American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 1 Recap – Season 12 is back, taking bold leaps forward. In this article, we’ll take you on a tour through its first episode, “Delicate,” offering a complete recap and insight into its mysterious ending! So grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and let’s enter AHS Season 12 together.
American Horror Story is renowned for its ability to shock, delight, and challenge viewers’ perceptions unpredictably. Season 12, titled “Delicate,” stands out by departing from its typical format to adapt Danielle Valentine’s “Delicate Condition.” This season promises an intense ride, with its inaugural episode, “Multiply Thy Pain,” setting the scene for this rollercoaster journey.
AHS Season 12 features an outstanding cast, including Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, and Billie Lourd, to name just a few. Airing on FX for its loyal audience to enjoy, AHS delivers its trademark blend of horror, suspense, and thought-provoking themes that remain terrifying and exciting.
American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 1 “Multiply Thy Pain” Recap
“Multiply Thy Pain,” the first episode of American Horror Story: Delicate, begins with a chilling scene as Anna Victoria Alcott (played by Emma Roberts) awakens to find an unfamiliar figure lying beside her bed, clutching an embryo photograph in his hand and bloodstains covering the sheets. This leaves viewers feeling disquieted with anticipation for what may follow in later episodes.
As we watch, we are transported one week into Anna’s past, following her through an unnerving experience at a fertility clinic that exudes an eerie sterility. This sets the stage for strange happenings that unfold with surprising precision. Matt Czuchry plays her husband, Dexter. Anna undergoes her third round of egg retrieval and implantation at this dreadfully unsettling fertility center, and its bizarre atmosphere heightens the sense of impending strangeness.
Anna encounters Ivy (Cara Delevingne), who appears to be obsessed with an abandoned bird nest containing a seemingly dead baby bird. Ivy’s unsettling presence sets the stage for what lies ahead.
After the procedure, Anna receives unsettling news from Dr. Andrew Hill (played by Denis O’Hare) concerning their embryos. Oddly enough, Dr. Andrew reassures Dexter but not Anna, further raising suspicion. Additionally, Anna becomes disquieted when she notices strange behavior among some of the women in the clinic’s waiting area and comes face-to-face with Miss Preecher, who seems familiar but cannot be placed.
Anna’s paranoia intensifies after returning home, where she discovers an unearthly strand of hair embedded in her scalp, prompting a chain of horrific events and experiences to unfold.
Anna’s life is further complicated by Siobhan Corbyn (Kim Kardashian), her publicist and confidante who also struggles with infertility; together they form an unlikely yet supportive bond in an IVF support group. While Anna navigates her career, including an Oscar campaign for her film “The Auteur,” with Siobhan’s help, she finds solace.
During a signing event for her fans, Anna experiences an odd occurrence: an unusual doll bearing the image of her character from a CW teen drama appears before her, leaving her baffled and questioning her sanity.
Anna becomes curious about Dex and his history with Adeline (deceased) and their attempts at reproduction; she raises this sensitive subject but finds only silence from him. Dex’s secrets cast an ominous shadow over their relationship, creating a long-lasting suspense.
As Anna’s world unravels, she becomes convinced she is being followed. A series of troubling incidents, such as her phone being hacked, altered calendar pages without explanation, and encounters with mysterious figures, all contribute to Anna’s increasing paranoia.
Episode Two, Part 4 ends with a terrifying embryo transfer scene where Anna experiences an eye-opening hallucination involving Miss Preecher having her mouth sewn shut, exchanging bloody kisses with Miss Preecher, and an exchange of violent kisses that pushes Anna beyond her capacity. This experience tests Anna beyond any measure.
Once home after her procedure, Anna is immersed in the same unnerving scene that began the episode. After awakening to find a stranger sleeping in her bed, she believes she’s been subjected to a home intrusion. However, as layers of fear begin to peel back, she realizes that the blood on the bedroom mirror is actually lipstick and that an ominous message may represent some threat against which she must now defend herself.
American Horror Story Season 12 Episode 1 Ending Explained
The mysterious conclusion of American Horror Story: Delicate Episode 1 has perplexed and unsettled viewers. Anna discovers the same intruder again when she wakes up. Eventually, we discover what transpired behind all these strange events.
Lipstick, rather than blood, stains on the sheets mark an unexpected departure from standard horror tropes and add an element of psychological horror by distancing reality from hallucination.
“Don’t do it, Anna” appears cryptically scrawled across Anna’s bedroom mirror, further adding suspense. However, no explanation has yet been given regarding what “it” refers to. Having already undergone the implantation procedure and fulfilled her career responsibilities, viewers can only speculate about its meaning until it emerges later this season.
One interpretation of Anna’s message could be taken as a warning against her pursuit of fame and career success at the expense of her personal life and well-being. Additionally, this could suggest that Anna has attracted dangerous forces that seek to control and manipulate her.
Alternatively, the message could hint at deeper supernatural forces in this storyline, encompassing themes like fertility, motherhood, and ambition – themes viewers will learn more about as the season progresses.
American Horror Story Episode 1 concludes by leaving us with more questions than answers, setting the scene for a season filled with psychological twists, supernatural elements, and an investigation of ambition versus terror.
What is the Significance of the Lipstick-stained Sheets and the Cryptic Message on the Mirror at the End of American Horror Story: Delicate Episode 1?
The lipstick-stained sheets and message on the mirror serve as intriguing components in this episode’s conclusion. Initially misinterpreted as blood, lipstick challenges viewers’ expectations, introducing psychological horror while its meaning remains mysterious. These elements set up a season full of mystery and psychological terror.
How does American Horror Story: Delicate Episode 1 Deviate from its Source Material, Danielle Valentine’s novel, “Delicate Condition”?
Although American Horror Story: Delicate closely adheres to its source material, there are notable changes from the novel. Dr. Carla Hill becomes Dr. Andrew Hill, Siobhan transitions from being an actress to Anna’s publicist, and Dex’s first wife, Adeline, meets a different fate than suggested in the book. These differences enrich American Horror Story’s storyline while remaining faithful to its themes.
American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 started with an intriguing and unnerving premiere episode, “Multiply Thy Pain.” As Anna becomes increasingly mired in paranoia and supernatural happenings, viewers become drawn into an alternate reality where reality blurs with hallucination. Lipstick-stained sheets and mysterious messages herald an AHS season full of psychological horror and supernatural forces. One thing is sure – AHS Season 12 promises to be a terrifying yet thought-provoking exploration of ambition vs. terror!
Also Read: ‘Jaane Jaan’ Ending, Explained: A Twisty Tale of Sacrifice and Redemption
