American Horror Story: NYC Episodes 7-8 Recap: The Monster Mash
"American Horror Story: NYC" certainly isn't wasting time when Episode 7, titled "The Sentinel," opens up. The previous episode ends with Patrick (Russell Tovey) and Gino (Joe Mantello) finally figuring out the location of the lair of Mr. Whitely (Jeff Hiller). Having tracked Mr. Whitely down after he ambushes, drugs, and kidnaps Henry (Denis O'Hare), Gino and Patrick strongly believe that he is the serial killer that has been abducting and mutilating gay men. Their inclination proves to be correct, as they poorly sneak through Mr. Whitely's warehouse, discovering body parts and cutting instruments along the way.
Unfortunately, Mr. Whitely's abominable project distracts the pair just long enough for him to deliver two vicious blows that knock both Patrick and Gino unconscious. Gino awakes bound next to Henry, while Patrick is equally trapped and confronted by Mr. Whitely, who elaborates his plan for a "sentinel," which is some kind of Frankenstein's Monster or Golem made from his victims. Oddly enough, this Sentinel is meant to protect the gay community, and Mr. Whitely intends to use Patrick's heart as its driving force. This means that Mr. Whitely is most likely inspired by the story of the Golem, which is also a protector of often oppressed communities, and since he admires Patrick, he thinks the police officer is a natural fit to be the creature's passion.
Mr. Whitely is slain and Patrick quits his job
Luckily for Patrick, and unluckily for Mr. Whitely, both Gino and Henry are able to escape after Henry is able to slip loose from one of his handcuffs, only to be forced to remove his other hand with a saw in order to free Gino. This proves to be immensely fruitful for Patrick because just as Mr. Whitely is about to kill him and remove his heart, Gino and Henry bust into the room wielding a cleaver and chainsaw in a rather dramatic fashion. Although Mr. Whitely tries to explain his actions as the only way to protect the gay community since nobody else will help them, Patrick, Gino, and Henry aren't having any of it, as they question him on how many people he had to kill to create such a monstrosity. Patrick then picks up a gun and kills Mr. Whitely, ending his incredibly twisted science project, but before doing so, he sees the phantoms of all of Whitely's victims after making a comment about redemption.
Now heralded as a heroic cop who stopped the vicious Mai Tai Killer, Patrick finds his desk covered in pink paint by his coworkers, who do not hesitate to let their disdain be known. Sensing an overwhelmingly hostile work environment, Patrick quickly turns and enters the office of Chief Marzara (Kal Penn) in order to tender his resignation. Chief Marzara attempts to dissuade Patrick from his decision, but Patrick rebukes his offer to act as a liaison for the gay community, noting that the police still have done absolutely nothing when it comes to the investigations of crimes committed against said community.
Adam suspects there is another killer besides Mr. Whitely
In a way, this shows that Mr. Whitely was still partially right about his assumption that nobody will protect the gay community except themselves, and that they cannot count on the help of law enforcement in order to get justice. Speaking of attempting to unravel Mr. Whitely's atrocious actions, the next scene sees Patrick and Adam (Charlie Carver) viewing Mr. Whitely's creation to determine if Adam's roommate Sully (Jared Reinfeldt) is part of the aberration. Mortified by what he sees, Adam doesn't recognize any individual part as his roommate, which causes him to wonder how many people Mr. Whitely killed. Patrick answers this question by saying around seven people, which makes Adam realize that doesn't nearly explain all of the deaths and murders that have been happening; he wonders if there is another killer on the loose. This actually makes a lot of sense because there is a lot more going on in "American Horror Story: NYC" than just one killer, and there are still other loose plots involving the mysterious Fire Island virus and the enigmatic Big Daddy (Matthew William Bishop).
Shifting gears, Adam then goes to Hannah (Billie Lourd), who explains that their shared illness is progressing and mutating, affecting their platelet and white blood cell counts. Hannah then confesses that Adam's roommate Sully was actually one of her first patients with this illness, which shocks Adam. Adam, Hannah, Fran (Sandra Bernhard), and her friends then meet at a diner, where they attempt to unravel or explain this sickness that is rapidly expanding with few people noticing.
Patrick begins to hallucinate his slain ex-wife Barbara
Deciding that writing an article with strictly the facts about the Fire Island virus is needed, Adam goes to talk to Gino at their place of employment. Adam is convinced that more information needs to be given to the public, while also mentioning that Sully's disappearance is still unexplained. He laments that there is probably another killer stalking the gay community, but Gino dismisses these concerns as just previously unknown victims of Mr. Whitely. Judging by Adam's actions, he is definitely concerned not only about the rapid transmission of the Fire Island virus but also the possibility that there is another killer out there besides the microscopic or Whitely kind. He believes that people need to know about both of these threats.
Gino then suggests that Adam join him and Patrick at their rental property at Fire Island for the weekend, suggesting that getting away from the city and getting some ocean air will do them all well. This kind of shows how emotionally spent Gino is, because unknown to Adam, Gino and Patrick were just at Fire Island in the previous episode to cover up the accidental death partially caused by Patrick, which makes the choice to go back there for some rest and relaxation a little confusing. However, the location might not be that important as opposed to a breather, because the next scene has Patrick seeing either a hallucination or a ghost of his ex-wife Barbara (Leslie Grossman).
Hannah skips town while Big Daddy lurks in the background
Considering the trauma and intense feelings of the past few episodes of "American Horror Story: NYC," this vision or apparition cracks Patrick's calm and cool demeanor. This makes perfect sense since Patrick has been affected by the murders of several people, including his ex-wife. His heart was also nearly used in the creation of a literal monster, he was attacked by Big Daddy (though how he managed to escape remains a mystery), and he ended up quitting his job. Consoling Patrick, Gino tells him that he is safe, but Patrick insists that they aren't. This may elude to something Patrick knows but isn't telling Gino, since this is the second time in the episode in which he has seen ghosts.
Across town, Hannah suffers from nausea, and calls Adam to take a rain check on their Fire Island visit, and then calls her mother to ask if she can come and stay with her. However, in the background of her apartment stands Big Daddy, which doesn't even invoke a response from Hannah. The episode ends with a monologue from Gino as he crafts an article about Mr. Whitely, and as he is writing the article, Gino wonders if there was some truth in Mr. Whitely's behavior, believing that the rage Mr. Whitely felt may actually be a key to survival for the gay community, though this may just be his recent trauma and anger talking.
Fire Island may not be the best place to visit for vacation
Episode 8, titled "Fire Island," picks up with Adam and Theo (Isaac Powell) on a ferry to Fire Island in order to take a nice relaxing weekend alongside Gino and Patrick. Unfortunately, Theo appears to be suffering from sea-sickness, which causes Adam to offer a few words of comfort. However, Theo adds that he has been feeling sick for quite some time, which brings to mind Hannah's earlier words in the previous episode that said that the mysterious virus is quickly mutating and progressing. Considering how Theo looks, this virus is certainly taking an ever increasing toll on the famous photographer.
Upon their arrival at Fire Island, Adam and Theo notice Sam (Zachary Quinto) among the crowd, though both Adam and Theo pay him little mind. "AHS: NYC" then cuts to Gino and Patrick, who are already posted up at the beach. Enjoying a fair amount of cuddling, it is now Gino's turn to have a breakdown, similar to Patrick in the previous episode. The two argue before Gino decides to take a walk, which shows that Gino really is suffering from his experiences. Back at the house, Patrick's distress is obvious to Theo and Adam, who offer to help and to take him out for a night on the town, but Patrick respectfully declines. While grabbing a shower, Patrick notices some movement in the rental property, and he soon comes across the ghost or hallucination of Barbara, which greatly unsettles him. Meanwhile, Gino follows two walking lovers, but in the background once again is Big Daddy, who is currently satisfied just appearing in the shadows.
Sam seemingly offers a truce while Big Daddy begins to take a more active role
Walking along the beach, Gino is approached by Henry, who explains that the Mafia has been keeping an eye on both Gino and Patrick. Henry informs Gino that the Mafia wanted to get rid of both of them, but Henry convinced them that Gino is valuable. Then, in a surprise move, Henry expresses his love for Gino and explains that Patrick isn't exactly just a friendly police officer. This statement is definitely worth some thought, because Patrick has been established to be a very effective liar, and his connection to Big Daddy is yet to be revealed. Across the island, Theo and Adam grab drinks, and once again notice Sam on the periphery. As Adam goes to pay the tab because Theo is feeling unwell, Sam beckons Theo over to offer a truce in the form of a shot of liquor, but not before Sam promises Henry some hedonistic pleasure that requires Henry to meet Sam at a location known as the "Meat Rack" at 9 p.m.
Cutting to Fran and her friends, also on Fire Island, the trio notices Big Daddy standing silently outside of their house. They yell at him and tell him to leave, which causes him to disappear and reappear on the opposite side of the house. Drawing a blade, KK (Clara McGregor) shakily brandishes the knife at Big Daddy, who silently turns around and slowly walks away, much to the confusion of the women. As per the reoccurring trend with Big Daddy in "AHS: NYC," the true nature of this figure remains entirely obfuscated. Sometimes he is a silent watcher, and other times he takes a more aggressive stance, like when he attacks Patrick and kills Barbara.
Big Daddy attacks Gino and Adam, but is stopped by Patrick
However, Big Daddy then begins to take a more combative role in Episode 8 as he attacks Gino once the journalist gets back to the rental place. Playing some light classical music and preparing a drink, Gino is caught completely unaware by Big Daddy, who quickly wrestles him to the ground. Fortunately, Gino is able to score a minor slash against Big Daddy's arm at the same time Adam shows up and helps to fight off the mysterious presence. Considering the size of the imposing figure, Big Daddy quickly tosses Adam to the side while Gino stabs Big Daddy in the leg. Quickly escaping to a locked room, Big Daddy begins to smash down the door before Patrick arrives to deliver a seemingly lethal gunshot to the leather-clad figure.
Unfortunately, Big Daddy's body disappears sometime after this, which leaves Gino, Adam, and Patrick equally confused. This turn of events tends to paint Big Daddy as something supernatural because he was stabbed and shot, yet there is no blood and he vanished without a trace. On the supernatural side of things, "AHS: NYC" then shows Fran being brought to Sam's drug-fueled party to utilize her tarot card skills, and yet each person continually draws the death card, which is a callback to Fran's previous tarot readings. This highlights that something unknown is lurking at the edges of perception, and it would be almost statistically impossible for people to draw the same card over and over again.
Theo is drugged and bound, but later freed by men wearing sparkly deer antlers
The ending moments of Episode 8 feature both Sam and Henry as they skulk about the area that was earlier referred to as the Meat Rack, which is revealed to be a spot along the beach where people hook up. Sam then brings Henry to Theo, who is tied up and heavily sedated. A flashback then shows that Sam had drugged Theo with a shot of alcohol, and Sam whispers to Theo that he will always be his. Sam then tells Henry to do what he wishes to Theo and leaves them to their own devices. Once again, Big Daddy shows up, which scares off Henry. As Big Daddy stands before Theo, he vanishes in a cloud of fog, only for Theo to see several scantily clad men with sparkly deer antlers approach him. Theo then states that he recognizes these people and that they were all men that he photographed, and one informs him that he will be remembered.
The deer-men then free Theo as tears stream down his face, and the scene blurs out in a fantastic flash of light. Theo's fate at this point is unknown, and there are several different options as to what happened. He could have been freed by ghosts, he may have just been hallucinating the deer-men because of the drugs, or perhaps he may have even died, considering how sick he has been through the entire episode.
When does American Horror Story Season 11, Episode 9 and 10 air?
The next two episodes of "American Horror Story: NYC" are the penultimate and season finale. Titled "Requiem 1981/1987 Part One" and "Requiem 1981/1987 Part Two," these two episodes certainly have a lot of questions to answer. So, when might fans get a chance to see these episodes? Both episodes will premier on FX on November 16, 2022, starting at 10 pm EST. For those that no longer have access to cable television, the streaming option will be available on Hulu the next day.
Considering that there are only two episodes left of "AHS: NYC," there is certainly a lot of ground to cover like who or what is Big Daddy, what is going on with the Fire Island virus, and is Patrick hiding anything else from Gino? In addition, we still have zero answers as to what happened to Adam's roommate Sully, where all of the missing gay community members have disappeared, and whether or not Theo survived his interaction with Sam and the deer-men. Either way, judging by the title of the last two episodes, it can probably be assumed that there will be a time jump, but hopefully, all of these questions and plots will have a satisfying conclusion.