American Horror Story Cult Season 7 Finale Review: And The Last Person Standing Is...

We've come to the end of another season of "American Horror Story". "Cult" was a shorter season with only 11 episodes (instead of the usual 13). This helped the show avoid at least some of it's typical structural problems.

After seven seasons, "AHS's" standard format is as follows: 1. Create a great story, 2. Introduce novel and exciting characters; 3. Add WAY too many plot threads, 4. When it's time to wrap things up, throw it all out the window. The episode that should be the finale is typically two episodes earlier. While I'm happy to report that "Cult" dodges this hole for the most part, I'm still not sure the ending satisfied some viewers (because we've seen something similar before in "Asylum"). The previous episode "Charles (Manson) In Charge" was again stronger.

Ryan Murphy introduced "Cult" as a show about the polarization of American society following the 2016 election. While it did a good job of showing both the extreme left and right as equally psycho, I'm not sure what it was trying to accomplish. In comes Kai. He's not really a republican or democrat. He just wants power and sees an opening. A few people have to die along the way but oh well. Kai is at first charismatic drawing a number of men and women to his cause. At some point he decides to start treating the women as second class citizens in favor of his Nazi bro army. Why alienate half your supporters? This doesnt make any sense. But why am I expecting "AHS" to be logical? Have I learned nothing from watching for seven years? Apparently not.

It seems Kai has no diabolical master plan. He wants to run for Senate and be President but that's about it. He blabbers on about whatever topic his brainless followers will believe. Society has emasculated the young men. So Kai gives them a direction to channel their anger.

Ally is playing a long game though. She killed wife Ivy and then joined the cult (presumably to get son Oz back). She pretends to comfort and encourage Kai to continue his "Night Of 1000 Tates" (in which they will murder 1000... make that 100 pregnant women). Why? In order to enrage other women. OK then. But it's all a ruse. Ally has been working with the FBI since her mental hospital days. They cart everyone who doesnt kill themselves off to jail. This includes Kai (who just amasses a new army in prison) and plots against the women.

Kai escapes jail and make a beeline for Ally (who is now running for Senate). He confronts her at an event and begins ranting about "women can't win". But the trick is on him. Ally replies "the only thing more danger than a humiliated man is... a nasty woman". And with that, Beverly shoots Kai in the head. You go girl. I had hoped Beverly would be the last one standing (and she's in the last two). Yeah!

Ally is now a senator and tells Oz that she's off to a secret meeting with a "group of empowered women who want to change the system". She dons the green cape that we previously saw Bebe wearing. So Ally was in SCUM all along? Remember Bebe manipulated Kai when he was forced to attend court appointed counseling sessions. SCUM (as the Zodiac killer) attempted to start an unsuccessful gender war back in the 70s. Bebe later confronts Kai calling him a failure. Ally shoots her when Bebe gets abusive (but we thought it was to protect Kai). Was Kai just a patsy in helping get Ally to power? I'm so confused... but again why am I trying to get this show to make sense? What is wrong with me??? Just bask in the craziness that is "AHS". In the end, it seems Ally is the most dangerous person on this show. It's always the quiet ones ya have to watch out for.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). For the most part I enjoyed "Cult". It wasnt exactly what I expected (political drama)... which is good. "Cult" is MUCH stronger than "Hotel" or "Roanoke" IMHO. It gave Evan Peters a chance to showcase his acting talents as various crazy cult leaders. We saw David Koresh, Marshall Applegate, Jim Jones and Charles Mason. Excellent job. The show needs to come up with a different ending though. I LOVE Sarah Paulson but we've already seen her as the final girl in "Asylum". All in all, "Cult" is still up there in terms of my favorite seasons. In order from best to worst they are: 1. Asylum; 2. Freak Show; 3. Cult; 4. Murder House; 5. Coven; 6. Roanoke; 7. Hotel.