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"Holes" is the fifth episode of Cult. It premiered on October 3, 2017.

Synopsis[]

Beverly's journalistic integrity is called into question. Kai plans to broadcast a gruesome murder committed by the cult. Ally's phobias reach a new low.[1]

Plot[]

Beverly Hope reports on Meadow's disappearance, and her boss Bob wonders how she manages to scoop each story, and her questions her sensational spin. They argue over his decision not to air the footage of Serena's murder, and he fires her. She counters with a threat to reveal his relationship with Serena.

Winter briefs the others on her informal poll of Kai's campaign awareness. They debate making the murders more sensational to increase the fear factor. Kai resolves that Beverly's problems can be resolved by killing Bob in the most sensational way possible, as Ivy walks into the meeting wondering what she's missed.

At home, Ally washes her face, envisioning that bugs are boring into holes in her neck, leading her to scratch her neck bloody. Rudy explains that the fear of holes has to do with voids in her life. She is coping badly with her separation from Ivy and Oz. Rudy is glad she is taking responsibility for her own health, but she's distraught that she's alone in the house marked for death. Ally can't stay in a hotel, because her finances are locked with Ivy's. Ally believes that Ivy planned the separation. She recalls a year earlier, when she surprised Ivy with a sex-toy gift, which she spurned. Rudy suggests that Ally focus on things she can control. During a supervised visit with Oz, she tried to draw him into happy memories, but he tells her that he thinks her behavior is weird.

Ivy drives with Winter, and they discuss how the plan is working out. Ivy tells how the planned video incident of Winter's tryst with Ally upset her in how it unfolded. Kai choreographs the assault on Bob, and they carry out the invasion plan, chanting the Satanic verse "Ave Satana" in Latin. While being bludgeoned in the kitchen, Bob reveals he has a captive "gimp" in his attic.  The gang finds a man hanging horizontally from the rafters by fishhooks through his skin.  He wears a sensory-deprivation hood and does not know about the group surrounding him until Kai stabs him in the chest.  This proves too much for Ivy, who vomits in the toilet, comforted by Winter. The remaining clowns drag the bound and gagged Bob to the attic and they take turns stabbing him on camera. Beverly concludes by removing her mask and cleaving Bob Thompson in the head with an axe.

Beverly later reports on Bob's murder, with the video footage supposedly sent to her by e-mail.

At the restaurant, Beverly remarks to Kai that something was amiss in the action. They recall setting up the coffin killing and that one member was the weak link in both incidents; the two leaders resolve to sever that link to bring the others to heel.

Ally observes Harrison via telescope as he totes a heavy bundle into the house.  She also sees an intimate moment with Jack Samuels. Ally takes a baseball bat to investigate and finds a deep hole in the backyard.  Meadow is inside, asking for help.

Ally flees home and calls 911. Not wanting to be put on hold, she calls Ivy, who doesn't want to deal with her. Meadow bangs on the door and then the window, telling Ally about everyone involved with the cult, including "your wife," before she is caught and dragged away. Ally ends the phone call without saying another word to Ivy.

Winter tells the assembled cultists that the clown's televised debut has given Kai a huge bump in the polls. He thinks it's not good enough, and feels dissent among the cultists. He declares that they are going to take care of R.J., the weak link, who is bound and gagged in the back. Ivy asks Kai to stop, but he insists that she be the one to kill R.J., handing her a nail gun, giving her a choice on how merciful to be. R.J. begs through his gag, but Ivy reluctantly drives a nail into his head. Harrison takes a turn next, then Gary, then Beverly, then Jack and Winter. Kai delivers the killing nail. 

Beverly and Kai do the pinky ritual, but this time Kai is the one being interrogated. She asks him about the real story of his origins, and he tells a story of his disabled and angry father. Kai got a degree in religious studies. Kai's father questions his mother angrily about her fidelity, and eventually, his mother shot the father and herself. Rudy, who turns out to be Kai and Winter's brother, helps him cover up the deaths by mummifying the bodies with lye and sealing the bedroom, needing their father's disability money and seeking to avoid bad publicity.  Winter returns home outraged but eventually falls in line. Kai admits that he still visits their remains. The revelation causes Kai to break down, and Beverly processes what she will do with her new leverage.

Featured Characters[]

Scott Anderson[]

Scott Anderson is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by J. Grant Albrecht. Scott got into a motorcycling accident and, before that, he was a silver-tongued lawyer. He was firm but reasonable. He believed his wife was having sex with someone else and was upset with his son's choice in what he wants to do. One night his wife had enough and shot him with Kai next to him and then she shot herself. Kai visits his parents in their bedroom grave and he is happy his father is rotting. 

Julie Anderson[]

Julie Anderson is a guest starring character in American Horror Story portrayed by Wylie Small. Julie was yelled at by her husband a lot, accused of having sex with someone else. One night she had enough and shot her husband and herself with Kai next to them. Kai visits his mother in her bedroom grave and is sorry for her.

Quotes[]

  • Cult members: "Ave satanas."
  •  Beverly to Bob: "Ave satanas motherfucker!"
  •  Bob to cult members: "I have a gimp in the attic!"
  •  Bob to Beverly: "There's a whole bunch of holes in your story."

Notes[]

  • The episode is named after Ally's fear of holes. Sarah Paulson also suffer from this particular phobia.

Raised Questions[]

  • Who else is in the cult?

Videos[]

References[]

  1. FX Networks, American Horror Story - Cult
  2. In Valerie Solanas Died For Your Sins: Scumbag, he appears as a corpse.
  3. In Drink the Kool-Aid, he appears as a corpse.
  4. In Charles (Manson) in Charge, he appears as a corpse.
  5. In Valerie Solanas Died For Your Sins: Scumbag, she appears as a corpse.
  6. In Drink the Kool-Aid, she appears as a corpse.
  7. In Charles (Manson) in Charge, she appears as a corpse.
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