American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Bloody Mary

American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 5, “Bloody Mary,” takes on a decades-old legend and ups the ante, making Bloody Mary almost a witch. 

The more outlandish parts of this episode still fit because they’re unsettling but still manage to make a point. 

Plus, there’s a twist, and we all know how good a well-done “gotcha!” moment is. 

Mirror Mirror…

You’ve probably heard of Bloody Mary unless you live under a rock. The rush of holding hands with your friends in front of a mirror, a ripe 13 years old, knowing this moment will make or break your beliefs — and friendships. 

I never saw her. Not in my best friend’s bathroom. Not in my bathroom. Not in the school bathroom. The ladies of this episode, however, can unfortunately tell you differently. 

Featuring an almost entirely Black cast, “Bloody Mary” leans into the story and expands upon it, making Bloody Mary a full-fledged person with a backstory, and a heart. 

Dominique Jackson — who is flawless in everything she does but still took my breath away — plays Bloody Mary, a woman we learn was caught as a slave and became stuck when she fights back. 

American Horror Stories takes an elementary school myth and turns it into a lesson for everyone: desperation for perfection does not equal happiness, even if you succeed.

[Jo March Voice] Women–

Quvenzhané Wallis is a force to be reckoned with on “Bloody Mary.”

Even when the scene isn’t focusing on her, it’s undeniable the pull she has during the entire episode. Bianca (Wallis) is the most logical of the group, but also the quietest. 

Wallis leads playing Bianca with her speech first, then her body. Every time her voice wavers you can hear, every time she’s hesitant she adds in that extra breath, whether for her character or another.

The other girls in this episode, Raven Scott, Kyla-Drew, and Kyanna Simone, bring spectacular energy that hasn’t been felt with a group of friends in a while. “Bloody Mary” leaves space for looking into the episode and seeing a group of friends, not a set of actors. 

Come Back, Bloody Mary

More often than not, when American Horror Stories adds something that is somehow relevant to one of the other nine seasons of American Horror Story proper, it’s not done well.

Bloody Mary has potential, though. She could come back swinging. 

The end of the episode brings a twist that you think you see coming, only then does the desperation, the sadness, and the loss of control fall onto Bianca, who never wanted to do this in the first place. 

“Bloody Mary” says a lot more about greed than anything else, but it’s impossible to miss a lesson about peer pressure in there as well. You’ll be fine if you don’t do Bloody Mary this one time. Promise. 

As a whole, “Bloody Mary” is a great episode about friendship, greed, what it takes to succeed, and who you’ll burn to get there. In the face of a monster, a girl became a monster of her own.

Stray Thoughts:

• I’m not saying Maggie deserved to die, but she fully says “[hacker voice] I’m in” when she gets access to a girl’s nudes. 
• I want a full GRWM OOTD from Bloody Mary. She looks like a goddess. 
• The line, “Bloody Mary does not kill, I simply reflect truth,” feels like a gut punch given that none of the girls except Elise actually did the tasks that would get them what they wanted. 
• Put Dominique Jackson in every single episode of American Horror Stories. Also every TV show, ever. 

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American Horror Stories releases new episodes on Thursdays on Hulu.

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