Another episode of American Horror Story: Cult is upon us and it is definitely not one for those with a weak stomach – because the episode “Holes” includes some cultish carnage.

After learning about a select amount of Kai’s followers, this episode follows them as a unit to show us some of the mechanics of their plans and actions that will change their relationships moving forward. We start with Beverley discussing her somewhat frightening coverage to her boss who doesn’t appreciate her methods and insists she tone it down. She takes the news to the basement filled with clown cultists that includes Winter, the detective, the Wiltons, Gary the amputee and Beverley’s camera man R.J. Their plans aren’t causing the outrage they wanted just yet, so they decide it’s time to make the murders a little scarier and Beverley say’s others need to witness it – while Kai adds they need to make it more satanic (so cue the devil worship mantras.) Just as the issue is being resolved so to speak, the last known member arrives late – Ally’s wife Ivy.

Elsewhere, Ally is trying to comprehend that her marriage is dissolving and her visits with her son have been cut short so Ally’s sanity is fleeting along with her patience. With everything we know, Ally’s fears seem validated and Ivy on the other hand isn’t as thrilled to be a part of the cult as she was initially. Her anxiety seems to be getting more prevalent, best seen with the next mission from Kai. After Beverley’s boss didn’t seem so helpful with airing the video of his former reporter’s murder, the cult decides to target him until the awkward realization that he has a guest of the sexual variety in his house with a sensory deprivation fetish to make things even more uncomfortable. Though the cult doesn’t think it’s the best time – Kai takes charge as predicted and leads them to murder the man and eventually his allies boss. Ivy stops and becomes sick at the sight of the murders, making her a standout for trouble when Kai begins to question who truly has his back. After the murder, Beverly takes initiative and demands the video is aired – finally making a bigger step to terrify their community.

What could end up being a unique relationship is the supposedly “equal” leadership between Kai and Beverly as she insists they take care of a weak link in their cult that could be assumed to be Meadow or perhaps Ivy, with no names dropped when the plan is first discussed. As the series cuts to Ally, we see a scared Meadow arrive to Ally’s window pounding on the glass and dropping the bombshell that she’s being targeted by a cult with police, her neighbors and even her wife – so that must mean Meadow is straying from the plan one would assume, when a bag is thrown over her head and she’s taken away by an unknown person(s). With the shocking reveal, we can only hope that Ally will begin to do less sharing and more of being perceptive to those surrounding her.

Kai calls yet another meeting to discuss the issues with their trust amongst the group but it turns out to be the cameraman R.J. which causes Winter and Ivy to show extreme hesitation and distaste towards the act of turning against one another. Even after protesting, they eventually join the group in firing a nail gun into his skull one by one and kill the first of their own but it will more than likely become the first of many. Even with Beverly having one of her tasks completed – it isn’t enough for the now power hungry reporter who forces Kai to open up to her about his own life. Kai hadn’t ever shared before, but tells Beverly that his father was a “silver-tongued attorney” who was paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident. His mother and father began to fight and his disrespect towards the family was clear – so she eventually shot herself after killing her husband and Kai was unlucky enough to witness her ending her own life.

Kai decides he doesn’t want to call the police, so he calls his eldest brother – Dr. Rudy Vincent (who is apparently an Anderson – shocker!) The brother (who is Ally’s therapist and a non-cultist as far as we know) tells Kai to hide the bodies in their room and keeping cashing disability checks because they are just not a family built on love obviously. They tell Winter after coming back much later, seeing their decomposing parents which shocks the youngest of them. Kai tells Beverley that he still enters their room to speak to his mother whom he promises to make happy, but not his father who he hates even after death.

Overall Grade: 7.5/10

The episode shed even more light on the cult leader which was nice to help us understand the twisted mind of Kai even if it still doesn’t entirely make sense to me just yet. My suspicions around everyone were correct so I’m hoping the series has a few surprises in store for viewers – and a death for Ivy because she just has it coming, right?

Aedan’s Final Thoughts:

– Beverly may become the female Kai very soon and there aren’t usually cohesive relationships when it comes to cult leadership.

– Winter and Ivy seem to be the next two who would deviate from the cult, so how Kai deals with that could be interesting.