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"Charles (Manson) in Charge" is the tenth episode of Cult. It premiered on November 7, 2017, which was coincidentally the 2017 Election Day in the United States.

 Synopsis[]

Kai's political movement is challenged. The cult learns from the master. Ally uncovers a secret operative in the group.[1]

Plot[]

October 19, 2016

Winter and her friends watch the final US Presidential debate in the inner sanctum. The young women debate about how important Hillary Clinton's historical impact will be compared to incumbent President Barack Obama. Kai observes them while posting anonymously on a message board his support for Donald Trump. Winter predicts a huge victory for Clinton, but Kai says they don't see the undercurrent of support for Trump's message. People will not turn out to vote for Clinton, he says, but that loyal support exists for Trump. One of Winter's friends taunts Kai until he hits her in a rage.

Two weeks later, Kai is attending anger management therapy with Bebe Babbitt. She tells him that she thinks he is special and charismatic and suggests that he might excel in politics. She is inspired by Trump, and thinks that Trump's misogyny is a focal point for feminist rage; she feels his victory will be transformative and liberating for oppressed women because aggression will no longer be confined to micro-aggression. She thinks Kai can be a spearhead for that type of movement, and he agrees that his purpose is to unleash "the feminine rage" and martyrdom for mankind.

Present Day

Kai leads a rally for his Senatorial run in the park, and a protester broadcasts a live video stream, demanding more support. He points out that the incumbent is a late-term abortion supporter. Kai rages to follower Speedwagon about the interference and voices that he thinks they are being monitored by federal agents. Gary is assaulted with a bottle of urine, and Kai is maced.

Winter accidentally activates the ice cream truck's music while preparing the truck for modification. Kai is furious, saying that she will lead agents directly to them. Rather than dispose of the vehicle, Kai insists they modify it to hide it in plain sight. Once he leaves, Winter is left alone with Ally and asks her about the final fate of Ivy. Kai has been telling the others that Ivy left for cooking school in Europe. Winter says she truly cared for Ivy, but Ally suggests that Winter does not take responsibility for her actions. Winter is quick to blame Kai, but Ally suggests that Ivy's disappearance is not Kai's doing, which leaves Winter reflective.

Kai watches news coverage of his assault and is upset by the incumbent Senator's dismissal of his campaign. The followers are also angry, and they blame the media for bad coverage. Kai takes solace in the words of "the master", and he tells the men to prepare for a final storytime: the tale of Charles Manson.

August 1969, Beverly Hills

Manson's "family" (Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel; described as Harrison, Ally Mayfair-Richards, Winter, and Meadow respectively) embarked on a campaign of terror inside the home of director Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate. The "Helter Skelter" would leave the pregnant Tate, and friends Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and Abigail Folger dead (along with innocent bystander Steven Parent). Manson instructed them to leave a sign behind, which he believed would trigger a race war; this didn't come to pass.

Kai suggests to his followers that Manson had the right idea but too small a scale. He says they must have a night of a thousand Tates. Led by Gary, a group of followers breaks into a Planned Parenthood office intending to steal an abortion waiting list. The enforcers trap him inside, where the clown posse enters. Kai says that he needs Gary for a task more important than the night of a thousand Tates and that he will be closer than any of his other "children". The remaining inner circle stab Gary in place. He is discovered the next morning alongside a message of "Stop the Slaughter".

Beverly reports on the murder and interviews Kai (as Gary was a known supporter). Kai accuses Senator Jackson of enabling zealots (the "Woke Warriors") to murder Gary. When the cameras stop rolling, Kai accuses Beverly of deadpan delivery. She's a broken woman, as she indicates later to Winter. Winter takes responsibility, and gives Beverly a train ticket to escape to Montana; Winter says she will run interference to cover the escape. Beverly thinks it's a loyalty test, and that she will not run.

Increasingly paranoid, Kai hunts for hidden listening devices. Ally objects to being paired with Winter, but Kai is consumed by the search. He runs to his family "tomb" (the only room where he feels safe) and is only mildly surprised to find Rudy responding to him. Kai hallucinates his decaying brother offering advice, interrupted by Charles Manson (who stabs Rudy from behind) offering superior advice. Manson (in the guise of Kai himself) says that Kai must find the mole and that he can't trust the women. Ally enters, having found a listening device. He tells her to stay, and he answers the front door to find Bebe. She faces off with him in the inner sanctum. He has not unleashed the female rage, she says, and that he has caused discord and rage among everyone and has subjugated and killed the women. He responds that women are not competent enough to lead and must be led. Bebe holds a gun on Kai, about to execute him, but she is shot in the head from behind by Ally. Kai introduces Bebe as his anger management counselor, and Ally responds that she's not very effective.

Winter assists Kai, shaving his trademark blue hair with clippers. He muses that he's known her well since she came home from the hospital. She insists that he's always looked after her, while she shaves his beard with a razor. He asks why she wants to hurt him, and she responds that she doesn't know what he wants and what will happen when his followers desert him. She says that she will remain, even when they've had their fill. She is slipping away but needs distance from him because terror is overriding any other feelings she has for him. He questions what will happen if others try to follow her, and she says she would kill any who tried (though she illustrates that point with a cut to the face). He insists that she is the only one who truly knows him and that he will allow the distance if necessary if he can trust her in the long run; he even has a destination in mind. He presents her with the train ticket she'd acquired for Beverly, and orders her led away for her betrayal.

In the inner sanctum, he interrogates her on how she was turned. She says that she doesn't think there is a mole and that she's telling the truth; she even offers pinky-power to verify her truth. He doesn't accept but asks about the listening device. Winter questions Ally finding it, and accuses her of planting additional devices in the truck. The women face off, but Kai demands that Winter confess; she insists on her loyalty. The apparition of Manson drives Kai to suffocate his sister. Kai breaks down, and his followers are visibly uncomfortable. Speedwagon runs to his car and destroys the receiving devices, not expecting Ally to find him. 

Featured Characters[]

Charles Manson[]

Charles Manson is a nefarious cult leader who led the murderous “family” bearing his name. He is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Evan Peters.

In 1969, he ordered his loyal followers to carry out a campaign of terror inside the home of director Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate. Manson’s "Helter Skelter" would leave the pregnant Tate, and friends Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and Abigail Folger dead, along with innocent bystander Steven Parent.

In 2017, Kai Anderson hallucinates Manson, who offers advice. He tells Kai to find the “Judas” whose integrated themselves into the cult. The hallucinatory Manson also explains to Kai that women can't be trusted and goes on to say that it was his former follower Linda Kasabian who betrayed him.

Manson is again hallucinated by Kai while the latter is demanding that his sister Winter confesses to bugging the inner sanctum. The hallucination of Manson drives Kai to suffocate his sister. Charles later is with Kai when he kills one of his inmates.

Notes[]

  • Coincidentally, Manson died five days after the season finale. [6]
  • Charles is the fourteenth character portrayed by Evan Peters. For a complete list of his characters, see Cast.


Tex Watson[]


Tex Watson is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Billy Eichner.

Tex was one of Charles Manson’s loyal followers. He was put in charge of the “Helter Skelter” campaign to kill everyone in the house of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. Tex personally killed Steven Parent, Jay Sebring, and Wojciech Frykowski. He also assisted in the deaths of Abigail Folger and Sharon Tate. It was mentioned that Tex was in the “homestretch of an acid trip”.

Notes[]

  • Tex is the second character portrayed by Billy Eichner. For a complete list of his characters, see Cast.


Susan Atkins[]


Susan Atkins is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Sarah Paulson.

Also called Sadie Mae Glutz, Susan Atkins was born in San Gabriel, California to alcoholic parents. She met Charles Manson in 1967 when he was playing guitar at her house. The next year, she bore a son, who Charles named Zezozose Zadfrack Glutz.

Susan became one of Manson’s most devout followers and partook in the campaign to kill everyone in the house of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. She, along with Tex Watson, stabbed Sharon Tate 16 times. Susan would also write “Pig” on the house door after the break-in.

Notes[]

  • Susan is the tenth character portrayed by Sarah Paulson. For a complete list of her characters, see Cast.


Patricia Krenwinkel[]


Patricia Krenwinkel is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Leslie Grossman.

Called “Katie” by the family, Patricia Krenwinkel was picked up while hitchhiking by Beach Boy Dennis Wilson in 1968. Wilson would also let the Family stay at his place, but after one night, he kicked them out.

As a follower of Manson, Patricia also partook in the campaign to kill everyone in the house of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. She, along with Tex Watson, stabbed Abigail Folger 28 times.

Notes[]

  • Patricia is the second character portrayed by Leslie Grossman. For a complete list of her characters, see Cast.


Linda Kasabian[]


Linda Kasabian is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Billie Lourd.

Linda was born in Maine but ran away from home when she was sixteen. She headed west looking for God, and at Spahn Ranch, she met Charles Manson.

She partook in the campaign to kill everyone in the house of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. However, she stood as a lookout and did not kill anyone in the house. Linda would later betray Manson and the Family and get them arrested.

Notes[]

  • Linda is the second character portrayed by Billie Lourd. For a complete list of her characters, see Cast

Sharon Tate[]


Sharon Tate is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Rachel Roberts.

She was an American actress and model who was brutally murdered by Charles Manson's family members, Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian.


Riley[]

Riley is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Sarah Yarkin. Riley made a remark about Trump angering Kai who got up and slapped her across her face. She and her friend Dorothy left the house. 


Dorothy[]

Dorothy is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Cathy Marks, who also starred alongside Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd in Scream Queens, another series created by Ryan Murphy. Dorothy was with Winter and Riley when Riley got hit by Kai, she left with Riley.


Herbert Jackson[]

Senator Herbert Jackson is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Dennis Cockrum. He was making remakes about Kai in a interveiw where he was saying he was not doing the right things. Herbert was in a debate with Ally to see who would become senator. Herbert was then knocked out by Kai and Ally became senator. 


Quotes[]

  • Kai: "Female rage."
  • Bebe: "Look at the chaos out there!"

Notes[]

  • The title of this episode is a reference to Charles in Charge, an American 1980s sitcom starring Scott Baio.
  • The title of the episode is also a reference to the 1960s nefarious cult leader Charles Manson.
  • When Kai is recounting the Manson Families rampage he skips over the second night(August 10 1969) where the same group along with Leslie Van Houten and Clem Grogan and Charlie himself, killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Charlie didn't do the actual killing this night either but Tex and he went in ahead and tied up the couple then went out and gave instructions to Leslie and Patricia on how to do the kills with Tex and the two girls join Tex and Charlie left leaving the three killers to hitchhike back to Spahn Ranch.
  • Last appearances of Billie Lourd, Chaz Bono, Billy Eichner, Frances Conroy, Cheyenne Jackson, and Leslie Grossman on Cult.
  • It was rumored Lily Rabe would portray Sharon Tate in this episode. However, once the episode aired, this was proven incorrect. [8]

Raised Questions[]

  •  Is Beverly good or evil?

Videos[]

References []

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