‘Horror Noire’ Recap: ‘Bride Before You’ & ‘Fugue State’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Bride Before You’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Horror Noire’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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If there is one thing that the horror genre excels at, beyond scaring the wits out of us, of course… it would have to be its ability to truly observe and understand our modern world and humanity as a whole and offer commentary on all of those elements. A feat that this genre accomplishes, by using fear to its advantage. For when we are scared, our attention is focused, and our minds are on alert and that allows for powerful lessons to be absorbed. The kind that truly showcase problems in our world that need attention or teach us something quite important in nature. If anything, the power of commentary is top of mind for today’s discussion, simply because the next episode of Horror Noire on AMC thrives within it.
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For this week’s tales of terror put a magnifying glass upon our modern world to both educate and alarm us over some of the problems we are currently dealing with. But we’ll to get to the worrisome stuff in a moment, simply because the lessons this episode sent our way were powerful in nature. For ‘Bride Before You’ opted to explore some of the struggles and expectations that Black women have had to (and currently) deal with in this world and it accomplished that feat, by taking us back in time. Where a nouveau bride was forced to go to extremes to sire a son for her well-to-do husband. Which of course led to a lifetime of heartbreak since the witchcraft she used brought forth two children, the son that was loved and a daughter that was cast out and seen as monstrous.

Which is a plot thread that brings about powerful lessons since this informs us of the inequality that Black women have faced in their history. Wherein there is a constant hustle to be seen in a positive light or deemed as worthy by both men and the world as a whole, as evidenced by how far this poor bride went to be viewed as more. But while that is a powerful lesson, there is contemporary commentary to be found here as well, since the plight of this family speaks volumes to how embedded racism is designed to oppress since it creates a competitive nature. The kind that will motivate individuals to tear one another down to get ahead and that’s a poignant reflection for certain, one that stays with you for some time.

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‘Fugue State’

As does the other bit of commentary in this tale, the one that is more contemporary in nature. For ‘Fugue State’ introduces us to Arthur and Charlotte, a happy couple that supports one another in everything… until a surprise comes into their lives. For Arthur is hard at work on a book about cult leaders and the trouble they cause and after spending a lot of time researching a new one, his behavior drastically changes. To the point where he becomes distant and angry and unable to maintain a healthy relationship, all because he firmly believes that the new priest in his life… knows the way to a better tomorrow and now he will stop at nothing to have his supposed happiness and well, this is a plot that is basically ripped from the headlines of our world.
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Because it quickly becomes obvious as this story plays out, that this situation is an allegory for the strange divide America is currently going through. Wherein good people are suddenly sucked in by horrible ideas, be it a ‘movement’ to reclaim ‘freedoms’ that haven’t been lost… or a quest to deny science and everything it stands for and that makes this a terrifying tale for certain. Since we watch Arthur slide down the rabbit hole of madness and fully embrace the teachings of a lunatic and the helplessness the viewer feels in this moment, is all too familiar and where this segment truly shines, is in its apathy. For it offers no easy answers and merely informs us of this issue and how easily it can claim anyone and that’s of note… because that’s an honest way to handle this kind of exploration.

For in reality, we are barely coming to understand the root cause of what truly transforms a person’s mind to believe such wild concepts and until we do… offering an easy answer is just silly. In the end however, this is another brilliant episode from this series. Because it truly offers up some powerful lessons and observations, the kind the world needs to speak to more, and it does so, in a flawlessly horrifying manner. Since the first story uses gothic elements and some surprises to put us on edge and well, Arthur’s spiral into madness is something we’ve all seen and lamented and all of this just goes to show, that Horror Noire remains one of the smartest horror stories of the past year, and this episode does leave one eager to see what other powerful observations and lessons will await us in next week’s series finale. Until then.

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