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"I Am Anne Frank: Part 1" is the fourth episode of Asylum. It premiered November 7, 2012.

Synopsis[]

A new patient claiming to be Anne Frank exposes Arden's past. Kit learns why Grace was admitted to Briarcliff.[1]

Plot[]

Frank escorts Sister Jude to the cell of an unidentified woman who was brought to the asylum after she was arrested for assault. Sr. Jude learns that the newcomer was enraged by an off-hand anti-Semitic remark. Upon further questioning, she defiantly begins whistling a tune.

Meanwhile, Arden continues his experiments on Shelley, including an injection of something he says might make her live forever.

Grace and Kit discuss his latest probing by Arden who is desperately searching, with the aid of X-rays, for the missing micro-bot. Grace shares her story at Kit's urging.

She awoke in the night to a home invader who axe-murdering her father and discovered her step-mother's dismembered body in a closet when she tried to hide. Her step-sister accused her of their deaths in hopes of admitting Grace and getting the family farm.

Lana is questioned by Dr. Thredson about her whereabouts during the movie since he knows that she, Grace, and Kit tried to escape. She recalls Kit's warning not to tell anyone about the dead inmate. Dr. Thredson thinks Lana shouldn't be with the rest of them, and he offers to treat her homosexuality in hopes that she can be released. She insists that there is no treatment.

In the common room, the unidentified woman writes on a sheet of paper dated October 15, 1964 to one Kitty [2] regarding her stay. Lana warns her to hide her pen, or risk solitary confinement. Arden enters, and she recognizes him as a doctor from Auschwitz. She attacks Arden and as she is hauled away claims that she is Anne Frank.

Sister Jude questions the woman's claims. "Anne," says that her savior was an American soldier, who widowed her during reemployment in the Korean War. She concealed her identity to allow her teenage version to continue to inspire others as a martyr.

Dr. Thredson reveals that he thinks Kit is neither guilty nor insane and is willing to lie to save him, under the condition that he stops deluding himself of the trauma-induced abduction fantasy. Dr. Thredson believes that Kit killed a librarian (Donna Burton, January 16th) and a secretary (Allyson Reidel, March). On the night of Billy's confrontation at the garage, he killed Alma out of societal guilt and created the abduction fantasy as an overlay.

Anne reveals that Arden is Hans Grüper, an SS doctor that seemed gentle at Auschwitz, bribing women and children with sweets. With a coin toss, he would "save" women, who would come back sick, if at all.

In the med line, Lana fantasizes about being rewarded by Columbia University for her six-part expose' on the atrocities of the asylum. In her speech, she credits the other inmates for their inspiration and says that she did what she had to do to get out. She consents to aversion therapy.

Kit considers the possibility that he made up his abduction experience. Grace tries to convince him of his sanity. Grace doesn't care if he's a killer, and they have sex on the kitchen counter, where they are discovered by a guard.

Sister Mary Eunice chooses a barbed cane from Sr. Jude's closet. The elder nun is impressed by the improvement in her demeanor. Grace wants to get the caning over with, but Sr. Jude intends to sterilize them. The two are separated, and Sr. Mary Eunice leaves Grace's file for Kit to read.

Detectives Byers and Connors of the Watauga County Police Department Homicide Squad are questioning Dr. Arden about his assault on the prostitute. They mention that she found Nazi memorabilia and bondage porn. After Arden leaves in disgust, they rhetorically question Sr. Jude about Kit's surgical skill in being able to skin and decapitate bodies.

Dr. Thredson is administering an intravenous emetic to Lana while showing her images of scantily-clad women in order to associate nausea with lesbian imagery.  In the next phase, he brings another patient, Daniel, to act as a male heterosexual positive role model for her. Dr. Thredson encourages Lana to masturbate at the visual and physical stimulation of Daniel's genitals. When she vomits again, and Dr. Thredson knows that aversion/conversion will not work with her.

Sister Jude relates the mounting evidence of Arden's Nazi past to Msgr. Howard. He dismisses her vendetta against Arden and her endorsement of Anne's story. He also says he knows she's been drinking. He urges her to pray and reflect. In Arden's lab, where Shelley struggles, Howard calls and advises Arden that "they are on to him" and that he should get his affairs in order.

Sister Jude tells her Mother Superior that she has slipped off the wagon as they stroll through the woods. She also relates that she thinks Arden is a war criminal. The Mother Superior suggests that Sr. Jude go over the Monsignor's head, but Sr. Jude will have none of it.

Sister Mary Eunice and Carl lead Kit to a cell across from Grace. They haven't castrated him yet. He confronts her about her file. Grace reveals that she was molested by her father and she killed her step-mother for trying to keep her quiet. She then killer her father, witnessed by her step-sister.

Lana is visited by Dr. Thredson in the day room. He couldn't sleep and apologized for trying the controversial therapy. He brings her a photograph of Wendy. He swears he will take Lana when he leaves at the end of the week.

Kit asks for a confession with Sr. Jude. He says as God knows all, that He knows if he killed Alma. Kit himself doesn't know but thinks he must have. He wants to be forgiven and will confess any and everything he's done.

Anne is trapped with Arden in a lab. Anne brandishes a revolver, which she secretly took from the police, on Arden.  When he lunges for her, she shoots him in the leg. After threatening with being shot again, he throws her the keys. Behind a locked door, she finds a deformed Shelley, begging Anne to kill her.

Featured Characters[]

Quotes[]

  • Sister Jude: "So, "Anne Frank," is it? What a relief it will be to millions of schoolchildren to know you survived."
  • Sister Jude
    I saw a prison tattoo. She was in Auschwitz.
    Monsignor Howard
    Where's she now, hiding in the attic?
  • Dr. Arden: "You wanna know what goes on in here? You're about to find out!"
  • Shelley: "Kill me."
  • Charlotte Brown: "You were there... In Auschwitz! Nazi murderer! You Nazi schwein! Murderer! Nazi schwein! Don't you remember me, Doctor? I am Anne! Anne Frank!"
  • Charlotte Brown: "But nobody was lucky in Auschwitz..."
  • Dr. Arden: "I was never in Auschwitz; I'm from Scottsdale!"
  • Monsignor Howard
    Maybe this job is too much for you.
    Sister Jude
    No, this job means everything to me. You know that.


Notes[]

  • Like episode four from last season, this was the first of a two-part episode.
  • This is the first episode of the second season to not show present-day events.
  • This episode takes place on the 5th November in 1964. As heard in Anne's voice-over.
  • James Cromwell's real-life son, John Cromwell, plays the younger version of Dr. Arden in the black and white flashback scenes. 

Gallery[]

Raised Questions[]

References[]

  1. LISTINGS - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM - (#2ATS04) "I Am Anne Frank, Pt. 1".
  2. Kitty is one of many names to whom Anne Frank would address her diary entries.
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