10 unforgettable American Horror Story characters
By Tina Wargo
American Horror Story: Asylum, episode: “Madness Ends;” screengrab via FX.
#4: Sister Jude (AHS: Asylum)
In a complicated, almost entirely reality-rooted season, Sister Jude stands out as a complicated, real character. She runs the asylum fearlessly, much to the chagrin of the men who work alongside her. The asylum’s doctor and its head priest constantly question her authority, refuse to view her as an equal, and sometimes even actively work against her. Part of their noncompliance is based in the culture- it’s only 1964. Part of it is because she snarls things at them like, “I’ll always win against the patriarchal male.” Either way, she’s in charge, they’re afraid, and it’s amazing to behold.
The inmates at Briarcliff Manor, too, live in fear. Jude’s not outwardly cruel, but she sure isn’t Mary Poppins. Though as her sordid, difficult past is revealed to us, her actions and attitudes start to make more sense. And soon, Sister Jude is a character we sympathize with, root for, even shed tears over. This is because her character transformation is incredible, and spans several decades. We watch her go from locking away a journalist for being in love with another woman (more on that later) to spreading beautiful messages of empowerment on her deathbed. Her story is a sprawling one unlike we’ve ever seen before on a limited series like AHS, and feels more powerful, transcendent, and inspiring every time you revisit it.
(Also, in one episode, she sings an entire choreographed number in the middle of the asylum whose mere 3 minutes is worth AT LEAST one thousand Emmy’s.)
Next: #3: Pepper