American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 2 Review: Rockabye
American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 2, “Rockabye,” picks up the pace from its first outing, but fails to reel the audience in fully.
After the previous season of American Horror Story, I’d deemed myself finished with the show, but just like a toxic hometown that continues to pull people back, the series did the same with me. That, however, does not mean it’s thoroughly enjoyable.
There are small moments of intrigue where I find myself immersed and asking questions about where the storyline could go. However, the wow factor the series once held has gone out the window.
Nothing we’ve seen yet has been enough for a jaw-dropping moment or even slightly exciting, besides Siobhan berating Anna for slacking on her end of their Oscars campaign.
Seriously, this tiny moment that we spend with Siobhan grilling Anna is one of the best serotonin-inducing moments American Horror Story has had in quite a while. It’s refreshing to get slivers of moments like this despite the first two episodes of the season not fully living up to expectations.
Siobhan: Do you know how hard my staff has worked for you? How many hours we’ve spent campaigning for this nomination? How many blowjobs were collectively given for you to even be considered? I mean, Derek’s jaw may never recover. But he knows how crucial these Gotham awards are for your entire life trajectory. If your face looks like a fucking cat’s asshole every minute of the day, no one’s gonna want to watch it win an Oscar. So let me know now if there’s no joy in this job for you. I can help you fill out an application to work at Costco.”
I never thought I’d say it, but Kim Kardashian is the saving grace of the season by far. Her wit, charm, and overall ability to immerse herself within a role that somewhat gives Kardashian tendencies without thinking the entire time, “Oh, this is just Kim Kardashian,” is quite pleasing.
We spend the majority of “Rockabye” following Anna as she continues to deal with one abnormality after another in her pregnancy. In the span of the episode, she’s forced to deal with those around her telling her she’s imagining things, believing she killed someone, gaps of time disappearing, and experiencing a miscarriage.
Despite all the grueling events Anna endures, and as talented as Emma Roberts is, I naturally find myself drawn more and more to Kardashian’s character, Siobhan.
There’s a natural curiosity that comes from examining the character. Through her hard work and actions to keep Anna’s name in the spotlight, it feels like she has good intentions and is looking out for her. Nonetheless, there’s something remotely dark about the way Kim is portraying the character that leads me to believe she has ulterior motives.
From the indistinguishable “B12” shots she hands to Anna, the cracked mirror after her trance-inducing singing, and her being all over Anna when she recovers after the Gotham awards, there’s something fishy about Shiobhan.
If Siobhan ends up playing a part in the back-to-back unnerving events Anna suffers, it won’t be a surprise. And with the series being technically forty percent through, the pacing needs to be amplified tremendously if we’re going to get anywhere before the inevitable hiatus for part two.
Other Thoughts:
- Ryan Murphy did a disservice to the season and the WGA by continuing to film during the strikes in an attempt to finish the season before a complete shutdown. He should have shut down production and postponed the season until it was fully completed. If Red Tide was any indicator, the five-episode season we’re getting for part one is bound to feel incomplete and lackluster.
- I think a major debilitating factor making a significant impact on the season so far is how noticeable it is that the majority of the cast that makes the series what it is are missing. If Billie Lourd or Leslie Grossman were more involved, it might feel a bit different, but alas, that isn’t the case.
What did you think of this episode of American Horror Story: Delicate? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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American Horror Story: Delicate 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.