Tis the season for giving thanks. Most people would be happy with family, friends, and fortune. But at the Cure Institute, the only thing anyone is grateful for is making it through the night. Last week, we learned three things: The Chanels have teamed back up with Hester (Lea Michele), everyone still hates Chanel No. 5 (Abigail Breslin) and, most importantly, Dr. Cassidy Cascade (Taylor Lautner) is the baby in the belly from the night of the 1985 murders.
After this week's aptly named "Blood Drive" episode, I have some questions I hope get answered.
- Could he be more than just a cold-skinned hottie, and also be the cold-blooded killer?
- Is Chamberlain (James Earl) really involved, like Zayday (Keke Palmer) thinks?
- Will Denise Hemphill (Niecy Nash) be brought back to life?
- How many Chanels (of the new additions) will make it to the end?
Let's examine the episode, which was one of the most torturous yet. Spoilers ahead.
Everyone's accents are back to normal (thank God), but neither Chanel No. 3 (Billie Lourd) nor Dr. Brock Holt (John Stamos) are suspicious of Dr. Cascade's brooding and mysterious refusal to hang out with them.
There is a massive blood shortage. To make up for it, Dean Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) holds a blood drive. Chanel freaks out because she loves blood drives, and is determined to bring in the most blood. Her quest to squeeze the most blood out of her new Chanel recruits (and anyone else willing) consumes her whole plot line in this episode. Her choice victim is, of course, poor Chanel No. 5 (Abigail Breslin), who donates almost a dozen pints of blood by the end of the episode.
Meanwhile, we learn a lot more about Nurse Hoffell (Kirstie Alley) when she gives a bit of background to how she ended up at the CURE Institute, a job that she clearly hates. It turns out she is is dead-set on ruining the lives of the Chanels as revenge because Chanel killed her sister, Agatha Bean (remember when the Chanel accidentally burned her face off in season 1?). She comes up with a clever plan to ship them off to the deadly infested Blood Island, but her plan is foiled when she books them a business class ticket and not a charter jet. Chanel obviously doesn't do business class. The nerve! Chanel ditches the trip, confirming that Hoffell now hates her more than ever.
Dean Munsch also reveals that she has more than her normal animosity towards Chanel. She has started becoming jealous of her relationship with Dr. Holt. To sway their interest in each other, she announces that Chanel has every STD ever (which is later disproved) but adds insult to injury when Chanel promises that she will get back at Munsch somehow.
Hester manipulates her way into the hospital and helps a wannabe vampire kick his blood-drinking habit by using controversial aversion therapy which she has nicknamed "The Blurred Lines cure.”
On top of all that girl-on-girl scheming, we finally know the identity of one of the Green Meanies. It's Dr. Cassidy, as was hinted to last week. But that is too easy. Hoffell is the one that finds the Green Meanie getting ready to murder Chanel No. 9, aka Goth Chanel, and tells him that she is on his side and wants to be "the brains" behind his murderous operations — if she can stay on to be the muscle. He agrees and rips off his mask and we are greeted with the handsome face of Dr. Cassidy. He tells Hoffell that she is welcome to join, but he still has one question: Who is OTHER Green Meanie?
Yes, we have THREE GREEN MEANIES. That's one more serial killer than last year, and three more than I'm comfortable being around.
In the final scene, Dr. Cassidy realizes that Zayday and Chamberlain (whom Zayday now trusts again) are close to figuring out who he is using the blood drive donation bags at the hospital. He sneaks into the fridge and swaps his blood type (O+) with someone elses (A+). That someone is Dr. Holt, who Munsch openly accuses of being the killer. The episode ends with Dr. Holt's hand finally gaining control of him as he slams his fist down in frustration and anger, knowing full well that he is not the killer.
And to sign off, here is the best Chanel quote of the night:
Holt: “Aren’t you a little upset that your friend got murdered?”
Chanel: “Meh.”