Sarah Paulson has portrayed many memorable American Horror Story characters throughout the years. From a spunky reporter in Asylum to a pair of conjoined twins in Freak Show, this actress has proven time and time again that her acting range knows no bounds. But, if the American Horror Story: Hotel premiere is any indication, this season could very well be Paulson's most unforgettable AHS role to-date as the addiction-crazed, Hypodermic Sally. Though "Checking In" introduced viewers to a bevy of visitors who frequent the Hotel Cortez, Sally's relationship with the haunting establishment goes back much further than any present-day antics. In 1994, after allowing Donovan to OD on drugs, Iris, in a fit of motherly rage, pushed an unsuspecting Sally right out one of the hotel's windows. It begs the question: How did Sally survive the fall? Well, the truth of the matter is… she actually might not have.
I'm no science expert or anything, but I do have a general idea of how gravity works. And, for someone to fall from that high up, the odds of survival are pretty much non-existent. No one could hit concrete at that velocity and live to tell the tale. And, yet, we've seen Sally walking around the hotel in the present day, looking none the worse for wear. (Well, as far as drug addicts go, at least.) So, how do you explain her miraculous recovery? I'm willing to bet that she didn't recover at all. In fact, I think she's now a member of the undead and serving as a ghost of the Cortez, doomed to wander those hallowed halls from now until the end of time.
As was the overall premise in Season 1's Murder House, there's a good chance that once a character dies within the confines of the hotel, then their spirit is trapped there for all eternity. And, while some could argue that Sally's death didn't actually take place inside of the hotel (she was pushed out a window, after all), I'm willing to bet that just being on the premises in general still counts.
And, notice how, unlike The Countess and Donovan, we never see Sally leave the hotel grounds after that fatal fall? There could be a reason for that. Perhaps she's not allowed to leave. Not to mention how she seems to be able to control the Addiction Demon. No, folks, I'm willing to bet that Sally is no longer of this world, which could actually make her one of the greatest dangers of all. You've been warned…
Images: Frank Ockenfels/FX; ahorrorstoryhotel/Tumblr
