Before I begin I must say that it was quite surreal watching Eric Stonestreet, possibly the funniest man on television, play a deranged and traumatized patient so convincingly and still remind me of his turn as Cam on Modern Family. He’s a sensational talent and I think he deserves a guest-starring Emmy for his performance here.
I gotta say, that opening school shooting sequence was one of the hardest sequences I’ve ever had to watch on television (or film for that) It was just harrowing in its realism and brutality that I truly felt uncomfortable watching it. Moreover, it managed to instill within me feelings of pure rage towards psychotic Tate which is not something TV manages to do to me on a regular basis. So, kudos for impact but utterly horrifying nonetheless.
I was also impressed by Constance’s touching and heartbreaking scene as she communicated with her dear daughter Adelade through her medium. Ryan Murphy has consistently managed to imbue the character with the right amount of complexity and emotion that make her a true standout on the show. Amazing.
Finally, Vivian got a bizarre yet admiteddly intriguing subplot as she consumed copious amounts of raw organs. Hmm… this is going to get interesting.
And of course, I can’t forget to mention Stonestreet’s unfortunate death at the hands of armed robbers just as he managed to confront his phobia. Hilariously sad.
Conclusion
Another intriguing hour from one of my favorite new shows. Well done.
Nad Rating
B+