‘American Horror Story: Cult’ Just Ended On A Huge Feminist Twist

This past season of American Horror Story has returned the word “horror” to the anthology series’ name. From killer clowns to rabid Trump fans and diehard Clinton supporters, Ryan Murphy‘s series has, without subtly, captured what a terrifying show can look like in a post-Trump world. It’s been a good season of a show that needed a good season to breathe some new life back into the franchise. However, I don’t think anyone was predicting last night’s twist. Spoilers ahead. 

More than any other season of AHS, Cult has been about one figure in particular — Kai (Evan Peters). Whether we’re watching him give Transformers-esque nicknames to his many bro followers, orchestrate murders while wearing a clown mask, or talk to an imagined version of Charles Manson, Kai has been at the center of this insane circus. That changed in “Great Again,” which opened 11 months in the future with Kai trapped in a jail cell and Ally (Sarah Paulson) finally experiencing some peace for once.

However, that peace doesn’t last long. Kai is still pulling his cult-minded tricks in prison, and though Ally is closer to stable than ever before, her new normal involves being a pseudo-celebrity. It turns out she was the one who betrayed Kai, and now the world knows her as the woman who escaped a terrifying political cult. But after a charged conversation with Beverly (played chillingly by Adina Porter), Ally decides to set her sights on something more influential than unwanted celebrity attention — political leadership. That’s how Ally decides to replace Kai’s old seat.

But as well-loved as Ally is in her community for the horrors she experienced, her numbers are down. Why? Because voters can’t stop connecting her to Kai. Beverly concocts one more elaborate scheme set to take place during a scheduled debate. With the help of a seemingly seduced guard (Liz Jenkins), Kai arrives, determined to kill his follower-turned-rival in front of the masses. Their confrontation may be one of the most deliciously soapy moments of 2017 for anyone who isn’t watching Riverdale. Paulson, who is at this point the definition of the phrase “great actress,” perfectly balances Ally’s blend of fear and planned composure, while Evans embraces the full rage of his narcissistic cult persona. It’s a great moment, and when Kai’s gun doesn’t work but Beverly’s does, it’s even greater.

It turns out having Kai die after confronting Ally on national TV was all part of Ally’s plan to make herself look stronger and distance herself from her abuser’s power. It’s the perfect AHS twist, something that would absolutely never happen in the real world but works as a fantastic revenge story, especially during this current political climate.

“Great Again” has a lot of plot to cover, and it gets through everything fairly well. Save for the ultimate stand-off between Kai and Ally which is a bit fast, nothing in the final episode feels overly rushed or too insane for the series — a problem that American Horror Story finales have experienced in the past. Cult‘s finale is also one of the  in the strongest in the series’ history, largely because the season ends in a way that makes sense. After defeating Kai publicly, winning her Senate seat, and giving her son his Twisty the Clown toy, Ally tucks Oz (Cooper Dodson) into bed. She promises him that he’s about to enter a new, better world because Ally and her strong, female political friends are going to make it better. The camera then cuts to Ally throwing up an ominous-looking hood, implying that she’s definitely either leading or involved in a new cult.

There’s a lot this could twist could mean. It could be commentary about how much of politics is dictated by Washington’s “boy’s club” and the only way women can succeed is by sticking together. It could be even more literal, with the show suggesting our political lives are actually being run by cults. But largely, I don’t think the ending matters too much. Once again we’ve been able to watch Sarah Paulson ascend from lowly underling to ruling the entire universe of AHS. But just because we’ve seen this arc in both Asylum and Coven doesn’t mean it’s not deeply satisfying. If American Horror Story is going to be ruled by cults, the cult of Sarah Paulson is a pretty great one to be in.

Stream American Horror Story on FX+ and FXNOW