In a crowd of horror TV shows that last for one season despite their best efforts to stand out and offer fascinating takes on horror tropes, Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Stories shows no signs of slowing down. The American Horror Stories season 4 trailer suggested tales about monsters, nightmares, and darkness, and these five episodes didn’t disappoint. American Horror Stories season 4, episode 3, “X” focuses on disturbing events at a hospital. The entire episode is black and white, which adds an eerie, classic, and fun tone. While the whole season is great, this particular stylish choice makes this story stand out.

Mia Isaac plays Claire Michaels, a nurse who realizes something distressing is going on at the hospital where she works. By the end of the American Horror Stories episode “X,” Claire’s world has been completely altered, and she learns the truth about Dr. Nostrum (Henry Winkler).

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What Happens At The End Of The American Horror Stories Episode “X”?

At the end of the American Horror Stories episode called “X,” Dr. Nostrum tries to operate on Malcolm (Dyllon Burnside) and Claire. They learn that Dr. Nostrum has been experimenting on cancer patients and then keeping them in cages in an area of the hospital. While he calls this the Springhill Program and pretends he’s going to cure them, he’s killing them. Malcolm and Claire learn the truth about Ward X too late, and it’s clear that they are both going to die.

There is a dark and menacing tone to every American Horror Stories episode and this unsettling feeling is present in every shot of the season 4 episode “X.” This is particularly true as the episode nears its final shot and Claire is in true danger. Although Claire tries to escape and it seems that she has survived, she wakes up in a hospital bed and learns that the hospital staff is involved in Ward X. They cart her off and tie her to a chair, and as the camera pans out, viewers realize they are going to kill her.

When compared all five episodes of American Horror Stories season 4, “X” is unique since it’s the only black and white episode. It has the look and vibe of an old-fashioned horror movie and since the setting is a creepy old hospital, this decision works well. If it was shot in color like the other episodes, it would still be compelling, but not quite as riveting. “X” also feels distinct because of Alice Taylor (Amy Ruggiero), a patient who runs away from Ward X and gets revenge on the people who harmed her. Alice looks like a ghost who was frozen in time, and she’s one of the creepiest characters to emerge from the memorable anthology TV series.

What Is The American Horror Stories Episode “X” About?

The American Horror Stories season 4 episode “X” has several important themes. It offers a commentary on the American medical system and is also about how people should listen to their gut instincts and speak up when something is wrong. Although the main character is unlucky and doesn’t make it, she tries to do the right thing. When compared to some other episodes of American Horror Stories, “X” has a more serious message to relay, but it’s still just as genuinely creepy.

From the beginning of “X,” viewers learn Claire is a hard-working nurse going about her usual day when she sees a terrifying patient walking through the hallway. The patient, who appears to be in a state of shock and has her mouth open like Shelley Duvall’s character in The Shining, which also has a gripping ending, kills a hospital employee. Claire can tell something is wrong and attempts to escape the hospital when Malcolm (Dyllon Burnside) offers her a ride home. However, when she doesn’t come to the car fast enough, Malcolm also becomes part of the dark mystery at the hospital.

Claire also learns that her co-worker Lily Mulling (Jennifer Ferrin) participated in Ward X and watches Lily jump off the roof of the hospital. This adds a layer of trauma to Claire’s experience and proves that she can’t trust anyone who she has been working with. Like the AHS episode “Bestie,” “X” has a few likable characters who are easy to empathize with, along with many characters who reveal their disturbingly cruel natures by the end of the episode. If horror fans watch just one episode of American Horror Stories, “X” is a great one to start with and will likely make them want to binge watch the entire series.

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