American Horror Story: NYC’s second episode, “Thank You For Your Service,” continues to explore the disparities between Patrick and Gino’s respective confidences in their sexuality and advances the plot over the show overall, creating a nail-biting episode chock-full of tension and anxiety (in a good way). Ryan Murphy continues to produce what he knows best – eerie, highly aestheticized dramas with a diverse and stellar cast of characters.

This episode opens back up on Gino, played by Joe Mantello (Hollywood, Boys in the Band), who’s been drugged and kidnapped by some unknown figures. In the first shot we see him lying on an operating table, with a hazy pair of lips hovering above him, speaking about what he intends to do to his body. However, upon opening Gino’s shirt for operation, the murderer realizes that his potential victim has fought for our country. Upon empathizing with a fellow brother in arms, the man lets Gino go, hence the episode’s title.

As this murder mystery plot continues, the side-plot regarding the mysterious virus from the first episode continues to bloom, as Dr. Hannah Wells, played by Billie Lourd (Booksmart, Scream Queens), continues her research and meets with patients, one of them being a man that seems eerily similar to the one who kidnapped Gino.

After his incredibly close dance with death, Gino decides to write a piece on his experience, critiquing the NYPD in the process. Of course, this move only drives more of a wedge between him and his partner, Patrick, played by Russell Tovey (The Good Liar). The deeper and more intense the story and events become, the more conflict there is between the couple. It will be intriguing to see how their relationship plays out throughout the course of the program. 

Gino and Adam, played by Charlie Carver (Ratched, Hollywood), are also continuing their alliance of sorts, but when Adam gets arrested, it turns out that Patrick is the one who detains him. The two have a subtextual interaction about both being gay as Patrick releases him, but Adam has yet to learn that he’s in a relationship with Gino.

The episode’s final minutes contain a whirlwind of events, with Gino screaming at Patrick while they’re undercover, questioning if he ever gets confused “where the bullshit stops and reality begins?” The ending is filled with so much tension, concluding with a murder and a confrontation backed by stellar music, film angles, and lighting. 

All that’s really left in terms of exposition for the series is for the murder plot and the medicine plot to merge. Other than that, the cast is absolutely stellar, with Mantello most notably carrying the show on his back, as he’s arguably the most important character at the moment. 

Rating: 8.5/10.0