After its short holiday hiatus, FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel returned this week with “Battle Royale.” As we near the end of the season, there are plenty of stories that still need to be wrapped up. From Detective John finding his last victim to Liz and Iris feeling the consequences of their shoot out, AHS has left a lot of questions in viewers’ minds and only has two more episodes (including this week’s) to answer them.
The episode kicks off with a bit of the backstory from the end of the previous episode – where Iris and Liz shot up The Countess’ room and unintentionally wounded Donovan (Iris’ son). Unfortunately, this wasn’t the plan and Iris is in shock when she realizes she has left her son in critical condition. Donovan quickly tells Iris to get him out of the hotel so that when he does die he won’t be trapped in it forever. Fortunately, Iris and Liz are able to move him out to the front curb to die.
In the hotel, Sally is helping The Countess with her wounds. The Countess screams in agony, as Sally takes out the numerous bullets that have punctured her body. The Countess is immediately skeptical of Sally’s help, but soon finds out that Sally has something in mind in terms of repayment. Sally explains that she wants The Countess to lure Detective Lowe back to the hotel. Ultimately, Sally wants to kill the Detective so that he is forever trapped in the hotel with her. At the same time, The Countess is struggling for survival and tells Sally she needs vampire blood to heal. Unfortunately, The Countess is hoping to feed off of Donovan, who Sally then goes on to reveal is dead and no longer in the hotel. Sally then brings in two of The Countess’ vampire children and reluctantly The Countess feeds off them.
Meanwhile, Detective John Lowe returns home with his wife Alex and two children Scarlet and Holden. John reassures Scarlet that things are going back to normal. However, Scarlet has plenty of questions, as she doesn’t see how their new vampire lifestyle will fit in with their regular suburban neighborhood.
Back at the hotel, Iris addresses her dead son by talking to his ashes. She tells him that the mean streak he always had was passed down from her. Iris then proceeds to cover herself and the hotel room in his ashes. Afterward, she tells Mrs. Evers to clean it all up and discard of the ashes.
After her few minutes of mourning, Iris is ready to go and consults with Liz on what to do next – evidently their plan to kill The Countess didn’t go as planned. Iris and Liz decide to let Ramona out of her cage, as she is likely mad enough to help them get revenge. Unfortunately, when they get there they find the cage empty and numerous dead, fed on bodies – including Drake’s – as well as an incredibly pissed off Ramona. Iris and Liz are able to calm her down and promise her a fresh human victim if she helps them and forgives them for locking her up.
Iris and Liz proceed to the front lobby, where a new guest named Queenie (played by Gabourey Sidibe) is checking in. Once Queenie gets to her room she is attacked by a vicious and hungry Ramona – but fortunately Queenie just happens to be a witch, so Ramona is unable to kill her. However, Mr. March pops in and helps Ramona out, immediately killing Queenie. Thus, somehow a ghost trumps a witch in the world of American Horror Story. Mr. March tells Ramona that he wants her to be strong so that she can kill The Countess and trap her in the hotel with him forever.
Back in the outside world, John heads out to get “dinner” for his vampire family. John is shocked when he returns home to an empty house and a mysterious key to a room in Hotel Cortez.
John runs off to the hotel and finds Sally – who is hoping to kill him. However, Sally explains that Mr. March is waiting for John to finish his last commandment, “Thou shall not murder.” Therefore, Sally convinces John that he can have his family back if he commits his last crime – killing a murderer.
Ramona is ready for the kill when she finally finds The Countess. Fortunately, The Countess is able to use her seductive way with words to calm Ramona down. Ramona realizes that it is much harder to kill The Countess when she is right there in front of her, rather than just a “monster in her [mind].” Instead of a huge fight scene, it ends off with Ramona and The Countess getting intimate with one another.
Not too long after, The Countess is seen packed up and about to leave the hotel. However, just as she goes into the elevator John shoots her. Thus, John finishes up his Ten Commandment murders and traps The Countess in the hotel for eternity (which is exactly what Mr. March wanted).
Afterward, Sally tries to kill John so that he would be trapped with her forever. Unfortunately, Mr. March says that he has more plans for John and needs him alive. John is rightfully annoyed by the ever-growing responsibilities Mr. March is putting on him and rushes off to find his family.
The episode ends off with The Countess, who is wearing a very fashionable black gown, joining Mr. March for dinner. Mr. March tells The Countess that he forgives her for turning him into the police. However, The Countess tells him it was not her who did it, which triggers Mrs. Evers to confess to doing so. Mrs. Evers freaks out, as she curses The Countess for dying in the hotel and stealing her love, Mr. March. Unfortunately, even after Mrs. Evers exclaims her devotion and affection for him, Mr. March shows no mercy and banishes her. Nonetheless, Mrs. Evers died in the hotel, so she is forced to roam Hotel Cortez forever but will no longer be tending to March’s needs.
Moreover, the episode ends off in a huge tangle of unmatched love. Mr. March ended up getting The Countess, who is in her own personal hell in the hotel. Meanwhile, Sally is desperately waiting for John, while John wants nothing more than to be with his family. So, with only one episode left, we will have to see if any couples truly get a mutual happy ending.
You can catch the season finale of American Horror Story: Hotel next Wednesday, January 13 on FX.
Still weak, The Countess packs up her things and prepares to leave Hotel Cortez.