Review

We entered the episode in 2010 as a bickering couple, Chad and Patrick, are getting ready for Halloween. For those who note a similar situation to a more recent couple, you have it about right. Anyways someone shows up in the gimp suit and proceeds to add to the ghosts haunting "Murder House". Meanwhile real estate agent Marcy is having no luck selling the house, she suggests to the Harmons they get a "fluffer" in to liven things up and make the house look like the ones you see in the magazine. No prizes for figuring out which gay couple heed the call to arms, with Chad in his element once again.

Complicating matters, as if this show could get any more complex, Chad tells Vivian that you can check on your partner via the mobile bills. Vivian does and finds numerous calls from Hayden, so Ben is pretty much toast. Our resident philander is saved by the bell when Vivian suddenly develops issues with the baby she is carrying. They end up at the local hospital where a female Doctor faints after she sees what Vivian is carrying while doing an ultrasound, say what? Home alone, Violet has issues when the heavily disfigured Larry Harvey shows up at the front door demanding a thousand in case. But she does get to hang in the basement where Tate tells her about Dr Charles Montgomery and the faint of the Montgomery baby. The episode ends with Ben opening the door to find the murdered Hayden apparently none the worse for wear and tear. Oh hell yeah - the dead can walk on Halloween, and things are really rocking at Murder House! Let's check the chains being rattled in the upstairs hallway.

There's a fair amount to get through in this episode, so hang onto your linen this could be one hell of a ride without delving into any of the technical aspects.

Can this show get any better, only with Nazi Werewolves friends and neighbours, Nazi Werewolves!

James Wong supplied a slick piece of writing with Chad and Patrick's situation reflecting the Harmon martial issues. Could the house be doing what all bad places do, driving a wedge into issues in relationships and bringing out the worse in people? Anyways Vivian discovers from Chad how to check up on Ben, and does she get a surprised with Ben's telecommunication hidden secrets. The thing to note here is Ben still lies, Vivian has had enough of him, and out the door he went, or should have if it wasn't for the pre-natal situation going freaky.

Meanwhile Addie from next door wants to be a "pretty girl" for Halloween, something Violet works on after discovering Addie hiding under her bed. Constance is less than impressed, but then she has this weird relationship with her Down syndrome daughter that pretty much defies description. Violet should be careful what baked goods she eats in the next few episodes, Constance is apt to get a batch of her "special" treats happening. Did I mention Jessica Lange rocks the house down with this Southern Matriarch role? Considered it stated if I haven't previously.

Ben just keeps digging that hole deeper and deeper; he should be through to China any day now! Larry Harvey is always showing up demanding money Ben hasn't got, and now threatening to expose the gazebo to authorities if Ben doesn't pay him a grand. Our boy, who is pretty much a wimp in my opinion, resorts to handbags at twenty paces. And just when Ben doesn't think it can get much worse the deceased Hayden shows up on his front porch looking like she is about to go revenant at any moment. Vivian is kicking his arse out. And his patients aren't getting any saner.

Violet has had enough of meeting Tate in the basement and wants to take their relationship to the next level, that would be out on a date yo, get your minds out of the gutter. I'm harbouring some deep doubts about Tate, the boy seems to be where he shouldn't around the house at all hours of the night and day, think there might be a few revelations coming our way in that regard before the end of the season.

Big breath here, the episode sure is full of plot developments, apparently on Halloween the ghosts can walk beyond the house! Interestingly Constance confides in Addie that they already knew that, hmmm once again. Moria goes and visits her mother in a retirement home of the terminally uncared for, and unplugs her mom's life support. We soon learn Moria would like to move on, into the light or whatever, but she is unable to. Besides giving us some Moria moments, the scene shows the ghosts have rules they must abide by, this is supported by a tragic happening later in the episode where one of our repeat characters dies, but doesn't do so on Murder House grounds. Someone isn't coming back later in the season then.

Think I've covered the major developments in Halloween Pt1, phew this show is getting rich and complex. Think at the midway point I'll sum up the ghosts currently residing in the house to ensure our tally is up to date.

Adding to the horror elements, and what might be in the basement, we learn our resident Dr Frankenstein was doing some illicit resurrection surgery on his son, who was sliced into pieces by an irritate boyfriend of one of Dr Montgomery's girls wanting "to get out of trouble". Hell yeah, how further out there can this episode get! Also percolating nicely is what Vivian might be carrying, the hint is that Tate may have done the deed while wearing the gimp suit, hell that's going to go down real well with Ben. Am I loving this show or what, just when you think you have a handle on things something else bites you in the arse! Almost forgot to mention that when Ben and Vivian get back from the hospital, just prior to Hayden arriving, they discover Violet has flown the coup, and the "Rubberman", who we pretty much know now is Tate, was in the house with her.

Episode 4 continued the upward swing in American Horror Story's fortunes with 2.96 million people tuning in during the original broadcast in North America. There's surprisingly very solid support for the dark genre on television up North as opposed to what our programmers think goes down in this part of the world, yes am rolling my eyes folks.

Just when you think season one might slow down a bit another episode comes along that blows the roof off the house. We're back in the middle of the mayhem, there's no prisoners being taken here, and for sure I am rocking out to this above average television horror nightmare. Full recommendation kids, can't hardly wait to see what other insanity they may have for us in the next block of episodes, we're only a third of the way in the journey through season one thus far.

ScaryMinds Rates this episode as ...