AMERICAN HORROR STORY: MURDER HOUSE: BIRTH (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic suspense series with revolving storylines. The episode begins in 1984, when a young Tate ventures into the basement and is attacked by the Infantata. Nora saves him, and in present-day Tate visits Nora, claiming he will not hand over Vivien's baby. Meanwhile, Ben tries to bring Violet with him to pick up Vivien from the sanitarium, but since she is a ghost now the house will not allow her to leave. She and Tate discover that Chad and Patrick plan to steal Vivien's babies and raise them as their own. Violet seeks Constance's aid in getting rid of Chad and Patrick; she verbally spars with Chad, who reveals that he and Patrick plan to keep the children alive for a year before murdering them so they'll be "cute forever." Billie Dean enters the house, agreeing to aid Violet and Constance in ridding the house of Chad and Patrick. She knows Violet is dead but keeps it a secret from Constance. Billie Dean notes that there is an evil force in the house trying to use the ghosts as conduits for some sinister purpose. She and Constance prevent Tate from interfering, despite his desire to help. Ben picks up Vivien from the sanitarium and discovers from her doctor that one of her twins is draining nutrients from the other and that she could need an emergency C-section soon despite being only six months pregnant. Billie Dean relates a story of how in 1590, the restless spirits of the settlers of the Roanoke colony in North Carolina were banished via a special ritual performed by a local Native American chieftain. Violet gets the idea to repeat the ritual by obtaining objects of value from Patrick and Chad. Tate assists her by provoking Patrick into beating him up, using the opportunity to seize his wedding ring. During the beating, Patrick reveals that he doesn't love Chad; Chad overhears this and Patrick chases after him. Ben and Vivien pull up to the house but Vivien refuses to go inside. While he goes inside to get Vivien's things, he tries to get Violet to come with him but she refuses. Finally she admits that she's dead after accidentally overdosing on pills, but he tries to bring her anyway. Meanwhile, Vivien starts experiencing contractions and pulls herself out of the car. Against her wishes, Constance brings her into the house. Vivien's water breaks and everyone scrambles to assist her. The phones are dead and a pair of ghost children wreck Ben's car, thus preventing them from getting to the hospital. Dr. Montgomery and several other ghosts arrive to deliver the babies. While giving birth, Vivien has flashbacks to Violet's birth. The birthing is drawn-out and painful. The first twin is stillborn and is taken away by Nora. Violet attempts to use the ritual to banish Chad, but it doesn't work and Chad remarks that such things are merely fabricated to give people a sense of control. He burns the crib he and Patrick built for the twins, since he realizes he won't be getting any children and further notes that he is stuck for eternity with a man who doesn't love him. He reveals to Violet that Tate raped her mother and that he is the father of one of the twins. As Vivien gives birth to the second twin she suffers from severe hemorrhaging. Dr. Montgomery tries to help her as Constance takes the baby to be cleaned. She and Moira coo over the baby before Hayden appears, demanding that they hand the baby over to her. As Vivien lies dying, Ben pleads with her to stay alive so that they can salvage their life together, while Violet asks her to let go and join her as a ghost. Ultimately Vivien dies, leaving Ben alone. Violet confronts Tate, who reveals he was killed when a policeman shot him. Violet confronts him about all his murders and he claims he is a different person now. She also confronts him about raping her mother; Tate says that because of Violet he's changed for the better. She says that she still loves him but cannot forgive him; she screams at him to "go away" and he disappears. The episode ends as Vivien appears to comfort Violet. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: FX
- DATE: December 14, 2011 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:41:43
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 107379
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: FX - TV series, 2011-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ryan Murphy … Executive Producer, Created by
- Brad Falchuk … Executive Producer, Created by
- Dante Di Loreto … Executive Producer
- Bradley Buecker … Co-Executive Producer
- James Wong … Co-Executive Producer
- Jennifer Salt … Co-Executive Producer
- Alexis Martin Woodall … Producer
- Chip Vucelich … Producer
- Jessica Sharzer … Supervising Producer
- Tim Minear … Consulting Producer, Writer
- Alfonso Gomez-Rejon … Director
- James S. Levine … Music by
- César Dávila-Irizarry … Theme Music by
- Charlie Clouser … Theme Music by
- Connie Britton … Cast, Vivien Harmon
- Dylan McDermott … Cast, Dr. Ben Harmon
- Evan Peters … Cast, Tate Langdon
- Taissa Farmiga … Cast, Violet Harmon
- Jessica Lange … Cast, Constance Langdon
- Kate Mara … Cast, Hayden McClaine
- Zachary Quinto … Cast, Chad Warwick
- Frances Conroy … Cast, Moira O'Hara
- Lily Rabe … Cast, Nora Montgomery
- Matt Ross … Cast, Dr. Charles Montgomery
- Sarah Paulson … Cast, Billie Dean Howard
- Teddy Sears … Cast, Patrick
- Steven Anderson … Cast, Dr. Marchesi
- Rosa Salazar … Cast, Maria
- Shauna Bloom … Cast, Obstetrician
- Paul Butler … Cast, Young Tate
- Celia Finkelstein … Cast, Gladys
- Saginaw Grant … Cast, Tribal Elder
- Bodhi Schulz … Cast, Troy
- Kai Schulz … Cast, Bryan
- Ben Woolf … Cast, Infantata