WARNING: This article discusses suicide.
Episode 5 of American Horror Story season 10 was a climactic roller coaster, ending with the tragic death of Karen that coincides with Sarah Paulson’s uncertain future with the show. After several seasons of American Horror Story that haven’t been widely well-received by fans, Red Tide is being lauded as one of the show’s best seasons of all time. With the pristine character development, horrifying family premise, and perfect allegories for real-life effects of talent and worth, Red Tide is an American Horror Story season that rightfully deserved a full treatment instead of a shortened 6-episode timeframe.
One of the most anticipated aspects of American Horror Story season 10 was the return of the beloved show alumni Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, both of whom were absent for season 9’s 1984. In Red Tide, Paulson portrays the unhinged Provincetown resident Tuberculosis Karen, who actually proves to be one of the sanest characters despite appearances. Known to get TB multiple times a year, Karen is an outcast to many in the town, who actively resists taking the dreaded (or praised) black pill even though she’s a talented painter. Once her best friend and love of her life, Mickey (Macaulay Culkin), takes the pill, Karen finds much of what made her world good crash down.
Although Sarah Paulson’s Red Tide character may not be included in the part 1 finale episode, she has absolutely become one of the most memorable parts of the season. Not only did she have a memorable presence as the black pill drama unfolded throughout the season, but she was also given a poignant death scene after finally succumbing to the pills. While Karen’s death itself was extremely upsetting, it has even more significance when considering Sarah Paulson’s uncertain future with American Horror Story.
Karen’s Suicide Explained
American Horror Story: Red Tide episode 5 largely focuses on Doris finally becoming a Pale Person after being gaslighted and manipulated into taking the black pill by Alma, Ursula, and Harry, though the B-story features an equally emotional premise. The other side of AHS’s episode follows Mickey and Karen, where Mickey has betrayed his livelihood for wealth and fame from the black pill, becoming a man Karen hardly recognizes anymore. Karen still refuses to take the black pill for her painting talents and won’t go with Mickey to Hollywood, which leads to him essentially forcing her to take it to survive. Karen is nearly murdered by a group of Pale People when Mickey practically abandons her, leaving her to make a choice she never wanted to make. Explaining she doesn’t want to die, Karen finally takes The Chemist's black pill to ward off the Pale People, which betrays all of her principles, knowing it will make her something she has never wanted to become.
Karen then goes to the beach with Mickey so that she can create her own Starry Night, though she resents that she has to kill someone in order to do it. She tells him she knows she has to feed before surprisingly biting into Mickey’s neck, killing him in order to keep him from becoming more like Belle and Austin. Karen then paints her most inspired painting on the beach before walking into the water with a smile on her face and dies, using her painting tools to take her own life. As Karen is caught under the waves, her blood washes ashore, creating American Horror Story season 10’s titular red tide.
What Karen's Death Means In Red Tide
The death scene for Karen is carefully crafted, with a somber score and knowledge that she saved other victims from being fed off of by Mickey and even herself. It came suddenly, with Karen only deciding to get her one masterpiece out of the black pill from all of her talents before her planned demise. Karen’s death is full of hope and sadness, where there isn’t arrogance and greed with all talent, but she had to momentarily go against her morals to survive. She never wanted to become one of the vampiric black pill users, dreading either kind of monster it makes a person become.
The series doesn’t even show if Karen’s final painting was objectively good, but she was satisfied with it, which was all that ever mattered. Instead of being told by American Horror Story's black pill whether or not she was a “talented” painter, Karen decides she would make her own final masterpiece before "the curse" could take over and make her someone she wouldn’t recognize. Karen is the only person to take the pill who doesn’t find out if she becomes a Pale Person or not, and she is able to move on without the burdens of what came with either.
Karen stuck to her morals until the very end and broke free of the horrific process and culture in Provincetown that nobody else could escape. The tragedy of the black pills comes after everyone in American Horror Story’s town in one way or another. Still, Karen is able to escape its torture on her own accord, albeit in a terribly sad manner. With such a sensitive, tragic way for Karen to go out, AHS creator Ryan Murphy crafted her death scene through a heartbreaking chain of events. Though the death scene is quite graphic in manner and makes her character the heroine of the season for the lives she saves, it also turns “Gaslight” into one of the most touching episodes in American Horror Story history.
AHS: Double Feature May Be Sarah Paulson’s Last Season
After starring in 9 of American Horror Story’s 10 seasons, Sarah Paulson seems to finally be in a place where she’s moving on from the series. In her September 15 appearance on the late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Paulson revealed Double Feature would likely be her last season of American Horror Story. She said there’s still the possibility for her to return in the future if Ryan Murphy comes to her with an incredible, wacky character that she can’t resist playing, but for now, Double Feature might be Paulson's AHS finale. As she’s widely considered Ryan Murphy’s muse for starring in so many of his series, she’s still apt to collaborate with him again, whether that means on American Horror Story or not. Since she was sorely missed during AHS season 9’s 1984, an American Horror Story future without Sarah Paulson is sad to imagine.
Karen’s Death Is A Bittersweet Sarah Paulson Sendoff, Despite Death Valley
With the news that Double Feature is likely Sarah Paulson’s last hurrah for American Horror Story, the excellent character development and subsequent heartbreaking death for Karen is a well-crafted sendoff for the beloved actress, even though she still has a new character in Death Valley. “Gaslight” is one of the most emotional episodes from American Horror Story, which can largely be attributed to Karen’s demise. Karen’s death is also symbolic of Paulson’s own supposed exit.
While Karen goes out on her own terms after going back on her word and attempting to make one final masterpiece, Paulson is exiting on her own accord after she had already supposedly left following season 8, coming back to make one final AHS masterpiece with Double Feature. Additionally, Mickey mentions to Karen that she was always his muse and heroine in his stories, just as how Paulson is widely considered the muse for show creator Ryan Murphy. Paulson still has the rest of American Horror Story season 10 with Death Valley, but Karen’s character resolution was an impactful crafted partial goodbye to the actress.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted at 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.