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Spoiler Alert! Recap and Review: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW Creates Conflict, Context in Best Hour Yet
By: Matt Tamanini Oct. 15, 2014
NOTE TO READER: This is not a recap, instead my Spoiler Alert! columns will serve as a more in depth critical review of specific episodes and shows as a whole. I always invite your participation in the discussion, so please feel free to leave comments below, or to reach out on Twitter @BWWMatt, just do me a favor and keep it civil, ok? Dandy would want it that way.
If you are reading this review, you probably loved last week's two-hour AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW premiere as much as I did, but while last week thrived on a sensory assault of spectacular images and fascinating character portrayals, tonight's episode found inventive ways to not only deliver those incredible aesthetics again, but to also set up what has all the makings of an incredibly compelling season of stories. Simply said, this was one of the finest hours of television writing I have seen in a long time.
In the season's first two hours, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk (the series creators who co-wrote the season premiere) created a very colorful palette from which the season's other writers could play with. They created an emotionally and visually evocative world, but, other than the larger frames of the season (the serial killer clown and the "us versus them" dynamic between the "freaks" and the outside world) they didn't delve too deeply into the dramatics of the season.
However, in tonight's "Massacres and Matinees," writer Tim Minear took what the series creators had begun and used it to set up conflicts that should propel the season into very interesting directions, while also creating the context necessary to appreciate the underlying themes. In any dramatic work, conflicts and context are what create stakes; they are what make us care about the characters and what happens to them. I am going to look at three areas where this episode succeeded in spades at supplying conflict and context that made me buy into the season completely.
Elsa (and Bette) versus Dot
Towards the end of last week's episode, Elsa made it very clear that bringing in the Tattler Twins was not for the greater good of the troupe, as she had told them, but instead, it was an attempt to bring in more people to see her; to make her the star that she believes she deserves to be.
However, when Dot's anachronistic rendition of Fiona Apple's "Criminal" creates a frenzy under the big top, Elsa realizes that her chance at fame is fading even faster now than it already was (check out my thoughts on the song choice in #5 in the "Thing that Make You Go Hmmm..." below). So, Elsa attempts to turn Bette, the sister that has always dreamed of stardom, against her more talented sister; even going so far as to supply her a knife to return the favor for the stabbing that Dot gave her last week.
We have seen Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson square off on AHS before, but what so interests me about this confrontation is that not only will Jessica Lange be facing off against Sarah Paulson again, but, this time, she just might have Sarah Paulson on her side as well. The dramatics of any twin turning on his or her sibling are intense, but consider the mind games that Fräulein Elsa is going to have to play to get Bette to turn against the person that she literally can never leave (cue the SIDE SHOW music). Not to mention the fact that any physical violence that Bette inflicts on Dot, she effectively is inflicting on herself as well. Which begs the question, was Dot willing to die when she stabbed Bette last week?
Also, in the first episode, we saw that they could communicate via thought, so how is Bette going to keep her intentions secret? Tin foil hat?
Like many AMERICAN HORROR STORY plotlines, I can't imagine that Bette and Dot will be at odds all season, and I have a feeling that they will eventually join Jimmy in his efforts to bring the "freaks" out of the shadows, but the potential of this conflict between Lange and Paulson (and Paulson and Paulson) has me very excited for the weeks to come.
Jimmy versus History
This is where my assertion that the context that this episode provided will do wonders for the season comes into play. Though it was subtle, and a fairly familiar trope at this point, I believe that Minear created a moment in this episode that should generate an incredible amount of pathos for the plight of Jimmy and the other performers.
It is no secret that Ryan Murphy has been on the forefront of combatting bullying and prejudices on TV for decades now (NIP/TUCK, GLEE, THE NORMAL HEART), but the simple act of Fräulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities choosing to have their "coming out" party while sitting at a lunch counter nearly moved me to tears. Whether you see the struggle of these people as an allegory for the fight for racial, ethnic, gender, or sexual orientation equality, the fact that they had to endure insults and violence at a lunch counter is as powerful as any symbolism you are likely to see on TV for quite some time (I am tearing up again just thinking about it).
Where this story will go, I have no idea, but I hope that "Lobster Boy" continues to lead the charge for the basic human dignity that he and his "family" have been denied for so long. I can only imagine what type of wreck I would be if he lead a march down Main Street.
Twisty and Dandy versus Boredom
Last week we saw a little snippet of just how depraved Dandy and his mother are when they offered $15,000 for the twins to become Dandy's personal play things. Before we get into his psychotic storyline, can we all just agree that the name "Dandy" could be the most appropriate nomenclature this side of Charles Dickens? Ok? Good.
Now, we learned this week that Dandy bores easily, and that he might have assaulted "the Cushing girl" (more on that below), so when he tries to run away with the circus, and Jimmy denies him, his reaction of violently banging his head against his steering wheel is disturbing, but not all that surprising. Also, I wonder if Jimmy rebuffing Dandy could lead to a more violent conflict down the road.
So, when Dandy helps Twisty the Clown apprehend his escaped prisoners, it actually felt like he was finally finding the place where he belongs; alongside someone who is just as disturbed and antisocial as he is.
Clearly any grown man who performs marionette versions of Rogers and Hammerstein shows for demented clowns that his mother picked up on the side of the road for his private amusement has some issues, but when he says that doing the with puppets isn't as good as the real thing, I didn't think it would lead to him directing a version in Twisty's trailer. If watching hours upon hours of CRIMINAL MINDS has taught me anything, all serial killing teams need a charismatic one to set the trap, and strong one to spring it. Watch out Jupiter, Florida, these too are about to get freaky.
Things that Make You Go Hmmm...
1) What is it about a serial killer being on the loose that makes people all of a sudden become curious when they see a trail of blood?
2) I'm not sure what's more creepy, Twisty the Clown, or Dandy drinking cognac out of a gold and diamond encrusted baby bottle.
3) I loved the movie TUSK, and it featured some incredibly graphic images, but I wasn't prepared for the widespread mouth rot when Twisty's half mask fell away.4) Normally I hate crowd-surfing scenes on TV and in movies, because it is generally always romanticized as this exhilarating, euphoric event, rather than the sweaty, drunken game of grab-a$$ that it actually is. However, when Drew Rin Varick's Toulouse jumps into the waiting arms of the Freak Show audience, I genuinely felt the excitement the scene was meant to convey. Maybe that had something to do with the song...
5) The use of "Criminal" by Fiona Apple really hit me where it counted. The mysterious, sinister vibe of that song is only eclipsed by the inherent sexuality of Apple's voice. I remember seeing that video as a junior in high school on MTV (when they still played videos) and feeling dirty for the fact that it turned me on as much as it did. What an absolutely perfect musical choice for this moment, when someone labeled a "freak" is completely seducing the pants off an entire audience of backwoods thrill seekers.
Quotes of the Night:
1) Jimmy "Lobster Boy" Darling telling his friends what they must do to be accepted.
"They don't even know us. If they just got to know us, they would see we were just like them; no better, no worse. Just regular people. That's what we've gotta do; let 'em know us."
"I told you a million, trillion times, I did not touch her. She was just miffed 'cause I said she reminded me of the pregnant hippo we saw on safari." 3) Dandy telling his mother why he hates her:
"I want to be a thespian, but you keep ruining it." 4) Desiree explaining to Elsa why she is a freak:
Desiree Dupree: "Three titties, proper girl parts, and a ding-a-ling. I'm a full blown hermaphrodite. Put that on your banner."
Elsa May: "My word. And what does that make you?"
Dell Toledo: "The happiest man in the world."
5) Dandy trying to convince Jimmy that he is a freak:
Jimmy Darling: Well, unless you've got pony legs under those trousers, or an extra ding dong...
Dandy Mott: "No, but I do know the entire Cole Porter cannon.
Was this not an unbelievable hour of television? Please share your thoughts in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.
Check out a sneak peek at next week's episode titled "Edward Mordrake (Part 1)":
Photo Credit:
1) Michael Chiklis: Michele K. Short | FX
2) Jessica Lange: Michele K. Short | FX
3) Michael Chiklis and Evan Peters: Michele K. Short | FX
4) Michael Chiklis and Angela Bassett: Michele K. Short | FX
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