American Horror Story Blog: Murder House

It's time for the American Horror Story blog!

Quick impressions: Moira is a ghost of some kind, caught in a hell between a corporeal existence and crossing over; Constance has a tie to the house for sure, but I cannot figure it out; the house is starting to make Ben crazy; the crazy factor just went up by a factor of 10 now that we've met the original owners.

It's 1983 and Moira is getting assaulted in the master bedroom by a man we assume is the homeowner and her boss. Constance fires a gun to break it up. Then she blows a hole through Moira's forehead before shooting whom we presume to be her husband. A few times, actually, but the first through the heart.

(Side note: really good CGI/make up on Jessica Lange because I believed her at 30 years younger, but she still looked older than her husband (?) played by Eric Close. She said she loved him since she was 16?)

Back to 2011 and Viv is calling BS on Ben's explanation for lost money as the reason for not being able to sell the house. Nice trick, getting us to think he might have manned up about Peyton. Viv is freaking out, as expected, after the home invasion, and she tells Ben it's over between them if he lies to her again.

Wow. Vivien is hard as nails giving that realtor the what-for. But really, can we blame her? When no other realty company will take the listing, even in a down market, you know you have some troubles.

Next up - Crazy Connie helping herself to some of the silver to sell on eBay and blame it on Moira. Only this time, Moira is not just taking it. She yells at Constance that she's unhappy and misses her mother and wants to leave.

Why can't she leave? Why can't she just cross over? No answers from Constance who basically tells Moira to suck it up, buttercup.

Ben's office and he's talking to a new patient about what seems to be an imminent divorce. She tells Ben that hubby called her boring even though she memorized the football teams hubby likes. Monotone voice lulls Ben to sleep. Is he standing over a grave with blood on his hands? He goes back into the house and hot Moira says she can be very discreet with her rear quite exposed. Finally, Ben snaps when, back in his office, he can't find his tape recorder. Moira is rubbing against him, but he grabs her shoulders and yells she's fired.

Just in time for Viv to walk in but she looks confused at Ben's explanation of why he fired Moira. Given Ben's obviously firm stance, she agrees that Moira should go, but now Moira snaps.

"No! I will not be tossed out like a piece of trash!" she yells. "If anyone else tries to fire me without cause, I will press charges!"

Moira gets calm again and says she's taking a longer lunch, if they don't mind.

Vivien tells Ben he is crazy and he needs to get it together, but when Peyton shows up and says she not only didn't have the abortion, she's moving to LA, it's really time for him to get crazy. Especially when a detective shows up asking about Ben's boring patient with the monotone and ... the cop can see that Moira is a hottie! But anyway. The patient is a missing person, reported by her husband who really didn't seem too concerned. Yikes.

So what is Viv doing? She's on the Murder House Tour! During which she discovers that her house is perhaps the most famous on the tour because it is actually known as ... (think tour guide voice) ... The Muuuurdeeeer House.

Built by actor-turned-doctor Charles Montgomery in the early 1920s for his socialite wife. When the market crashed he got addicted to drugs and turned into the mad scientist who put all that icky stuff in jars. We meet the family in a flashback, including the baby we see during the opening credits. Husband and wife are in their fancy dancy dining room and she is telling her husband that he will become an abortion doctor to support his family. For $60 a procedure. No choice. Period. We learn that more than a few young women died at their hands.

Viv freaks out and dashes into the house and next we're in her OB's office and doc tells them no moving because it's bad for the baby. Ben faints and we wonder what gives. Later, we find out Ben had the same doc administer a battery of tests that reveals he has laudanum in his blood, a drug that docs used to use for anesthesia.

Larry Half-face meets up with Ben and gives Ben a knowing smile when Ben snaps that Larry needs to leave him alone. Ben goes home and tears up his office looking for what we presume is the tape recorder but then ... Ben is back in the yard and Constance asks what he's doing.

"I don't know," he answers. "I keep waking up here." With a shovel now? He starts digging and Crazy Connie tells him nothing will grow there because the previous owners soaked the soil with pesticides. She pictures a nice brick patio with a gazebo back there and all the while, Moira is watching from an upstairs window.

Back inside, Viv answers a knock and it's ... Charlies' wife from the 1920s! Oh, boy. Don't open the door, Vivien! But she does, holding the hella heavy candlestick she might have used on the crazy folks who tried to kill her last week.

So in comes the wife who remarks over all the wood and how warm chestnut is and doesn't the blue in the stained glass match her eyes? But she absolutely gets freaky in the kitchen, not understanding the modern gadgets and getting all sappy at the talk of Vivien's daughter and baby-to-be. The camera pans behind her ...

And there is a big, gaping hole in the back of her head! I don't know why I am surprised, but that caught me a little off-guard.

Ben is back in the yard, digging, when missing persons detective shows up with Ben's tape recorder. Apparently, the patient, Sally, tried to kill herself in Ben's office and because it's part of their session, it's all caught on tape. She was admitted without ID but given what the cop hears on the tape, he tells Ben that Ben is an *sshole, and that isn't a crime.

Viv and Violet are looking at a bland and boring apartment when Violet accuses Viv and Ben of not really dealing with life. Vivien says Violet just isn't processing the attack, but Violet says they kicked ass so really, she's fine. If Viv thinks Violet is going to move into that crap ass apartment, Violet will leave and make it so they never find her.

Peyton shows back up, screaming that she's angry but it's time for Viv to know the truth. Unfortunately, she gets bludgeoned to death with a shovel by Larry Half-face. Ben tries to kill Larry, yelling that Larry is a murderer.

"Yes, I am," Larry says calmly after throwing Ben off him. "But you're not. She was going to tell Vivien everything and ruin your life."

Ben breaks down crying, but Larry Half-face is super calm and uses the hole that Ben already started. Oh, yeah, Larry says, he could really use that $1,000.

Awww and kind of ew. Larry is in the hole touching the skull and a piece of ruined fabric lovingly, tears streaming down his ravaged face. He drags Peyton to the hole as Moira watches, again, from her upstairs window, tears also streaming down her face. Next we see concrete poured over the spot and Crazy Connie half-nuzzles Moira's shoulder.

"Now you're stuck here forever," she whispers.

Ben builds a gazebo over the grave, seemingly finding solace in the work. Viv brings him a drink and they stand together for a brief moment of fake peace and love.

Cut to night time. Charles' wife sits on Vivien's side of the bed and very nearly touches her hand.

WHAAAAAT?

This show just gets more creepy, doesn't it? I love it! What about you?