American Horror Story: Hotel :: Mommy

Suzanne Tenner/FX

Wow! The third episode of American Horror Story: Hotel really delivered the goods this week with a look back at The Countess’ (Lady Gaga) past, a peek into what she has planned for her future, and some more stunning deaths and major plot developments. Plus, Angela Basset finally arrived as Ramona Royale, a woman scorned with vengeance in her heart.

But let’s start with Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley). He had a rollercoaster of an episode. First, his Ten Commandments serial killer struck again, murdering an office full of reporters in what a colleague suspected was a Charlie Hebdo style killing. But these were gossip reporters whom Lowe suspected of being killed for “bearing false witness.” Back at the hotel, he runs into — or is run into by — Gabriel (Max Greenfield), who escaped from the mattress into which Hypodermic Sally (Sarah Paulson) sewed him. Unfortunately, he murdered fashionista Claudia (Naomi Campbell) in the process, and quite by accident (thinking she was Sally), before expiring himself.

Suzanne Tenner/FX

When confronted by Lowe, Sally said she heard Claudia had checked out (a purposeful choice of words) because the Cortez wasn’t good enough for her. The threat of arrest led to a sexually charged moment between the two of them (luckily she got her teeth back after last week’s hilariously grotesque moment) and in a flash of light, Sally was gone. Is John losing his mind? Things only got worse for him as his wife (Chloë Sevigny) paid a visit and handed him divorce papers, leading him to have a major panic attack. After getting him sedated and into bed, she made her own shocking discovery in the halls of the hotel (and was insulted by the bloody ghost of Claudia for her “hellish” fashion sense).

Tristan (Finn Wittrock) summoned the spirit of James March (Evan Peters), who learned that the new owner of the Cortez, Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson), plans to make some major renovations to the hotel which March cannot allow. Miss Evers (Mare Winningham) is distraught because she won’t have anywhere to launder the sheets, but Tristan decides to seduce and then kill Drake so those changes don’t occur.

He’s stopped by The Countess, who plays her own little seduction game with Drake, upsetting Tristan. Turns out, she plans to marry Drake and then kill him so she gets his fortune. She lost hers to Bernie Madoff (!) we learned, in a flashback that featured her wearing some serious Alexis Carrington Colby couture.

Suzanne Tenner/FX

Iris (Kathy Bates) and Donovan (Matt Bomer) had a war of words that ended with him telling her how much he hated her and that if she had nothing to live for except to be his mother, then she might as well kill herself. Who better to help her than Sally, who would have preferred evening up the score by pushing Iris out of a window rather than shooting her up with a lethal dose of heroin, which proves to be not so lethal (a plastic bag over the head must suffice). But Donovan gets a good talking too from Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare) and realizes what a jerk he’s been, but it’s too late by the time he gets to her room. Or is it? Sally hoped to be rid of the old bat once and for all but those hopes may be dashed.

One of the episode’s biggest plot developments was the arrival of Ramona Royale, star of several 1970s Blaxploitation flicks who could never get ahead in Hollywood. While meeting with a producer at the hotel in 1977 in the hopes of reading for a part that Jane Fonda will probably get, she’s about to belittle herself when The Countess shows up and scares the producer away. A torrid affair with Ramona and a case of immortality ensues, but when The Countess bores of her (as she inevitably does with all of her lovers), Ramona meets a man, a recording artist, whom she realizes is the love of her life. She begins to go through the process of turning him, but The Countess shows up and kills everyone, including Ramona’s man, in a fit of rage and jealousy because no one can create except her.

Now Ramona, who abducts Donovan in the hopes of using him to get closer to The Countess, plans to destroy the one precious thing The Countess has created — the children. Except Donovan has been jilted, so Ramona has no use for him. What’s her next move? Only time will tell.

“Mommy” is the most satisfying episode of the season so far, allowing all of the main cast members to have their moments, throwing several intriguing plot points at us, bringing death to some (which won’t stick as long as they have unfinished business in the hotel), and throwing in some laugh-out-loud funny lines of dialog. After an uncomfortable premiere episode and a somewhat better second, this third episode really hit a stride for the series that the writers will hopefully be able to maintain for the rest of the season.

Next week, the Halloween episodes begin with March throwing a party for the world’s best serial killers. Look for Lily Rabe to make an appearance as Aileen Wuornos, the return of everyone’s favorite twisted clown, and Darren Criss!