American Horror Stories (2021) s01e07 Episode Script

1
Are you sure you two
want to go in there?
That place was built
above the devil's asshole.
That is why we are going in.
It's the most haunted
house in Los Angeles.
Probably the entire United States.
Followed closely by the House
of Death in Greenwich Village,
the Franklin Castle in
Cleveland and, of course
The LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans.
Lies! Lies!
We are, like, huge
American Horror Story fans.
I hear bad stuff about this house.
How about I take you to a hotel?
You mean like the Hotel Cortez?
No, we're good. We rented
this place out for the night.
- It's an Airbnb now.
- The owners offer
this whole "Escape from the
Murder House Experience."
It's supposed to be super chilling.
They promise we will not sleep a wink.
We're, like, huge
horror fans in general.
We met a couple years back at Comic-Con.
I was dressed as Son of Bloody Face,
and she was dressed as Sister Jude.
- It was love at first sight.
- Whatever.
But don't say I didn't warn you.
- Wait.
- What?
- You having second thoughts?
- No.
No. I just want to feel it
before all the preplanned crazy starts.
I just want to feel the
energy of the house.
What?
Nothing.
Nothing. I think I'm just so psyched,
I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.
Come on. Let's go explore.
"Welcome to Murder House.
"If you're anything like
every other poor soul
that entered these walls, you
may get stuck here forever."
There's something on
the back of the note.
"We hear you're 'Violataters.'
"Your next adventure is to find the room
"where Tate first appeared to her
"and they later consummated
their forbidden and fateful love.
Follow the black rose
petals if you dare."
- Oh, my God. This is amazing.
- Yeah.
To the man who makes
my dreams come true,
even if they're nightmares.
Oh.
Tastes like blood.
Awesome.
- Let's play.
- Yeah.
This is so sick.
Wait, who lit the candles?
Do you think there's someone
in the house with us?
There's got to be, right?
Like the haunted hayrides.
I feel like we should be prepared
for a few jump scares.
Wait, maybe they're in the
tunnels behind the walls.
Uh, I think that's just in the show.
Don't think that's
actually in the house.
Maybe it was Larry Harvey
and he used one of his smoldering
children to light them.
Up for a little cosplay?
Holy shit.
No, no, no, no.
- Leave it on.
- Kinky.
Sorry.
Why do you think people
like scary stories so much?
Well, they always have.
Pretend monsters let us
forget about the real ones.
- You're gonna die in here.
- My gosh.
There must be a speaker hidden
somewhere in this room.
That is so cool.
Do you think there's someone
in the house with us?
- Let's go see.
- Okay.
- What's the matter?
- I don't know. I can't seem to get up.
What?
Oh, my God.
Come on, let's go check it out.
Maybe I could find a ghost
that'll last more than two pumps.
They based this episode
on Richard Speck.
You know, he's the serial killer
that murdered all those nurses.
Yeah. We met at a horror convention.
- You think I don't know that?
- Okay.
- Okay.
- What?
I'm guessing this is the part
where we have to sign all
those waivers is gonna start.
"Warning. By signing this,
"you accept that you absolve
all knowledge of anything
"that can happen to your
mind, body or psyche
"during your time in the experience
of the Escape from the
Murder House Experience."
- I know.
- Just saying, this is our last chance.
You know, we could always go
to Norms, get some pancakes,
go home, binge-watch Roanoke.
Why does Sarah Paulson
shit-talk that season?
It's so good.
Do you really want to go watch Roanoke?
No. I want to shit myself
'cause I'm so scared.
- Me, too.
- Come on.
Come on.
Shh.
Do you hear that?
- Help us, please!
- Please,
- help us!
- Who the hell are they?
Did we miss an episode?
I'm sorry, who are you?
Yeah, sorry, which episode
are you guys from?
What are you talking about?
Ten years ago, we went
trick-or-treating.
Trick or treat.
You girls don't want to be here.
DILF alert.
You can give us some candy,
but you can also just
invite us in for a treat.
Leave now or else.
Let's go inside and give him
a good Halloween scare.
Where'd he go?
Did you see that?
Hi, ladies.
Welcome to Murder House,
where you can check in anytime you like,
but you can never leave.
You have to help us out of here. Please.
- Please, help us.
- They can't help us.
No one can.
We were killed here,
so we can never escape.
Sorry, but she's right.
If you die here, you're
trapped here forever.
Maybe we're supposed to
try and help them, though.
I mean, it is called the "Escape
from Murder House Experience."
- Please.
- Please, help us.
It's the Infantata.
- Is that fake blood?
- It cut me.
- It really fucking cut me.
- This isn't right! Please, stop!
We don't like it! It's too much!
And we want it to stop! Please! Now!
Please, stop! We don't like it!
It's too real! You're not
supposed to hurt us!
It's not fake. It's real!
Get out of here!
Now!
No! No!
I told you, dumb bitch.
You're gonna die in here.
What are you doing here?
You died on the street!
We've all come here from all over.
- It's a special occasion.
- What occasion?
The day you die.
This isn't possible!
None of you should be here!
Please, make this stop!
-
- You were killed by Twisty.
You are now trapped in
the Murder House forever.
These controls suck. It keeps glitching.
I could have escaped,
but it froze up again
- right when I tried to run.
- Okay.
I mean, look, that's an easy fix.
But what do you think in general?
Come on, the graphics
are amazing, aren't they?
Yeah.
But?
Don't take this the wrong way,
but, like, have you even ever
actually watched the show?
Yes, I've watched the show.
I'm not an obsessive
fan like you, but
I've watched the show.
Even casual fans of the
show are gonna be pissed
because Addie is a ghost there
and there are other characters
from other seasons
who have no business being there.
Second, I think you're
missing the reason
why fans keep wanting to
go back to Murder House.
It's not that they want to
trap more people there.
They want to feel the tension
of whether or not the new people
are gonna be able to escape or not.
The thing that always trips
people up in the house
and leads them down that
path to getting stuck there
is that they don't deal
with their human shit.
They're too selfish or greedy
or mean or possessive or depressed,
so they're forced to stay like that,
frozen in the house forever.
Okay, I hear you. But it's scary.
Right? Isn't it enough
if-if it's in the same basic
setting but it's scary?
I don't know.
That's exactly what the people
who made Jaws 2 thought.
Okay. Um
I put everything into this.
I quit my job to develop it.
I mortgaged the house
so that I could hire the programmers
who have been working in
our garage day and night.
I need this to work out
for us. For our family.
I didn't ask you to do any of this.
I did this for you because I thought
I thought we could bond
over your favorite show.
You could've just watched it with me.
I love you, Mom, but you don't
really get the vibe of the show.
Like at all.
You're saying I don't get you at all.
I'm trying.
Wait, honey. Where are you going?
I got HiHo burgers from Postmates.
Where you going?
I'm gonna stay at Dad's tonight.
Actually, I think I'm gonna stay
there for a couple of weeks.
Things have gotten so
weird around here lately.
Rory.
Garden shears.
There's no escape.
Usually I wait until the end of the tour
to give the bad news, but
why bother delaying the inevitable?
They found nine bodies in
the house a year or so ago.
I know.
And I know about the body
of that girl Ruby McDaniel
they found in the
backyard a month later.
Oh, God.
You're not one of those murder nerds
who's just here to
take Instagram selfies
inside the house? Because I know.
I know this is the shittiest listing
in America, and I know
that it says a lot about
what the other agents
at my office think about me that
I'm the one who's stuck with it,
but I'm sorry. I take my job seriously.
To me, every listing is-is
a little orphan child
looking for a new family to adopt it.
And, yes, this one has some baggage
and some real issues,
but it is no less deserving of love.
- How much?
- Seriously?
It's an investment.
Okay. Uh, well, you're in luck.
The bank is basically willing
to sell it for land value.
How much is that?
$600,000.
But, unfortunately for them,
no one's been willing to pay that,
- so they are open to any offers.
- $100,000.
I need to make a call,
but I think you just bought
yourself a house.
As is, of course.
This thing is harder to move
than a toxic waste dump.
Jenny? Hi. Hi.
Yeah, I think I found someone to
adopt our little devil baby house.
No contingencies.
You're mine.
I am going to make you reveal
all your secrets to me.
Rory. Honey, you look so cute.
- Look at you.
- Mom.
What are you doing here?
Oh, um, I just brought
you some extra clothes.
I am gonna be going away
for about a week or so.
Where?
I'm going to a Halloween
horror convention.
The writers of American
Horror Story are doing a talk.
I'm gonna ask them to tell
me all about Murder House.
What it means, what the
most important aspects are.
Hey, I'm taking your advice.
I'm trying to figure out the vibe.
Right from the horse's mouth.
- Steven.
- Michelle.
I'm sorry, I just overheard
what you were telling Rory.
Yeah, I'm sorry, too, 'cause
it's none of your business.
Well, when you go broke
and I have to pay for everything
for Rory, it will be my business.
Rory, can you give your
dad and I a moment?
No. He should hear this.
Michelle, you're in over your head.
You're on one of your
obsessive kicks again.
You pull this shit, and
you get blinders on,
and you go, and you go, and you go
until you drive yourself
straight off a cliff.
You know, I'm sorry that
you've always felt the need
to dump on my dreams, but
we're not married anymore,
so I can do without your opinion.
Thank you so much, Steven.
If you could just look past that
giant chip on your shoulder,
it would be so clear to you that
I'm just trying to help you.
I was married to you, and I love you
in spite of everything that happened,
and I see you.
And if you've got one fatal flaw,
it's that you're so convinced
that you've got something to prove
that you will kill yourself to prove it.
And if I were a man,
that would be called drive.
Admirable ambition, even.
Come on, Michelle.
Can you give that to
your father, sweetie?
Give us a moment?
This trip is gonna be the
answer to all our worries.
Dad's right, Mom.
You don't have to prove anything to me.
I think you're awesome.
Thank you, my sweet boy.
- I love you.
- Love you, too.
Okay. You have fun.
You're gonna die in there.
So, what's your guys's plan?
I'm going to the club.
Desperate for some dick
that hasn't been dead for a decade.
Same.
I'm going to see my brother.
I'm just gonna go look at the ocean.
Think I'm starting to get
depressed about being dead.
I wouldn't go in there if I were you.
It's already crowded as fuck.
- Can I help you?
- Hi.
Do you guys just dress
up in time for Halloween?
- Are you superfans?
- Superfans of what?
Come on, babe! Time's a-wasting.
Come in for a little bit first.
Oh, um Hello?
Wait.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Anyone?
Hello? I'm Michelle.
The new owner.
Hello?
Come out, come out, wherever you are.
Hello? Hello? I assume if you're here
that you're superfans.
I know you can hear me.
Love to chat with you about the show.
Hello?
I'm making a game based
on the Murder House.
I know you're here.
I'm just trying to understand
the vibe. Please?
Whatever that means.
Hello?
Anyone?
Hello?
If you could escape this house
not out in the world but, like, in a
put your soul to rest kind of way
would you do it?
Maybe a few years ago before I met you.
I don't mind going on forever
as long as forever includes you.
- Would you want that?
- No.
Not even if it meant freedom
and relief for your dads?
Fuck my dads.
Fuck every ghost in here.
Fuck anyone and everyone
who isn't you or me.
God, life is rough out
in the world of living.
I don't need money, but I
took a shit job at Erewhon
just to have something
to do with my days
besides watch Family Feud.
My life is basically just
waiting for Halloween
to roll around every year.
If I didn't have you to look forward to,
I wouldn't want to be alive at all.
I won't let anything get in
the way of our time together.
Even though you're
gonna stay young and hot
and I'm gonna get old and wrinkly?
Oh, bring on the gray pubes.
- I love you.
- I love you.
Let's go cause some trouble.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Sorry.
I usually only cry like
this after I masturbate.
Pardon?
Nothing.
Aren't you that lady I saw talking
to the Realtor the other day?
You didn't actually buy
this place, did you?
No. Um
I just needed to find a way to get in.
Deal's never gonna close.
Um, I don't actually have the money.
I'm making a video game,
and I am creatively stuck,
and this is my last effort
at getting some sort of inspiration.
I actually don't know
what else to fucking do.
Is it violent?
Because I've always counseled parents
that violent video games
are terrible for children.
Wait a minute.
Aren't you, um ?
What are you doing here?
Paying for my sins.
Just like everyone else
in this godforsaken place.
You know what's a bad combination
for eternal happiness?
Your wife, your forever
teenaged daughter,
her boyfriend, a newborn
and your former mistress
all trapped in the same house together.
Okay, this has got to be
some kind of joke, right?
I mean, what do you do?
Do you just come in here
and fuck with people on
Halloween night who sneak in?
Right?
It's the farthest thing from a joke.
I'm in hell.
And don't start telling
me it's all my fault
like that other therapist in here.
I didn't want to cheat on my wife.
I resisted for years in this house.
But Hayden is really persistent,
and Vivien can be so judgy
and sullen sometimes.
So, you're blaming the women in
your life for you being a cheater?
Okay. Um, you can never
actually find forgiveness
if you don't take responsibility
for your own actions.
I'm just saying life is complicated.
And so is death, apparently.
The problem was I always
thought I could have it all.
A wife and a mistress.
A family and a life outside my house.
So I ended up here with nothing.
Judging by that look on your face,
my professional opinion is
that you were cheated on.
- You look triggered.
- No. Uh
Actually, uh, Steven was faithful.
I'm judging you just because,
I don't know, I can.
The trouble in my marriage was me,
if I want to be honest.
Okay? I like to want things,
and then I get obsessed
about getting them.
It's compelling in a courtship.
Everybody wants to feel
like they're wanted.
- Hmm.
- I'm just not so great
once I actually get it
'cause, um, over time, I
I get bored.
And then I can be quite hurtful.
You like being hungry
more than being fed.
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
Okay, so, here's
What I'm really hungering
for now is an understanding.
Tell me Tell me what
this place is like.
I mean, I want to know what
it truly feels like to be here
and to feel the-the
longing and the-the fear,
- the fun.
- Fun?
Is it fun when the record you're
listening to skips over and over?
Is it fun being on a
merry-go-round for decades?
No.
Uh, I'm I'm designing a video game.
And for it to work, it's got to be fun.
It's got to have purpose.
You know, there's got to be a point
so that the player's gonna
want to continue playing.
There is no purpose here.
There is no point in here.
It's just endless dull with no escape.
We're not in hell. It's an old house
in a neighborhood in L. A.
You know, it's surrounded
by perfectly normal houses.
There's got to be a point, right?
I mean, maybe there's
even a way to escape.
It's just nobody's figured out how yet.
You know, my son says that, uh,
the people who are trapped here
are probably stuck because
they never resolved their issues
when they were alive, so their
damage becomes their destiny.
Maybe the point is
that you have to learn
and grow, and only then can you escape.
So you think if I have
intense therapy sessions
with each of the ghosts,
they'll have some kind
of Ordinary People,
Prince of Tides breakthrough
and find spiritual peace?
Sorry.
Not gonna happen.
I tried that with Tate
after I got stuck here,
and he's just as bananas
as he's always been.
Okay. Um Well
Um, can I speak to somebody
who's maybe not so lost and hopeless?
Then you've come to the wrong house.
Okay.
Um
Can we help you?
Um, yes.
I'm trying to understand
the vibe of this place,
but all I'm really getting is that
everybody associated with it
is just really crazy.
I'm just gonna make a video
game about True Blood or
- something normal.
- You want to get the vibe?
Here's what you need to
understand about this place.
Yes, there are a few
spirits who want out,
but there are others here who
have no interest in growth,
who embrace how fucked-up we all are.
Now, the only thing that we love more
than being stuck in our own misery
is being stuck here with the suckers
who are even more miserable.
The repetition is the point.
The endless nothing filled
with pain is the purpose.
The only thing that we need
is more souls to feed the suffering.
Shit.
- What?
- As your therapist,
my professional opinion is
that you should run like hell.
What?
Uh
You really don't understand
this place at all.
Leave now or you're gonna be
forced to understand forever.
It's your turn.
Dead again.
Say "trick or treat."
Hi, baby.
Oh.
No.
Please don't do that.
We have one night together.
It took a week for them
to find your body.
We didn't even know you
were missing for three days
because you lied and said you
were going to a horror convention.
- I'm sorry. I didn't want you to worry.
- Bullshit.
You didn't want me to try and stop you.
It wasn't until we started getting calls
that we found out you
tried to buy a house.
As soon as I heard that,
I knew where you were.
That I was never gonna see you again.
That your stupid fucking
obsession got you killed.
Listen to me. Hey. I just wanted
to build something special for us.
- I just wanted to make you proud.
- By making a video game?
You know what you could
have done to impress me?
If you had went to a fucking shrink
and dealt with your shit.
If you had shown me
that people can change.
I would've been more proud if
you quit making the fucking game
once you realized that
you couldn't do it,
rather than getting
yourself fucking killed
because you-you get so
trapped by your obsessions.
Hey. It's too late for that.
It's too late for that. Look, I'm
I'm stuck as I am, okay?
I'm stuck in that place.
There's no escaping the Murder House.
I think there is.
- How?
- Fire.
Fire purifies everything.
You need to burn,
burn that motherfucker to the ground.
And I'm more than happy to do the job.
Listen to me. If you do that,
if it works, I'm gone.
I
I don't see you ever again. Okay?
You were gone from me a long time ago.
Besides, it's time for all of the
misery of that house to end.
I never want to see or hear
one more thing about Murder House again.
Okay.
But, look, there's good people in there.
They're trying to live
their productive lives,
whatever that means.
Just promise me you're not gonna
do anything to that house, okay?
Promise me.
Fine.
- Hey. Hey.
- What?
Why aren't you dressed up?
I don't like Halloween anymore.
You guys coming inside?
- We like to do it our own way.
- Hey.
Sorry about trapping you in there.
You held the knife, but I
did it to myself, really.
Ten seconds to sunrise.
- The fuck is this?
- Oh, no.
- You know him?
- He's my son.
He's trying to burn the house down.
Thinks it's gonna free all the spirits.
- Will it?
- God, I hope so.
Well, what about those of us
who don't want to be free?
I do not need this shit today.
Rory.
I think you and your son should
really consider some family therapy.
Now, I know that you've
already met with Ben Harmon,
but I can assure you
- you'll see much better results with me.
- Move.
Quite frankly, he's just not that good.
I'm available anytime.
I'm gonna gut him, but make sure
he bleeds out slowly enough
to throw him off the property.
The last thing we need is
another troublemaker in here.
No!
Sorry, Ruby.
What you and Scarlett had was so lovely,
but it's time for us to go now.
We can't take it anymore.
- I just need it to be over.
- You stupid bitches.
Don't you understand what that means?
It means we become nothing!
Nothing is better than
this for all eternity.
Attaboy.
- Burn, baby, burn.
- Dr. Harmon.
And the record kept
skipping over and over
and over.
Sorry. Not sorry.
Yeah, can I get a breakfast
burrito, a fresh orange juice,
oh, and an apple pie?
Are you sure this is what you want?
Yes.
Guess you figured out a way
to end the video game.
It'll be a best seller.
I'm sure of it.
Goodbye, Mom.
Bye, my sweet boy.
Mom!
No! Do it! Light it up!
Do it, baby, do it!
No! No! No!
- No!
- No!
Please.
- No!
- Do it.
Do it!
Ruby!
Scarlett.
Die with me!
I love you.
Well, the ghosts weren't the problem.
It was the damn TV show fans
that kept coming here at
all hours to take selfies.
Hey, assholes, it's just a house.
The fire is out except for
some smoldering remnants.
And just like that,
one of the most notorious
houses in all of Los Angeles
maybe the world is
finally gone for good.
- You must be Scarlett.
- Yes. Hi.
Let me show you the unit.
As you can see, the developers
spared no expense.
Everything in this unit
is state-of-the-art,
and these are divine.
- The architect went
- Tim.
Can we have an honest relationship?
Yeah, okay.
Do you tell people who are
looking at these new condo units
that these grounds are hallowed?
Hallowed?
Well, dozens of people died here.
People who mattered.
Until the fire.
Do you tell potential buyers
that this building of condominiums
used to be the Murder House?
Actually, no. No, I don't.
- Why not?
- Well, to be honest
since that's what we're aiming
for at first, I was torn.
I sold the first five units,
and I said nothing
about that place that used to be here.
But people have been living
in this new building now
for over six months, and I
check in on my customers.
No one has been harmed.
There have been no apparition sightings.
I believe that the fire purified
whatever occult forces were
contained within those walls.
And I also believe that those spirits
or whatever you want to call them
are finally free.
And this is the last unit, correct?
Yeah.
I'll take it.
All cash.
You'll pay $1 million all cash?
A young woman your age?
I'm sorry, may I ask how
you got that kind of money?
I utilized my greatest life skill
and became a hired assassin.
I'm semiretired now.
Maybe I'll go back to it
one day. Who knows?
But it was lucrative and
fun killing bad people.
Don't look so shocked, Tim.
I told you I wanted an
honest relationship.
Okay, Scarlett.
I'll draw up the papers.
This unit is officially yours.
Why don't we take a walk? ♪
Everybody knows a hand
to hold is all we need ♪
Quiet, let's not even talk ♪
Every word I say to you ♪
You only just repeat ♪
And when you're
looking in the mirror ♪
Demons may be closer
than they may appear ♪
You can either cry and sit and stare ♪
Or try to run away ♪
I'm trying to run away ♪
I'm staring at a ghost ♪
I'm staring at a ghost ♪
And when you're
looking in the mirror ♪
Demons may be closer
than they may appear ♪
You can either cry and sit and stare ♪
Or try to run away ♪
I'm trying to run away ♪
I'm staring at a ghost. ♪
Ruby?
I'm here.
I'm finally ready to be with you.
Forever.
But I'm too late.
You're gone forever.
Where are the others? My dads?
They're gone.
They chose to move on.
I saw them go.
They seemed happy.
Most of them did, at least.
Why are you still here?
I was the only one who wanted to stay.
For you, Scarlett.
I knew you'd come back to me.
True love never dies.
Success. You escaped Murder House.
Oh!
So? What do you think?
Version 2.0. I mean,
does it get the vibe?
Totally. It's so much better.
But I think you need to have a level
where the kid gets, like, a magic
potion from the Supremes
to help burn the house
down or-or something.
I'd like to see that. I think
it'd make the game harder.
I mean, I-I couldn't afford it, so
If we sell it, though, we can maybe
do it as an update or something.
Well, at least you fixed the
glitches in the controls.
Oh, did I? Did I fix the glitches?
Yes, I insisted on it.
You really like it?
It's super cool.
- And I'm really proud of you.
- Thank you, baby.
- Want to play again?
- No.
I think I've spent enough
time in the Murder House.
Do you want to go get something to eat?
- Yeah, I'm starving.
- Let's go.
But where do you think all of
the spirits who got trapped
in the Murder House went?
The ones who wanted to stay stayed,
and the ones who wanted to move on,
they maybe went to heaven or hell.
Well, do you think any of them
escaped into the world?
- Hope not.
- Hmm.