Review: American Horror Story: Asylum, S2 Ep 10 – “The Name Game”

Air date: Wednesday, January 2, 2013, 10pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

After a brief hiatus, American Horror Story: Asylum returns to give us more jolts and shivers, and oh my, we get that and so much more—not just one death, but two. I was happy for one, but not so for the other. I did feel they were a little too pat but there was plenty of suffering to be had. Burning in a crematorium? Pretty brutal.

Finally, we get more Pepper (Naomi Grossman), even though it feels like an afterthought. I wonder why the writers have given her such short shrift. Her duty as Grace’s (Lizzie Brocheré) protector feels a little out of place. I mean, why Pepper and not one of the other patients? We do learn why she ended up at Briarcliff but a deeper exploration of her background would’ve fleshed out her character more. I suspect, though, the writers have placed more import on the main characters now that American Horror Story: Asylum is drawing to a close. Grace’s story arc felt a little strange considering she died. But now she’s alive and given birth to a baby. Why have the so-called aliens brought her back to life? I’m not sure but I would have preferred it had she stayed dead. It would’ve given Kit (Evan Peters) more of a reason to stay alive.

Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) is severely punished by Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) for keeping a rather, ahem, questionable item in her room. Who didn’t see that coming? The result gives us the brightest spot in this episode–and the entire series–a dance skit to Shirley Ellis’ “The Name Game.” The 1964 song plays in Sister Jude’s mind, replete with the Sister in a bright blue dress and bouffant hair, and all the patients dancing along, a lovely little scenario that demonstrates the Sister’s mind isn’t completely gone. At first, her gift of gab seems absent but later, when Mother Superior (Barbara Tarbuck) visits her, Sister Jude confesses she had Lana (Sarah Paulson) falsely committed. The truth of all she has done wrong seems ready to tumble out of her, and there’s still hope that she can make everything right by season’s end.

Meanwhile, Monsignor Howard (Joseph Fiennes), now recovering from being nailed to the cross by evil Santa (Ian McShane), now knows Sister Mary Eunice is possessed but his effort to cast the devil out leaves him ashamed and ready to renounce his vows. The poor monsignor doesn’t stand a chance but he doesn’t give up, and takes to heart Sister Jude’s suggestion: “Kill her.” Being blinded by his own ambition to become Pope, he ends up collaborating with Dr. Arden (James Cromwell) but now that he knows the awful truth, he, like Sister Jude, intends to make things right. Will God forgive him? Of course, he is of human flesh, after all.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Angel of Death (Frances Conroy) making repeat appearances. I find her presence comforting even if she brings only doom. When she whispers to the monsignor that he can’t die just yet, and when she comes to take another soul, it feels very much like a palpable sense of relief despite there being unfinished business to deal with. Conroy, even in all black, just beams. In a recent interview, Lange mentioned how much she loves working with Conroy. It’s easy to see why.

I gasped when the final scene involving Sister Mary Eunice plays. If you haven’t seen “The Name Game” yet, I think you will, too. Rabe has done a supreme job of portraying the devil in her Sister Mary Eunice’s body. She just looks like she’s running with it.

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

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