CORRECTION: This article was corrected on Oct. 27 at 11:02 a.m. CDT. The article originally stated that Anna’s movie received an Oscar nomination, which is incorrect. She actually received a Golden Globe nomination.
The long-awaited part one finale of “American Horror Story: Delicate” has finally arrived, and rightfully so.
We open once again with a flashback (bonus points), which takes us back to Manhattan in 1987. Here we learn that the mysterious Miss Preecher, the woman who has been watching Anna (Emma Roberts) in the streets, also gave birth to a baby but gave it up for a deal with the devil. The devilishly cloaked women in black surround her operation table. They’re the same figures that stalked Anna on the beach in episode three.
After this harrowing reveal, the program cuts back to the Hamptons in the present day.
Anna’s pregnancy is carrying along relatively well, but her career suffers because of it. Siobhan (Kim Kardashian), while being her “best friend,” begins to act cold towards Anna when it comes to working as her publicist. Instead, Siobhan decides to cozy up to and also represent Babette Eno (Taylor Richardson), a pretty and spritely 21-year-old who’s in the same category as Anna at the Academy Awards. Anna claims that Siobhan is subconsciously punishing her for having a baby, but I think there’s something darker at play.
Siobhan has always felt mechanical and a little empty. Whether this is somewhat intended or Kim K’s acting style is anyone’s guess (although I’m betting on acting style). This being said other members of production accuse Siobhan of illicit activity for being able to make Anna’s movie succeed. It receives tons of Golden Globe nominations despite the fact that the script is more like a Lifetime movie rather than something entirely reputable. How did she do it? My money is on the fact that Siobhan did have a baby but chose to give it up to the mysterious women in exchange for success as a publicist. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until later episodes to see if this theory ends up being confirmed.
The rest of this episode dives into two different storylines, one focusing on Anna’s pregnancy and home life, and the other covering the relationship between Anna’s husband, Dex (Matt Czuchry) and his mother (Debra Monk). As Anna continues to have more rampant hallucinations of strange women and sacrificial animals (foreshadowing, perhaps), we learn that the unlikely link between Anna and Miss Preecher is Dex’s mother. Dex’s mom has come to town to file a lawsuit against his father, claiming that he forced her into sexual satanic rituals without her consent. Miss Preecher, after randomly meeting her, insists she take Dex’s mom to lunch. Preecher warns her that terrible people are after Dex, his wife and his baby. We learn that these women are getting revenge because Dex took one of their prime members from their union. This would be Dex’s allegedly dead wife, Adelaide.
This makes so much sense. Anna is essentially facing the consequences of a man’s actions. Female struggles are frequently portrayed throughout this program, and this is just another example. The other most notable explanation would be the fact that everyone around Anna tells her she absolutely must choose between being a career woman and being a mother — this is obviously an antiquated notion in the 21st century, but still an idea that some harbor.
Anna also has dinner with Simone, Dex’s new business partner. She looks uncannily like Adelaide, but tells Anna that she’s never met her, calling Adelaide her “less evil twin.” What if Adelaide didn’t really die, and she rejoined the cult with a new look? It’s entirely possible, but she also looks too blatantly goth to actually be a part of a Satanic cult. I guess you never know.
The episode concludes with Anna losing the Golden Globe to Babette, as I expected. However, Anna wakes up the next morning to a news article that claims Babette was decapitated in a car crash. Like clockwork, Anna receives a phone call from Siobhan, who’s ready to get back into Anna’s good graces after her new cash cow just died.
Siobhan asks Anna if she’s willing to do whatever it takes to achieve utmost success. Anna, of course, says yes. The episode ends here after the screen cuts back to Siobhan sporting a devilish grin on her face.
While part one focuses on Anna’s pregnancy and her descent into “madness,” I assume part two will highlight Anna becoming as obsessive over her career as she was about becoming pregnant.
Not only does “Preech” leave much to be solved as a whole, but the final scene in particular opens so many avenues for insane plot twists and resolutions whenever part two begins to air. I need it to be sooner rather than later.
