"The Sentinel" is the seventh episode of "American Horror Story: NYC". It premiered November 9, 2022 on FX.
Synopsis[]
Patrick's search reaches an epic conclusion. The group reshifts their focus, but a different plan is in store for Hannah...[1]
Plot[]
Whitely stitches together his masterpiece.
Patrick approaches Gino on the way into Whitely's lair. Gino insists on going into the confrontation, especially as the police would not back them up. They lament that they're hunting a serial killer instead of more conventional nights at home. They find Henry unconscious on a slab. They watch as the cruciform sentinel Whitely has constructed lowers, and are surprised and knocked unconscious by Whitely himself. Patrick wakes, bound to a slab and gagged. His gun lays across from him. Gino and Henry are strapped to twin slabs, but not gagged. Henry's ear had been removed, but they are otherwise unharmed. Henry stops Gino from calling out to Patrick by telling him that Patrick is too young and not a good match for him.
Whitely taunts Patrick, and suggests that Patrick's noble heart is a more fitting organ than the one he has already fitted into the sentinel. Whitely reopens the composite corpse's chest. Meanwhile, Henry dislocates bones in his hand to escape his handcuffs. The fixer examines his available resources and realizes the only path to escape is hacksawing through his flesh. Gino pleads with him not to, but Henry is resolute that he will not let their people down again.
Whitely explains that the parts of gay men were necessary for his sentinel to protect the gay community. Once transfused with blood and adrenaline, Whitely insists his craft will rise. Before Whitely can dismember Patrick, Gino enters with a running chainsaw. Henry is armed with a cleaver, but a freed Patrick has found his gun. Patrick sees the ghosts of the fallen, and shoots Whitely in the head, killing him.
Patrick crosses a line of reporters to enter the precinct. Mulcahey notes that the pink paint vandalizing Patrick's desk should not be unexpected from a homophobic or apathetic department. Patrick presents his resignation to Marzara, but the chief wants to talk. While his boss would rather Patrick not have gone to the press, Marzara sincerely does not want Patrick to quit or be fired. In fact, the chief wants Patrick to explore outreach to the gay community and rebuild the broken department. Patrick suggests revisiting all cases that were closed without investigation, including the fire at the Ascension. When Marzara does not immediately answer, Patrick walks out of the office insisting he has quit.
Nonetheless, Patrick guides Adam to the morgue to identify as many partial remains as possible. Adam is still incredulous when he sees the constructed sentinel, but can not identify any part as Sully. While Patrick says that the examiners believe the composite is from seven bodies, Adam notes that there have been many more disappearances and murders.
At the hospital, Hannah tells Adam about the progression of the mystery illness. Most of her symptomatic patients have disappeared. She discloses that Sully was one of her first patients, and that she assumed he had fled. She doesn't have the resources to follow up as fully as necessary. Later, she and Adam tell the lesbian trio that no labs or academics will aid her or answer her calls. There are multiple contagions, bacterial and viral, and they affect the patients differently. They resolve to write more about the contagions and vectors in the Pride issue, as much to control rumors and disinformation theories as inform what they know with limited research.
Adam believes that that Big Daddy may be targeting people with blood-borne illnesses, separate and apart from the Mai Tai Killer. Gino refuses to run the story, and invites Adam to Fire Island for a respite. Adam says that he will be searching for Sully with Theo and Hannah.
Patrick walks the street in daylight and sees a vision of Barbara. That evening at the apartment, Gino insists that the vacation will help them, but Patrick panics that they are still being haunted. Hannah packs a bag, feeling nauseous with morning sickness. She calls Adam to tell him she is too ill to make a trip to Fire Island. She also calls her mother to tell her about her illness, hoping she can stay with her for a while. Big Daddy observes from outside the window.
At the Native, Gino types the editorial for the Pride issue. The theme is the inevitability of death, and the value in trauma to unite and defend a community. He proposes that they harness rage and defy societal expectations to produce a community worth being proud of.
Quotes[]
- Gino: "This is our freedom. This is our way out. This is our pride. This is our sentinel."
Notes[]
Cultural References[]
Raised Questions[]
- Is Barbara's ghost real?
- Who is responsible of the diseases?
- What's Big Daddy's goal?
Gallery[]
- Promotional Images
- Screencaps
Videos[]
References[]
| Murder House | |||||||
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| Asylum | |||||||
| Coven | |||||||
| Freak Show | |||||||
| Hotel | |||||||
| Roanoke | |||||||
| Cult | |||||||
| Apocalypse | |||||||
| 1984 | |||||||
| Double Feature |
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| NYC | |||||||
| Delicate | |||||||