American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 6 Review: Opening Night

American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 6, “Opening Night,” sees Anna continue her journey towards an Oscar despite the growing signs that Siobhan is more than what meets the eye.

The episode is somewhat lackluster and does nothing to further the plot or character progression for anyone.

It’s clear that the season wasn’t finished filming when it went into hiatus. However, that doesn’t make up for the fact that there was a six-month hiatus between the two halves, and we’re essentially given a filler episode.

A Devilish Truth

One of the only influential tidbits we’re privy to is the backstory to Anna’s birth and her mother’s death. It’s a short sequence of events that doesn’t last past the opening credits. Yet, it’s the most we’ve learned about her mother’s unexpected death.

Like a typical man, Anna’s father disregards her mother’s claims about feeling weird after having just given birth. While she is experiencing the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, unbeknownst to her, her husband plays it off as nothing, telling her she’s fine and to pay it no mind.

Ned’s inability to care for his wife in her hour of need is the sole reason for her death.

Being a man, I’ll never know what it’s like for a newfound mother and the emotions she experiences, but having had enough friends and being around one or two part-time fathers, it infuriates me how relatable the seasons’ depiction of this experience is.

While we don’t learn too much in the grand scheme of things, we figure out that Nicolette has been watching over Anna since birth.

Hallucinations Galore

Keeping the same momentum, Anna is thrust right back into her fifty-step plan to get an Oscar. This includes her defying doctors’ orders and flying to Hollywood, where she gives a ridiculously fake eulogy for Babette.

It also includes showing up for Dex’s opening night, which is when things start to take a turn. Anna has a run-in with the same woman, Susan, whom she previously met in the same manner on American Horror Story Season 12 Episode 2, “Rockabye.” This time, though, Susan’s aggression is tenfold, almost unsettling.

Things don’t die down after Anna’s interactions with Susan. From there, she’s met with an entrancing moment that involves Nicolette, Ivy, Sonia, and Talia.

Through Bradley Becker’s direction, the sequence of events feels like Anna has been slipped a hallucinogenic. The four women circle her in various motions like they’re performing a ritual.

The most confusing part of the interaction is the end when Sonia kisses Anna’s hands and cheeks, and suddenly, her gigantic pimple and red-stained hands are magically cured.

Side note: I can’t be the only one consistently aggravated at the fact that none of the makeup artists working on Anna, or even when she does her own makeup, make it a point to cover the obvious blemish on her chin.

It’s not lost on me that the mark plays some sort of significance in the grand scheme of things. But with how hard the season has worked to depict the tragic life of a rising star, you’d think they’d cover it every once in a while.

No up-and-coming star is going to consistently hit the red carpet or major Hollywood events with a big, boisterous pimple on their face.

The only noteworthy moment to come for Anna on “Opening Night” is her brief interaction with Ms. Preecher, leaving viewers on a cliffhanger until the next episode to learn how their conversation plays out.

Unraveling the Mystery

Siobhan continues to grow more and more mysterious as the season continues. Without having to learn any further knowledge, it’s apparent she plays a part in the death of Babette. But the bodies don’t stop dropping there.

When Hamish threatens to go to the media about Siobhan’s secrets out of extreme guilt for lying, he mysteriously turns up dead a day later. Unfortunately, these brief moments throughout the episode are the only noteworthy scenes we get with Siobhan.

Kim Kardashian has become one of the better aspect of the season, so it’s disappointing when she isn’t given much to work with. Besides Siobhan’s spat with Hamish, there’s no major, memorable scene that you’d expect from the midseason premiere.

—

Instead of providing any sense of answers, American Horror Story: Delicate sticks to its guns of being mysterious to the very end. Besides the minor details that stick out, nothing of significance is provided, a facet sure to leave viewers like myself wondering what we’ll get out of continuing to watch.

With a six-month hiatus between the two halves of the season, I want my hopes to be high for the back end. However, “Opening Night” doesn’t do well to set that tone, leaving me utterly bored with the trajectory of this season and how it’ll inevitably come to an end.

Stray Thoughts:

• The death of Dex’s mother is a notable moment in the overall plot of the season and Anna’s storyline. That’s why it’s so disappointing that we virtually spend no time with her before her end moments.
• “Opening Night” plays heavily into the supernatural aspect, posing the question: how much of Anna’s hallucinations are real? While there are moments where it’s clearly in her head, there’s no denying the marks left behind by her demon child clawing his way partly through her stomach in the pool.

What did you think of this episode of American Horror Story: Delicate? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

American Horror Story: Delicate airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!