American Horror Story gave us more than just Belle’s backstory it also proved that Holden is the smartest one around

American Horror Story did a deep dive into how things started for The Chemist, Belle, Austin, and even Holden. And it turns out Holden is the smart one here because he wasn’t all about looking for a quick fix to achieve fame and fortune.

Not only do we learn how The Chemist came to be in Provincetown in the first place during this AHS episode, but we also see how she was able to sink her claws (figuratively speaking), into the creatives of this town. She offered them all a chance to be a part of her experiment into unlocking their potential. And yet, the only one smart enough to walk away was Holden.

Holden might be the resident meth-head/drug dealer of the town, but he is also a creative person. But that doesn’t mean he wants to take some random drug to bring out his true potential. He knows there will be a cost. And there is definitely a cost.

However, just because Holden was smart enough not to take The Chemist’s little black pill, that doesn’t mean he stayed away from her and what she was offering. Instead, he helps her to find subjects to test out her pills on.

American Horror Story gives us the Chemist’s past and Holden’s brilliance

Of course, we know that after five years (thank you flashback reveal), Holden has stopped holding out. He wants to be successful and that means he willingly took the little black pill for himself.

With this look back at the past, it is clear that it didn’t take much for The Chemist to sink her teeth into this town. She used people’s dreams against them. And yet, it’s clear that in many cases, this was all about taking any advantage one can get no matter what the cost may be.

Holden was skeptical of The Chemist and rightly so, but even after seeing both the good and bad of what she had to offer, it is clear that he finally caved in for a chance to not be cold, hungry, and basically treated like trash by the creatives in this town.

This look back was important, but it doesn’t answer all the questions we have. Although, most of our questions have to do with Alma and what all this means for her.

What do you think American Horror Story fans? Did you like this flashback to how The Chemist got her start in Provincetown? Do you think Holden messed up by finally taking the black pill after holding out for five years? What did you think of this episode? Tell us below.