SPOILER ALERT! Recap and Review: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW Delivers a Messy 'Blood Bath' & Not in a Good Way
By: Matt Tamanini Dec. 03, 2014
After a week off to give thanks, the freaks are back tonight on AMERICAN HORROR STORY. When we last left Fräulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities, Penny's father had her face covered in tattoos, Bette and Dot returned to camp to blackmail Elsa, and, after bonding with his son Jimmy, Dell delivered Ma Petite's lifeless body to Stanley.
In tonight's episode "Blood Bath," Gabourey Sidibe's Regina returns to the Mott mansion to investigate why she hasn't heard from her mother in weeks. Of course we know that is because Master Dandy slit Dora's throat.
FX teases that Gloria is going to make one last attempt to contain her son's murderous impulses, but given Dandy's growing bloodlust, I'm not feeling too good about Francis Conroy's chances.
Tonight, I will be live recapping AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW, so come back at 10:00pm ET, join me and share your thoughts in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. BE FOREWARNED, THERE ARE GONNA BE SPOILERS BELOW. SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
11:16: Tonight's episode was a bit of a mess. Between Ma Patite, Ethel, Penny's father, Regina, and Gloria, there was so much going on, we were never given the opportunity to appreciate their emotional impact. If the storylines are ever going to be more than just shocking and disturbing, the writers and producers are going to have to slow down on the crazy.
11:02: Oh no, please tell me Dandy's not going to bathe in his mother's blood... oh no, he is bathing in her blood. See what I mean about Dandy being the most demented of all AHS bad guys?
10:58: Damn, and another of AMERICAN HORROR STORY's Grande Dames bites the dust. R.I.P. Gloria Mott.
10:56: I actually laughed out loud when Gloria scolded Dandy for speaking the Roosevelt name in her house.
10:52: As I said in reviews of this season's early episodes, I thought the set up for FREAK SHOW was as strong as any AMERICAN HORROR STORY yet, however, I am beginning to think that the promise of the first few episodes is never going to be realized; which is a pattern that previous seasons as fallen into as well. Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk don't seem to want to allow one overarching storyline to dominate a season. Rather, they jump from idea to idea, never allowing anything to take proper effect. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that's the route we are going here.
10:47: With his mother gone, and his faith in Elsa completely gone, why hasn't Jimmy just grabbed Maggie and headed out of town? I for sure would be with her in a moment like that, rather than drinking by myself in the center of the big top.
10:42: As gruesome and terrifying as AHS usually is, there doesn't tend to be this much killing in an episode. There aren't that many episodes left this season, I am starting to wonder who, if anyone, is going to make it through the season... well, we know Pepper does at least!
10:33: There have been a lot of crazy characters on AHS over the years, but I honestly think Dandy might be the most disturbing. Not only does he enjoy his particular brand of psychosis, he seems to gain power from it. In previous seasons, the most evil characters all had at least some demented rationale as to why they did the things they did, but Dandy kills simply for sport; for something to entertain him. That's the scariest kind of killer.
10:27: If there was ever any doubt that Emma was Julia Roberts' niece, you just had to see her open her mouth and scream with that bright red lipstick.
10:22: Seriously Ethel? You are going to let her stall for a drink? Did you really think that she was going to go quietly? You had to see that coming (see what I did there? I did it again!). It's almost as dumb as Bond Villains explaining their master plans instead of offing 007. It never ends up going well for them. Just get on with it.
Between Elsa throwing a knife into Ethel's eye, and then conspiring with Stanley to decapitate her, it was a bad night for Kathy Bates. I am sad that this appears to be the last night that we will see her this season. Though I found her accent to be comically bad, she brought a bit of morality to the freaky preceedings.
10:18: That's a heck of a way to learn Elsa's secret, Ethel. Elsa tries to compare her amputations to the physical deformities of her troupe, but they are fundamentally different. Does she actually think they are the same, or is it just another manipulation to garner sympathy?
10:11: I really want to see a Kathy Bates and John Travolta in HAIRSPRAY in a competition for the worst Baltimore-accent.
10:10: Look at Kathy Bates sending death stars at Elsa.
10:08: I really want to see the face of Gloria's shrink. It was an interesting choice to not reveal his identity.
10:06: Though her role has been somewhat sporadic this season, I always find Frances Conroy's scenes to be a special treat. Unlike Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange, who play the same basic role every season, Frances's characters always bring a unique point-of-view.
10:03: I still defy anyone to show me a YouTube video of any show in the history of television with more disturbing opening credits!
10:01: Even the preteen Dandy is incredibly creepy. Well done casting department.
Photo Credit: Michele K. Short and Sam Lothridge | FX
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