American Horror Story Asylum: I Am Anne Frank, Pt. 1
Contains Spoilers
As the title of this episode suggests, here there be Nazis. And it’s not a big shock who is accused of being a Nazi war criminal and experimenting on people: Dr. Arden. Fun fact that I just learned, the young Nazi Arden was played by James Cromwell’s son, John Cromwell. I just thought they did a really good job at making him look younger.
Not a bad episode this week. There were no present day flashes, so Bloody Face didn’t make an appearance. The police head to Briarcliff to question Arden about the whore he attacked and the pictures she found, oh and apparently there was also Nazi memorabilia which wasn’t shown. Sister Jude begins to doubt Kit’s guilt when the police ask if she believes that Kit has the ability to skin and behead a woman. Hmm…no but Arden does. Speaking of the sadistic doc, he is creating another monster out of poor Shelly, oh and he has been outed as a Nazi war criminal by the not so dead Anne Frank, who is now a patient at Briarcliff. She sees Arden and recognizes him from the concentration camps as one of the soldiers who would take prisoners and return them ill and scared beyond being able to speak about what happened. I had to remind myself that the show is set in 1964, so a Nazi in Briarcliff is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Oh and the good Monsignor Timothy Howard is fully aware of what Arden has been up to. 
Franka Potente as Anne Frank
Aside from Arden as a war criminal, the disappearance of Shelly, the Mexican and Pepper (Naomi Grossman) is not mentioned beyond a sentence. There wasn’t much about Sister Jude or Sister Mary Eunice or demonic possession and aliens. Kit and Grace get it on but are caught. Sister Jude locks them in solitary and announces that they will be sterilized for their discretion. Kit gets the truth about Grace; she did butcher her parents with an axe. He isn’t angry after she tells him her father was molesting her. Kit on the other hand is beginning to doubt his own innocence after Dr. Thredson turns around what has happened to make him believe he could have killed Alma out of shame.
There was an uncomfortable and pervy scene with Thredson, Lana and young male inmate named Daniel. Oliver wants to get Lana out of Briarcliff but they must convince Sister Jude that she has been “cured” of her homosexuality and to do this, Oliver uses Aversion/Conversion therapy. He gives her a drug (I can’t remember what) that causes her to vomit while looking at images of half-naked women. The aversion. Oliver brings in Daniel and asks him to disrobe. He proceeds to tell Lana to touch herself while touching Daniel’s member and he observes all this. See, pervy. The conversion doesn’t work.
Final Thoughts: It was an alright episode. If felt a bit tighter, deviating somewhat with the Nazi story line. I don’t know how this is going to play or if it will continue to be a focal point after these two episodes but I guess it helps to lend credit to Arden’s propensity for torture and experimentation and paranoia about Kit’s little microchips. Again, I just wish some of the stories would get more attention. The Lana and Thredson stuff I didn’t care for. It just felt weird to me. I want to see more on the demonic possession of Sister Mary Eunice and what the hell happened to Pepper?
Dawning Creates 