Episode 7 of Season 1 of American Horror Stories kicks off its finale with a thrilling premise: a devoted couple arrives at the infamous Murder House, touted as one of America's most haunted abodes. A cryptic note, placed strategically on the dining table, ushers them in, accompanied by a sinister trail of black rose petals, leading them straight to the bedchamber, where candles flicker seductively.
Enthusiastic fans of the American Horror Story franchise, the duo indulges in a fleeting moment of intimacy amidst the romantic ambiance before embarking on an eerie exploration of the mansion. Deep within its bowels, in the dimly lit basement, they stumble upon a haunting revelation—three young girls, frozen in time, victims of a decade-old tragedy. But as they delve further, the couple's fate takes a gruesome turn, as a parade of monstrosities and characters, plucked straight from the twisted universe of American Horror Story, descend upon them, claiming their lives in a grandiose fashion.
Or so it seemed. A playful twist unfolds, revealing this entire ordeal to be nothing more than a sophisticated video game, a creation of Michelle, a single mother with a talent for crafting immersive gaming experiences. However, her son Rory is unimpressed, criticizing her for glossing over the gritty realities that make American Horror Story and its anthology series so spine-tingling.
Undeterred, Michelle opts for a more immersive approach, immersing herself in the show's seasons. Frustrated with the lack of progress, she hatches a daring plan: purchasing and moving into the very Murder House itself. Discreetly, she tells Rory of a fictitious convention, while secretly plotting to sneak into the house on Halloween night, venturing into its shadows solo.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Scarlett shares a moment of intimacy with Ruby in the bathtub, shedding her rubber suit for a moment of candor. As they soak, Scarlett confides, confessing that Halloween holds a singular allure for her, a day where she revels in causing mischief and feels no allegiance to anyone—even her own fathers. On this night of spooks and spirits, the two women forge a mischievous plan, eager to stir up some trouble amidst the haunted halls of the Murder House.
Amidst the attendees gracing the house stands Dr. Ben, a therapist lamenting the irony of emptiness amidst a life once abundant with treasures - a loving wife and a clandestine mistress. Michelle confides in him about her relentless urge, a disorder he simply translates as an insatiable hunger craving nourishment. However, their conversation yields no solace, for Scarlett and Ruby soon enter the fray, resuming their macabre ritual, this time punctuating the night with Michelle's gut-wrenching stab, followed by a macabre kiss sealing her fate.
A year later, Halloween arrives, painting the town red with Michelle's ghostly presence, yearning for a reunion with Rory. But her deceit has soured the air, and Rory's anger supersedes any sentimentality towards her spectral form. Michelle, paradoxically resigned, proclaims that Scarlett's act was but a self-inflicted wound, absolving her killer of any guilt.
As Halloween fades into memory, Rory emerges, armed with gas canisters, his mind set on erasing the haunted mansion through fiery annihilation. Scarlett, the very embodiment of murder, attempts to intervene, yet Rory's pyromania triumphs, igniting the abode. Ruby, amidst the inferno, pleads for Scarlett's companionship in death, only to be met with a cold-shouldered departure, leaving her alone amidst the flames.
Three years leap forward, and Scarlett resurfaces, scouting apartments. To her surprise, the Murder House has been transformed, a phoenix rising from its ashes into a sleek condominium. Scarlett's true colors reveal her as an assassin, a vocation fitting her predilection for death. She acquires the property, cementing her dominion over the once-cursed grounds.
The ghosts, save for Ruby, have all drifted away, their stories long buried. Ruby, ever loyal, chooses to linger, proclaiming that true love transcends even death's veil. As they embrace amidst a shower of sanguine fireworks, the veil lifts, revealing a shocking truth: the entire narrative was but a macabre game of horrors, its creators now in dire need of meticulous QA testers to refine their twisted masterpiece.
