American Horror Story: Delicate – Season 12 Episode 1 Recap & Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qniWD7bFu0

Multiply Thy Pain

In American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 1, the actress Anna Victoria Alcott wakes up to find a stranger who has left a bloody ultrasound in her bed. We flash back a week to see the mum en route to meet her husband, Dexter, at the fertility clinic. Outside the building, we see a character called Ivy looking at a dead bird in a fallen nest. 

The doctor tells Anna that he has managed to get nine eggs, and he is optimistic about her chances of getting pregnant. Anna leaves complaining of pain and comments on how she thought everyone was looking at her in the waiting room in the doctor’s office. She also comments on the strange behaviour of Mrs. Preecher, who appeared to recognise her from somewhere. 

That evening, Anna gives herself a progesterone suppository, and also pulls a long hair out of her head. The next day, in a meeting with her publicist, Siobhan, she autographs the belly of a weird doll. Anna and Siobhan also discuss her IVF plans. Later that same day, Anna is followed by strange footsteps but turns around to see nothing there. Dr. Hill calls to say they have two embryos developing and that the transfer can go ahead in a couple of days. 

Anna chats with Andy Cohen on his show and spots Mrs. Preecher in the audience, which freaks her out. She then finds one of her old dolls in her dressing room, which she finds very odd. When she returns home, she senses a stalker and thinks she sees Ivy in the reflection of a large knife. 

The next day, Dr. Hill provides Anna and Dexter with a picture of the embryo. During the transfer, Anna sees Mrs. Preecher again. This time, she’s pulling out her own tongue, while Anna’s mouth has been sewn shut. 

The episode ends back where it started, in Anna’s bed, where she wakes up to find an intruder. After the realisation that the blood is lipstick, she receives a text message telling her to look in the mirror. She looks in the mirror to find a message saying, “Don’t do it, Anna.”

The Episode Review

The long-running anthology series American Horror Story is back with its 12th season, with the subtitle Delicate. This run of the popular horror series is different, as it’s the first one to not be an original idea. This could suggest Ryan Murphy is running out of ideas for the show, or, as the most optimistic of fans would suggest, that it’s an experiment in adapting a book for the new season. The book in question is Danielle Valentine’s Delicate Condition. It was considered a feminist update of Rosemary’s Baby, which gives the audience an idea of what to expect as the new season progresses. 

This season also signals the first time Ryan Murphy hasn’t been the showrunner on the show, with him handing over the reigns to Halley Feiffer of Impeachment: American Crime Story fame. The first episode is very unsettling and sets up the story of Anna Alcott very well, as it opens with a flash-forward scene, which gets expertly paid off later in the episode. 

Based on the premiere, American Horror Story shows no signs of decreasing in quality despite the changes behind the scenes. It’s a solid start that’s intriguing from start to finish. Reality television fans will be delighted to see Kim Kardashian join the cast in a supporting role. Her acting skills are a revelation, and her character shows great promise for the rest of the season. The writer’s strike will cause some disruption to this season, but it’ll only add to the anticipation for the last few episodes.