Violent Misogyny seems to be the theme in this weeks instalment of American Horror Story as we begin to settle in to the new surroundings of Briarcliff Mental Institution.
While the centre-piece of episode two, and its most visually violent element, is an exorcism (which I will talk about in a moment), it is flanked by multiple ongoing story-lines that focus in on the institutional sexism at Briarcliff and by extension the treatment of mental illness in the 1960s.
This theme of violent hatred towards women in embodied by the sinister Doctor Arden, played by James Cromwell, who we already know is experimenting on many of the patients.
I feel at the end of this episode we know Doctor Arden a lot better, maybe better than we would like.
Three scenes, each with a different female character, reveal the doctor’s prejudices and psychological involvement with women.
The first is with “Shelly the Nymphomaniac”, played by Chloe Sevigny.
For the record, that is how she is billed, which I think partially dehumanises her in the first place. She is a Nymphomaniac, a whore, rather than a character who deserves a surname.
Anyway, in her scene with Dr Arden, she attempts to seduce him but he rather violently rebuffs her and brands her a whore and a slut.
He is outwardly repulsed by her overt sexuality and even more so by her obvious enjoyment of sex, to him women should not be sexual beings, they should not enjoy the act.
This scene is also an opportunity to find more out about Shelly, who argues that there is a double standard for women in greater society.
While men can have numerous extramarital affairs and have sex with as many women as they like, her enjoyment of sex and extramarital promiscuity is seen as a mental illness.
This scene is accompanied by one where Dr Arden calls a prostitute, brilliantly played by Jenny Wade, to his house.
It exposes his own sexuality as violent, and dominating, and throws into stark light the question of who is more mentally deranged, Shelly or Dr Arden?
Both of these scenes are juxtaposed by a series of encounters with Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe), with whom he is quite obviously falling in love possibly due to the fact that she is a nun, someone who represents the pure female.
There is an oddly erotic, though twisted moment with a toffee apple and the scene in which the Sister is recovering from her collapse at the exorcism again shows how the female form repels him, despite his underlying love for the woman herself.
Nympho?: Chloe Sevigny plays Shelly
There is only one major supernatural element to this weeks show; the possession and exorcism of Jed (played by Dexter’s Devon Graye).
The theme of misogyny comes back to the fore when Sister Jude is left on her own with Jed, who taunts her by saying it must be infuriating for her, knowing that she is the most intelligent person in the room but being ignored because she is a woman.
This also gives us an insight into Sister Jude’s past, when she was a promiscuous, drunken bar singer, killed a girl while driving home and never reported it.
This begs the question, has this tragic act inverted Sister Jude’s own hatred of women, is she blame the sexualised female inside her for the killing of the girl?
The whole exorcism sequence is reminiscent of The Exorcist films and are easily the most violent scenes in the episode.
It also continues another season theme of religious fanaticism and Sister Jude’s doctrine of mental illness deriving from sin.
Elsewhere in the episode Lena (Sarah Paulson) undergoes electric shock therapy to treat her homosexuality on the command of Sister Jude.
Zachary Quinto (YAY) makes his debut as Dr Oliver Thredson, who may have been brought in to act as a moral compass for the audience, being a more liberal voice, opposed to the violent treatment of patients.
His scenes with Sister Jude were particularly interesting and went a long way to establish a mutual enmity between the two characters which could be a great relationship to develop.
Episode two has continued to build on the successful first instalment and makes it obvious that this season of American Horror Story seems intent on making far more direct social comments and bringing questions to the fore about society as a whole.
Who, for example, is the real monster? Is it the undoubtedly mentally ill, but seemingly sweet Pepper or the powerful but twisted Doctor Arden?
There is even a question over weather any of the patients in the main cast (Lena, Grace – played by Lizzie Brochere, Kit – played by Evan Peters and Shelly) are actually mentally ill.
This season is definitely more clever than last and it is going to be very interesting to see how it develops.
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FX,
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Television: American Horror Story: Asylum – Episode 2 – The Review (Spoiler Alert)
Violent Misogyny seems to be the theme in this weeks instalment of American Horror Story as we begin to settle in to the new surroundings of Briarcliff Mental Institution.
While the centre-piece of episode two, and its most visually violent element, is an exorcism (which I will talk about in a moment), it is flanked by multiple ongoing story-lines that focus in on the institutional sexism at Briarcliff and by extension the treatment of mental illness in the 1960s.
This theme of violent hatred towards women in embodied by the sinister Doctor Arden, played by James Cromwell, who we already know is experimenting on many of the patients.
I feel at the end of this episode we know Doctor Arden a lot better, maybe better than we would like.
Three scenes, each with a different female character, reveal the doctor’s prejudices and psychological involvement with women.
The first is with “Shelly the Nymphomaniac”, played by Chloe Sevigny.
For the record, that is how she is billed, which I think partially dehumanises her in the first place. She is a Nymphomaniac, a whore, rather than a character who deserves a surname.
Anyway, in her scene with Dr Arden, she attempts to seduce him but he rather violently rebuffs her and brands her a whore and a slut.
He is outwardly repulsed by her overt sexuality and even more so by her obvious enjoyment of sex, to him women should not be sexual beings, they should not enjoy the act.
This scene is also an opportunity to find more out about Shelly, who argues that there is a double standard for women in greater society.
While men can have numerous extramarital affairs and have sex with as many women as they like, her enjoyment of sex and extramarital promiscuity is seen as a mental illness.
This scene is accompanied by one where Dr Arden calls a prostitute, brilliantly played by Jenny Wade, to his house.
It exposes his own sexuality as violent, and dominating, and throws into stark light the question of who is more mentally deranged, Shelly or Dr Arden?
Both of these scenes are juxtaposed by a series of encounters with Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe), with whom he is quite obviously falling in love possibly due to the fact that she is a nun, someone who represents the pure female.
There is an oddly erotic, though twisted moment with a toffee apple and the scene in which the Sister is recovering from her collapse at the exorcism again shows how the female form repels him, despite his underlying love for the woman herself.
Nympho?: Chloe Sevigny plays Shelly
There is only one major supernatural element to this weeks show; the possession and exorcism of Jed (played by Dexter’s Devon Graye).
The theme of misogyny comes back to the fore when Sister Jude is left on her own with Jed, who taunts her by saying it must be infuriating for her, knowing that she is the most intelligent person in the room but being ignored because she is a woman.
This also gives us an insight into Sister Jude’s past, when she was a promiscuous, drunken bar singer, killed a girl while driving home and never reported it.
This begs the question, has this tragic act inverted Sister Jude’s own hatred of women, is she blame the sexualised female inside her for the killing of the girl?
The whole exorcism sequence is reminiscent of The Exorcist films and are easily the most violent scenes in the episode.
It also continues another season theme of religious fanaticism and Sister Jude’s doctrine of mental illness deriving from sin.
Elsewhere in the episode Lena (Sarah Paulson) undergoes electric shock therapy to treat her homosexuality on the command of Sister Jude.
Zachary Quinto (YAY) makes his debut as Dr Oliver Thredson, who may have been brought in to act as a moral compass for the audience, being a more liberal voice, opposed to the violent treatment of patients.
His scenes with Sister Jude were particularly interesting and went a long way to establish a mutual enmity between the two characters which could be a great relationship to develop.
Episode two has continued to build on the successful first instalment and makes it obvious that this season of American Horror Story seems intent on making far more direct social comments and bringing questions to the fore about society as a whole.
Who, for example, is the real monster? Is it the undoubtedly mentally ill, but seemingly sweet Pepper or the powerful but twisted Doctor Arden?
There is even a question over weather any of the patients in the main cast (Lena, Grace – played by Lizzie Brochere, Kit – played by Evan Peters and Shelly) are actually mentally ill.
This season is definitely more clever than last and it is going to be very interesting to see how it develops.
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