Murder House (American Horror Story episode)

"Murder House" is the third episode of the first season of the television series American Horror Story, which premiered on the network FX on October 19, 2011. The episode was written by Jennifer Salt and directed by Bradley Buecker. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

For the season this episode belongs to, see American Horror Story: Murder House.
"Murder House"
American Horror Story episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 3
Directed byBradley Buecker
Written byJennifer Salt
Featured music
Production code1ATS02
Original air dateOctober 19, 2011 (2011-10-19)
Running time42 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

In the episode, Ben (Dylan McDermott) is paid a visit by an upset Hayden (Kate Mara), who demands he tell his wife the truth. Vivien (Connie Britton) learns about the house's former residents: a crazed surgeon, Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross), and wife, Nora (Lily Rabe), who provided illegal abortions in their basement, until their bitter marriage mysteriously ended.[1] Kate Mara guest stars as Hayden McClaine.

Plot

Flashing back to 1983, Constance kills a young Moira and her husband Hugo, after misinterpreting Hugo's advances on Moira as consensual.

The Harmons' finances take a blow, making moving impractical. Meanwhile, Ben falls asleep during an appointment and wakes up in the yard having dug a hole, but with no memory.

Moira continues to sexually harass Ben, and he threatens to fire her. He is unable to convince Vivien about Moira's sexual advances, and Moira threatens to sue if they try to fire her without just cause.

Hayden arrives, announces that she is keeping the baby and moving nearby, and wants Ben to continue their affair.

Vivien goes on a bus tour of haunted places in Los Angeles, after finding the house is on the tour, where the origin of the house is explained. Charles Montgomery, the original owner of the house, developed an addiction to anesthesia and began to conduct Frankenstein-like experiments. With the aid of his wife, Nora, Charles started performing abortions on young women. On the bus, Vivien worries that she is miscarrying again, due to vaginal bleeding. The doctor assures Vivien that the baby is fine, but advises that the stress of moving could cause a miscarriage.

Ben encounters Larry, who asks for money. When Ben returns home he blacks out again, and wakes up next to a shovel in the same spot in the yard. As he begins to dig, Constance encourages him to stay with the house and to build something over that spot.

Hayden arrives at the house and is killed by Larry. He buries Hayden in the hole Ben had dug, where Moira is also buried. Ben builds a gazebo over the spot, and Constance taunts Moira, telling her that now she is stuck in the house forever.

Production

The episode was written by co-executive producer Jennifer Salt, and directed by editor Bradley Buecker.[2]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports a 67% approval rating, based on 6 reviews.[3] Matt Fowler, in his review for IGN, gave the episode an overall score of 7.5, stating that, ""Murder House" took a bit of a step backwards from the forward momentum we got in "Home Invasion", but it still offered up some wickedly puzzling frights and gave us all a new past atrocity to mull over."[4] Emily VanDerWerff from The A.V. Club gave the episode a D+ grade, and said that American Horror Story is "a terrible, messed-up television show. And yet by doing virtually everything horribly, it becomes preposterously entertaining."[5]

In its original American broadcast, the third episode of American Horror Story was seen by an estimated 2.58 million household viewers and gained a 1.5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. The episode rose a tenth from the previous episode.[6]

References
  1. "American Horror Story recap: The Murder House Rules". Entertainment Weekly. October 20, 2011.
  2. "American Horror Story – Murder House". Internet Movie Database.
  3. "Murder House – American Horror Story: Murder House, Episode 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. Fowler, Matt (October 19, 2011). "American Horror Story: "Murder House" Review". IGN.
  5. VanDerWerff, Emily (October 20, 2011). "Murder House". The A.V. Club.
  6. Seidman, Robert (October 20, 2011). "Wednesday Cable Ratings:'Storage Wars' Tops Night, 'American Horror Story' Rises; 'South Park' Falls + 'Psych,' 'Pretty Little Liars' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011.
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