"I know everything. I'm the Devil."
- Sister Mary Eunice, claiming to be the Devil while under demonic possession.
The Devil is a powerful entity wreaking havoc in Briarcliff Manor. It first possessed Jed Potter, and later Sister Mary Eunice McKee. It is the secondary antagonist in American Horror Story: Asylum.
Mary Eunice was portrayed by Lily Rabe in both the second season and the fourth season (pre-possessed). Jed Potter was portrayed by Devon Graye.
Personality and Appearance[]
At least while at Briarcliff, the Devil lacked a true form, and only existed in a host. While its behavior while in control of Jed Potter was monstrous and uninhibited, it initially stayed very low key under the guise of Sister Mary Eunice, subtly manipulating and mentally torturing Briarcliff's inhabitants (especially Sister Jude with her dark past, and Dr. Arden with his previous life as a Nazi scientist). However, as time went on, the Demon revealed itself to Jude (who it had previously encountered during Jed's exorcism) and Dr. Arden (who desperately followed the Demon in hope of seeing at least a glimmer of Mary Eunice, whose innocence he cherished). After Jude was removed as head of Briarcliff and incarcerated within, Mary Eunice grew closer to Monsignor Timothy Howard, promising to help elevate him through the ranks and make him Pope. The Demon's master plan was thus set in motion: a take over of the Catholic Church. It had the power to possess people, make their eyes glow demonically, as well as reading the minds of people and telekinetically moving objects. The demon often enjoyed reading a person's mind to see their secrets, such as Sister Jude's alcholic past and the "murder" she commited to its own amusement. The demon thrived solely through possession and if its host died, it died along with him, making the host both its strength and its ultimate weakness.
History[]
The Devil's twisted smile, while possessing Mary Eunice.
Jed Potter[]
Jed Potter is a 17-year-old boy admitted to Briarcliff Manor by his parents after he is found in the family barn having disemboweled their best cow and muttering an unknown language while under the possession of a demonic entity. It is unknown how Jed was possessed by a demon in the first place. After his death, Sister Mary Eunice was then under its control. During his brief time in the sanatorium, the Devil mocks Sister Jude and Dr. Oliver Thredson. He mocks Sister Jude about killing Missy Stone by accident.
Sister Mary Eunice[]
After initially getting into Briarcliff through Jed, the Devil took over young, innocent Sister Mary Eunice, and slowly used malice and manipulation to get Jude fired from Briarcliff. Acting as Eunice, it replaced Jude as head of the establishment, becoming superior over Dr. Arden. "Mary Eunice" slowly began to get Monsignor Timothy's approval of "her" changes to Briarcliff's conduct and daily life for the inmates. This included a Christmas party, and a showing of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", things Jude had previously described as acts of turning "away from God". Still, despite the public face as sweet, innovative Mary Eunice, the Demon was commiting dark, far less subtle crimes in the shadows, such as killing the Briarcliff security guard Frank, setting serial killer Leigh Emerson loose on Jude, and killing a man Jude was using to get information on Arden (the Demon used this murder to reveal himself to Jude).
At one point, the Devil confronted Shachath, the Angel of Death, demanding she leave Briarcliff after the Angel was "called" by a dying inmate. Shacath retorted that she had been invited, unlike the Demon, whom she referred to as a cousin - "like [Shacath], but fallen". The Angel also noted that she could hear Mary Eunice trying to fight against the Demon, and momentarily, Mary Eunice took control of her own body again, sobbing and pleading to Shachath to free her. The Demon quickly resumed control; before leaving, Shachath warned it they would meet again.
Soon, the Monsignor learned of Mary Eunice's possesion after being told about it by Shachath, and he attempted to cast the Demon out of Mary Eunice. However, the Monsignor was overpowered and violated by the Demon, taking his virginity and that of Mary Eunice. Lost and helpless, the Monsignor consulted with Sr. Jude - now merely Judy, a patient at Briarcliff herself. In her insensible, post-electroshock-therapy state, Judy could only warn that the Monsignor kill Mary Eunice before it was too late.
Later, the Demon confronted Timothy and repeated its promise to manipulate events until Timothy was made Pope, so that the Church would finally be under Satanic control. Defying this, Msr. Howard attempted to appeal to any vestiges of Mary Eunice's true self and her inner virtue. This infuriated the Demon, who attacked the Monsignor and promised to devour the "last morsel of [Mary Eunice's] soul". Briefly, Mary Eunice regained control of her body once more, tearfully telling the Monsignor she was tired of fighting against the Demon, and that she wanted to go (die).
Taking pity upon the tearful nun and seizing advantage of her weakened state, the Monsignor quickly cast Mary Eunice over a nearby staircase railing. They exchanged one last gaze as the young nun fell, before she hit the floor far below. Shacath then appeared, kneeling down before the fatally injured Eunice, who again asked the Angel to take her. "I'll take both of you", Shachath replied, and kissed her.
It is implied that the Demon was destroyed or sent back to hell by Shacath, while Sister Mary Eunice's soul was saved and ascended to Heaven, freeing from the demonic control once and for all.
Trivia[]
- In a way, the Devil bears similarities with Pazuzu fron The Exorcist while Sister Mary Eunice bears similiarities to Pazuzu's main foe, Father Karras. Both of the Devil and Pazuzu killed one people and possessed a clergy during exorcism, and they both taunted the clergy's dark past.
- However, this version of the Devil has much bigger plan than Pazuzu.
- The manner which Sister Mary Eunice sacrificed herself to defeat the Devil is similiar with Father Karras, who jumped out of the house and defeat the devil by killing himself, though Mary Eunice defeated the Devil with the help of the Monsignor, and the period she was under possession was much longer than Karras.
- Sister Mary Eunice/the Devil is the second character to be portrayed by Lily Rabe. The first was Nora Montgomery, the third is Misty Day, the fourth is Aileen Wuornos and the fifth is Shelby Miller. All of her characters died at last and/or appeared as a ghost.
- The sacrifise of Sister Mary Eunice against the Devil is considered to be one of the saddest events ever in American Horror Story ever.
- The Devil's vessel, Sister Mary Eunice is the only character whom Lily Rabe protrayed twice and though Sister Mary Eunice was yet to be possessed by the Devil when she appeared in Season 4.
- Lily Rabe had recieved vast acclaim for the role, and in an event, she hinted that Sister Mary Eunice/the Devil is her favorite role.
- Sister Mary Eunice has been absent in 3 episodes overall throughout the season. Those episodes are "Spilt Milk", "Continuum" and "Madness Ends". In all of these, the cause was her confirmed death in The "Name Game".
- There was a unproven theory that Sister Mary Eunice is not totally possessed, as the Devil only awaked her evil side. And he is not in total control, on the contrary, she is controling him. This theory could somewhat be unlikely, though.
- Also, there were rumors that the Devil or even Sister Mary Eunice herself is the Bloody Face, yet it is now disproven since the real Bloody Face had showed himself.