"Curtain" Closes on AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW

Article first published as TV Review: 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' - 'Curtain Call' on Blogcritics.

The fourth season of FX’s American Horror Story, subtitled Freak Show, concluded this week with “Curtain Call.” Perhaps the most satisfying season finale of the show yet, capping a season which, in my opinion, tied with the first for best of the series, it gave almost everyone who deserved it a happy ending. Mixing tears and joy in moving pathos, “Curtain Call” is the ending fans deserve.

Right away this year, American Horror Story: Freak Show made us care about the freaks. It is the people outside of the carnival that are the problem. Those with the deformities are the persecuted, and the ones to root for. The story tears down prejudice among those who watch, building sympathy for the outcasts. This continues right on through to the end.

As “Curtain Call” opens, the freak show has been sold to Dandy (Finn Wittrock), the biggest beast of the year. But the freaks, who have suffered enough, don’t put up with his gruff for long. They quit, prompting him to go on a killing spree and murder almost every performer left. Thankfully, four survive long enough to punish Dandy.

Wittrock’s performance in American Horror Story: Freak Show is nothing short of amazing. Even as he dramatically dies, drowning in Houdini’s water escape tank, we see the pain and anger in his eyes. He feels misunderstood, miscast in life. The more he tries to carve out his place and hone his talents, the worse he does. He’s deeply damaged, far from emotionless, desperate to find acceptance. He does horrific things, though, and like a diseased dog, the most merciful thing is to put him down, which our heroes do.

One might think that being slain by a madman is not a happy ending, and I mentioned in the opening that the ending is satisfying. “Curtain Call” toys with an afterlife, though, a specific fulfillment of the wishes of those who died. The freaks who are killed, and not just in the season finale, are reunited in an eternal caravan, performing nightly for packed houses. It may not be the ideal existence for most of us, nor even what many of them thought they wanted in life, but it’s what these people end up valuing most, enhanced by perfect circumstances and surrounded by beloved family.

Even Elsa (Jessica Lange) gets to go there, despite her sins. She achieves the Hollywood fame she desires, and finds it’s far less than she wishes for. As she gets bigger and bigger, she feels less and less at home, missing the family she built. In the end, she commits suicide on Halloween, letting us glimpse terrific guest stars Wes Bentley and John Carroll Lynch again, and ends up at the heavenly fair, rather than roaming with the cursed troupe. It’s a reward for the good she does before she does wrong. Ethel’s (Kathy Bates) gentle scolding that Elsa was not a good friend, boss, or cook but that she was born to perform is the perfect emotional chord, reuniting the oldest of friends in a tear-worthy scene that, as usual, proves what a considerable talent Lange is.

Speaking of Ethel, Bates is killed off far too early in American Horror Story: Freak Show. I miss her the moment she leaves, and while we do see her twice more, it only makes me wish for more of her. Angela Bassett’s Desiree, who survives, is also less featured than I’d like. I hope that, if Lange does step down or back in season five, a regrettable circumstance for sure, Bassett and Bates rise to take her place. They have earned a showcase like the one Lange has been getting these past few years.

The quartet that make it through “Curtain Call” intact are Desiree, Jimmy (Evan Peters), and Dot and Bette (Sarah Paulson). All end up happily married with children, having gotten away with the multiple murders they justly committed. My only small complaint about this is that it feels extremely familiar to have Paulson and Peters’ players achieve their bright futures, the two actors among the small number in past seasons who have similar conclusions. That’s likely because they keep getting cast in certain types of roles, the ones that naturally survive, but it still feels a tad bit like a repeat.

In the end, I’m left amazed by the tale told and the characters created. So many impressive performances, so many fascinating guest stars, and so many terrific twists. The plot feels more substantial than in the past couple of seasons, and the emotions run deeper. While half of the main characters sit out the finale (not unusual for this franchise), there are enough supporting characters appearing to keep it feeling full. “Curtain Call” is a great culmination of what builds up, and I cannot think of a better way to wind the various threads together.

American Horror Story has been renewed for a fifth season, which will feature as-of-yet unannounced new cast, setting, and subtitle.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW "Orphans" Sympathetic

Article first published as TV Review: 'American Horror Story' - "Orphans" on Blogcritics.

Earlier in the fall, I promised more reviews would be forthcoming for FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show, and while it’s been awhile since I’ve written about it, this season has continued to rank either tied for first place with season one or the lone frontrunner of the series. It’s been such a character-driven piece, with surprising twists geared towards growing the personalities, rather than just for the sake of story. Amid this great run, this week’s installment, “Orphans,” is one of the best.

“Orphans” tells us the story of Pepper (Naomi Grossman), a microcephalic (or pinhead) whom also appears in season two, Asylum, which is set about ten years later than Freak Show. Pepper is the first character to appear in more than one season of American Horror Story, and playing a mostly bit part with the other supporting “freaks” up until now, I wondered why they bothered to bring her back. This is, until this week’s episode, which also sees a too-brief return of Asylum‘s Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe), more than justifies her presence.

Pepper is adopted be Elsa (Jessica Lange) from an orphanage, the first of the troupe. Others of the group that follow are recruited specifically for Pepper. But as the freak show falls apart, Pepper loses her closest companions, sending her deep into grief. Self-involved in her own career, Elsa foists Pepper off on the sister that abandoned her, Rita (Mare Winningham, who had a different one-episode role in last year’s Coven). Rita and her husband, Larry (Matthew Glave, Army Wives, ER), are even more selfish than Elsa, and concoct a plan to frame Pepper for murdering their annoying infant, landing Pepper in the asylum and revealing that he back story we thought we knew about Pepper is utterly wrong.

What is so impressive is the sympathy Grossman earns in this amazing turn. Even after two seasons, I am ashamed to say that I still find it hard to look at Pepper. In “Orphans,” I care about her, though, and so will anyone who watches her painful journey of abandonment and neglect. Pepper briefly has a good life, and it’s ripped away in the worst possible manner. Much of this success is built into the storytelling, and much of it is due to Grossman’s talent. It’s one of the most moving stories I’ve seen on television in awhile, and it continues Freak Show‘s trend (and more largely Ryan Murphy’s) of forcing people to face their preconceptions and become more compassionate towards those who are different than us.

Pepper’s arc, which actually ends several years in the future of the current story, though I’m not expecting everything else to jump, beautifully ties into Elsa’s. Someone who acts like Elsa does now, willing to leave behind all she’s built and those she cares about, doesn’t quite line up to the person who put together the troupe in the first place. “Orphans” shows us her connection with Pepper, and how that leads to the inclusion of Ma Petite (Jyoti Amge) and Salty (Christopher Neiman). Elsa has changed, and not for the better. Though, there is a big hint of a happy ending for her.

What causes Elsa to fall so far? I assume part of it is that she’s lost so much, including Ma and Salty, and so knows she can no longer hold onto the world she’s lived in. Another part has to be the chance at fame that Stanley (Denis O’Hare) dangles in front of her, and given her age, it’s probably the last chance she has to realize her dreams. Once upon a time, creating a family was her dream, and she lived it. Now, she realizes she wants more. Lange is having another masterful turn in the franchise in Elsa.

The third thing of interest this week is Maggie (Emma Roberts) revealing the truth to Desiree (Angela Bassett) about Stanley’s plan and misdeeds. Maggie is going through a redemption, sparked by falling in love with Jimmy (Evan Peters), which lasts even after the two have a falling out because he has changed her. Desiree is a bit adrift, looking for her own bettering of circumstances, and makes a strong ally by nearly any measure. With Ethel (Kathy Bates) sadly gone, these are now the two women I’m most excited to see play in the sandbox.

American Horror Story: Freak Show still has three episodes left. Given the consistent quality this season has demonstrated, and the impact “Orphans” makes even without Dandy (Finn Wittrock), the year’s breakout star, I am extremely optimistic about Murphy ending things right. American Horror Story is really in its stride here, living up to potential it doesn’t need to, given the excellent efforts the past two seasons are, while still being lesser than this. If Freak Show can stick the landing, it will be memorable and begging for future re-watches.

Taking a quick holiday break, American Horror Story: Freak Show next airs January 7th at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

"Edward Mordrake" Haunts the FREAK SHOW

Article first published as TV Review: 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' - 'Edward Mordrake' on Blogcritics.

“Edward Mordrake” is American Horror Story: Freak Show‘s two-part Halloween episode, airing last week and this one. In it, Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley, The Hunger Games, American Beauty), the ghost of a circus man-gone-mad, comes to Jupiter to evaluate the freaks that make up our cast, intent to kill one of them to join his damned crew. His troupe will not accept just anyone, though.

In a character-driven series, this is a great device to delve deeper into the backstories of many of the players. With each of the freaks Edward encounters, he makes them tell him their deepest pain, judging whether they are acceptable to join him or not. This leads to some really interesting revelations, as well as phenomenal performances, something the FX anthology show is known for.

In part one, the best actress award goes to Kathy Bates. Her Ethel Darling is a transformative role for her in an already celebrated career, understated and underused until this point. Ethel is ready to die, having gotten news from her doctor that she’s got terminal cancer, drinking to speed up the dying process while she tells Mordrake’s story to the troupe. But in spilling her own tale to Mordrake, she realizes she wants the short time she has left and she begs for mercy. Mordrake doesn’t take her, but Bates takes our hearts in a compelling, layered performance of a woman facing her own mortality.

In part two, the award goes to John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown. He is delivering a truly creepy character this year, the clown being the only one to really be afraid of in the first four episodes. In “Edward Mordrake,” though, the clown actually speaks and justifies his actions. He is a simpleton who doesn’t believe he’s doing anything wrong. It’s a brilliant take and Lynch sells it, making us feel genuinely sorry for him, as well as happy that he has a place where he is finally accepted when Mordrake chooses him to join the band.

Honorable mention goes to Jessica Lange, whose Elsa Mars has a very dark and very bloody past, and whom actually is accepted by Mordrake before he hears the clown. Elsa is a pathetic character, one whose insecurities make her freakier than those in her show. She is also the one who summons Mordrake, accidentally or not, so there would be a certain poetic justice if she goes with him. She can’t, of course, because Lange’s contributions to American Horror Story are too valuable to write her out four episodes in. But I like that she almost is taken because that feels right.

I would be remiss without also giving a shoutout to this year’s break-out star, Finn Wittrock, who plays Dandy Mott. Dandy has less screen time in “Edward Mordrake” than in previous weeks, but he is the most chilling character in American Horror Story: Freak Show. Seemingly normal, Dandy is as twisted as they come, and his growth in just four episodes, from restless spoiled brat to ruthless killer, filling the shoes of the departed Twisty, has been amazing. We don’t need Twisty any more because we now have Dandy, who may just be ten times worse.

It is sad that Dandy’s transformation leads him to murder Patti LaBelle’s Dora, whose sassy attitude towards him is terrific. We barely know her and she will be missed. But it makes sense for the story.

The other major development in “Edward Mordrake” is that Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters) becomes a hero, single-handedly getting the townspeople to accept the freaks camped on their borders. This arc has been brewing since the beginning, too, with Jimmy intent on showing folks that the freak show performers are just like anyone else. He doesn’t make any headway until he rescues three children from Twisty, but once he does, the attitude change is quick, one father even shaking his lobster hand without flinching. Jimmy has accomplished his original primary goal.

That doesn’t mean Jimmy’s story is done. Like Lange, Peters is essential to American Horror Story, serving as arguably the primary protagonist this season, or at least one of the core few. His bitterness at the police for killing his friend and his budding romance with con-woman Maggie (Emma Roberts), which likely turns somewhat genuine after she sees him in noble action, should keep him busy. But it’s a bold choice for the show to make to wrap up his first plot early and allow his thread to make a significant detour here.

American Horror Story: Freak Show is excellent, fully deserving of FX’s best ratings ever, which it is currently pulling down. I like past seasons a lot, but this one is definitely in the running for my favorite edition. Its characters are excellent and its performers are even better, giving meaty material to actors who deserve it and own it. In the past, I haven’t covered this show on a weekly basis, and admittedly, I did combine this two-parter into one review, but if it stays this good, expect to see a lot more from me on it.

American Horror Story: Freak Show airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX. Its run times vary, so make sure your DVR records the full length, as some weeks have aired almost half-an-hour past 11 p.m. and you won’t want to miss the endings.

TV Review: ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ – ‘Massacres and Matinees’

Article first published as TV Review: ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ – ‘Massacres and Matinees’ on Blogcritics.

The latest miniseries in the American Horror Story franchise, Freak Show, presents, this week, “Massacres and Matinees.” The people of Jupiter are suspicious of the freaks camped just outside of town as more bodies pile up.  Strongman Dell Toldeo (Michael Chiklis, The Shield), on the run after killing a man in Chicago, offers to keep the carnival safe, and given an inch, he takes a mile. This is much to the dismay of Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters), who doesn’t know he’s Toldeo’s son, and whom thinks he can protect this family on his own. Neither seems to understand the threat brewing, though, when the real killer gets a dangerous new partner.

One thing that strikes me about American Horror Story: Freak Show so far, is that the freaks, those who look abnormal make people uncomfortable, are pretty darn sympathetic. The show almost skews too much this way, hitting us over the head that these are ‘normal people,’ while showing just how monstrous normal-seeming they are. Whether it’s a bratty rich boy with a sadistic streak or judgmental diner customers, the most “average” freaks are the ones of whom to be aware.

This is both important and preachy. Creator Ryan Murphy is all about inclusiveness–and portraying the disabled as strong personalities with much to contribute, very obvious in his network dramedy Glee. It’s a laudable goal, and he’s done much to further the cause. But at the same time, he doesn’t have to hit us over the head quite so heavily. Most viewers are intelligent, and we can form our own opinions without the lectures.

Still, despite the preachiness, or perhaps because of it, American Horror Story: Freak Show is shaping up to be terrific, with wonderful characters. When Jimmy takes a group to the diner and they are kicked out, we feel their pain. As Elsa (Jessica Lange) grows jealous of talented up-and-comers Dot and Bette (both Sarah Paulson), we feel her jealousy and desperation. Ethel’s (Kathy Bates) desire to keep her ex, Dell, away from her son, whom she loves and protects, is quite compelling. Similarly, it’s easy to feel for mother Gloria Mott (Frances Conroy), who would really like a grandbaby but is saddled with a difficult son, to put it mildly. These are all fully realized individuals, played by very strong performers, and along with the rest of the cast, to which Angela Bassett (AHS: Coven), playing a humorous hermaphrodite, is added this week, they sell this series well.

The first of the band dies in “Massacres and Matinees,” as Dell thwarts Jimmy’s attempt to frame him for murder and shifts the blame to Meep the Geek (Ben Woolf). Meep is arrested and slain by his fellow inmates. As disturbing as I find Meep, especially when he is shown biting off bird heads, his passing is moving, both because of the grief he sparks in Jimmy, and because he’s an innocent who doesn’t deserve what happens. I can’t say I’ll miss him exactly, but his demise is masterfully crafted for impact.

As we fall in love with the freaks, viewers still get their fright from Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock). Wittrock is a stand-out surprise in American Horror Story: Freak Show, and his arc really takes off in “Massacres and Matinees.” As the rich kid who wants to find his place and uses demented means to do so, he creates a monster that is truly terrifying. As Dandy joins forces with creepy clown, Twisty (John Carroll Lynch), the two make a beautifully twisted, unexpected pair that will cause much havoc in Jupiter. I’m not sure where their story is going, but the scenes between them are intense and well-crafted, definitely among the best moments of the hour.

There are just a few things that puzzle me about “Massacres and Matinees.” Why does Elsa kowtow to Dell so easily? Sure, his masculine energy may be attractive to her, but she’s been in charge a long time, and she doesn’t seem the type to give up so easily, a conclusion echoed when she indicates multiple times that he displeases her. I’m also not sure why Dell frames Meep instead of Jimmy, whom he doesn’t seem to care about it, even with their blood connection. But overall, it’s pretty good, and I’m getting used to the musical numbers of songs not yet written in the time period the show takes place, 1952, now that it’s clearly a deliberate decision.

American Horror Story: Freak Show airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Welcome to the FREAK SHOW

Article first published as AMERICAN HORROR STORY FREAK SHOW Review on Seat42F.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY is back for a fourth season, subtitled FREAK SHOW, with “Monsters Among Us,” airing this week. As in past seasons, the characters and story are new, but many of the performers will look familiar to fans of the anthology series, as actors have returned and taken on new roles. This year’s entry is set at a carnival freak show in Jupiter, Florida, 1952, and thus far, those who make up the troupe seem a whole lot less freaky than the local people surrounding them.

This revelation comes as quite a surprise. When FREAK SHOW was announced, I assumed much of the terror would be delivered at the hands of those who look different. After all, such circuses have always put off a bit of a creepy vibe, and having characters that appear monstrous actually act scary, too, makes sense. But the writers make a different choice here, quickly showing the troupe as a family and those who would threaten them, be they law enforcement, or a bitchy candy striper (Grace Gummer, The Newsroom), or an entitled rich brat (Finn Wittrock, The Normal Heart) and his doting mother (Frances Conroy), as the people to look out for. Nice idea.

The group is led by Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange), the benefactor, boss, and recruiter. She is assisted by bearded lady Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates) and her son, Jimmy (Evan Peters), as well as a bunch of other members of the clan. These people are outcasts from society and Elsa brings them together not only for their own protection, but also to provide a place for them to shine. She is quick to protect her charges, and while she is a bit controlling, she understands and appreciates those who fall in with her, which is how she can inspire loyalty among her followers. After all, she is one of them, of course.

We don’t yet have the whole lay of the land; four main players are completely MIA in the AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW premiere. This is par for the series, and as the story unfolds, others will naturally be added in. AHS takes its time in crafting a plot, unconcerned with forcing characters into a crowded field or at an unnatural time just because the actor’s name is in the opening credits, as many other shows do.

Among this troupe, there is one person that somewhat stands out because she’s been seen before, and that’s Pepper (Naomi Grossman). Pepper lived in the Asylum of season two, and she is the first character to appear in more than one season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY. Since Asylum is set more than a decade later than FREAK SHOW, we know where she ends up, but not yet how she gets there. It’s an interesting precedent that I hope will be repeated, and fits very well into the new season.

There is one freak that is scary in “Monsters Among Us.” We’re introduced to Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch, Body of Proof), a homicidal clown with a very scary mask (or is it a mask?). Twisty is not one to mess with, and he doesn’t even require a reason to strike. But thankfully he is not part of the main contingent, so hopefully, while there will be some interaction, we’re not asked to care about him as we do the others.

For the most part, I really like “Monsters Among Us,” a cool story that intrigues and entices, but there are a couple of strange choices made. For instance, the camera teases around conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson), waiting awhile to reveal them to be two heads on one body. This makes sense to be repeated later in the episode for budgetary reasons, but in the initial introduction, there’s not much reason to build suspense and mystery given that pictures of the character have been widely circulated prior to this. Also, Elsa sings “Life on Mars,” a song written by David Bowie in 1971. It’s a neat performance, but one that definitely feels out-of-time for the early 1950s.

I’m curious about the planetary themes in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW. As mentioned, Elsa’s last name is Mars and she sings “Life on Mars,” plus the show is set in Jupiter, Florida. These things cannot be coincidence. Are they meant to evoke otherworldly images, aliens come to Earth, as Asylum showed? Or are they referencing gods, better than men, sitting above us in judgment? Either way could be interesting.

While I was trepidatious about FREAK SHOW, given the content, I am happy to report that the first episode is quite good, up to the standards of the franchise. Check it out when it airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX beginning this week.