We start the show at the Night of Discovery at the Modern Morbidity Museum. Maggie Esmerelda (Emma Roberts) and Stanley (Denis O’Hare) are seen in the audience. The pair discuss their responsibility of helping the museum obtain its morbid artifacts. As the curtains are pulled back, we are shown the exhibit, seal boy’s skeleton.
Maggie and Stanley return to their room and begin discussing their plan to kill the freaks and collect their corpses. Despite some signs of contemplation, Maggie agrees to help for an additional 5%. And we’re off to the amazing introduction scene. Are you scared? Well, are you?
Back at the Mott house, Gloria discovers Dandy’s evil deed of killing the maid. Although he acts like he is experiencing remorse, Dandy walks off with a smile on his face. Back at the Freak Show, Stanley enters Elsa’s tent and the two share a shot. Stanley claims he is from Hollywood, but Elsa doesn’t believe him. Elsa declares she’d rather be boiled in oil than be on television. Stanley continues to sell the idea by claiming television is the future. Elsa (Jessica Lange) still doesn’t like the idea, which visually upsets Stanley. Without convincing Elsa, Stanley leaves.
Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters) begins showing off his juggling skills, but is interrupted by Maggie. Jimmy says he wants to throw up and Maggie says she can take his mind off it by reading his palm. Although he refuses at first, he eventually accepts her offer. Maggie begins describing Stanley to Jimmy, as a man who will come and promise him everything. Maggie suggests Jimmy should leave and improve his future. After making a failed move on Maggie, Jimmy makes his escape.
Ethel is busy preparing the performers, while seeking for Dell Toledo (Michael Chiklis). Jimmy is shown outside banging on Dell’s camper door. Desiree Dupress (Angela Bassett) says Dell isn’t around, before justifying Dell’s negative and aggressive attitude. Desiree is beginning to drink heavily and believes Dell doesn’t want to be on her team anymore. Jimmy begins to confess he didn’t do anything and says the only brave one was Meep. He continues blaming himself for Meep’s death. He begins crying, as he declares he should have been him. Desiree comforts Jimmy and the two begin making out. Midway through, Desiree stops Jimmy. She is bleeding and needs a doctor.
Out on the stage, Jimmy introduces Elsa, who comes out and starts a song. Is each episode going to contain a Glee-like song performance? During her performance, the crowd erupts and begins throwing stuff at Elsa. Backstage, Else requests to see Stanley and insists he provide her with more information about the television.
As the show returns, Desiree is waiting in the doctor’s office with Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates). The doctor questions Desiree about her vaginal bleeding. She explains she thinks Lobster Boy pinched a hole right through her. The doctor begins his examination. Desiree explains everyone thought she was a boy, when she was born. The doctor disagrees and explains she has too much testosterone and the bleeding is a result from a miscarriage. Afterwards, the doctor explains the couple can try again in a few months.
Back at the Mott house, Gloria is forcing her workers to dig a deep hole. Dandy and Gloria hide the body in the hole and cover it up with a garden. Gloria explains Dandy has a sickness similar to his father. She explains it was caused by inbreeding. Dandy insists he wanted to be an actor and doesn’t want to end up like his father.
Back at the Freak Show, Elsa is getting made up. She mentions her new television show. She meets Stanley outside, who is waiting with the car. The car drives off with the Tattler twins in the car. Back at the museum, Stanley shows off the twins, explaining their death as a cold. The show flashes back and shows Stanley feeding them a tainted cupcake. Stanley explains the television show idea to the Tattlers, as one half begins to choke and foam out of the mouth.
While one of the twins died, the other one survived. Stanley tries to feed her the cupcake again. She won’t accept it. Instead, Stanley holds one hand over her mouth and pinches her nose shut. The two headed Tattler twins (Sarah Paulson) are no more.
As the show returns, Dandy is working out and exercising in his white undies and shoes. According to him, he is going to be the greatest actor of all time. He explains his mother won’t let him and begins discussing his desire to kill more and more people. He thanks the clown for introducing him to murder. Dandy winds up at a gay club. Dandy runs into a foul mouthed Dell at the club.
Dell and Andy discuss getting out of the area, but Andy insists he doesn’t want to leave. He mentions his sexual escapades, which upsets Dell. Andy is upset that he wishes Dell could leave his wife and join him. Dell says he loves Andy. Andy begins questioning Dell’s motives for hiding out. Dell explains he wants to set Andy up with a good place to stay. Andy explains he works at the club and doesn’t seem interested in Dell’s advances. An obviously upset Dell leaves.
Dandy approaches Andy and Andy instantly propositions him. Dandy looks very thrilled with the idea of taking Andy home. Meanwhile, Elsa and the Tattlers begin discussing Stanley’s proposition. Elsa explains Stanley wanted her to mentor the twins and they’re going to leave in the morning. All of the lights begin to shut off at the carnival.
Dell returns to the camper and Desiree explains her visit to the doctor. She mentions her ability to have a baby. Although Dell says that is great, he really doesn’t seem too happy about the idea. Desiree exposes the history involving Dell’s father, who had lobster hands. It is uncovered that Dell is Jimmy’s father. Desiree begins packing up and leaving. Dell insults Desiree, on her way out. After a brief argument, Desiree leaves the camper.
Dandy and Andy are shown walking through the woods. Dandy takes him to the clown’s old place. As Andy begins to make his move, Dandy explains he isn’t a fruit. Dandy explains they’re going to turn their backs to each other and take off their clothes. When they turn around, whatever happens will happen. The pair begin following through with Dandy’s plan. While Andy discusses the idea of painting Dandy, Dandy is visibly transforming. When they turn around, Dandy is wearing the clown’s mask. He stabs Andy to death violently. In his tighty whities, Dandy begins cutting up the body and disposing of the mess.
Dandy believes Andy is still talking to him. It appears he cuts off his head to shut him up. As the show returns, Gloria is seen having a conversation on the phone with Dora’s daughter, Regina. Her daughter begins questioning her mom’s whereabouts. Gloria says her mother is away and questions Regina about how she perceived her as a mother, when she played with Dandy, as a child. Regina says she doesn’t remember Gloria being around much. Before hanging up, she requests to have her mother call her, when she gets home. As she hangs up, Dandy appears in the background in his undies covered in blood.
At the doctor’s office, Dell begins discussing Desiree’s situation with the doctor. Dell threatens the doctor and demands he keep his hands off his wife. Dell breaks the doctor’s fingers. He threatens the doctor’s grandchildren, if the doc goes to the police.
Back at the Mott house, Elsa pays Gloria a visit. Gloria asks why she is there, to which Elsa responds she has brought something that Gloria would want, as the show ends.
Review
A lot happened in this episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show. Some was good and some bad. While last week’s episode was better overall, this was still a decent episode. Dandy is becoming the most intriguing character this season. His scenes are always exciting and its fun to see what he’ll do next.
Do we really need an opera with every episode? Its growing tiresome rather quickly. It was good in Asylum, because it was new, refreshing and unexpected. Here, we’re being force-fed a Glee-like song performance in every episode. Its definitely lost its charm.
Michael Chiklis is on and off, as Dell Toledo. In the club, he performed well, until the cursing, which seemed forced and cheesy. Here’s an idea. Drop the unnecessary curse words. They’re no longer shocking and serve no purpose in most cases.
The death of the Tattlers seemed a little too easy. Then, the editing and flashbacks just stirred confusion in my little pea brain. They’re dead one minute and the next they’re talking to Elsa. This would have delivered more impact, if it was presented in a more coherent manner. And after all is said and done, did Stanley just drop off the face of the Earth? Where’d he go?
Still, I enjoyed the episode. A 7 out of 10 should suffice.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
