S12.E05: Preech

[Mr. Sparkle]

Mid-season finale. 

Anna senses the dark presence closing in on her, closer than ever. Ms. Preecher reveals pieces of her past and may know the truth about what's happening to Anna and Dex.

Airs Wednesday, October 18th. 

[Starchild]

It was nice to see Anna finally stand up for herself. Especially with that horrible husband of hers. 

So is this the end of the first half? I wonder how long before they're able to show part 2. I imagine the strikes have created an indefinite delay.

[voiceover]

Ugh.  It’s like being shown Rorschach flash cards.  While you’re on that pinwheel ride.  At a very cheap carnival.

At least a few people are shown to be maybe not evil.

*head in hands*

You know I’m only here for you people, right?   

[LoveLeigh]

This ends part 1 until when? When will it return?

[AnimeMania]

I am guessing those were raccoon claws that Anna was coughing up.

Why would you buy that many cartons of ice cream all in the same flavor. I could see if they were different flavors. Maybe Anna only ate that particular flavor because it was the only kind in the freezer.

I thought it was kind of rude of Anna not to open the gift for the baby, or not being excited when the lady gave it to  her.

[Starchild]

10 hours ago, voiceover said:

Ugh.  It’s like being shown Rorschach flash cards.  While you’re on that pinwheel ride.  At a very cheap carnival.

Ha, I was thinking the same thing when she was in the shower. Like, it's just a series of pseudo-creepy moments with no connective tissue. The best we get is a theme, but no real plot.

[Madding crowd]

It was good to see Anna standing up a little bit to her creepy husband but I don’t get why she lets her so called best friend treat her so badly. A lot of things don’t make sense and even in horror they should make sense in the world we are seeing.The husband seems like a creep yet I liked him when he told his mother he wasn’t going to lie about his father for her.

Anna tells Siobhan she wants an Oscar more than a baby but we have no sense she is very career oriented and she didn’t seem to care that much about the Golden Globes. Also don’t understand the house manager and why she would be with Anna and Dex.  This would be scarier with less people acting creepy. I would probably think Anna was losing her mind too with all of the things happening. Why do they show the bodyguard so much and why do we care if he is married? 

[sadie]

1 hour ago, Starchild said:

Ha, I was thinking the same thing when she was in the shower. Like, it's just a series of pseudo-creepy moments with no connective tissue. The best we get is a theme, but no real plot.

This times 1,000!! There is no story, just weird creepy people and little snippets of “scary”.  When literally no one acts like a normal person it just reads as stupid. Everyone she deals with is “off”, it’s just bad writing.
 

And her coughing up a raccoon claw (or whatever), the writers do know the uterus isn’t connected to the stomach, right? Ugh. 

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, sadie said:

And her coughing up a raccoon claw (or whatever), the writers do know the uterus isn’t connected to the stomach, right? Ugh. 

Anna ate the racoon.

[sadie]

40 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

Anna ate the racoon.

Ohhhhh, hahahaha, I think I’ve exposed how little I am paying attention. 

[tennisgurl]

At least Anna finally stood up for herself, at least to her husband, but she's still walking on eggshells around everyone else. It also felt like things really escalated between Anna and Dex, he's always been creepy and uncaring, but he seemed to be even more of a dick than usual in that last scene. Although, I guess if I was stuck dealing with that kind of mom, I would be extra snippy too. Why is everyone on this show acting so weird? Everyone just has such bizarre off putting dialogue and always come off as so weird for no reason, even just doing normal things, its less creepy and more awkward.

Since when does Anna care more about an Oscar than a baby? Since we met her she's been all baby all the time. 

Those black crow costumes are much less creepy knowing its just a few immortal valley girls in there, like way back in Murder House when the Rubberman's whole mystic was destroyed the second it was revealed to just be grunge emo teen Tate in an uncomfortable outfit. 

I get what they were saying, but it was sort of hilarious when Dex's mom's lawyer was congratulating her for doing this when there are so many more women like her. So there are just countless women being ritualistically tortured by their husbands as part of a pact with Satan and then having their memories erased? Of course, this is the AHS universe, so that might be completely true. 

This has certainly been a whole lot of nothing, I cant wait to come back and see more nothing during part 2.

Edited October 19, 2023 by tennisgurl

[Snazzy Daisy]

This episode gives us some answers and raises more Qs too. Will we get more than 3 episodes when part 2 of S12 returns?

So, Adeline’s true identity is revealed. The mysterious kitchen fire that killed her was probably caused by the people that she defected from.

They also want Dex to pay and that’s why Anna is targeted. Theoretically, one of the Raven ladies could take the form of Adeline and plays a role of Sonia, just to get close to Dex. The way Nicolette looks at her, she definitely recognizes her. That baby gift - the owl, it’s a bad omen. Owls are messengers of witches. There’s not much time left until Anna being pushed into the Red Room with Dr. Hill.

Dex’s mom sees 4 Raven ladies in the alley. Two of them must be Ashley and Ashleigh. The shortest on the left could be Siobhan. Who is the 4th lady - Nicolette?

There’s a higher power that has orchestrated everything from the beginning. Who would that be?

Hey Anna Vomcott, stop ingesting weird substance given by your publicist. You want your baby to be safe, don’t you?

And why do you sign the consent form from Cora without reading it? She works for Dr. Hill. That could be a consent form for what’s going to happen in the Red Room, just like what happened to Ms. Preecher. Siobhan has already teased Anna with a yummier bargain - an Oscar.

Ms. Preecher has given birth in 1987. If that baby isn’t being sacrificed and is still alive, who is she/he now? 

Anna is going to give birth to a demonic baby like Queen Mary did and the ones that we see in the opening credit. She’s coughing up something that looks like demonic baby’s nail. Her pregnancy seems to be speeding up, she’s ahead of the schedule than she should be and she’s in a severe amount of pain. It’s abnormal.

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[Dewey Decimate]

Among all the banal fuckery of this all-gloss-no-substance season, why is the thing bothering me the most about this episode the stupid carrying container of chocolate pastries? Anna said she brought them to Siobhan (worst fucking alleged bestie EVER) as a gift, put them on her desk, but then she's obviously carrying the same fancy box out of that appt. Did she have two identical boxes? I thought the bird-brained (and now beheaded) starlet made a big deal about how you can only get one per person?

Can't believe how far this show has fallen. Even in my less-favorite seasons there were some weird-funny-wtf moments that were entertaining and memorable; this season offers literally nothing.

[iMonrey]

23 hours ago, Starchild said:

So is this the end of the first half? I wonder how long before they're able to show part 2. I imagine the strikes have created an indefinite delay.

Oh wow, wait. That's it? That's all we get until the strike is over? And here I was thinking, this is a horrible vehicle to use for promoting the upcoming "American Horror Stories" on Hulu. I can't imagine anyone thinking this is so good they'd want to see more from this company. As it is I can't imagine coming back for more of this show.

12 hours ago, Starchild said:

Ha, I was thinking the same thing when she was in the shower. Like, it's just a series of pseudo-creepy moments with no connective tissue. The best we get is a theme, but no real plot.

Exactly, there's no context for anything. It's just a lot of weirdness that doesn't make any sense. I think the only reason I kept watching was to see if we ever find out what the hell that thing is on Anna's chin.

This feels like a 2-hour story that's being padded to stretch it out to 10.

I can't stand that actor who plays Nicolette, Michaela Antonia Jaé Rodriguez. She's slightly cross-eyed, right? I just find her so off-putting.

[Mattipoo]

Another boring episode. At least we got Ms. Preecher's backstory. The actress who plays Sonia is gorgeous. Glad she got to have more lines during the dinner scene. Everything else is meh! I don't think I am going to come back to watch the rest of the season. This is easily the worst AHS season ever. Even Cult and Roanoke had interesting moments. This is just dreck all the way.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Mattipoo

[Avaleigh]

1 hour ago, Mattipoo said:

Another boring episode. At least we got Ms. Preecher's backstory. The actress who plays Sonia is gorgeous. Glad she got to have more lines during the dinner scene. Everything else is meh! I don't think I am going to come back to watch the rest of the season. This is easily the worst AHS season ever. Even Cult and Roanoke had interesting moments. This is just dreck all the way.

I'm with you on this being the worst season of AHS to date. That being said, I actually thought this episode was better than the others. Granted, being better than the earlier 4 episodes is an extremely low bar but I guess I'll take what I can get. 

3 hours ago, Dewey Decimate said:

Anna said she brought them to Siobhan (worst fucking alleged bestie EVER) as a gift, put them on her desk, but then she's obviously carrying the same fancy box out of that appt. Did she have two identical boxes? I thought the bird-brained (and now beheaded) starlet made a big deal about how you can only get one per person?

I thought she chose not to leave the pastries because she was upset with Siobhan?

I thought Siobhan was a new PR manager for Anna. Like a recent hire. Was there dialogue prior to this episode to suggest that they're best friends who have known each other for years? I remember Anna being aware of Siobhan's fertility struggles, but I guess I didn't connect that with Anna being her BFF. They don't act like friends at all, certainly not best friends. 

Speaking of relationships that don't seem genuine, what's up with Siobhan and her boyfriend? She seems like she can't stand this guy. Why does she choose to spend time with him? 

Also, why did Siobhan need Anna to say that she wants an oscar as much as she wants a baby? If she'd said she doesn't care about winning an oscar would the girl still be alive? Seems like they're going to use Anna for their plan no matter what, so what's the point in asking her how she feels about an award? Is it just to make her feel complicit? How does this help them reach their end goal regarding this demon baby?

This show is a mess. 

[AnimeMania]

3 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I remember Anna being aware of Siobhan's fertility struggles, but I guess I didn't connect that with Anna being her BFF. They don't act like friends at all, certainly not best friends. 

Speaking of relationships that don't seem genuine, what's up with Siobhan and her boyfriend? She seems like she can't stand this guy. Why does she choose to spend time with him? 

Anna and Siobhan met a a support group for women with fertility issues/miscarriage.

Siobhan doesn't like the producer, she sleeps with him in order to get him to claim he wrote the script, to produce the film, and to hire Anna to be the star in the film. Once they have Anna's baby they probably won't need the producer anymore.

[Starchild]

16 hours ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

This episode gives us some answers and raises more Qs too. Will we get more than 3 episodes when part 2 of S12 returns?

So, Adeline’s true identity is revealed. The mysterious kitchen fire that killed her was probably caused by the people that she defected from.

They also want Dex to pay and that’s why Anna is targeted. Theoretically, one of the Raven ladies could take the form of Adeline and plays a role of Sonia, just to get close to Dex. The way Nicolette looks at her, she definitely recognizes her. That baby gift - the owl, it’s a bad omen. Owls are messengers of witches. There’s not much time left until Anna being pushed into the Red Room with Dr. Hill.

Dex’s mom sees 4 Raven ladies in the alley. Two of them must be Ashley and Ashleigh. The shortest on the left could be Siobhan. Who is the 4th lady - Nicolette?

There’s a higher power that has orchestrated everything from the beginning. Who would that be?

Hey Anna Vomcott, stop ingesting weird substance given by your publicist. You want your baby to be safe, don’t you?

And why do you sign the consent form from Cora without reading it? She works for Dr. Hill. That could be a consent form for what’s going to happen in the Red Room, just like what happened to Ms. Preecher. Siobhan has already teased Anna with a yummier bargain - an Oscar.

Ms. Preecher has given birth in 1987. If that baby isn’t being sacrificed and is still alive, who is she/he now? 

Anna is going to give birth to a demonic baby like Queen Mary did and the ones that we see in the opening credit. She’s coughing up something that looks like demonic baby’s nail. Her pregnancy seems to be speeding up, she’s ahead of the schedule than she should be and she’s in a severe amount of pain. It’s abnormal.

 

I don't recognize half those names, nor remember half those events. Clearly I'm not paying enough attention. And I'm wondering if it's worth it to try.

 

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

This feels like a 2-hour story that's being padded to stretch it out to 10.

It is. Rosemary's Baby, to be precise. But all of these seasons have been based on premises whose bare bones could be told in just a few minutes. However, some other, better seasons show that it can be stretched out successfully with enough style and imagination. This season shows little style and even less imagination.

 

6 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I thought Siobhan was a new PR manager for Anna. Like a recent hire. Was there dialogue prior to this episode to suggest that they're best friends who have known each other for years? I remember Anna being aware of Siobhan's fertility struggles, but I guess I didn't connect that with Anna being her BFF. They don't act like friends at all, certainly not best friends. 

Speaking of relationships that don't seem genuine, what's up with Siobhan and her boyfriend? She seems like she can't stand this guy. Why does she choose to spend time with him? 

Also, why did Siobhan need Anna to say that she wants an oscar as much as she wants a baby? If she'd said she doesn't care about winning an oscar would the girl still be alive? Seems like they're going to use Anna for their plan no matter what, so what's the point in asking her how she feels about an award? Is it just to make her feel complicit? How does this help them reach their end goal regarding this demon baby?

This show is a mess. 

So wait, is KK going to turn out to be the big bad? Working an elaborate scheme with the devil to get a baby for herself? Or perhaps to get a baby to sacrifice to her career ambitions? There has to be an easier way.

[Mr. Sparkle]

48 minutes ago, Starchild said:

I don't recognize half those names, nor remember half those events. Clearly I'm not paying enough attention. And I'm wondering if it's worth it to try.

Seriously, the whole thing with the husband's late wife and her mean friends happened in the first episode, which was only about a month ago, but I only have the vaguest recollection. Kim Kardashian is the only person who really stands out, and that says a lot. 

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, Starchild said:

18 hours ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

This episode gives us some answers and raises more Qs too. Will we get more than 3 episodes when part 2 of S12 returns?

So, Adeline’s true identity is revealed. The mysterious kitchen fire that killed her was probably caused by the people that she defected from.

They also want Dex to pay and that’s why Anna is targeted. Theoretically, one of the Raven ladies could take the form of Adeline and plays a role of Sonia, just to get close to Dex. The way Nicolette looks at her, she definitely recognizes her. That baby gift - the owl, it’s a bad omen. Owls are messengers of witches. There’s not much time left until Anna being pushed into the Red Room with Dr. Hill.

Dex’s mom sees 4 Raven ladies in the alley. Two of them must be Ashley and Ashleigh. The shortest on the left could be Siobhan. Who is the 4th lady - Nicolette?

There’s a higher power that has orchestrated everything from the beginning. Who would that be?

Hey Anna Vomcott, stop ingesting weird substance given by your publicist. You want your baby to be safe, don’t you?

And why do you sign the consent form from Cora without reading it? She works for Dr. Hill. That could be a consent form for what’s going to happen in the Red Room, just like what happened to Ms. Preecher. Siobhan has already teased Anna with a yummier bargain - an Oscar.

Ms. Preecher has given birth in 1987. If that baby isn’t being sacrificed and is still alive, who is she/he now? 

Anna is going to give birth to a demonic baby like Queen Mary did and the ones that we see in the opening credit. She’s coughing up something that looks like demonic baby’s nail. Her pregnancy seems to be speeding up, she’s ahead of the schedule than she should be and she’s in a severe amount of pain. It’s abnormal.

 

Expand  

I don't recognize half those names, nor remember half those events. Clearly I'm not paying enough attention. And I'm wondering if it's worth it to try.

Adeline is Dex's dead first wife

Sonia is the lady that looks like Dex's dead first wife

Nicolette is the house manager

Dr. Hill is the fertility clinic doctor

Ashley and Ashleigh are the ladies working for Siobhan, since we know they are witches, Siobhan is probably a witch as well.

Cora is the lady who shoved her fingers up Anna with her written consent.

[voiceover]

On 10/19/2023 at 8:00 AM, Madding crowd said:

and even in horror they should make sense in the world we are seeing

Exactly.  The horror genre starts & ends with a “world we are seeing” and a reaction against it.  Even mediocre-to-bleah horror films/series are threaded with that conflict.

This one seems to consist of people staring at other people in a vaguely threatening way.  Then the heroine starts bleeding.

It’s an SNL spoof waiting for a punchline, which should be delivered by that dancing baby from Ally McBeal  #IYKYK

[Avaleigh]

3 hours ago, Superclam said:

Kim Kardashian is the only person who really stands out, and that says a lot. 

I don't think Kim is a good actress. She can't really emote or use her face. That being said, she's not what's wrong with this season of AHS. I find her scenes the most memorable and I agree with you it's because she stands out more than the others do. 

At the end of the day, the writing is not good. Maybe a better group of actors could have elevated the material,  but even then there'd only be so much they can do with this paper thin story. 

4 hours ago, Starchild said:

So wait, is KK going to turn out to be the big bad?

I'm positive KK is this season's Big Bad. She's the one giving Anna those vials of blood to drink. She's the one who made Anna sign that voodoo Anna barbie doll. She's the one who likely got rid if the starlet that was making Anna paranoid. Also, didn't she hook Anna up with her doctor and the house manager? She also hired Ashleigh and Ashley and they stand around her like she's the HBIC. 

I just don't know what their end goal is. If they want Anna to give birth to the antichrist, doesn't that go against the lore previous seasons of AHS where we already know who the antichrist is?

[Starchild]

10 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

I just don't know what their end goal is. If they want Anna to give birth to the antichrist, doesn't that go against the lore previous seasons of AHS where we already know who the antichrist is?

this board needs a "shrug" reaction

[DancinCat]

On 10/19/2023 at 3:20 PM, Snazzy Daisy said:

Ms. Preecher has given birth in 1987. If that baby isn’t being sacrificed and is still alive, who is she/he now?

My guess is Kamal, the unborn demon child's bodyguard.

[gail56]

Does any else think Sonia looks like a zombie?

[Simba122504]

On 10/19/2023 at 10:20 AM, sadie said:

This times 1,000!! There is no story, just weird creepy people and little snippets of “scary”.  When literally no one acts like a normal person it just reads as stupid. Everyone she deals with is “off”, it’s just bad writing.
 

And her coughing up a raccoon claw (or whatever), the writers do know the uterus isn’t connected to the stomach, right? Ugh. 

There must be something in the damn water? lol Why is the whole damn city weird?  This Devil cult or whatever is during all of this weird shit, but nobody notices?! Anna has no family (other than her husband) or real friends? 

[Terrafamilia]

Let me guess, the Women in Black are agents of The Patriarchy® who are punishing women for being too ambitious and thinking they can have both a baby and a career.

Anyway, I was a bit concerned that Dex was going to get physical with Anna in their argument, what with the talk about his father's behavior. Hope he manages to wise up regarding the weirdness going on.