This review contains spoilers for American Horror Stories. “Drive” is certainly not the strongest example of what Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s american horror storys is able to. After a strong start with the season two premiere, it looks like the spin-off series is falling into the same rhythm that season one landed in hot water. “Drive” has a few inclusions that serve the episode well, but those qualities are largely overshadowed by some of the episode’s bigger issues.
The latest episode of American horror stories stars Bella Thorne, Nico Greetham, Anthony de la Torre, Billie Bodega and Austin Woods. “Drive” was written by Manny Coto, who wrote the two previous episodes of the second season of American horror stories. Coto is paired with Yangzom Brauen, who is the director of ‘Drive’. Despite what it wants to do, ‘Drive’ is the weakest episode of American horror stories’ second season not yet.
“Drive” begins with two women, Marci (Thorne) and Piper (Bodega), partying at a nightclub. Marci becomes interested in Wyatt (Woods) and the two become physically involved with Marci’s car. The night takes a turn when Marci travels home, where a red jeep begins to follow her. The driver flashes his lights and even rams into the back of her car. Marci returns home to her husband Chaz (Torre), who proposes to go out with her to protect her. The episode’s uneasy mood is heightened by the knowledge of a series of disappearances of men and women from nightclubs across the area.
American horror stories even raises an urban legend about a woman who was dragged home at night the same way Marci had been. The urban legend takes the story further, only under the guise of catching the killer before they harm someone else. A chance second encounter with the jeep raises Marci’s suspicions to a point that ends with chasing the jeep and showing up at the owner’s work. There she meets Paul (Greetham), and the two have a tense conversation about the knives Marci claims to be buying. From there, “Drive” starts to turn its story on its head which doesn’t have the payoff the episode plans.
Early in “Drive,” Marci wipes off her makeup to reveal a bright smudge on the side of her face. There are several references to her insecurities with the mark, including Piper’s accusation that Marci only wants to party and connect with strangers because she couldn’t do it in high school. “Drive” tries to have a reason to eventually take this on, using the bullying she endured as a stepping stone to Marci’s reasons for kidnapping and killing certain people in nightclubs. It’s a piece of “Drive” that ultimately ends in nothing.
The twist in “Drive” that reveals Marci as the nightclub serial killer has one reward for the American horror story franchisee. its fifth season, Hotel, used a similar tactic that revealed its protagonist as the serial killer he’d been hunting all season. Some have noted that Hotel was an adverse twist in the horror franchise, lacking the suspense of previous seasons and borrowing too much from Murder House. It was also the first season without Jessica Lange. Hotel is often discredited as one of American horror stories stronger seasons and despite not being a unanimous hit with viewers, even those who don’t like it Hotel should appreciate it more after ‘Drive’.
What “Drive” redeems is Greetham. With only a handful of minutes into the episode, Greetham manages to serve the purpose as the patsy and deliver the best performance of “Drive.” He is seductive as a suspect and charming as a victim and Good Samaritan. Greetham is no stranger to creating something out of very little, as he previously did with “The Naughty List” from the first season of American horror stories. “The Naughty List” is one of the lowest-rated episodes of the spin-off series, despite Greetham’s flawless performance as an outrageous influencer.
What “Drive” is most lacking is its main character. Marci is not very nice from the start. She leaves her boyfriend’s warnings, her husband’s concerns, and unfairly treats almost every character she comes in contact with. Even when Chaz shows an interest in breaking up, Marci barely acknowledges it before the end of “Drive.” Marci feels almost robotic in a way similar to Scarlett from the “Rubber (Wo)Man” episodes of american horror stories, a main character who, despite her numerous appearances during the first season, is no more sympathetic than Marci.
For the effective ending “Drive” to succeed, it needs a character that viewers feel really connected to. Its ending should leave the public feeling a certain level of betrayal. It must come from a character that viewers have come to like or at least appreciate. Marci can’t get the job done. The humanizing properties American horror stories trying to inject her, not hitting home. “Drive” ultimately has good intentions, but does not accomplish them in a meaningful way. As for the ending, rather than pack a punch, it makes viewers feel like they’ve been given a pat on the back.
American horror stories is now streaming on Hulu.
0 Comments