THE POSITIVES
Despite the lack of suspense, eeriness and qualm surrounding this episode, there are improvements in the characterization and the originality, especially as it pertains to Kim Kardashian's character, Siobhan. We are introduced to another side of her, which is a relentlessly authoritarian and socio-culturally aware businessperson with a bit of a mean streak. This makes us wonder just how mean she might get when put under enough pressure. Given that Kardashian has not yet undertaken such a serious character so deeply rooted in reality (sardonic irony intended), it was a pleasant surprise. 'Oscar worthy' would still be a long stretch, but she might become one of the most divisive characters in the AHS canon. It is especially noteworthy to observe Anna and Siobhan's close bond, and their ability to differentiate between work-related and private matters, although these divisions become blurry at times. The nature of the 'Oscar' industry is debunked and questioned in interesting ways with Anna being in the spotlight, subjected to unsolicited stress, with both undying support and unsympathetic pressure emanating from her ' best friend'. Furthermore, there is a stronger sense of originality as it detracts from its source material with significantly more corporeal cruelty. Regarding Anna's delirium (as it is regarded by others), the visuals of her vivid hallucinations are disconcertingly haunting and leave a mark on the viewer's memory. The spine-chilling and overtly unsettling wing accompaniment fits perfectly with Anna's horrifying experience. It is most difficult if one is being gaslit, however subtle it may be, and however well-intentioned the people who perform this. Lastly, there was a successful attempt at transmitting sentiments of pathos in the gory scene that displays Anna alone, in a strange hospital, with no one to trust, nor to overtly distrust.
THE NEGATIVES
There is a tremendous lack of narrative unification with the sudden removal from the setting to Talia's grandiose (but clinical, glassy, and dull) mansion. There is barely a sense of an 'interwoven sequence of events,' as the plot consists of loose, fairly unrelated snippets with no effort to combine these. In that regard, however unsettling Anna's hallucinations may be, and however effective these are to make the viewer also question reality, they have little to no effect on the rest of the plot, and soon appear forgotten and dismissed. Moreover, there is a weak sense of a central 'line of development,' and there is no systematic build-up of suspense. The plot is almost as confused as the characters that dominate it (or rather seem to have lost this ability). Because of all this, overall cohesion and coherence suffer greatly.
Despite the lack of suspense, eeriness and qualm surrounding this episode, there are improvements in the characterization and the originality, especially as it pertains to Kim Kardashian's character, Siobhan. We are introduced to another side of her, which is a relentlessly authoritarian and socio-culturally aware businessperson with a bit of a mean streak. This makes us wonder just how mean she might get when put under enough pressure. Given that Kardashian has not yet undertaken such a serious character so deeply rooted in reality (sardonic irony intended), it was a pleasant surprise. 'Oscar worthy' would still be a long stretch, but she might become one of the most divisive characters in the AHS canon. It is especially noteworthy to observe Anna and Siobhan's close bond, and their ability to differentiate between work-related and private matters, although these divisions become blurry at times. The nature of the 'Oscar' industry is debunked and questioned in interesting ways with Anna being in the spotlight, subjected to unsolicited stress, with both undying support and unsympathetic pressure emanating from her ' best friend'. Furthermore, there is a stronger sense of originality as it detracts from its source material with significantly more corporeal cruelty. Regarding Anna's delirium (as it is regarded by others), the visuals of her vivid hallucinations are disconcertingly haunting and leave a mark on the viewer's memory. The spine-chilling and overtly unsettling wing accompaniment fits perfectly with Anna's horrifying experience. It is most difficult if one is being gaslit, however subtle it may be, and however well-intentioned the people who perform this. Lastly, there was a successful attempt at transmitting sentiments of pathos in the gory scene that displays Anna alone, in a strange hospital, with no one to trust, nor to overtly distrust.
THE NEGATIVES
There is a tremendous lack of narrative unification with the sudden removal from the setting to Talia's grandiose (but clinical, glassy, and dull) mansion. There is barely a sense of an 'interwoven sequence of events,' as the plot consists of loose, fairly unrelated snippets with no effort to combine these. In that regard, however unsettling Anna's hallucinations may be, and however effective these are to make the viewer also question reality, they have little to no effect on the rest of the plot, and soon appear forgotten and dismissed. Moreover, there is a weak sense of a central 'line of development,' and there is no systematic build-up of suspense. The plot is almost as confused as the characters that dominate it (or rather seem to have lost this ability). Because of all this, overall cohesion and coherence suffer greatly.
