There’s a lot to unpack in the penultimate episode of American Horror Story Delicate. But I gotta say that even this is but a fraction of what the good ol’ Coven and Apocalypse days were all about. I probably shouldn’t be going on a binge-rewatch spree at the same time if I want to stay unbiased. But what can I say? It’s hard to stay away from AHS. Nonetheless, props to Halley Feiffer for still keeping us in the dark about the glorious mess the finale might have in store.
Spoiler Alert
Is Siobhan one of the immortal women?
I mean, talk about going meta! In 1967 Manhattan, what we’re about to see is Delicate taking its source material’s resemblance to Rosemary’s Baby a bit too literally. More than halfway into the shoot for Rosemary’s Baby, Mia Farrow is told to pick between her marriage and her career. Sinatra’s making no good impression on us with his chastising tone that makes you recall Dex’s dad’s treatment of his mom. Apparently, the lifestyle Farrow is chasing doesn’t make her fit for motherhood. So in another parallel, Farrow’s practically told to pick between motherhood and an Oscar, just like Anna. And just like Anna, she thinks she can do both. Polanski is as unpredictable as ever on set. What’s more? We’re watching Farrow cross the busy road with her heart in her throat, remembering how terrifying it must’ve been for the real Mia Farrow to dance to Polanski’s whims. But what’s all this got to do with Anna? Well, when Farrow’s fake baby bump is possessed by something demonic and blood flows out of her like the world’s worst miscarriage, a familiar voice brings her back to reality. And that voice belongs to Siobhan, truly timeless, I see, who happens to be Farrow’s assistant on the set of Rosemary’s Baby. She’s been in showbiz for a long time!
What’s Preecher up to now?
Granted, Dex’s almost passive-aggressive eulogy at his mother’s funeral is uncalled for, but nothing ruins a funeral like a rabid, unwanted guest. Ms. Preecher has kept quiet for long enough. She evidently couldn’t save Virginia, even though she’d let her in on her personal experience with the baby cult. Nobody wants a screaming preacher in a church. Even though she’s probably telling the truth about Virginia’s death being a murder. She’s got the most sensible warning for Dex, though. He’s told to listen to his wife. Something he should’ve been doing all along. Anna follows Preecher to the ER, almost in a trance, looking for the truth. All she gets before Preecher gives in to the sedatives again are cryptic warnings. Her dreams will become nightmares. Before Anna awakens from her inadvertent slumber beside Preecher’s bed, the old bat’s been snatched by the women in black. But Anna can’t possibly get herself to worry about Preecher when her dream’s about to come true. Thanks to her immortal publicist’s dark dealings, Anna’s got that Oscar nomination. Is this the start of all her dreams becoming nightmares?
Did Dex have an affair with Cora?
Can someone have a word with these overenthusiastic folks at the Oscars gifting suite about personal space? Even without being pregnant, stalked, and haunted, it’s got to be tremendously uncomfortable for Anna to be smothered by the people promoting their products. Her frustration is only exacerbated by the presence of Cora, who’s come to set up a booth to promote Dr. Hill’s practice. It turns out that the creepy perv has had quite the jolly time being the other woman in Anna and Dex’s marriage. Though it’s really no shock that a useless buffoon like Dex is also unfaithful to his wife. But that’s not all, by her own admission, nearly half of the eerie stuff happening to Anna throughout the season can be chalked up to Cora’s obsession with her. The break-in, the lipstick scribbles on the mirror, and even the spontaneously changing calendar were all Cora’s way of messing with Anna. But now she’s here to tell Anna to be wary of Dr. Hill and the “women” he works with. Cora’s never seen one of these “special” babies. But she’s convinced that the good doctor is up to no good. Anna’s quick to replace Dex with a cat. And we thank our stars for not having to listen to him whine as he left.
Does Anna make a deal with Siobhan?
Is it just me, or is there something about Anna that doesn’t exactly scream Oscar-nominee? Maybe it’s the fact that the path to this nomination has been a rather disturbing one. But even on a non-supernatural level, Anna’s not supposed to have the charisma of a celebrity who’s confident about their talent. The Auteur was never supposed to do so well. It wasn’t even written by the man who claimed the credit before supposedly killing himself. Considering all that, Anna’s air of hesitation is only normal.
What happens to Anna in the hotel room is eerily similar to what happened to Mia Farrow. But instead of a fake demonic womb, Anna has to go through the nightmare of seeing her legs turn snake-like. Maybe it’s only to have evidence that it actually happened that Anna picked a scale out of her leg. But just like Siobhan’d once asked Farrow to remove the fake womb and yanked her out of that frightening ordeal, she’s right here to dismiss Anna’s fears as the scratch of a razor. And lo and behold, Anna’s legs revert to their former state when she’s in front of Siobhan. It seems like our supernatural publicist uses these mind games to earn her clients’ trust.
Contractions at the 96th Academy Awards? Anna seriously has the world’s worst luck. But this seems to be all part of Siobhan’s bigger scheme. The moment of truth is here. In the ending sequence of the penultimate episode, Siobhan’s question may be cryptic, but she says it all without saying anything at all. All she does is place her hand on Anna’s womb and pose that one recurring question. Will Anna give up anything for that Best Actress Academy Award? By now, with all that she already knows about her ominous pregnancy, Anna’s actually making an informed decision. Maybe now that Dex is out of the picture, Anna doesn’t mind giving up the “product” the women in black chose her to (re)produce. Siobhan’s already congratulating Anna on her Oscar win just after she’s said yes to the satanic deal, even before the host announces the winner. Considering Anna does win in her category, I guess it was always supposed to come down to her parting ways with her baby. As Anna’s dead mother’s proudest claps break through the awkward silence, Anna’s water breaks, saving her from the backlash of bombing on stage yet again. Who’s going to bully a woman for going into labor?
