Flicker (American Horror Story)
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"Flicker" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the
anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
television series ''
American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' (''AHS'') is an American horror film, horror anthology series, anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy (producer), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the Cable television, cable network FX (TV channel), FX. Th ...
''. It aired on November 18, 2015, on the
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network FX. This episode was written by Crystal Liu and directed by
Michael Goi Michael Goi (born March 4, 1959) is an American cinematographer and film director. He is well known for his work on Showtimes ''Web Therapy'', and for his work with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk on ''Glee'', ''Scream Queens'' and ''American Hor ...
.


Plot

In a flashback to 1925, the human Elizabeth is seduced by the actor
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...
and his wife Natacha Rambova. Valentino dies and Elizabeth marries, only to run into the "dead" Valentino resurrected as a vampire. Valentino and Natacha subsequently turn Elizabeth into a vampire as well. In the present, Detective Lowe breaks into the restricted room 153, finding a young girl called Wren. She tells him she helped the Ten Commandments Killer during the murders, and John tells her that it was not her fault. In 1986, her father abandoned her in front of the Hotel Cortez, and Elizabeth turned her. She says that if John finds a way to get her out, she will take him to the killer. Valentino and Natacha are revealed to have been trapped inside the hotel ever since turning Elizabeth. March and Hazel prepare a dinner for Elizabeth, who has agreed to dine with him at least once per month. She tells him her plans to marry Drake. She reveals Drake as her new love, but March clarifies that Elizabeth was never in love with him, hence he trapped Valentino and Natacha inside the sealed hallway. Regenerated, Valentino and Natacha check out of the hotel. Elsewhere, Wren and John escape the hospital. She asks if he intends to kill the killer, receiving a positive answer. She responds by saying that she likes him, before running into oncoming traffic and being hit by a truck.


Reception

"Flicker" was watched by 2.64 million people during its original broadcast, and gained a 1.4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. It also ranked second in the Nielsen Social ratings, with 115,000 tweets seen by over 1.12 million people. The episode received critical acclaim. It has earned a 100% approval rating based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 8.53/10, on review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
. The critical consensus reads: ""Flicker" is an especially enjoyable and tightly scripted episode of ''Hotel'', presenting an intriguing backstory for
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
's
Countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
character." Alex Stedman from ''
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'' complimented "Flicker" for revealing more backstory about Gaga's character, as well as secrets hidden in the titular hotel. He added, "Most importantly, though, we learn even more about the Countess' backstory and, for the first time, see her pre-ancient blood virus. And, in a rare occasion, we see her genuinely, truly scared." Another positive review came from Matt Fowler of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
who rated the episode 7.6 on 10, and believed that the "strongest" plots of ''Hotel'' were surrounding those of Evan Peters' James March character. He also complimented that the Countess' storyline was expanded and the connections were established. However, Fowler believed Gaga's acting needed improvement with her dialogue delivery. Michael Calia from ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' described the episode as " onjuringa version of Hollywood history soaked in blood, sex and treachery. You know, like actual Hollywood history, except involving the undead". Emily L. Stephens from ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' gave it a rating of A−, giving positive review for the plotline, the time utilization and the "tight narrative", complimenting Gaga, Bates and Peters' acting. She ended the review with her observation saying, "The characters of "Flicker" are seduced by the allure of immortality. They strive to become gods, if not through the flicker of film and the adoration of the masses, then by sacrificing their humanity." Writing for ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'', Darren Franch complimented one line spoken by Bates, "I couldn't pick my butthole out of a lineup", in reference to the character Will Drake getting his anus waxed, and wrote, "What a line! I would take a whole episode of ''American Horror Story'' that was just every member of the cast stepping into the spotlight on a darkened stage, clearing their throat, and intoning." The line was also commended by Lacy Baugher from ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
.'' However, Baugher felt that
Denis O'Hare Denis Patrick Seamus O'Hare (born January 17, 1962) is an American actor noted for his award-winning performances in the plays '' Take Me Out'' and '' Sweet Charity'', as well as portraying vampire king Russell Edgington on the HBO fantasy serie ...
and
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television since the 1980s, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Angela Bassett, various accolades, including a Primetime ...
were underutilized. Ryan Sandoval from TV.com commended the backstory of the characters in the episode, adding that the "episode was essentially showing us the bare-bones theme of the whole season like a corpse dunked in an acid bath: the cost of fame". Danielle Henderson from ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...
'' gave a positive review to the portrayal of Valentino and the fan reactions surrounding his death in the episode, as well as his fictional portrayal as a vampire. However, Henderson criticized Gaga's emotionless delivery and her makeup in the scene with Peters.


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Speculative fiction/Horror, Television 2015 American television episodes American Horror Story: Hotel episodes Cultural depictions of Rudolph Valentino Fiction set in 1925 Hollywood, Los Angeles in fiction Television episodes directed by Michael Goi Television episodes set in the 1920s