American Horror Story: Hotel – "Flicker” Review. A Tale of Two Countesses.

The Countess and Iris make an unsettling discovery

Season 5, Episode 7

Airdate: Wednesday, November 18, 2015, 10:00 PM ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

American Horror Story: Hotel (AHS: Hotel) is by far the most glamorous season of the entire franchise. Pulling out all the stops since its premiere, AHS: Hotel delivers a visually compelling production from its cinematography to extravagant wardrobe designs. Yet beyond the enthralling aesthetics in AHS: Hotel, the season lacks fluidity in connecting its various story lines. Detective John Lowe’s (Wes Bentley) search for a serial killer has lost momentum after only a few episodes due to the onslaught of excess and unnecessary characters. Instead of delving into an intricate story line that allows for satisfying character development for John, I’m subjected to watching the boring dissolution of his marriage to Alex (Chloë Sevigny), a woman who has given me more reasons to hate than like her.

We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes

With each new season, aside from the casting of actors for their respective characters, I look forward to the mystery element. It unfortunately doesn’t really work this time around with the emphasis on The Countess’ (Lady Gaga) story paralleling with John’s investigation. At times, I feel like I’m watching two different seasons when John’s story line transitions to The Countess. “Flicker” is a perfect example. There are two main story developments, each of which have a very distinct tone. The first is the suspenseful component with John, who fakes a breakdown to gain admission to a mental hospital. While there, John searches for clues about The 10 Commandments Killer and meets an enigmatic young girl named Wren (Jessica Belkin). Unbeknownst to John, Wren received the blood virus from The Countess in 1986; the information thickens the plot and makes me eager to learn more about her. Wren is John’s first solid lead in finding answers to his questions since she knows the identity of the serial killer. The dynamic between Wren and John is great, and I wish they had more scenes together. Unfortunately, like so many of the children on the show, Wren meets an unfortunate end but not before leaving John a cryptic message.

The second core story is more melodramatic, revolving around the origin of The Countess in a way viewers have not seen this season. For a majority of AHS: Hotel, glimpses of The Countess’ past are often violent and hedonistic. “Flicker” approaches the past in a different manner, relying on the concept of a simple girl with big dreams who takes a horrific dark turn for the worse.

A flash from The Countess’ past reveals a familiar face with a different name

What’s in a Name?

Before she became The Countess, she was “Elizabeth.” Set in the 1920s, the performances by the actors in the flashback sequences in “Flicker” are wonderfully nuanced, as is the execution of the scenes from a technical aspect. There’s enough TV goodness to make me temporarily forget the problem I have with the season’s plot development and continuity. That said, when I watched The Countess’ first scene where she is mdressed as an extra in a movie starring the legendary icon Rudolf Valentino, I was shocked and confused by it. Not only does The Countess receive the virus from a Hollywood silver screen legend, he is also her first love! Yet, that isn’t the shocking part about Valentino. In “Room 33,” the episode preceding “Flicker,” Tristan (Finn Wittrock) reaches the end of his journey, much to Liz Taylor’s (Denis O’Hare) despair. This is an important thing to note because the actor chosen to play the silent screen heartthrob Valentino is none other than Wittrock! Therefore, the whole time The Countess spent with Tristan, she was staring into the face of her first love–her vampiric maker. There is a moment where The Countess references her maker as being more handsome than Donovan (Matt Bomer) and Tristan. Originally, I couldn’t wait to see who would be cast in the role. Now, seeing how it unfolds, I find it odd and a bit disturbing. Wittrock really steals the episode, demonstrating a sort of class and charisma that mirrors Valentino’s style. It’s a breath of fresh air but I have a feeling, like some of the many plot devices in the story lines this year, we may have seen the last of him for now. What bothers me is the shock value rests in the casting of the character, not so much in outlining the connection between Tristan, Valentino, and The Countess’ mindset. On the positive side, discovering the truth about The Countess’ transformation and relationship with Valentino explains why she can’t stand the concept of romantic “love;” the reason she destroyed Tristan when he “betrayed” her for Liz. There’s also the importance of The Countess’ relationship with James Patrick March (Evan Peters), who plays an instrumental role in turning The Countess into the monster she is now.

The Countess’ story line fills in the blanks for many of this season’s vague plot points, but it’s not enough to resolve many of the problems story wise. “Flicker” works as a standalone episode that underscores some of the deep seeded problems with The Countess, and is definitely a game changer in that aspect. Sadly, John’s story becomes compromised in the process, and as much as The Countess intrigues me, I want to see both stories overlap in a way that feels natural and less contrived.

Overall

The devil is in the details when creating a well-made story. “Flicker” director Michael Goi and writer Crystal Liu create a memorable episode, yet I wish many of the revelations had happened sooner. Also, there are a lot of continuity errors. What happened to the bloodthirsty children Alex unleashed? They are never mentioned again. There is also the matter of the supernatural force within the Hotel Cortez and its ghostly occupants; the plot points about the power of the hotel are full of implied reference to the first season, American Horror Story: Murder House, in which spirits are bound to the places of their death. Yet, if that’s the case, March killed a hell of a lot of people, so why are they not running rampant throughout the hotel?

“Flicker” is an enthralling episode that captures the essence of the Roaring Twenties, yet it also creates more questions than answers for viewers. Here’s hoping when the series returns two weeks from now, it will provide more insight within the confines of the Hotel Cortez.

What did you think of “Flicker?” Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @conallen.