Review: American Horror Story, Season 1, Ep. 8 “Rubber Man”
Air Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 10PM E/P on FX.
Rating:
“Rubber Man” answers a few questions but then leaves me with more. We find out where the black latex suit comes from. It seems former resident Chad (guest star Zachary Quinto) wanted to heat things up in the icy bedroom with his lover Patrick (guest start Teddy Sears) but Patrick is into “leather not latex.” Ouch! The man was just trying to show you his submissive side! I guess Patrick’s dismissive response to Chad’s gesture should harden (no pun intended) me after finding out how he dies, but it doesn’t. Although the cruel and violent way in which Patrick is murdered is quite shocking.
[singlepic id=1510 w=320 h=240 float=right] “Rubber Man” also focuses on Vivien’s (Connie Britton) delicate sanity. With Ben’s (Dylan McDermott) former mistress Hayden (Kate Mara) lurking about, things continue to go from crazy to psychotic! Hayden is a total bitch but not in a cool, seductive way. She’s the deviant kind of bitch who just can’t see past her own foolish desires, although I can’t really blame her for being upset. She was killed and lost her unborn child. And Nora’s (Lily Rabe) incessant crying over her own lost child isn’t helping Hayden’s sanity either.
Hayden: “Good God, woman! You’ve got to knock the shit off!”
Nora: “I…I beg your pardon?”
Hayden: “The crying. You gotta get it under control – you’re making me nuts.”
Nora: “I’m very confused – what are you doing in my house?”
Hayden: “I am stuck here like the others; like you. We died in here and for whatever reason, we can’t leave.”
This, of course, isn’t a real revelation as I had already figured out the house keeps the dead trapped within; however, what Hayden says next intrigues me very much: “It’s this place; it has a hold on us. But that’s not all – there’s a power in it; a power we can use. We can make ourselves unknown. And when we really need it, we can make ourselves known and I have such a need. Sometimes I vibrate with such rage, it terrifies me…”
What supernatural powers does the house have? We know it keeps the dead alive (if you will) but from what we’ve seen in previous episodes, we know the house is capable of driving the men bonkers and making them sleepwalk. Does the house itself have a demonic soul?
As Hayden continues to taunt Vivien, driving her to even more unusual behavior, Vivien confides in Moira (Frances Conroy) who, in turn, divulges some advice she’s never given any former employer, “Mrs. Harmon, please hear me – you need to get out while you still can. I fear for you if you don’t.” While it surprises me that Moira reveals secrets about the malevolent spirits in the house, I think it’s because she’s actually grown to respect and like Vivien, and doesn’t want to see her get hurt.
[singlepic id=1887 w=320 h=240 float=left] Of course, the major kicker of the episode is the identity of the “Rubber Man.” It’s Tate (Evan Peters)! I had my theory that it was the original owner of the house, Dr. Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross), but all evidence points to Tate. With all the illusions of something/someone being something else in this house, is Tate truly the father of Vivien’s twins?
Tate seems to be fascinated by the women of the house. He mentions his mommy issues, so perhaps his fixation with older women who resemble his own mother is what drives him to try and please them. When the Harmons moved in, perhaps Tate impregnates Vivien to give Nora what she wants, but I think Tate has a change of heart when he meets Violet (Taissa Farmiga). He’s fallen in love but now has to deal with the consequences of what he’s done. Again, I know the evidence points to Tate being the “rapist in the rubber suit,” but I still have some doubt in my mind as to its validity. There is a piece of the puzzle missing in this scenario. They show us over and over how Tate is removing the mask but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the culprit. There is a grander scheme at work to keep the Harmon family in the house, but will Tate risk it all to ensure Violet and he stay together? The only true way for them to be together forever is if Violet dies in the house too.
Observations:
– The look Vivien gives Violet before she’s escorted by the police officers is one of utter betrayal. I know Vivien will forgive Violet for lying to Ben but it won’t be easy.
- L-R: Dylan McDermott as Ben and Taissa Farmiga as Violet
– Luke (guest star Morris Chestnut) tries to be the hero before Ben sends Vivien off to the loony bin. We’ve seen in flashes that he’s been spending more time over at Vivien’s, and by her own admission she’s said she doesn’t want to use the panic alert again to call Luke over – so the question remains, how close have Luke and Vivien become?
While “Rubber Man” piques many interesting notions in my mind, something feels disjointed. Showing all the broken relationships and the lack of not having children or having children who grow up and prosper are metaphorical representations of how damaged the house and everyone in it is, but it seems these metaphors are becoming too elusive and vague. There needs to be more of a balance between asking questions and giving us more astute clues to find the answers. But I love American Horror Story nonetheless. It’s one of my all-time favorite shows on television, ever!
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Judy Manning
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