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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
American Horror Stories Season Two Episode Six, titled “Facelift,” is written by series veteran Manny Coto, and directed by Marcus Stokes. In this current episode of American Horror Stories, Coto gives us another take on societal issues, a bit of mythology, and some cult storytelling, with a slight reminder that we must embrace the best version of ourselves to be the best of ourselves.
As always, expect some spoiler discussion below.
Irish Gods, Beauty in Society and Cults
It can be said that society places a huge impact on the standard of beauty, and what it truly means for one to be “beautiful.” The truth is that beauty comes in many forms, shapes, and sizes, no matter who you ask. The fact is that it really doesn’t matter to most people when they really sit and think about it. Unfortunately, some people let society dictate their lives and let the standard of beauty outpace everything in their lives. Some will also go to other extremes, like plastic surgery and other things.
In this episode of American Horror Stories, Virginia Mallow (Judith Light) will do anything. The episode opens with her rubbing her own urine on her face after all, so that should tell you everything you need to know about her. She’s not quite aware that, in a way, you have to embrace old age and live a healthy life to truly be beautiful.
After “accidentally” running into Cassie Brooks (Cornelia Guest), she takes a card Cassie offers her, and decides to use the procedure, albeit that she’s in tremendous debt and can’t really afford the procedure. Once the surgery begins, you can tell that Dr. Enid Perle (Rebecca Dayan) isn’t an ordinary plastic surgeon, as Perle and her assistants are basically chanting around Virginia’s sedated body. Afterward, healing at home, she sees visions of demons and other things, and we also learn that Fay (Lower) is Virginia’s stepdaughter via an argument between the two women. This argument ends with Fay leaving her in pain, but she returns anyway. Fay decided to leave someone who is basically her mother like this wrapped in bandages and in pain, which isn’t necessarily okay to her, even with both of their problems. Virginia with her standard of beauty and Fay trying hard to get into law school.
Eventually, Perle offers Virginia to stay at a retreat in the Santa Monica Mountains to finish her healing and remove the bandages, which she takes up. However, we get a small twist once it comes time to remove the bandages, and it’s actually a typical move for a story in the universe of American Horror Story, so I thought that was welcoming this week. Fay stows herself in the vehicle Virginia takes into the mountains, and after revealing to Perle and others at the retreat that Fay is her stepdaughter, all is well. However, upon removal of the bandages, it’s revealed that Virginia’s face was shaped into that of a pig and she’s actually on the site of a cult compound, with Perle seemingly serving as the leader.
The whole purpose of Virginia’s procedure was to ultimately sacrifice her to the Irish god Etain. In doing so, the cult maintains its standard of beauty, and at the same time, prosperity and health, in society. These clowns probably have a lot of power in their part of the world somehow. Furthermore, the twists continue, as it’s also revealed that Fay wasn’t “dealt with,” but rather kept quiet to see her stepmother’s death and learn that her biological mother was a member of the cult as well. Therefore, this makes Fay and her real mother truly beautiful, unlike her stepmother Virginia, who also didn’t really deserve to live anyway, according to Etain and his followers. After all, as Perle says, “[T]he beautiful people are coming back and retaking [the world back].”
Cinematic Aspects
The direction by Stokes is some of the best all season long and he does a great job at giving Virginia just enough fright. He is perfectly able to move the story back to a normal beat. Similar to last week, there are several point-of-view shots in this episode that serve the story well as we learn more about what Virginia tends to focus on when in conversation. His direction, along with Yaniv Dabach’s editing, presents a great story for viewers. Some of these shots even lend themselves to a silent film-esque style, which is awesome to catch.
Coto’s writing is superb here, with this episode of American Horror Stories being one of the best he’s written so far. He also helms the last episode of the season, and I’m thoroughly excited to see what he will give us. Furthermore, with this episode’s basis being beauty in society and cults, we’re getting another sub-genre of horror, and it’s tremendous that each week of American Horror Stories has given a different sub-genre of horror presented.
I also want to give another shoutout again to special effects makeup artist Jason Hamer, who has been knocking it out of the park these past couple of weeks with his makeup techniques. Practical horror effects beat CG effects every time for me.
Character Writing
This episode of American Horror Stories features Judith Light, Rebecca Dayan, Britt Lower, Todd Waring, Cornelia Guest, and more. Our only returner this week is Rebecca Dayan, having played a small part in American Horror Story: Double Feature (Death Valley) as Maria Wycoff, and that was welcoming as usual. It was also nice for her to get a bigger part this time around, and play a character that’s integral to the story. The rest of the cast does a terrific job in their parts, and Judith Light in the lead role was fantastic as well. While she doesn’t make it by the episode’s end, her character is a great martyr for the story and serves the episode well.
As a regular writer for the show, Coto always has a great premise and serves the audience a well-portioned plate. At first, I didn’t know where the episode was going, but then Virginia (Light) runs into her old college dormmate Cassie (Guest), and things seem to spiral from there.
Final Thoughts on American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 5
This week’s episode of American Horror Stories just seemed like another cautionary tale that we must embrace our own beauty to maintain our own place in the world. We also can’t reverse our age and have to live life to the fullest too. For the most part, time is on our side, as long as we don’t overthink too much and live with what we have. However, if it does seem to help someone and they decide to get plastic surgery, that is their own choice they choose to live with, so it’s all good in the end. Coto’s writing and Stokes’s direction weave together a great, yet typical, American Horror Story universe story and give us another fantastic standalone story that really works!
Every episode of American Horror Stories has hit nearly just right, with a few hiccups last week, and everything seems to work out by the end of the episode anyway. As I have continually said throughout this season, every week gives us a different sub-genre of horror on display and that is perhaps the strongest element of this season. It’s also been remarkable to get new actors every week, with a few returners here and there, which is always welcoming. With only two episodes of Season 2 left, the series should be able to cap this season off phenomenally, and hopefully, FX will renew this show for a third season, but there’s no official word on that yet!
The second-to-last episode American Horror Stories Season Two will air this upcoming Thursday, as part of FX on Hulu, and all of the American Horror Story universe is streaming there right now.
How was the return of a cult to the universe for you? Let us know! As usual, stay right here at TCS for more horror-related TV and film reviews and news!
Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.