American Horror Stories Season 4: Leprechaun End Explained

The following contains spoilers from American Horror Stories Season 4 Episode 4, “Leprechaun,” now streaming on Hulu

American Horror Stories‘ “Leprechaun” episode ends on a bittersweet and tragic note. The anthology series delves into different corners of the horror universe, shifting focus from episode to episode. “Leprechaun” brings the show to a small town that seems to be collapsing under itself. With little work to find, four young people not connected to American Horror StoriesOther characters decide they can steal their way to riches. However, their bank heist ends up putting them on the menu for a version of the leprechaun that is a far cry from the version most people associate with folklore.

“Leprechauns” instead cast these creatures as an insidious and long-running factor in the city, luring people to terrible fates so they can feed on their blood. Although the episode embraces a darkly fun tone for much of its run-time, the story builds to a tragic twist that gives emotional stakes to their actions. Here is how “leprechauns” monsters compare to others American Horror Stories Monsters and how it reflects the cost that greed can inflict on people and monsters alike.

What Happens to the Eastie Boys in American Horror Stories: Leprechaun

The Eastie Boys Don’t Make It Out of “Leprechaun”

The Eastie Boys are the unfortunate souls who find themselves targeted by the titular leprechauns in American Horror Stories Season 4, with none of the four surviving. Colin, Liam, Finn and Declan plan to pull a heist on a local bank. Colin is the most sympathetic of the group, as he’s an out-of-work welder desperate to provide for his partner Hailey and their soon-to-be-born daughter. However, the promise of gold in the bank is secretly part of a lure put in place by a number of leprechauns who immigrated to the United States centuries before.

Although Declan was not killed on screen, it is likely that he suffered the same fate as Liam and Finn. The two are both captured by a leprechaun in the tunnels under the bank, with the scaly creature biting their necks and draining their blood. This is also how Colin dies, although he is killed in a much more personal matter. Finding out that Hailey is a “half-breed” leprechaun who is firmly aware of the conspiracy to lure the townspeople to their doom, Colin doesn’t resist when his theft of the gold makes him susceptible to a reluctant Healy’s bloodlust..

Hailey’s connection to the leprechauns in American Horror Stories, explained

Hailey has a big secret that ends up getting Colin killed

Hailey’s status as a “half-breed” leprechaun Allowing you to look more human than the rest of your species. She even mentions to Colin before killing him that she requires significantly less blood than the “elders” of her race. Hailey being a leprechaun and tied to the powers that be seem to control the local town helps explain why she was so reluctant to move away with Colin at the beginning of the episode.

However, it is clear that Hailey and Colin’s relationship is genuine, suggesting that Hailey is not cut off from humanity. In fact, she seems to form genuine friendships in the episode, even sharing a casual conversation with her co-worker Martin the day of the heist. Her genuine grief over Colin’s death proves that she has a sense of humanityBut his decision to try to steal the leprechaun’s gold makes him one of the few people they can actually feed. This gives “Leprechaun” a real tragic edge.

Why Leprechauns Are Monsters in American Horror Stories: Leprechaun

The leprechauns are not as cute as lucky charms would have you believe

Leprechauns are the main threat of “Leprechaun,” with the episode revealing that the mythical creatures feed on the blood of humans. Originating from Ireland, the famine that pushed many people from the island to the United States forced the leprechauns to follow suit. The leprechauns are nothing like the typical images of the creatures, with the episode even calling out the difference between the two. The episode repositions them as monstrous beings which can assume a human form but secretly have a much more scaly and monstrous body with claw-like nails and rows of sharp teeth.

The leprechauns are notably not treated as an invasive species or overwhelming force in “Leprechaun.” According to Haley, The leprechauns have spent centuries in America feeding on the blood Of those with “greed in their hearts”. They cannot attack the innocent, although they can attract relatively good people into their clutches by dangling wealth for them. This is ultimately Colin’s fate, as he is a good man whose “greed” comes from a heartfelt place. This makes the leprechauns horrifying in doses, but different from the overwhelming evil of some American Horror Stories‘ Other creatures and killers.

The True Meaning of American Horror Stories: Leprechaun

The very real cost of greed

American Horror Stories“Leprechauns” is a quietly tragic episode of the anthology seriesHighlighting the consequences of greed. Although all four of the Eastie Boys have a different motivation, all of them are ultimately driven by envy and greed. While Liam and Finn are the most obvious with their desire for riches, Colin and Declan want to provide for their family and greater acceptance respectively. Their motivations still lead them to steal, getting in the way of the monstrous creatures. The episode’s themes are about the cost of greed, even when the motivation is pure.

Even the leprechauns are greedy to an extentConstantly coveting the blood of humans as a food source. Although there are rules as to how they can take it, Haily’s explanation to Colin reveals that they are not above tricking people into becoming susceptible. Although they may live, their greed has a clear mortal price, one that Hailey feels first hand at the end of the episode. American Horror Stories‘ “Leprechaun” story is one of the more overtly tragic of the season thanks to Hailey’s loss in the ending.