Review: American Horror Story: Asylum, S2 Ep 12 – “Continuum”

Air date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 10pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

*** Warning: Spoilers within! ***

After this season’s relentless horror, it is quite a shock to witness Kit (Evan Peters) leading a peaceful home life with Grace (Lizzie Brocheré), Alma (Britne Oldford), and their children. Grace, however, can’t forget what she’s gone through, drawing picture after picture of the aliens, while Alma would rather leave what happened in the past. The two women’s coping mechanisms couldn’t be more different. But the relative calm of their lives is shattered when their house is set on fire. Alma has flashbacks of her abduction, rendering her inconsolable. Later, to my shock, she axes Grace in the back. You can guess where Alma ends up. It’s like a vicious cycle.

Pepper tells Sister Jude not to trust the Monsignor’s words

“Continuum” sees the departure of Monsignor Howard (Joseph Fiennes), to which I say, ‘Good riddance!’ He had promised Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) he would have her released from Briarcliff, but two years later and still nada? Why did I believe him, especially when he said he would make things right for her? I couldn’t despise him more. Now, the Monsignor tells Jude Briarcliff has been turned over to the state so more patients will be arriving at the asylum. How convenient for him that he leaves when he does. How useless is the Vatican!

One incoming patient, in particular, frightens Jude to the core. It’s the Angel of Death (Frances Conroy) only she’s actually not—she’s far more frightening and domineering, and her intention is to rule Briarcliff. She seems to be a hallucination, but then seems far too real. I couldn’t determine whether she’s all in Jude’s mind, and whether Jude fears Death coming for her. She’s still bent on surviving, most likely with the help of Lana (Sarah Paulson), a former patient who had help escaping the asylum.

Oh, Lana. We knew from the start you were a fame-hungry reporter. Now that you’re a best-selling author of a book about your dark stint at Briarcliff (and stretching the truth in many places), you don’t care a whit about exposing the corruption and abuse there, or keeping your promise to Kit about getting Jude out. Your son, Johnny (Dylan McDermott), is out there, and he’s looking for you. Little wonder he knows who and where you are, considering the amount of publicity surrounding your book. And now you plan to write a book about Leigh Emerson, the evil Santa, for sensationalistic kicks, which is pretty sickening. What happened to shutting down Briarcliff?

Lana tells Kit about selling the film rights for her book

How sad to learn of Pepper’s (Naomi Grossman) death. There’s no mention of the cause but after seeing more of her in recent episodes, I so wish the writers had focused on her as a main character instead of as a prop. At least she got to play Candy Land with Jude; what a cute scene. (The years appear to be a jumble, as the Candy Land scene takes place in 1968, but then we’re told Pepper died in 1966. Is Jude confusing the years, or is Dr. Miranda Crump (Robin Bartlett) deliberately misleading her?)

What will become of Kit now that his wives are dead? At least he will play a role in securing Jude’s release from Briarcliff. Pleading with Lana doesn’t seem to get him anywhere but judging from her previous attempts to help others escape, I’ve no doubt this is what will happen.

Even though “Continuum” feels rushed, I’m looking forward to the storylines tying up. The absence of Sister Mary Eunice does leave a void but now that she’s gone, hopefully the other characters, especially Jude, will find closure. Stay tuned for next week’s finale!

American Horror Story: Asylum airs Wednesdays, 10pm ET/PT, only on FX Networks.

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