American Horror Story Cult Season 7 Episode 9 Review: AHS Is Killing It This Season

Nine episodes in and "Cult" continues to deliver. I initially wasnt sure about this season (especially after a less than thrilling "Hotel" and "Roanoke"). Why would I need to see another show about politics? I lived through the election the first time. Luckily "Cult" was nothing like I envisioned.

We see Sarah Paulson in her usual "damsel in distress" role. If this woman gets paid by the scream, she's worth a fortune by name. And I love her for it. This time around she and partner Ivy have a son named Oz. They lead a comfortable upper middle class liberal existence. Ivy Mayfield-Richards is a chef and at their restaurant. Ally is a mess. Her phobias include clowns, holes and probably lots of other stuff. She may break into hysterics at any moment.

Across town, plans are brewing. Kai (Evan Peters) has some sort of master plan for world domination (or he's making it up as he goes). His sister Winter doesnt know the specifics but she's along for the ride. He sets his sights on the town counsel and creates a vacancy by murdering one of the members. Kai previously disposed of his parents and keeps their bodies locked in a room of their house.

Kai collects an army of skinheads. His core group that includes: sister Winter, Beverly (a TV reporter), Gary (a die hard Trump supporter played by Chaz Bono), detective Samuels and neighbors from Hell Meadow and Harrison Wilton. They terrorize and murder various people while wearing clown outfits. It is later revealed that Ivy is a member. Oh snap! We also learn that Ally's therapist Dr Rudy Vincent is actually Kai and Winter's brother. Ally joins the cult to get her son back (which doesnt make any sense but whatev).

In "Drink The Kool Aid" Evan Peters continues to flex his acting muscles by depicting various cult leaders. He's Marshall Applewhite from Heaven's Gate. He's David Koresh from the Branch Davidians. He's Jim Jones from the People's Temple. Finally he's Jesus and he resurrects the dead from the Jonestown massacre. Kai convinces his present day followers to drink the kool aid. Luckily it's not poisoned...this time. It's just a test a faith.

It looks like Ally and Ivy might reconcile The romantic in me hopes so. Instead Ally poisons Ivy for deserting her in the mental hospital and taking their son. That pasta and win had lots of arsenic in it. Half of Ally's plan is complete. Next up is getting Oz back. In order to do so, she tells Kai he is Oz's father. Remember she was inseminated at a sperm bank. Kai is hell bent on having a "messiah baby". He tried with his sister and Samuels. Totally gross. So this plan might work. On a side note, I find it interesting that Oz sees straight through Kai's lies by consulting Wikipedia. Kaie insists it's "fake news" and give him a time out. If a little kid knows Kai is nutso but can't the rest of his followers?

Grade: 4 1/2 (out of 5 Monsters total). "AHS: Cult" continues to knock it out of the park. The show traditionally has a problem with flubbing up the finale though. Let's hope that's not the case here. There are only two episodes left so its time to set the ending in motion.

The dead thus far (excluding ancillary characters) include: Rudy (killed by Kai), Harrison (chainsawed by Ivy), Samuels (shot by Winter), Meadow (suicide directly by Kai), follower Puss Bucket (killed by Gary at Kai's command) and Ivy (poisoned with arsenic by Ally).

There are no big mystery to solve this season. We've just here to see how far Kai will rise to power. He's running for Senate. Will he become president? Can get her revenge and her son back? I'm kinda hoping Beverly is the last one standing. That would be cool.