Tate Langdon
Appearances
Portrayed by	Evan Peters
First Appearance	Pilot
Last Appearance	Afterbirth
Information
Alias(es)	Rubber Man
Species	Ghost
Gender	Male
Hair Color	Blond
Eye Color	Dark Brown/Black
Born	1977
Died	1994
Cause of Death	Shot in his bedroom by a SWAT team
Occupation	High School Student (while alive)
Relationships	Ben Harmon (psychiatrist) Violet Harmon (ex-girlfriend) Nora Montgomery (mother figure) Vivien Harmon (mother of his son)
Relatives	Constance (mother) Hugo (father) Adelaide (sister) Beauregard (brother) 3rd Sibling (unknown) Michael Langdon (son)
Subpages: Theories

Tate Langdon is a regular character appearing in the first season of American Horror Story. He first appears in "Pilot" as one of Ben Harmon's patients and was in a relationship with Violet Harmon.

Contents 1 Background 2 Personality and Appearance 3 Episodic Appearances 4 Ryan Murphy on Tate 5 Quotes 6 Notes 7 References

Background Edit

Personality and Appearance Edit

Tate has a very grunge like appearance. His disposition is primarily solemn and weary, in life he probably hardly slept as is evident by the distinct bags under his eyes. There is tension between him and his mother, Constance. He even admits to her that he hates her. His hatred for his mother was born out of her negligent parenting and the verbal abuse she constantly hurled at him as a child in her drunken alcoholic rages. Tate gives off the impression that he is oblivious to his current state of existence to those not familiar with his past. When often asked why he is still in the house or how he knows the layout so well, he often hesitates before answering. This could mean that he is confused and does not know why himself or he knows and chooses to lie since his answers for the most part, to the viewers, are in fact not true. It is later revealed that he is aware he is a ghost, and had kept this a secret because he was afraid of how Violet would react.

In the grander scheme of things, it is speculated and even heavily implied by Ryan Murphy (Ryan Murphy on Tate) that Tate Langdon is evil and working under ulterior motives. He can either kiss or kill a person at same time. His child that is to be born by Vivien is presumed, by Constance's medium Billie Dean, to be the Antichrist. He murdered several students at his high school without regret, and it was shown in Smoldering Children that he abused cocaine before his death.

As a ghost, Tate primarily dons a BDSM fetish coverall to become (what is popularly referred to as) the Rubber Man whenever he does nefarious things. In this persona he killed Chad Warwick and Patrick in particularly brutal fashion, beating the two and sodomizing Patrick with a fire poker as he was dying. He appears to be superhumanly strong as a ghost, as he was capable of overwhelming Patrick and Ben in separate fights, despite both being far more muscular than he. In his earlier treatments by Ben, Tate often fantasized

about murdering his classmates (though seemingly unaware such fantasies are a real memory) and took pleasure in mocking Ben about his sexual desire for Violet.

As his relationship with Violet and treatments with Ben continued, Tate seemed to become more friendly and soft. He often speaks rather highly of Ben as a father, telling Violet he wished he had a father like him while growing up. He also expressed the sentiment to Hayden that he was getting tired of hurting people. However, he continues to be unwilling to let Violet move out of the House, to the point where he attacked both Ben and Vivien as the Rubber Man, though at the end of Smoldering Children it is revealed this was because he was trying to prevent Violet from finding out she was dead, as he was afraid of how she would react. Tate would later tell Ben that he really did feel like his treatments were helping him get better. He would also break down in tears and admit to the sufferring he's caused, though Ben did not believe he was really remorseful.

Episodic Appearances Edit

In "Pilot", Tate begins seeing Dr. Ben Harmon and sparks a relationship with his daughter, Violet. He later helps Violet terrorize her bullying schoolmate, Leah and it appears he may have some connection to the Infantata; Violet sees intermittent flashes of the Infantata and Tate attacking Leah in the basement of her house.^[1]

In "Home Invasion", Tate kills Bianca, one of the Franklin Murder recreators, with an axe, nearly chopping her in half, in order to save Violet and Vivien. He also coaxes the other intruders into the basement. He later appears in the basement with Moira O'Hara and Constance. He is familiar with both of them, and alludes to the fact that Constance has some invested interest in Tate continuing to see Dr. Harmon.

It is revealed in "Halloween: Part 2" that Tate is Constance's son. Her late husband, Hugo, is presumably Tate's father. According to Tate, his father was cheated on by Constance with a neighbor (possibly Larry) and after learning the truth, he abandoned the family when Tate was 10, however, in a more recent episode he stated he was 6 when this happened. We do not know yet what this means. This could be a plothole: Tate could have lied, misremembered, or Constance got remarried after Hugo's death. ^[2]

Tate refuses to be transferred to Dr. Goldman when Ben terminates their counseling sessions because of continued boundary issues. He continues to see Violet, despite Ben's efforts to quell the relationship. Tate sheds some light on the house's history when he tells Violet the story of Charles and Nora Montgomery, the original owners of the Murder House, and the origins of Infantata, though Violet does not believe him. He takes Violet on a "real date" away from the house, on Halloween.^[3]

Tate brings Violet to one of his favorite spots on the beach, when they are suddenly interupted by a group of teens. The teens follow them home and Violet confronts them. Tate comes out as the teens begin harassing Violet and leads them on a long chase. They surround Tate and accuse him of their murders. A horrified Tate denies this and believes they are simply hallucinations. They demand an explanation as to why he murdered them or to at least admit his wrongs. However, he claims he does not know who they are and they depart as the sun begins to rise.^[4].

In "Piggy Piggy", it is revealed that Tate did indeed kill the teenagers who accused him of their murders. He shot them all one by one while they took cover in Westfield High's library and killed 15 people in total during the school shooting. A S.W.A.T. team found him at his house and shot him several times after reaching for a pistol. We later learn that Tate had inhaled large amounts of cocaine and crystal meth before the shooting and was most likely not in his right state of mind at the time. While talking to Adelaide via a medium, Adelaide

mentions that she is scared of Tate after learning of what he has done. In the same episode Tate tries to save Violet from a suicide attempt, and tearfully admits his love for her.

It should be noted that Tate died the same year as his brother Beauregard.

In "Rubber Man", it is revealed that Tate is the Rubber Man. It is also revealed that prior to the Harmons' moving into the Murder House, he promised a devastated Nora he would provide her with a child. He dons the suit to partake in gruesome activities such as, impregnating Vivien and brutally murdering Chad Warwick and Patrick, as they decided not to have a child. He also wears the suit when attacking Vivien in her bedroom, which leads to her being taken by the police for a medical observation due to Ben's belief that she is losing her mind.

In "Spooky Little Girl ", it is revealed only one of Vivien's twins is Tate's (the other is Ben's). Billie Dean reveals in the episode's climax that a child conceived between a spirit and a human will usher in the "End of Days" and is considered the "Anti-Christ".

In "Smoldering Children ", we learn that Tate is aware he is dead, It appeared that Tate had no recollection of his own death or the events shortly prior to it, however, Tate revealed he was simply hiding the fact to avoid scaring off Violet. We also learn that Tate is the one who burned Larry. We later find out that Violet is dead, Tate was aware of this as well and has hidden her body in a crawl space beneath the house, afraid of telling her the truth. Tate later knocks out Ben, while disguised as Rubber Man, using chloroform. Ben manages to unmask him before going unconcious discovering, he is the one responsible for impregnating his wife, Vivien.

In Birth, a flashback to 1984, explains the dynamic between Tate and Nora and why she is so important to him. In the same episode Tate tells Nora he is reneging on his promise to give her his and Vivien's baby, as he cannot bear to see Violet or her family hurt. Nora, however, vows to take the baby regardless, as do Chad and Patrick. Tate tries working with Violet on a way to get rid of Chad and Patrick, only for the ritual to fail.

Vivien later dies due to complications during labor, and Violet learns from Chad that one of her mother's twins was fathered by Tate. Violet ends her relationship with Tate and makes him "go away", against his tearful pleas.

In "Afterbirth", Tate attempts to murder Gabriel, a new occupant of the Murder House, believing Violet will need some companionship now that she no longer wants him in her life. Violet kisses Tate goodbye, distracting him long enough for Gabriel to escape. Tate later confides in Ben, admiting to all his wrongs, asking for his forgivness and friendship. He and Hayden later watch the Harmon family celebrate Christmas, where Hayden tells him that Violet will never forgive him for all the pain and suffering he has caused her family. Tate replies that he will wait forever if necessary.

Ryan Murphy on Tate Edit

"'The devil is beautiful' [...] Tate is the true monster of the show." ^[5]

Quotes Edit

• (To Ben:) "Can you imagine? How sick is that?"
• (To Ben:) "No more weird shit, I promise."
• (To Ben:) “I was afraid my big dick wouldn’t work. (Ben): "What?" (Tate):That’s why I didn’t take the meds. I was afraid my dick wouldn’t work, because I met someone.”

• (To Ben:) "The world is a filthy place, It's a filthy goddamn horror show. There's so much pain you know? There's so much."

• (To Violet:) "I painted it black. I know how you don't like normal things."
• (To Violet:) " Oh, check this out." (Violet): "I think gay porn's hot." (Tate): "Totally."

• (To Violet:) "I hated high school. I used to come here, when the world closed in and got so small, I couldn’t breathe. I’d look out at the ocean, and I’d think, 'Yo, douche bag, high school counts for jack shit.' Kurt Cobain, Quentin Tarantino, Brando, DeNiro, Pacino...all high school dropouts. I hated high school. So I’d come here and I’d look out at this vast, limitless expanse. Then it’s like, that’s your life, man. You can do anything, could be anything. Screw high school. That’s…it’s just a blip in your timeline. Don’t get stuck there."
• (To Violet:) "Did it hurt? The first time usually does." (Violet): "No, but it was intense."

• (To Violet:) "You’re doing it wrong. If you’re trying to kill yourself, cut vertically. They can’t stitch that up. And if you're trying to kill yourself, you might also try locking the door."

• (To Violet:) “Violet? Something’s changed in you, toward me. You’re distant. Cold. I don’t know what I’ve done, but I’ll leave you alone from now on if that’s what you want. Is that what you want? You know why I’d leave you alone? Because I care about your feelings more than mine. I love you. There, I said it...not just on some chalkboard. I would never let anybody or anything hurt you. I’ve never felt that way about anyone.” (Violet) "Come Here." [Tate climbs into Bed] (Tate:) "I'm Tired." (Violet) "Me too."

• (To Ben) So... what do shrinks think when a wildly brilliant patient doesn't talk to punish their psychiatrist? i bet you think about sex. (Ben): "Do you think about sex a lot?" (Tate): "I think about one girl in particular, your daughter. I jerk off thinking about her. A lot." (Ben): "I’m not comfortable with you talking about my daughter, Tate." (Tate): "Don’t you wanna know what I do to her? I lay her down on the bed and I caress her soft skin, make her purr like a little kitten. She’s a virgin. They get wet so easily."

• (To Hayden:) "I'm tired of hurting people."

• (Hayden): "You know what you have to do." (Tate): "Yeah, I do. I just have to prepare myself. It's not fun." (Hayden): "You wanna fool around ... while you work your way up to it? Come on." (Tate): "I'm not into it."

• (To Violet): "Hi, I'm Tate. I'm dead. Wanna hook up?"
• (To Violet): "You're the only light I've ever known. You've changed me, Violet."
• (To Violet): "No, don't do this! You're all I want! You're ALL I HAVE!!!"
• (To Ben): " I prepare for the noble war. I'm calm; I know the secret. I know what's coming, and I know no one can stop me, including myself. I kill people I like. Some of them beg for their life. I don't feel sad. I don't feel anything. It's a filthy world we live in. It's a filthy goddamn helpless world, and honestly, I feel like I am helping to take them away from the shit and the piss and the vomit that run through the street. I am helping to take them somewhere clean and kind. The world is a filthy place; It's a filthy goddamn horror show. There's so much pain, you know? There's so much... There is something about all that blood; I drown in it. The Indians believed that blood holds all the bad spirits, and once a month in ceremonies they would cut themselves to let the spirits go free. Now, there is something smart about that, very smart. I like that. You think I'm crazy?"
• (To Family): "Dear God, thank you for the salty pig meat we are about to eat, along with the rest of the indigestible swill. And thank you for our new charade of our family. My father ran away when I was only six. If I'd have known any better, I would have joined him,. And, also, because she's been trying to get back into this house ever since she lost it, Lord, a big thank you for blinding the asshole that's doing my mother, so that he can't see what everybody knows.
• (To Adelaide): "NO ADDIE!!!! You're a smart girl, you KNOW he killed our brother!"
• (Violet) "I use to think you were like me. You were attracted to the darkness. But, Tate you are the darkness." (Tate) "No."
• (To Ben): "In 1994, I set my mom's boyfriend on fire, and then I shot and killed 15 kids at Westfield High. I murdered the gay couple who lived here before you, and I raped your wife."

Notes Edit

• A subpage for Theories is available here.
• Tate mentions that he likes Kurt Cobain, who killed himself in the same year that Tate committed the murders and was killed.
• Tate ran track at Westfield High.
• According to the school librarian, Tate mostly read books on birds and on Byron. Tate is very much the archetypal Byronic hero.
• In his school shooting fantasies, Tate's makeup is a replica of the intricate body tattoos of real life model and sideshow act Rick Genest, aka Rico Zombie.
• The actor who plays Tate Langdon, Evan Peters, is the ex-boyfriend of the actress who plays Young Moira, Alexandra Breckenridge.^[6]
• "[To prepare] I read a lot of books about psychopaths like Charles Manson. He was charming as well as terrifying, like Tate." - Evan Peters ^[7]
• "Norman Bates Jr" (reference to the main antagonist of the novel/movie Psycho) is a nickname given by Chad to Tate.
• The name Tate is a reference to Sharon Tate, just like Charles Montgomery and Bianca refer to either victims or perpetrators of the Charles Manson murders. The original description of the Tate character was "Charles Manson dangerous".
• Tate and Vivien (unless you count the rape) never interacted with one another.

References Edit

1. ↑ Pilot
2. ↑ Pilot
3. ↑ Halloween: Part 1
4. ↑ Halloween: Part 2
5. ↑ Stack, Tim, "'American Horror Story': Ryan Murphy talks the Black Dahlia and whether Violet is alive... or dead -- EXCLUSIVE", EW, 30 Nov 2011
6. ↑ Alexandra Breckenridge's official confirmed twitter account
7. ↑ TV Guide