American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 7 Review: Necro

American Horror Stories Season 2 Episode 7, “Necro,” certainly shows its intention, but in the end, it falls flatter than any episode this season. 

A quick trigger warning: this review will include mentions of rape and sex offenders. 

Because that’s the kind of episode “Necro” is.

Bad Decision After Bad Decision After Bad Decision

“Necro” starts off relatively normal, if a bit dull. We meet a character who’s so quirky and not like other girls because she truly believes in the work she does, and of course, she’s in a relationship with someone who will never see her fully.

Then, because of course, said quirky girl meets a brooding, unusual guy. 

At least 25 minutes of this episode is filler. None of the characters are actually saying anything that matters, now or in the long run. 

There’s a scene where Sam, played by Madison Iseman, and three of her friends sit around chatting and drinking. We never once learn Sam’s friends’ names. 

You’ll Never Be The Conjuring 2

“Necro” tries and tries again to be a witty, gotcha horror with a dash of a love story, but it doesn’t fit at all. 

The real conflict of the episode comes in when Sam finds Charlie, Cameron Cowperthwaire, dead in the morgue, and proceeds to kiss, and ultimately rape/assault, what she thinks is his dead body. 

Obviously, Charlie was never really dead. 

The rest of the episode is played off like Charlie loved Sam so much that he has to snap her out of the trance she’s living in and be with him, who she really loves. 

The whole of “Necro” isn’t very good, but it’s the final act that really puts it into bad territory. 

If ’27 Dresses’ Did Cocaine

This episode pulls the “reveal in the form of a slideshow” trope in the absolute worst way possible. 

What’s worse, though, is that as much as I’d like to say there was a redeeming part of this episode, and maybe there was in Madison Iseman’s acting, even the script is tough to listen to. 

Phrases about living and dying together, stepping out of a life you never wanted, and finding true love in the most horrible of ways plague this episode and take up the entire final act. 

Unfortunately, this episode of American Horror Stories is one of the most put-together episodes In terms of popular horror. 

Rape in horror films is extremely prevalent, and “bad people” falling in love has been happening for nearly half a century. It’s not necessarily what’s good, but it is what’s out there.

Stray Thoughts

• The fact that Jesse, Sam’s fiance, is more upset that she cheated on him than that she’s a necrophiliac was the funniest part of the episode. 
• Sam really thought she was a feminist hero in the end. Yikes, girl. 
• The real gag of it all is when Sam is upset that she can’t get a job because she’s a sex offender/necrophiliac. That is solely a you problem, Sam.  

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American Horror Stories releases episodes Thursdays on Hulu.

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