Let’s start with Tate, because he’s the most interesting aspect of this episode. I admit I feel a bit stupid regarding Tate’s story, because I’m not sure what I’m supposed to believe about who he is. First we have Constance, who tells Violet he’s her son — even provides picture proof of it. Yet he’s never home, and Constance at one point gave him a wave as he stood at the Harmons’ window. Very odd.
Then there’s the scene on the beach. What I’m getting out of that — and the quick flashback glimpses, one pictured above — is that Tate at one point painted his face all badass-like and pulled a Columbine on his school, Westfield High, taking out that now gruesome group of kids in the process. Now those kids are out for some revenge on Tate for what he did, but Tate seems to be in complete denial over what he did. It’s not as though the kids have chosen the wrong person — they call him by name. But is Tate one of the dead? It certainly appears as though he is; I mean, how could he go about living innocently after pulling what he did at the school? But why the utter denial over what he did? Is it simply guilt?
Another thing I noticed was how the kids mentioned Tate’s mother’s “safe house.” Do they mean Constance’s house, or is it Harmon’s house that not only traps the dead here, but protects them as well? And why are those kids appearing in the flesh, when I’m assuming they were not killed in the Murder House? Something tells me that may never be explained.
American Horror Story got a second season renewal, and, for a show like this, it’s interesting to think about how things could possibly continue either with this same family or this same house, never mind both. Nothing against the current cast, but it’d be one hell of a ballsy move if the Harmons were killed off and made part of the Murder House lore for the next family to move in.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Nov 02, 2011 @ 23:41 EST5EDT
Those kids appeared in the flesh because Halloween is the one night the dead can walk free and go where they want and not just where they died. They mentioned that in the last episode. I wondered all that other stuff about Tate too, hopefully next episode they’ll reveal a little more :)
And that’s why violet and tate can go on a “real” date. you also heard the kids say the sun was coming up,they had to go…their one night was over
Yes, halloween is the one day of the year that the veil between the living and the dead becomes thinner, so to speak, and the dead can move about. This is why Moira was able to visit her ailing mother and Tate went on a date with Violet, as well as went and saw Dr. Harmon for a therapy session somewhere other than the Murder House, and also Patrick was able to go bar-hopping.
I think that anyone who dies on murder house premises can exist there all year, but not leave the premises… as for the other ghosts, perhaps some haunt the places they died, and others perhaps can only come out on halloween night. Constance used to live in the Harmon’s house, and I imagine she was still living there with Tate when he pulled a Columbine and shot up his school. From something I picked up quickly for next week’s previews, it looks like SWAT came to arrest him at home, and he probably had already committed suicide. One of the female classmates commented that she should be 34 by now; therefore, since Tate obviously isn’t that old, it’s safe to say that he is one of the dead. (also, as you pointed out, he’d be in prison now if he weren’t… he wouldn’t be roaming around freely) However, it seems he may be unaware of the fact that he’s dead; or if he knows he’s dead, he definitely didn’t seem to know who the dead classmates were. It seemed he was on the cusp of remembering, but likely his guilt and the trauma of such an event has put him in denial.. a sort of self-preservation amnesia. He’s been having visions/dreams of his crime, so some part of him is trying to remember.
I wonder what was under Violets bed? Probably Addie’s ghost, huh? Also, I wonder if any other murders occurred here over the years; no other ghosts besides the ones we have already met were seen heading back to the Harmon house at the end of Halloween night…? I’m hoping there’s still more craziness to come! I love this show, the acting and writing are great, and this episode was particularly disturbing..something about those gruesome dead high schoolers searching for Tate all these years, bitter over what happened to them…it’s just awful. Maybe if he can finally admit what he did to them, and apologize, their spirits could finally rest in peace?
Could somebody tell me, Whats up with the burned guy?Seems to me that I remember, hearing about a wife and two kids being burned , but not sure! what the seneio was,
The burned man (is his name Larry? Or am I imagining that..?), played by Dennis O’Hare (Russell Edgington from True Blood!) used to live in the Murder House with his family. Judging from the clothes I’ve seen him wearing in flash backs, I’d say he lived there with his family in the 60s or 70s… Anyways, he explained to Dr. Harmon on the first episode that he just got out of prison early (because he has terminal brain cancer) and that the reason he was in prison is because he murdered his family, a wife and two daughters. He said he heard voices telling him to burn the house down, and he just listened. They showed him pouring gasoline throughout the house and lighting his entire family up. Obviously, he got burned in the fire as well; I believe he said he woke up outside and doesn’t remember how he got out of the house, but I could be wrong. Anyways, when I was watching one of the behind the scenes videos posted on the AHS website, the “Making of Halloween” video, they interviewed Mr. O’Hare between filming and he was wearing old fashioned, Mr. Rogers-esque clothes and had no burns on his face, so I’m pretty sure more about his story is coming up