board, but it doesn’t seem to work.
Then it moves, simply saying the word: “Mother.” Cordelia orders everyone upstairs as she must face her alone. But it’s not Fiona who comes to the door but James March. Armed with weapons and his army of killers, he ambushes Cordelia and goes for the kill. Dahmer, the Zodiac Killer and more attack and stab Cordelia in the head — seemingly killing her instantly. The episode ends with a promise she won’t be the last as the “Cortez” devils set their sites on the 12 other witches.
Who will save the witches? Can Cordelia save herself or will Morwenna? Who will get Fiona out of knotty pine? More mayhem is sure to come next week.
“13” success
FX and Hulu have plenty to celebrate in this milestone installment, with the premiere episodes scoring more than 4 million global views in its first four days. That marks Ryan Murphy’s biggest streaming launch to-date on Hulu and Disney+, as well as the top TV title across the platforms since its premiere on Sept. 24.
It also premieres as the most-watched “American Horror Story” installment on Hulu and Disney+, growing 50% over “Delicate” and nealy doubling the performance of “NYC” and “Double Feature.”
“American Horror Story” 13 releases new episodes Thursdays on FX and Hulu.