S10.E04: Blood Buffet

[jewel21]

Quote

The dark history of Provincetown and its residents are brought to light.

Airdate: 09/08/2021

[farmgal4]

I LOVED this episode!  Bravo!! 👏🏻

[ShadowHunter]

Evan Peters you do it all lol. Fun episode. Honestly wish the season was just him and Frances singing and killing. Finn and Lily are a bit boring and I can't stand the daughter.

Macaulay Culkin fits in well though. He can stay around.

[txhorns79]

I will say historical erotic fiction featuring a threesome between George Washington, Martha Washington and Benjamin Franklin is an inspired idea.  Otherwise, the episode felt like fifteen minutes of actual story and the rest was filler.       

[TattleTeeny]

I would do (and have done) a wardrobe update at a thrift store too! But maybe in her case she had to make do with what was open in the area at the time? Or, based on her existing taste In clothing style, she was still unsure about what fancy people wear so she started small.

Edited September 9, 2021 by TattleTeeny

[Cinnabon]

If you have to keep taking the pills to continue experiencing its effects, then why is the failed singer still in the cemetery and still bloodthirsty?

[Chaos Theory]

This season continues to be one of the best AHS has done in awhile.  Maybe its the shorter (but also not a single episode that the other AHS did) seasons or maybe because the story is actually entertaining and tight.   I really loved the back stories of The Chemist and Belle Noir.   The Chemist isn't exactly evil evil but instead she is just doing outright human research and doesn't care if people get hurt.   Loved watching Belle Noir become......I was kinda hoping she would kill her asshole husband and was glad when she did.

Evan Peters in drag was fun to watch as well.

I do find it fascinating that this all started when The Chemist met Mickey and explained the science to him and asked him if he wanted to take the pill and then paid him to find people who would.  

I did feel kind of bad for the guy who turned out to be talentless.  It was a good story watching him fall to peices.  I liked the confrontation between him and The Chemist.  

 

Loved the line "The non creative ones can tolerate their lack of talent until they are confronted with it."

 

Also it was nice to see Mickey and TB Karen (relatively) happy.

Edited September 9, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[luna1122]

I dunno, I think the Chemist is about as evil as evil can get: she doesn’t care at all about human (or beastly) collateral. She’d have made a good Nazi.

She’s great looking tho.

II rarely root for murder, but I actively supported Belle Noir opening up her terrible, awful, horrible husband’s throat. Of course, she’s even worse than he is now but she has a chemically induced excuse. He was just a collosal d-bag.

Didn’t feel particularly bad for Evan’s bullying ‘friends’ either. Also: Evan Peters in drag SHOULD be a thing of beauty, but they sure went out of their way to make him look…not pretty. Tho he can rock a corset and now I need him to play FranknFurter.

Poor Mickey. MCulkin is so touching in this.

 

 

 

[iMonrey]

I actually think this has been one of the weaker seasons of the show. It really doesn't make a lot of sense to have these Nosferatu ghouls running around loose in the cemetery and seemingly nobody notices until Finn Whitrock and family move to town. That's kind of a big problem. The mass killings are going to catch somebody's eye too.

Granted, seeing Evan Peters in drag almost makes the whole thing worthwhile, but it's the usual style over substance you get with most Ryan Murphy content.

[farmgal4]

14 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

Evan Peters you do it all lol. Fun episode. Honestly wish the season was just him and Frances singing and killing. Finn and Lily are a bit boring and I can't stand the daughter.

Macaulay Culkin fits in well though. He can stay around.

I adore Macaulay and the character he plays.

[farmgal4]

12 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

If you have to keep taking the pills to continue experiencing its effects, then why is the failed singer still in the cemetery and still bloodthirsty?

That’s a good question.

[benteen]

After last week's stronger episode, this episode was a disappointment.  Not a very strong flashback episode.

[TattleTeeny]

But it explained the shoulder pads, haha!

[sashayshante]

I hate filler episodes. Sure, it focused on Frances Conroy, which is a plus, but the season is already so short.

Liked the first 2 episodes. Fell asleep halfway through the 3rd. Fourth episode was filler. Meh.

The Chemist and TB Karen feel like extraneous characters written to give Angelica Ross and SP parts. Don't care about the talentless vampire. Definitely enjoying Macauley Culkin. The less Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd, the better. Denis O'Hare is being wasted in this role.

That's all I got.

Edited September 10, 2021 by sashayshante

[HollyG]

I loved the episode. I love Frances Conroy, but Macauley & Evan stole the show. I was happy they explained why the vampire pill was invented. My guess why the wild vamps don't go back to normal without the pill is because they are forever tortured by the knowledge of their mediocre existence. Whereas the talented vamps don't lose their knowledge of greatness and can still feel superior about their talent. It doesn't completely explain it, but that's probably all we'll get from Ryan Murphy.

[zibnchy]

I just don't understand. You have Robin Weigert signed on and you use her in a 5 minute throw away role in the pilot?! At a minimum she could have played Typhoid Karen in her sleep and done a massively better job than whatever Sarah Paulson thinks is Acting.

I just had to get that off my chest.

The show is a little dull but I'm bored so...

 

[ShadowHunter]

8 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I dunno, I think the Chemist is about as evil as evil can get: she doesn’t care at all about human (or beastly) collateral. She’d have made a good Nazi.

She’s great looking tho.

II rarely root for murder, but I actively supported Belle Noir opening up her terrible, awful, horrible husband’s throat. Of course, she’s even worse than he is now but she has a chemically induced excuse. He was just a collosal d-bag.

Didn’t feel particularly bad for Evan’s bullying ‘friends’ either. Also: Evan Peters in drag SHOULD be a thing of beauty, but they sure went out of their way to make him look…not pretty. Tho he can rock a corset and now I need him to play FranknFurter.

Poor Mickey. MCulkin is so touching in this.

 

 

 

Well Austin had not taken the pill yet so that is why he didn't completely rock at being a Drag Queen. When he was sitting with the group he was definitely the definition of straight guy playing dress up. Once he got on stage he was a blast though. Evan has an energy that he just brings. That being said I hope he does more like he had on Mare of Easttown. 

 

[Redrum]

8 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I rarely root for murder, but I actively supported Belle Noir opening up her terrible, awful, horrible husband’s throat. Of course, she’s even worse than he is now but she has a chemically induced excuse. He was just a collosal d-bag.

I'm going to disagree a little. Just a little but.... the douchebag was actually being hugely financially supportive of his wife's writing career. Self publishing in hardback isn't cheap. Neither are self funded book tours. I can understand a straight man being uncomfortable with listening to his wife read about one female going down on another sexually. I can see being fed the hell up with indulging the wife and her passion for writing over and over only to have her not see the obvious, that she's not that good. 

Now was he clearly homophobic, yes, and he was pretty crude and rude with his wife and I don't approve of cheating at all, but lets see, she refused to do the thing he liked even though he was funding the whole trip, and went to a bar by herself and spent the night getting high on meth and vamp drugs with Macauley Culkin, while he had a cheap night of sex with some unknown chick. Who was really the asshole here?

Maybe if she'd had a little more of the Belle Noire fire before she killed her husband, she wouldn't have had to murder him. 

[EllaWycliffe]

I'm in the minority. I could never see Evan Peters in drag again, and it would be too soon. The whole scene just seemed really forced like there's a quota for audience shocking moments over things to do with alternative lifestyles. Does Austin really need to have been a desperate straight guy working as a drag queen?

11 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Loved the line "The non creative ones can tolerate their lack of talent until they are confronted with it."

I loved this line as well, and I like how the Chemist and the talentless guy interacted.... But I am unsatisfied with the whole evolution. How did he get the sharpened teeth? Why is he non verbal now? If the effects are non reversible after one pill, why do the talented keep needing the pills? Plus the murder rate by the pack of ghouls in the cemetary really wouldn't go unnoticed. Provincetown isn't that small of the town. Even townie hicks have cell phones now. 

[Anela]

20 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

If you have to keep taking the pills to continue experiencing its effects, then why is the failed singer still in the cemetery and still bloodthirsty?

I was wondering why they all felt rage and bloodthirsty, when she said that it was only the untalented who attacked people.  I guess I shouldn’t expect a woman creating vampires, to tell the truth.  
 

the only person I was sad to see go, was Crystal Decanter.  

[Anela]

2 hours ago, Redrum said:

I'm going to disagree a little. Just a little but.... the douchebag was actually being hugely financially supportive of his wife's writing career. Self publishing in hardback isn't cheap. Neither are self funded book tours. I can understand a straight man being uncomfortable with listening to his wife read about one female going down on another sexually. I can see being fed the hell up with indulging the wife and her passion for writing over and over only to have her not see the obvious, that she's not that good. 

Now was he clearly homophobic, yes, and he was pretty crude and rude with his wife and I don't approve of cheating at all, but lets see, she refused to do the thing he liked even though he was funding the whole trip, and went to a bar by herself and spent the night getting high on meth and vamp drugs with Macauley Culkin, while he had a cheap night of sex with some unknown chick. Who was really the asshole here?

Maybe if she'd had a little more of the Belle Noire fire before she killed her husband, she wouldn't have had to murder him. 

I don’t think she should have to do the thing she doesn’t like, to get some actual love from her husband.  He was definitely the bigger asshole.  

[sugarbaker design]

21 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

If you have to keep taking the pills to continue experiencing its effects, then why is the failed singer still in the cemetery and still bloodthirsty?

It is my understanding that taking the pills heightens the talented tenth's artistic output.  No pills, no output.

For the untalented one black beauty means Cape Cod zombie.

Edited September 10, 2021 by sugarbaker design

[Redrum]

5 minutes ago, Anela said:

I don’t think she should have to do the thing she doesn’t like, to get some actual love from her husband.  He was definitely the bigger asshole.  

Sure, but... she was judging him an asshole for not doing what he didnt want to do because he didn't attend her reading (that he was paying for). I think Belle wasn't an innocent victim, thats all. Asshole husband was spending a lot of coin helping her chase the dream. 

 

[EllaWycliffe]

1 minute ago, sugarbaker design said:

It is my understanding that taking the pills heightens one's artistic output.  No pills, no output.

Yeah thats true but if you aren't taking the pills, you don't need to feed on raw flesh and blood - Belle and Austin don't kill all the time, just when they are in Provincetown. And there's still no explanation on how talentless guy went from blood lusting but verbal and sentient to non verbal ghoul with freaky teeth

[sugarbaker design]

1 minute ago, EllaWycliffe said:

And there's still no explanation on how talentless guy went from blood lusting but verbal and sentient to non verbal ghoul with freaky teeth

Didn't Austin explain it to Harry in episode 2?

[TheCouchPotato]

Why is it that when Frances and Evan take the black pill for the first time, they’re hungry within the hour and start murdering, but Maucalay takes it and doesn’t feel the need to do the same. Instead, he writes a script and is having fun with Leslie. Perhaps he never took the pill and is just talented? I’m confused. 

[EllaWycliffe]

14 minutes ago, TheCouchPotato said:

Why is it that when Frances and Evan take the black pill for the first time, they’re hungry within the hour and start murdering, but Maucalay takes it and doesn’t feel the need to do the same. Instead, he writes a script and is having fun with Leslie. Perhaps he never took the pill and is just talented? I’m confused. 

He did kill his fellow methhead under the Dick Dock. 

15 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

Didn't Austin explain it to Harry in episode 2?

In that talentless hacks become freaky ghouls in the cemetary but there's a lot of this not being well explained.

[TheCouchPotato]

Just now, EllaWycliffe said:

He did kill his fellow methhead under the Dick Dock. 

In that talentless hacks become freaky ghouls in the cemetary but there's a lot of this not being well explained.

That’s right! Forgot about that - thanks!

[kelslamu]

21 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

If you have to keep taking the pills to continue experiencing its effects, then why is the failed singer still in the cemetery and still bloodthirsty?

The chemist said something to the effect that it was like being hit in the occipital lobe for the untalented.  Maybe that's a hit you don't recover from whereas the talented only get a light tap? lmao  I have no idea either.

8 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

But it explained the shoulder pads, haha!

I kept waiting for him to sing, "and you may ask yourself..?"

[Anela]

1 hour ago, TheCouchPotato said:

Why is it that when Frances and Evan take the black pill for the first time, they’re hungry within the hour and start murdering, but Maucalay takes it and doesn’t feel the need to do the same. Instead, he writes a script and is having fun with Leslie. Perhaps he never took the pill and is just talented? I’m confused. 

He murdered his friend, but it felt more like it was because they told him that he would have to do that.  He didn’t want to kill Leslie Grossman.  He doesn’t seem to be bloodthirsty, and his only asshole move was to murder someone. I mean, everyone else starts insulting others, and going on murder sprees.  

Edited September 10, 2021 by Anela

[Glade]

This was really effective back-story, minus the instant, neon-flashing lights announcing what was going to happen to Belle's husband.  It was touching and sad seeing the first Nosferatu being created; and it's sick that the chemist didn't have a cure on standby for those that wouldn't get the benefit.  But yeah, for the working poor, drugs can wind up a life sentence (through addiction financial loss/homeless and/or incarceration) while the privileged are more often enabled to indulge at their whim and go to expensive rehab clinics if it becomes a problem.

It was satisfying seeing 'Eureka' get dispatched, but we know Evan could look amazing in proper drag.  Culkin continues to make Mickey a really endearing character; and it's infuriating that Belle took over distribution of the pills and kept exploiting/keeping Mickey down when she never would have gotten the pills herself without him. 

I guess the black pills contain material harvested from the aliens at area 51, which we'll see in the second half of the season?

[Cinnabon]

22 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

That’s a good question.

Damn it, I need an answer! 🤣

19 hours ago, sashayshante said:

I hate filler episodes. Sure, it focused on Frances Conroy, which is a plus, but the season is already so short.

Liked the first 2 episodes. Fell asleep halfway through the 3rd. Fourth episode was filler. Meh.

The Chemist and TB Karen feel like extraneous characters written to give Angelica Ross and SP parts. Don't care about the talentless vampire. Definitely enjoying Macauley Culkin. The less Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd, the better. Denis O'Hare is being wasted in this role.

That's all I got.

I’d love to see more Dennis O’Hare and less Evan Peters.

[EllaWycliffe]

7 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

I’d love to see more Dennis O’Hare and less Evan Peters.

I'm good with Evan, he's a player, and I definitely would like to see more of Dennis O'Hare... he seems to be channeling John Waters (Watters?) to me and I like it. 

I still don't see what the Chemist is really getting out of this. Five years on, the experiment seems to sorta be a success, so where is she going with this? And a side question - is it ONLY artistic brilliance? Could the Chemist take the pill and turn herself into Walter White? Aka a genius Chemist? 

Macauley and Sarah Poulson are playing the only sympathetic characters at this point. 

[Terrafamilia]

There are much less legally challenging ways to replenish one's electrolytes. Just sayin'. Doesn't Provincetown have a Walgreen's or CVS?

To add to the questions, why did Austin become bloodthirsty right away before he ever engaged in any creative output?

I did love the transformation of pre to post-pill Belle. It really showed off Conroy's talent.

[WednesdayAddams]

So Evan Peters is supposed to be straight in this? That was my only question after this. Not sure what that says about me. But I thought his character was gay this whole time.

[EllaWycliffe]

Now I am weirdly curious - is Evan Peters gay or straight in real life? 

[Anela]

3 hours ago, Terrafamilia said:

There are much less legally challenging ways to replenish one's electrolytes. Just sayin'. Doesn't Provincetown have a Walgreen's or CVS?

 

I was thinking the same thing. I'm drinking pedialyte, right now. Surely, since she's a chemist, she could come up with something.

Edited September 11, 2021 by Anela

[FoundTime]

Between Evan's stage performance here, and Daniel Radcliffe's turn in Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail,  it's a great TV season for...something 😉

Wanted to add to the love for  Frances Conroy.  She has been amazing me in everything I've seen her in since Six Feet Under back in the day.

[zibnchy]

On 9/9/2021 at 10:21 PM, Redrum said:

Asshole husband was spending a lot of coin helping her chase the dream. 

Not for nothing but their conversation indicated they'd been married for 40 years. I wonder how much "coin" they'd wasted on his "dreams" over 40 years. How many times had he spent the night with someone else and come home to taunt her. Men (and women) don't just change into someone new at age 60 (without the help of the little black jelly bean). I think he got what he deserved.

[AnimeMania]

I am in the camp that the husband was supportive of her dreams, financially and emotionally (but that can only last for so long before you have to succumb to a reality that you just don't have what it takes) and he didn't deserve to die. He was stating clearly what he wanted and if she didn't want to do it, he didn't try to force her to.  It is obvious that he had read her books and realized that her writing had greatly improved. It might have been better to give him a divorce and move on with her newly acquired life, money, and fame, but the "little black pill" never brought out the best qualities/decisions in anyone who takes it.

[ShadowHunter]

15 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Now I am weirdly curious - is Evan Peters gay or straight in real life? 

In real life he is Straight. And messy at that lol. In many Paparazzi pics he always looks like he is wearing clothes that were crumpled on his floor for a few days lol. Only time he looks stylish is at a Premiere or event.

[EllaWycliffe]

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I am in the camp that the husband was supportive of her dreams, financially and emotionally (but that can only last for so long before you have to succumb to a reality that you just don't have what it takes) and he didn't deserve to die.

I agree. I could see where his frustration was coming from. If he wasn't conveniently  a vocal homophobe, he'd be getting more sympathy. 

12 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

In real life he is Straight. And messy at that lol. In many Paparazzi pics he always looks like he is wearing clothes that were crumpled on his floor for a few days lol. Only time he looks stylish is at a Premiere or event.

Hahaha the messy makes me like him more.

 

[WednesdayAddams]

16 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Now I am weirdly curious - is Evan Peters gay or straight in real life? 

He was engaged to Emma Roberts. They broke it off because she abused him, which is why a lot of people don't like her.... Minus her acting skills. 

[Redrum]

7 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

It might have been better to give him a divorce and move on with her newly acquired life, money, and fame, but the "little black pill" never brought out the best qualities/decisions in anyone who takes it.

Which seems like it might be a bit of a red flag to the Chemist, but I am probably applying logic to a show I shouldn't

[jcin617]

22 hours ago, Terrafamilia said:

There are much less legally challenging ways to replenish one's electrolytes. Just sayin'. Doesn't Provincetown have a Walgreen's or CVS?

There’s a CVS right in the center of town, plus a Stop & Shop supermarket with a pharmacy.  They never do explain why they can’t just pop a bunch of multivitamins to replenish those minerals. 

[connieinnc]

Regarding the electrolyte discussion, I thought the issue is that 'acceptable ' food is now disgusting to them. Remember that the dad was nauseated at the turkey sandwich. Still doesn't explain why they all seem to drink alcohol with no issue, but ...?

[Cinnabon]

6 hours ago, connieinnc said:

Regarding the electrolyte discussion, I thought the issue is that 'acceptable ' food is now disgusting to them. Remember that the dad was nauseated at the turkey sandwich. Still doesn't explain why they all seem to drink alcohol with no issue, but ...?

A lot of holes, for sure.

[tennisgurl]

I still sort of wish we had gotten the killer fishpeople that the marketing seemed to promise, but I am still really liking this season so far. I think it might be the shorter season, its has been mostly fast moving without a lot of filler (random snuff films not withstanding) focusing on one story and a relatively small group of characters so far, with some real scares beyond just being gross or weird, and the cast is really bringing it. Macaulay Culkin especially fits seamlessly into the AHS universe alongside the cast of regulars, he can go camp but also go very sincere, giving Mickey a lot of funny AHS style quips but also a lot of humanity. 

Its as on the nose as most AHS plots are, but I like the pills as a way to explore creativity and how chasing the high of creative success can wear people down to nothing or make them so high on themselves they become monsters. Its bad enough to have mad science confirm you have no talent, but to also be turned into a creepy vampire zombie. I felt bad for the talentless singer, him slowly turning into one of the nosferatu creatures over the course of the episode was one of the shows creepiest bits so far. 

Of course, we all came here to get the dramatic origin story of... the vampire shoulder pads.

[EllaWycliffe]

Did anyone notice that Austin's back story of being in Provincetown wearing drag to make a living is very much not the story he told Harry in the first episode, that a friend, a male writer friend, introduced him to the pill? I wonder if this has any meaning or is just random weirdness. 

[Madding crowd]

It was interesting that Belle’s new style looked a bit like her idol Danielle Steele. Also fun to see Eureka from Drag Race as Crystal. Other than that, a filler episode that raised more questions than it answered. As a writer myself, I find the storyline intriguing but being an amazing writer doesn’t get you published; you need an agent willing to take you on and a publisher willing to buy. I do think Culkin is playing a likable character and I’m thinking he is not really taking the pills since he doesn’t have success and is not lurching around Walking Dead style. I am enjoying this season so far.