American Horror Story: Cult Review: Election Night (Season 7 Episode 1)

Clowns, phobias, psycho babysitters, a world where trump is in charge, a demented Evan Peters, and a hysterical Sarah Paulson are all accurate descriptors of American Horror Story: Cult Season 7 Episode 1, “Election Night.”

Ryan Murphy must’ve decided that he was going to bring his A game this season because from the first episode I already get the feel that this season is going to be intense. Amazing, but intense.

American Horror Story: Cult is truly giving me Murder House vibes solely off the fact that this is the first time I have been scared while watching this show. Asylum had some freaky moments, but I didn’t yell out loud twice while watching the first episode of Asylum.

It’s not a surprise to anyone who knows me that Sarah Paulson is by far one of my favorite actresses and that her role is the thing I’ve been looking forward to most. Well, she most certainly does not disappoint.

I feel like Ally is the epitome of every non-trump supporter in America as she breaks down when Donald Trump wins the election.

While that has been the biggest tease of Cult, I am relieved that the story went in a different direction than what I was thinking would happen because we don’t need to re-live the abomination that is Donald Trump on a screen when we already have to deal with him in real life.

What makes this season the scariest so far, to me, is that this is exactly what viewers have experienced. Not the killer clowns chasing you around in a supermarket, but the realization that your worst fears are becoming a reality and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The hopelessness that Ally exhibits is something that people have and did feel during the entire election and election night. Ryan Murphy is leaving behind the supernatural aspect of fear and is moving in with real life terror, making him a genius because he knows how to play the field and keep viewers interested.

Ally and Ivy are supposed to be in love with each other, but I get a weird vibe from Ivy right off the bat. Ivy may be there for Ally, but I don’t see much love from this relationship with the way that Ivy consistently acts around Ally.

Ivy knows that Ally is dealing with hallucinations due to stress and her phobia’s and yet she continues to treat her like dirt. I’m not saying there is no love at all, but the way Ivy continues to berate and go after Ally I won’t be shocked if by the end of the season she’s helping the clowns mess with Ally.

Speaking of clowns, I am convinced that Kai is one of the clowns – the one with dildos plastered on all sides – and is actively getting every trump supporter in town to help cover up his terrorization of Ally.

The only person in the supermarket is the trump supporting cashier when all of a sudden he disappears and there are clowns surrounding Ally everywhere.

The real question is why terrorize Ally? Why not just kill her as the clowns do with their neighbors?

Kai is actively going around town and causing as much mayhem as he can in order to get the people of the town to fight against each other. I see no other reason why he would throw urine on strangers just to get him getting his butt beat on camera.

I foresee the video being uploaded with him throwing the urine cut out, so the only thing that people see is anti-trump supporters beating a trump supporter to a pulp after the election. He may be certifiably insane, but he knows what he’s doing.

Not only am I digging the clowns – as much as I’m terrified of them – but I love the brother/sister vibes between Winter and Kai. I still haven’t figured Winter out; first, we see her as an upset trump hating Hillary fan and then next thing she’s helping Kai torment Ally’s family by becoming their babysitter and making Oz witness actual murders.

Besides the fact that Winter is obviously insane for going along with what her brother is cooking up I am sincerely enjoying the vibe that Billie Lourd brings to Winter. So far Winter is my favorite character because she’s the most interesting and hardest to figure out.

American Horror Story: Cult is off to a great beginning – I can only hope that it stays this way and doesn’t begin to go downhill.

Other Thoughts:

• I will never not be upset that we have to witness a blue hair, trump supporting Evan Peters. Makes me want to sob into a cup of vodka having to watch him pull this off.
• I have a feeling that Oz is going to turn into a little monster throughout the season with Winter making him experience real life murder and how obsessed he is with Twisty.
• The last thing that I need to witness is two clowns screwing in a grocery aisle, but with American Horror Story you never know what you’re going to get.
• My favorite comedy scene from “Election Night” by far is when Ally looks at Donald’s twitter and goes “just stop tweeting!” as she screams out. I am living for all the Donald trump shade.
• I think that Kai has made Winter promise to help him terrorize people and that’s why she’s going along with it. I don’t think that it’s coincidental Winter and Kai have a close up of them pinky promising and then in the end credits it’s two hands making the pinky promise while handcuffed together.

 

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American Horror Story: Cult airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX.

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