Thursday, April 18, 2024

My Review of American Horror Story: Delicate - Little Gold Man

 


Written by Halley Feiffer 
Directed by Jennifer Lynch 

Siobhan (to Anna): "Congratulations. Go get that high road, baby."

After last week's episode, I was hoping this would have a bit more bite to it and it kind of ... didn't.  Awards season really came and went and speaking of the latter, the timing of Anna going into labour certainly worked out. Just not for her.

Of course this was another episode where the strangest of things was happening to Anna, people kept warning her that she was in danger and she made no effort to try and prepare herself. The Oscars stuff fell surprisingly flat with Anna predictably winning for The Auteur after she effectively sold her baby to Siobhan.

Speaking of Siobhan, we're eight episodes in and the most interesting thing happened with her here and funnily, it didn't involve Anna. Instead, it involved a trip back in time where she had a similar relationship to Mia Farrow that she had with Anna in the present day. The movie she worked with Mia will not shock in the slightest. After all this season has largely been riffing off that movie in particular.

When Anna wasn't selling her baby to Siobhan and going into labour, she made an effort to try and seek out Ms. Preacher after the latter disrupted Virginia's funeral. Not that much came out of it as Preacher ended up being taken away by the women.

Fortunately, Anna's confrontation with Cora fared a bit better. Cora revealed as Anna's stalker but not actually involved with the women and Dr Hill was a bit surprising. Cora being Dex's mistress was a tad disappointing but of course, Dex had to be a cheater. This season definitely hasn't portrayed any of the male characters positively.

Anyways with Oscar wins, more crazy hallucinations and Siobhan and the women circling in on Anna, I'm definitely ready for this season to wrap up. I do have a feeling though the ending might quite deliver as it should do. I hope I'm wrong.

- In the opening flashback we saw Mia Farrow, Frank Sinatra, Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. Mia was filming Rosemary's Baby.
- The Academy Awards presenter who gave Anna her win was Hamish Linklater. He's the husband of series alumni Lily Rabe, who the show needs to get back next season.
- Anna hallucinated seeing black skin on her legs as well as both Babette and her mother at the Oscars.
- No Ivy, Sonia, Nicolette, Talia or Kamal in this episode.
- Crass of Dex being the one to get Cora the apartment next door as well as giving her access to spy on him and Anna.
- Chronology: 1967 Manhattan in flashbacks and 2024 in the present day. Anna's thirty weeks pregnant.

Little Gold Man did feel like a step down after the brilliant previous episode. Overall, I'm not confident this season will be a fan favourite, even in retrospect and I worry the finale will be a letdown. I hope that's not the case.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

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