"The Name Game" is an episode of American Horror Story.
Synopsis
The Monsignor faces the Demon. Dr. Arden's experiments achieve a shocking conclusion. Dr. Thredson arranges a surprising reunion for Kit.
Plot
Arden pounds on Kit's chest to resuscitate him, and wakes him. The doctor lies to him, though, claiming there was no visitation. He examines Grace, who has been healed of her bullet wounds. He interrogates Pepper, who has been charged with Grace's protection. Pepper says that Grace's womb has been protected from his examinations. Pepper also reveals that she was framed for drowning and mutilating her baby niece. Pepper explains to Arden that, because she looks like a "freak", she was locked up forever. She has clearly been given significant intelligence by the beings that laugh at Arden's feeble (to them) experiments.
Shachath warns Mnsr. Howard about Sr Mary Eunice's possession and how to prevent her from reading his thoughts with his rosary.
Sister Eunice announces a change in the dayroom, a new jukebox to replace the Dominique record. She plays "I Put A Spell on You" as a tribute to Briarcliff's newest prisoner, Judy Martin. Lana tries to talk to Kit, but Thredson enters the dayroom and sits with them. Thredson reveals the failed abortion to Kit, and a plan to continue to imprison Lana and Kit. Thredson has been hired full time as a therapist, after Sr Mary Eunice found and released him.
Lana is restrained by Carl and a guard from attacking Sr Mary Eunice, who is conducting a room search. They haul her off to hydrotherapy, while Sr Mary Eunice finds a cucumber in Judy's room. The nun orders and administers electroshock therapy and intentionally adds extra current against Arden's orders.
Sr Mary Eunice tends Howard's wounds, and he surprises her by attempting an exorcism. She manages to stop him, and she retaliates by raping him, while he reiterates his vow of celibacy. She takes his virginity as a disgusted Arden watches from the doorway.
Judy distractedly enters the dayroom, observed by Lana and Kit. Jude tries to destroy the new jukebox, but is stopped by Lana. This prompts Judy to hallucinate a choreography of "The Name Game" with the dayroom residents.
Arden's afternoon feeding of the creatures is crashed by Sr Mary Eunice. He is repulsed by her actions. She wants to lobotomize Judy, and he refuses "because she wishes it". He kills the creatures with a revolver, saying the experiment is over. He tries to shoot himself in the head, but falters. She calls him pitiful and walks away.
Howard dismisses the others making bread in the kitchen but Judy, whom he still calls Jude. She notices his crucifixion wounds, even through her impaired mental faculty. He admits that he failed in his exorcism and laments that Sr Jude was right. He tries to get through to her for counsel, and stirs feelings and memories in her. She responds with the advice to "kill her" (Sr Mary Eunice).
Carl leads Thredson to Arden's office, where Thredson searches for sodium pentothal. He discovers Grace, giving birth, midwifed by Pepper.
Howard prays, where he is discovered by the possessed nun. She offers Round 2, but she realizes that he is trying for strength to kill her. She wonders aloud how he will kill her, which instead entices her. She intends to propel him towards papacy, appealing to his ambitions for power. He reiterates his intent to return her host to a state of grace, which angers the nun to the point of loss of control and the host emerges. He takes the opportunity to throw her from the balcony at the top of the staircase. When she hits bottom, Shachath kisses her.
Howard gives last rites to Sr Mary. Arden insists to cremate her himself.
Carl brings Kit for his session with Thredson; Grace and the baby are in Thredson's office. Thredson does not know about the alien intervention. Thredson searches for the confession tape, but Lana has hidden it and blackmails him with it.
Judy continues to try and recognize names of patients. She recognizes Mother Claudia, to whom Judy babbles about Mary Eunice and Rome, including the seduction. Judy tells Mother Superior that Lana doesn't belong there, and that she is falsely imprisoned, and bids the nun to help her.
In the crematory, Arden strokes the dead nun's hair before committing suicide by climbing onto the tray and incinerating himself along with Mary Eunice's body.
Guest Stars
- Frances Conroy as Shachath
- Mark Consuelos as Spivey
- Barbara Tarbuck as Mother Claudia
- Naomi Grossman as Pepper
- Mark Englehardt as Carl
Quotes
- Pepper to Arthur Arden: "You think you're like [the Extraterrestrials] with your clumsy experiments, but they laugh at you, Dr. Arden...they make jokes. Here's a good one, 'Knock knock. Who's there? Arden. Arden who? Arden't you the quack? Who'd make a better duck?"
- Kit to Oliver Thredson: "You are one sick twist!"
- Lana Winters to Oliver Thredson: "I don't wanna ruin it for you, but Spot jumps."
- Arthur Arden to Sister Mary Eunice: "You have no idea what it means to have lost you."Sister Mary Eunice/The Demon
- Sister Mary Eunice to Timothy Howard: "There was a priest, the dirty beast, whose name was Alexander. His mighty dick was inches thick, he called it Salamander. Is yours inches thick father?"
- Sister Mary Eunice, as herself, sobbing
I'm sorry, Monsignor! I'm tired of fighting. I wanna let go.
- Timothy Howard
Then let go of me, Sister...
- Sister Mary Eunice as herself
Take me...
- Shachath
I'll take both of you.