Since we had a week off for the holidays, let’s take a look back on what happened two weeks ago on American Horror Story: Freak Show.
Jimmy (Evan Peters) learns Dandy (Finn Wittrock) is the second killer clown, The Tattler Twins (Sarah Paulson) return to the Freak Show and blackmail Elsa (Jessica Lange), Dell (Michael Chiklis) is blackmailed by Stanley (Denis O’Hare) over his homosexuality, Jimmy and Dell make amends as father and son, Penny (Grace Gunner) has an extreme makeover at the hand of her father and Ma Petite (Jyoti Amge) met her sad demise.
This week, the show returns with a bang with episode “Blood Bath.” Ma Petite’s dress is found in the woods, creating the appearance that an animal got her. Ethel (Kathy Bates) confronts Elsa about all of the disappearances around camp with disastrous results. Regina (Gabourey Sidibe) arrives at the Mott house in search of her mother.
Ethel has been suspicious of Elsa since the twins disappeared a few episodes back. When Ma Petite is discovered dead, Ethel cannot take it any longer, gets filthy drunk and comes to Elsa’s tent. Here she drags a confession out of Elsa about the Tattlers and pulls a gun. Being unable to ever trust the woman she had put all of her faith in for years, Ethel plans to kill Elsa and then herself. Not one to be outdone, Elsa draws first and kills Ethel. With the help of Stanley and Maggie (Emma Roberts), Elsa covers up her murder.
The Freak Show women decide to take revenge on Penny’s father, Vince (Lee Tergesen) for the mutilation of his daughter.
Ethel’s replacement comes in the form of a fat lady, Ima (Chrissy Metz). Her arrival goes over like a ton of bricks with Jimmy, who is mourning his mother.
Regina shows up at the Mott house looking for her mother, Dora (Patti LaBelle), whom she has been unable to reach on the phone. Meanwhile, Gloria (Frances Conroy) has tricked Dandy into speaking to a therapist. Dandy agrees to continue the sessions if Gloria kills Regina. In the end, someone dies, but it isn’t Regina and, in an episode that is nothing less than a blood bath, Dandy takes himself a literal one.
In what has been the most intense episode to date, American Horror Story: Freak Show has really stepped up its game this week. The loss of two major characters and Dandy’s strong decent into madness can only mean one thing and that is the promise of trouble to come.
It is only a matter of time before Elsa and Stanley are discovered for whom they really are and feel the wrath of the freaks and I still am not quite sure how Maggie will walk away unscathed for her participation in the events. Dell will most certainly be dragged down with them.
I can’t even begin to imagine what fresh insanity Dandy will provide, but, considering what we have seen of him already, it is sure to be disturbing and slick with blood.
No one is safe this season and things are just getting worse. We will find out next week if the Freak Show gets a break from their loss or if the pattern continues.
Rating: 10/10
American Horror Story: Freak Show airs every Wednesday night on FX.
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Ann Hale is the horror editor for Pop-Break.com and a senior contributing writer, reviewing horror movies and television shows. She is also the American Correspondent for Lovehorror.co.uk. Ann attended East Carolina University, majoring in English Literature. She is a collector of Halloween (the film) memorabilia and is a self-admitted opinionated horror nerd. You can follow her, her collection and her cat, Edward Kittyhands on Twitter and Instagram @Scarletjupiter
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