American Horror Story: Freak Show - S4E12 - Show Stoppers

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Previously on our American Horror Story podcast for S4E11, ‘Magical Thinking.’

Sorry I missed the recap last week. I was sick and couldn’t stay awake for the show let alone sit up long enough to recap it. But, in short, Jimmy’s got no hands and no parents, NPH is crazy as hell (but holy damn, he’s good – best on the show, and we’re talking about a show with Jessica Lange for goodness sake) and he popped the cherry of the twins with his creepy as shit ventriloquist dummy. But honestly, it was the best episode of the season and I’m really looking forward to tonight’s episode. So without further ado…

Tonight’s episode starts with a party. A celebration of life for Del? Nope, it’s a farewell dinner where Elsa is turning the show over to Chester. But after the announcement he’s quickly booted out and they toast to Spencer. He tries to skedaddle but they won’t let him leave before he gets his present. He unwraps the head of the museum curator in a jar. He feigns innocence, but Maggie says the jig is up. They strap him to the wheel and Elsa starts tossing some knives at him. He pleads with her and gives more Hollywood promises but she ain’t buying his shit no more. She stabs him in the thigh and sends him running off into the stormy night. But he doesn’t get very far on that gimp leg before the freaks catch up with him. Well, that was awesome. He had it coming and it could’ve have been done in a better way.

Elsa tells Jimmy that they had to off Del because he broke the code. Jimmy isn’t buying it and isn’t happy. He says Maggie can rot in hell. He doesn’t want her to change his bandages, but with no hands there’s not much he can do to stop her. He cries for his physical pain and she cries for her emotional one, and she tries to apologize. She declares her love for him and promises to make it right. Jimmy says no can do and tells her to get the hell out of there before he gets his hands back. But she isn’t dissuaded.

A man with some suitcases shows up at the show and brings Elsa to tears. It’s Danny Huston, who played Ax Man last season, so I assume he’s Elsa’s former flame, but all we know is she’s happy to see him.

The twins are riding Chester (I’m sorry, am I the only one who finds it hilarious that the lesbian and the gay man are getting it on? It just makes this twisted storyline even more messed up) and they ask him to put Marjorie (Jamie Brewer) away while they’re doing it.  Marjorie is not pleased. She thinks the twins are evil and that Chester doesn’t need them because he has her. He cries and begs her not to leave him. She says the twins have to go and he says, “They will.” Considering how he offed his wife and lesbian lover, this ought to get good and gruesome.

The freaks are playing cards and toasting to Ethel. They decide that Stanley was right when he said that Elsa killed Ethel, and they toast to avenging Ethel’s death.

The twins are brushing their hair and discussing their first orgasms when Dandy drops by. Mood killer. They ask him to leave but he feigns heartbreak over his mother dying “suddenly” and they let him stay. But not without making it clear they have a man now. Dandy admits he already knows and has, in the interest of friendship, discovered some info about their new beau. But they will be having none of his bullshit and they send him on his way. Ironic, since this is the first time Dandy is being truthful and helpful.

Jimmy isn’t looking good. Shivering and sweating. Probably has an infection. But no worries, Elsa’s friend is there with penicillin to save the day. Ah, he’s the guy who helped Elsa with her legs. But Jimmy says he doesn’t want his help. Elsa displays Mossimo’s handiwork and they tell their little love story. Mossimo attempted to avenge Elsa’s attack but was tortured by the doctor he tried to kill. He says he survived the torture physically, but he is now incapable of love. Yet he’d been referring to her as “his love” for the past five minutes so I call shenanigans.

Chester is having a meeting to go over the order of the show. Dot and Bette declare they “don’t wish to” be his assistants any longer. They read the file Dandy gave them, and they’re not sure if he’s the looney tunes it says he is, considering the source of the information. So they’re gonna play it safe. Which is the smartest thing these two have done all season. But he won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. The girls walk out and Maggie offers herself. Maggie climbs in but all he sees is his wife. And then Marjorie. Maggie screams to stop – she can’t get the trick box to work – but he doesn’t. And he saws her right in half. The freaks come out from backstage as he opens the box to show Maggie’s insides spilling onto the stage. That was horrifying. A human body is pretty tough to saw through, so there’s a whole new level of crazy going on to give him the strength to do it that easily. Yikes. And I was just starting to really like her.

Marjorie is cackling in the audience and Chester declares “she made me do it.” As awful as this is, the freaks don’t seem all that perturbed by it. Desiree least of all. Says Maggie had it coming. She’s gonna “steal her jewelry and bury the bitch.” Damn, that’s harsh. Don’t mess with Desiree.

Back in his trailer, Chester stabs Marjorie to death, her blood splattering all over his face, then instantly panics and stops and begs her to stay with him. Homie, she’s made of wood. Get some glue and some paint and it’ll be all good.

Flashback to the show in 1946. I think “present day” is somewhere in the 50’s so it’s not that long ago. It’s Jimmy’s first show and we get a little cameo of Ethel. I did not miss that weirdo accent of Kathy Bates. Good thing the flashback is short lived. Back to reality, Eve (who is actually an Amazon – she’s 6’8” and gorgeous. I Googled her) is breaking it to Jimmy that Maggie is dead. He doesn’t want details. Eve says Elsa’s next. This show is a damn bloodbath.

In her tent, Elsa is removing her fake legs and the twins wander in to catch her. They try to warn her and tell her to leave but she refuses to believe them. They break down the truth and Elsa puts her legs back on. She thanks the twins for saving her and they declare themselves “even.”

The freaks gather up for the lynching, but when they get to Elsa’s tent, she’s gone.

Elsa’s waiting in a parked car in the rain and then Dandy slides into the passenger seat. What the what? He hands her a wad of cash, she nods, and then he leaves. Again: what the what? Is she “selling” the twins again? Good luck getting them from Crazypants Chester. Damn, that ought to be a hell of a showdown.

Chester carries a blanket wrapped bundle into the police station, his body still covered in Maggie’s blood. He says he’s there to report a murder. The policeman unwraps the blanket and finds wooden Marjorie. Chester begs to be sent to “the chair.” Oh, honey, there is a very special place for you, and it isn’t the chair. Your ass needs to be in a padded cell somewhere.

The next day, Dandy drives up to the show. Turns out he’s the owner now. Oh. Hell. No. Dandy sends Paul to fetch him a lemonade with a paper straw. WTF is a paper straw? But Paul scampers away as instructed. If my boss was that psychopath, I’d fetch him whatever the hell straw he wanted, so I can’t fault him his instant obedience. Dandy steps up on the stage and blows kisses and bows to a nonexistent audience. He hears some sort of mewing behind him and he finds Stanley in a cage, limbs cut off and a feather coming out of his head. What in the hell? This show is so awesomely messed up.

Mossimo presents Jimmy with his new wooden hands. They’re replicas of his lobster claws and they do not look at all real. I googled this (I love Google, it’s where I learn about half the shit I know. The other half I learned from True Life on MTV), and in the 50’s, there were much more functional and realistic prosthetics than these Pinocchio looking things, so I don’t get it. But Jimmy is pleased with his wooden claws and thanks the good doctor.

While this episode (for me) wasn’t as good as last week’s, NPH continues to shine and I’m sort of in love with Dandy owning the freak show. The whole NPH storyline is golden and things are starting to unravel and progress nicely. Definitely looking forward to the remaining episodes and seeing how everyone else dies and which few people make it out of the season alive. RIP Maggie. I didn’t see that coming, it was sick as hell, and a level of horrific I expect only from AHS. Well done.

Until next week…