Oct
17
2014
0

American Horror Story: Freakshow “Massacres and Matinees”

American Horror Story has certainly ramped up the creep factor for season four. Following its established formula, the show introduced some new characters this week, who will (and already are) help drive the drama of the carny camp through the roof. With a new strongman and his black hermaphrodite wife, joining the crew, the carnies see a rise in internal tension that really plays well among several characters.

strongman and hermaphrodite

Of course, the police storming into camp and declaring a curfew, essentially closing down the freak show, doesn’t help either. It seems that the freaks are the subject not only of fear and fascination, but of deep seated suspicion after a rash of deaths in Jupiter and the disappearance of a police detective. Of course, we know the freaks are (relatively) innocent, because Twisty the clown is on the scene, continuing his silent rampage. He and Dandy break up the intense drama at the camp with some shenanigans of their own, as Gloria has decided that all Dandy needs is a playmate, and hires the disgustingly creepy Twisty to fill that role. The two form an uncomfortable, if not unlikely duo, and Dandy seems to genuinely scare Twisty at times.

dandy on stage

Sarah Paulsen’s Bette and Dot duo continues to be breathtaking. It’s incredible to see each girl come into her own personality, especially in the details like how each arm behaves dependent upon the sister who controls it. The details in this episode are stellar, and I strongly suggest a second viewing because there are little tells and callbacks everywhere that really enhance the story.  The music is a bit odd again, though (thankfully) they passed over Bowie this time, and the pacing of the episode seemed a bit strange, but that was only a minor problem. The biggest problem with this episode was the rotating camera. Several times, the camera would come in close and then swing from character to character like some awful carnival ride. Personally, I was left a litle queasy, which did not end well when Twisty persented the gross-out scare of the night. Freakshow has a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing it fulfilled, I just hope there’s fewer spinning cameras in the future.