American Horror Story: Double Feature Review: Take Me to Your Leader (Season 10 Episode 7)
American Horror Story: Double Feature Season 10 Episode 7, “Take Me To Your Leader,” begins the final chapter of the season; Death Valley.
Death Valley follows two different timelines, one set in 1954 Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the other set in present-day 2021.
The 1954 timeline follows Dwight Eisenhower (Neal McDonough) and his response to coming in contact with an extraterrestrial being. During this brief portion of the episode, fans are introduced to Eisenhower’s wife, Mamie (Sarah Paulson), and Amelia Earhart (Lily Rabe).
Per Eisenhower, Mamie has an infatuation with Earhart and kept a poster of her up for years. We can only hope that this is a foreshadowing that the two will come in contact before the end of the story.
The present-day timeline follows a group of friends taking a last-minute camping trip to rekindle their bond. However, things get spooky when they find a field of mutilated cows and are abducted shortly after.
With only four episodes to tell the story, American Horror Story has to pull the audience in and grasp their attention almost immediately. There is no room for filler or slow-paced episodes when there’s a race against the clock, which hurts Death Valley.
There needs to be adequate world-building and a straightforward plot established, but it lacks substance at the moment. The first half of the episode is by far the most intriguing due to the content. The introduction to the aliens is impressive, gory, and gives just the right amount of suspense.
“Take Me To Your Leader” does a great job setting the scene for Death Valley in the first half but falls short in the backend.
An intriguing premise is aliens who can make your head explode with a simple thought, so why not dive in more? It makes no sense to switch timelines in the first episode of the story, even if trying to introduce all the characters in the season.
Most of the information given in the present timeline is unwarranted and not worthy of mentioning. “Take Me To Your Leader” has too much wasted potential, focusing more on explaining the sex acts of the group than the story.
Something about the present timeline feels flat, fitting the American Horror Stories vibe more than the original American Horror Story. Maybe it’s the actors, or perhaps that’s the vibe the writers were going for, who knows. Either way, jumping to the present feels like a monumental screwup story-wise.
It seems more plausible to use an entire episode setting the scene and tone for the story rather than changing formats halfway through.
Who or what is the woman infiltrating the base, and why is she drawn there? Is it the kid alien being dissected, or could it be that Amelia Earhart has run off with their alien baby? These are more intriguing questions that need answering.
My expectations for the next three episodes are low, and it’s disappointing. American Horror Story: Double Feature overall feels too rushed. There should have been better planning around a season that features more than one main story with only a ten-episode season.
Other Thoughts:
- Why are the episodes so back and forth with their runtimes? With only four episodes in Death Valley’s story, it makes more sense that the episodes would be an hour-long. An extra 10 minutes for the first portion of the episode would make a world of difference.
- Maybe it’s just me, but impregnating all four friends isn’t enough for me to be begging for more. Their “backstories” do not make me sympathize or enjoy their characters any more than usual. Ultimately, it’s wasted time spent on insignificant facts.
What did you think of this episode of American Horror Story: Double Feature? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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American Horror Story: Double Feature airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.
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Cade Taylor
Cade Taylor is a television and film critic living in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV. His love for television developed at a young age, with a concentration on queer stories, sitcoms, teen dramas, and science fiction thrillers. In addition, he works full-time as a news producer, telling the stories of Missourians and helming "Produced in the Bi-State," a segment spotlighting actors, musicians, and entertainers from the St. Louis area. He can be reached by email at cade@telltaletv.com.
One thought on “American Horror Story: Double Feature Review: Take Me to Your Leader (Season 10 Episode 7)”
I totally agree with you. The second part of the episode was wasted with weak character backgrounds, lousy acting and useless information. I was unenthused by the first 20 minutes, but still interested. All of that flew out the window as soon as the went to present day. I’ll watch it until the end as I always do. But I’m sure I’ll be disappointed…. again. I guess I’ve been wrong before.
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