On American Horror Story: Cult, a charismatic young man, Kai Anderson (Evan Peters), takes advantage of the divisive political climate in 2016 to terrorize a small town in Michigan. To achieve his goal of making it to the White House, Kai recruits a mix of twisted, lost souls to help him ascend to a position of real power, tormenting and killing anyone who threatens or furthers his agenda.
AHS: Cult takes a gruesome and grim look at the politics of fear in the Trump era. The show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, doesn’t leave much to chance, and everything is tied up pretty neatly in the end (mainly because so few survive). But even the most tightly woven tale leaves room for interpretation, and there’s so much happening, things can fall through the tiniest cracks. Here are 10 unanswered questions we still have about AHS: Cult.
Why Is Kai’s Hair Blue?
A striking aspect of Kai’s otherwise generic appearance is his blue hair. Dyed sometime before the 2016 election, Kai’s hair remains this vibrant hue until episode 10. Whether the blue is indicative of patriotism, a symbol of his mental state (the incongruity between his mind and actions), blue states and Democrats, or just a style choice isn’t specified.
Winter shaving Kai’s head coincides with his more paranoid and fascist behavior. Kai served in the military, so the long blue hair could be a rebellious act; some kind of disenfranchisement regarding the uniformity and discipline that is synonymous with the armed services. Whatever the reason for the shade, it serves some purpose.
Where Do All Of Ally’s Phobia’s Come From?
Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson) is an easy target for Kai and his homicidal band of misfits thanks in large part to her many phobias. She mentions being confined to her apartment following 9/11, but she overcame her issues mostly thanks to her wife, Ivy (Alison Pill). Following the election, Ally’s anxiety retriggers all her worst fears.
Ally’s mental health is an integral part of the plot from start to finish, and very little narrative is devoted to the origin of her phobias or to how she overcomes them. Her backstory isn’t mandatory to be sympathetic to her character, but her mental health raises interesting questions about her past.
What Are Kai’s Political Views?
Kai is a Trump supporter which presumably means he’s a Republican, but he’s surprisingly close-mouthed when it comes to actual political issues. Other characters label Kai as “Alt-right,” “fascist” and a “reactionary” among other things. But how much of what Kai says is to incite strong responses from others, and how much of it does he believe? Kai’s speeches don’t discuss policy, they’re nothing more than pep rallies. He targets a group of immigrants to jump-start his city council campaign, but his statements are carefully worded soundbites.
Bebe views him as a cog in the wheel of a patriarchal society, but that’s more about gender roles, and Kai does reveal himself over time to be above all, a misogynist. As far as his leanings when it comes to taxes, education, infrastructure, foreign policy, healthcare, entitlements, etc. it’s left up to the audience to decide if Kai tows any party line, or if he cares at all when his primary objectives are creating chaos, instilling fear and obtaining power.
How Could Ally Trust Meadow?
A member of a murderous cult isn’t exactly a reliable source, but Meadow’s (Leslie Grossman) account of Kai’s actions and those of his followers provide Ally with some much-needed peace of mind. She’s so focused on proving she’s not just paranoid, she doesn’t stop and consider how easily she finds Meadow, twice. There should be some innate level of distrust of a person who readily confesses to murder and brainwashing. Ally’s eagerness to trust Meadow makes no sense given she’s been suspicious of the woman since she moved in a few days earlier.
Who Was Valerie Solanas Really?
Valerie Solanas is played on AHS: Cult by Lena Dunham (Girls). While Solanas (1936-1988) did attempt to assassinate Andy Warhol and authored the SCUM Manifesto, the series takes a huge amount of creative license regarding other aspects of Solanas’ life.
Solanas was a writer with incredibly subversive views, but the series exaggerates her cult status and propensity towards violence, even crediting her as the mastermind behind the Zodiac killings. This ties together the narrative, introducing a feminist counterpart to Charles Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh and Marshall Applewhite. Solanas became Murphy’s muse 30 years after her death, but his incarnation seems to vary greatly from her actual legacy.
Why Does Ivy Let Ally Live?
Ivy hates Ally enough to join forces with a cult leader to drive her wife insane. Ivy blows normal marital discord and political differences into a valid reason for committing horrible acts. She wants sole custody of her and Ally’s son, and the best way to guarantee that happens is to kill Ally when she has the chance.
Leaving Ally alive puts Ivy at risk in numerous ways. Ultimately, viewers are supposed to believe Ivy still cares too much about Ally to end her life, or she’s just a less committed member of Kai’s flock, and she doesn’t view the cowering Ally as a threat.
Have Fans Seen The Last Of Ally?
Ally survived Kai and his cult, but her real story is just beginning. Murphy likes a crossover. American Horror Story: Apocalypse joins together beloved characters from season 1 (Murder House) and season 3 (Coven). 2020 is looming, and the country is as divided, if not more so than it was in 2016. Depending on the outcome (or maybe not), Ryan may have the inspiration to resume Ally’s story as she navigates her political career.
What Will Happen To Oz?
After a series of traumatic events, Ally and Ivy’s son Oz (Cooper Dodson) appears to be a well-adjusted kid. This is even though one of his mothers recently died, he was in close contact with a cult leader who locked him in a closet and filled his head with lies. His nanny exposed him to snuff films, he witnessed the grisly death of a beloved pet and Ally’s subsequent meltdown.
Ally goes from not allowing Oz to read comics about killer clowns to letting him sleep with a Twisty doll. In Ryan Murphy’s world, this sure feels like foreshadowing. Oz is being raised by a murderess with ties to some shady radicals who yield legitimate political power. She’s a smothering, helicopter parent, and both real-life and fictitious serial killers share similar mommy issues.
Who Is Cult’s Biggest Villain?
Nobody is innocent on AHS: Cult, but is Kai the biggest villain? Bebe (Frances Conroy) sets him loose on the world. Winter (Billie Lourd), Valerie (Adina Porter), Harrison (Billy Eichner), Meadow, Ivy, Samuels (Colton Haynes), voters and his army of underlings validate him. Ally poisons her wife, stabs an FBI agent and orchestrates the deaths of both of Kai’s siblings. She lies and manipulates the public in return for a Senate seat and while she may have a tighter grasp on reality than Kai, she’s just as ambitious. Kai is gone and forgotten, but the possibilities for Ally are endless.
Who Exactly Is Ally Going To Meet?
Ally’s off to meet with some very “powerful” and “special” friends, and she’s clad in a green cloak- the uniform of women who worship at the altar of Valerie Solanas. Viewers don’t know if this is some army of unknowns Ally is building, or if there is one already in place, and she’s joining them. Are they well-known women? Politicians?Athletes? CEOs? Celebrities? The tone is conspiratorial, the mood ominous, and the whole scene insinuates the beginning of the uprising Bebe foretells.
