I Am Anne Frank: Part 2

Sister Jude visits the Nazi hunter Sam Goodman to investigate the past of Dr. Arden. Anne Frank is subdued by Frank and then her husband Jim Brown appears at Briarcliff and tells Sister Jude that her name is Charlotte. He explains that she had a nervous breakdown after delivering their baby. Dr. Thredson promises Lana to leave the sanatorium with her and he really does, sneaking with her from the guards. Jim brings Charlotte back to Briarcliff and Dr. Arden proposes a lobotomy to cure her. Soon two detectives arrive at Briarcliff to send Kit to prison, based on Dr. Threadson's report while Grace is submitted to the surgery of sterilization. Bloody Face captures his new victim.

"I Am Anne Frank: Part 2" is an episode of "American Horror Story" where secrets are disclosed. Sister Jude returns to her mundane life, shagging with a man she knows at the bar. Dr. Arden is really an SS doctor, shown in the picture from Charlotte's bedroom. The evil Sister Mary Eunice helps Dr. Arden discarding Shelley. And Kit Walker is really innocent, and the identity of the Bloody Face is revealed. Lana discovers what happened to Wendy Peyser after leaving Briarcliff with Dr. Threadson. This Season is really well-written and acted. Just as curiosity, the unusual name Kit Walker is the secret identity of The Phantom, the fictional hero by Lee Falk. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "I Am Anne Frank: Part 2"

If there is a single episode in this series that personifies what this show is about, this is it.

Sister Jude corners in on Arden by visiting a Nazi hunter determined to reveal his identity and bring him down. Meanwhile, Sister Mary Eunice and Arden team up even further to bring Briarcliff under their control, thus further pushing Jude's power into a slight downward spiral.

With the help of Thredson, Lana plots her escape from Briarcliff, and Kit and Grace's bond together grows even stronger.

All of these events lead to the ultimate culmination of mystery, suspense, adrenaline, and horror being unleashed in the final 10 minutes of this episode: The reveal of Bloodyface.

Jessica Lange steals the show in this great episode. Having watched all AHS seasons I thought I would watch Season two again.

It's probably my favourite out the bunch and probably Lange's best performance throughout.

This is binge watch tv at its finest and with a great depth of talent within this episode is most definitely stand out !

The fifth episode of the second season of American Horror Story: Asylum, titled "I Am Anne Frank: Part 2," directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, serves as the haunting and emotionally intense conclusion to the provocative two-part arc that significantly impacts the narrative's trajectory. This episode deftly combines historical trauma, psychological horror, and supernatural dread to deliver a chilling meditation on identity, denial, and institutional violence amid the claustrophobic horror of Briarcliff Manor.

Picking up from its predecessor, "I Am Anne Frank: Part 2" fully unveils the truth behind the mysterious patient "Anne," who is revealed as Charlotte Brown-a woman suffering from postpartum psychosis who has fixated upon the life of Anne Frank. The portrayal of Charlotte's delusions, alongside her steadfast conviction of Dr. Arden's Nazi past and heinous abuses, challenges viewers to confront the boundaries between madness and truth. Simultaneously, Sister Jude's investigation into Dr. Arden's past intensifies, revealing disturbing links to Nazi war crimes, even as she finds herself increasingly isolated and compromised within the institution's rigid hierarchy.

Vivien's recurring haunting visions and Lana's efforts to document Briarcliff's abuses interweave with the episode's dark revelations, emphasizing the pervasive grip of trauma and oppression. Kit's storyline progresses with his arrest, a grim counterpoint to Lana's temporary escape with the help of the enigmatic Oliver Thredson-a sequence that builds suspense and underscores the dangers lurking both within and beyond the asylum walls. The episode's tone vacillates skillfully between moments of palpable dread, horror, and fragile humanity, as characters grapple with despair, hope, and survival.

Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's work here is visually compelling and emotionally resonant, especially in scenes depicting the brutal lobotomy Charlotte undergoes-portrayed with graphic intensity and unsettling realism. The dimly lit corridors of Briarcliff remain a character in their own right, endowed with dread and oppressive weight. The camera work and editing balance fast-paced suspense with slower, character-driven beats, ensuring the audience remains immersed in the unfolding horror and psychological drama.

The script navigates complex themes such as the stigmatization of mental illness, sexual trauma, power abuse, and historical memory. Dialogue balances revelation with emotional nuance, particularly in moments like Charlotte's forced lobotomy, Sister Jude's moral descent, and Lana's harrowing realization of the lurking dangers. The episode questions institutional power structures and medical ethics while exploring the fragility of the human psyche in hostage-like environments.

Performances largely drive the episode's emotional gravity. Jessica Lange delivers a subdued yet shattering performance as a broken Sister Jude, whose dominance unravels amid guilt and fear. Sarah Paulson's Lana embodies determination and vulnerability, especially during the gripping escape sequence and her confrontation with Oliver. Michael Chiklis's Oliver Thredson adds enigmatic menace beneath a veneer of charm. Lily Rabe's Charlotte portrays haunting psychosis and tragic delusion, while James Cromwell's Dr. Arden remains a chilling embodiment of evil.

Key moments include Charlotte's shocking lobotomy, Lana's narrow escape into Oliver's unnerving domain, the revelation of Dr. Arden's true identity and past, and Kit's arrest that marks his descent into deeper peril. These scenes underscore the show's tension between real-world horror and supernatural menace, blending grotesque reality with spectral dread.

While praised for visual style, acting, and thematic ambition, critiques often focus on the intense and graphic nature of the lobotomy sequence and the tonal shifts that oscillate between psychological horror and supernatural weirdness. The episode's complexity and density demand attentive viewing and may polarize audiences.

In the context of broader cultural and cinematic conversations, "I Am Anne Frank: Part 2" confronts difficult historical and ethical questions through the prism of horror, echoing films that explore trauma, medical malpractice, and the horrors of history's darkest chapters. Its unapologetic grappling with themes of denial, complicity, and survival positions it as a provocative contribution to television horror's engagement with social issues.

Thematically, the episode encapsulates the fragility of identity and sanity amidst systemic cruelty, while examining the legacies of trauma that haunt both individuals and institutions. Briarcliff emerges as a site of contested memory and power, where evil is both supernatural and disturbingly ordinary.

"I Am Anne Frank: Part 2" is a harrowing, expertly crafted episode that culminates a vital storyline with emotional weight and chilling horror. Through evocative direction, unyielding performances, and a challenging script, it invites reflection on the boundaries between madness and truth, history and trauma, life and death. It exemplifies American Horror Story: Asylum's capacity to merge social critique with unnerving storytelling, compelling viewers to reckon with the horrors of both past and present.

I've been watching 'American Horror Story' since it premiered last year, and while I definitely enjoy it enough to keep watching, a lot of the episodes are mixed bags for me. But an episode like this is what makes it all worth it. I won't spoil anything, or even go into plot details, but I'll simply state that I think this is one of the most stunning episodes of television I have EVER seen. Easily the best of the series, and what I've long suspected it capable of delivering. I'll keep watching regardless (there really isn't anything else like this on television, not of this quality, anyway), but I can only hope that we get more episodes like this, chock full of wonderful sequences and not a scene wasted.