American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 7 Review: Ave Hestia

American Horror Story: Delicate Season 12 Episode 7, “Ave Hestia,” brings forth a sense of nostalgia while delivering the best episode of the season so far.

This episode takes a significant narrative shift, stepping back from the present timeline and delving into the multi-centuries worth of lore behind Ivy and her fellow witches.

One significant factor that makes this one of, if not the best, episode of the season is how Coven-centric it feels.

“Ave Hestia” feels like a trip back to the dominant peak in the time of the OG American Horror Story seasons in the beginning, when everything was fresh, and it was ruling the TV world.

Devotion to Her

Emerging from the shroud of mystery Ivy has been disguised behind all season, we see her origin story, and learn that she’s the mother of Sonia and Adeline, twins.

During their birth, Ivy is forced to cut open her stomach, pulling each of her daughters from her womb by hand, and when all hope seems lost, the woman she’s since devoted her life to serving makes an appearance, saving all three of their lives.

As the episode plays out, we’re taken deeper and deeper into the thought process behind Ivy’s actions and how their coven has grown in size over the years. However, it’s never clarified whether these women are recruited or brought another way.

Until now, Cara Delevingne has had a bare minimum of content to play around with, but this episode changes that, and I’m grateful for it. It allows her to showcase her acting abilities truly and brings forth a new sense of understanding for her character.

Delevingne is genuinely haunting as Ivy in “Ave Hestia,” and I hope it’s a facet of her character we see again before the season wraps. Additonally, Annabelle Dexter-Jones delivers an exquisite performance portraying both Adeline and Sonia throughout. 

Unraveling the Past

All the missing dots we’ve been looking for all season long are brought to the light.

Adeline’s death stems from her hatred for her family and Ivy’s unabashed allegiance to the mysterious woman they serve, not a restaurant fire like initially presented. Instead, she burns at the hands of her “family” in the basement as they chant, rip open Adeline’s stomach, and string her insides around the room before setting her ablaze.

Nicolette, Sonia, and Talia have been plotting since day one on Anna’s downfall, with Talia hand-picking her to deliver the purest creature they’ve created to date, one that will be presented to her.

Anna never stood a chance against the powers at play and will most likely perish at their hands or live to see herself join their ranks.

My current theory is that we won’t learn who she is until the finale when Anna gives birth, and they undoubtedly all gather to welcome it into the world before offering it up to her.

It feels good to finally have some answers as to what’s happening and what direction the plot line is leading the story as the season quickly comes to an end.

The Dexters and Their Secrets

Where things become confusing is Dexter Sr’s role in the grand scheme of things.

If the witches serve some feminine deity, what role does he play in the equation, and why is he randomly railing a witch in the corner while Virginia is being injected with blood across the room?

Also, we know Dex has his mind erased, but does that mean he’s still entirely in the dark? We haven’t been given anything concrete that can tie him back to knowing the full extent of the situation, but his actions towards Anna have sometimes been quite harsh, manipulative, and secretive.

It’s even more plausible that Dex is on the plan to manipulate Anna after Matt Czuchry’s recent interview on CBS’ “The Talk,” where he confirms Dex has a secret he’s hiding.

Dex may not have been in the know with Adeline, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t joined the witch’s ranks by now and become one of their pawns.

After all, it has been a decade since Adeline’s death.

The new revelation also begs the question: was Virginia forced to birth creatures against her will by Dexter Sr’s order? Could the creatures these women are birthing end up being new witches? Or do they actively recruit and bring in new members?

Stray Thoughts:

• With Virginia’s death, I wonder if we will ever learn what was said between her and Ms. Preacher. Could Ms. Preacher really be an old witch who’s trying to protect those affected by the witches, or is she secretly one of them just stringing Anna along to increase her anxiety levels? This is a question I hope we have answered before the season finale.
• A break from the present-day timeline was much needed.
• I love how this episode takes us the furthest back in time we’ve seen in the American Horror Story franchise.

What did you think of this episode of American Horror Story: Delicate? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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American Horror Story: Delicate airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.

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