American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Milkmaids

Something very special about American Horror Stories is that you truly never know what you’re going to get. American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 4, “Milkmaids,” understands that, and takes it to a new level. 

“Milkmaids” surprises me by becoming the best episode of the season thus far, maybe of the show. With clever writing and unreliable characters, writer Our Lady J does what American Horror Stories keeps trying to do: makes the show an actual horror. 

The Cannibalism of it All

“Milkmaids” doesn’t wait even 15 minutes before having Thomas (Cody Fern) and Father Walter (Seth Gabel) fully consume a human heart. 

This is not a metaphor. The two fully rip a human heart out of a dead body and consume it for fear of Smallpox. Oh, the things you do to avoid illness. 

Now doesn’t that sound a little too familiar… 

This episode features just the right amount of gore — not too much that it’s unwatchable, but you’re still watching a man eat a human heart. It’s chilling. 

What makes this worse, or better, to me, is that Thomas’ child Edward sees, and in the end, he eats the heart of his biological mother. Classic. 

I Can Excuse Eating My Dead Wife’s Human Heart, But I Draw the Line at Lesbians

Thomas enters the episode as someone we’re meant to trust. He calls the preacher out when necessary, cares for the people lesser than him, and raises his child on his own. 

Then Cody Fern does what he does best: he fools us. Not once, but twice. He believes and saves Delilah — only to be her demise because of his bigotry. 

Cody Fern is so good that when Thomas does turn, you feel it. It’s shocking, a little bit unbelievable despite it being New England in the 1700s, and it’s a lot disappointing. 

“Milkmaids” digs into the characters and gives them a chance to fight instead of being pushed to the background or remaining so one-dimensional that you don’t care if they die. 

Girlboss in STEM

Delilah, played by Addison Timlin, is a charming, poor, scientist on the brink of something amazing. 

Delilah’s love, selflessness, and yes, queerness, make her one of the best characters to be written into American Horror Stories. 

She’s well thought out and put together, and she and Celeste both allow you to fall in love with them, so when the end comes, it’s heartbreaking for everyone. 

Overall, “Milkmaids” features a stellar cast, an interesting, devastating story by Our Lady J, and though slightly predictable, still very fun and compelling. 

Stray Thoughts

• I never thought a line from American Horror Stories would make you think about the devastating state of the world, but a child saying “if they are weak then they should die,” well, that’ll do it.
• I would like to see Celeste and Delilah again, even if they’re ghosts. 
• Seth Gabel read this script, ingested every unhinged thing Father Walter said, and came onto set like it was a challenge. More Seth Gabel in horror, please. 

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American Horror Stories releases new episodes on Thursdays on Hulu.

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