Spoiler Alert: There aren’t really any spoilers here you wouldn’t have seen in the ads but if you are weird about such things just go watch the episode already.
The freaks have come out on American Horror Story: Freakshow and we are “Gooble Gobble-ing” it up. In case you are wondering that reference is from the ultimate cinematic text on Freaks, the 1932 film of the same name. I have 12 fingers and a graduate degree in television studies so that makes me extra excited to talk about this seasons crop of freaks paraded out on this season of American Horror Story.
Let me begin by saying Jessica Lange deserves another Emmy just for the premiere episode’s performance, I want the tape of her singing David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” to play at my funeral. People will also have to throw the same red and blue glitter that is in the episode. I must confess I have already watched it an embarrassing number of times. Elsa Mars is the woman Jessica Lange was born to play, well half of the woman anyway.
We the viewers, as always, are faced with some dark selves here. This time one manifestation is in the form of conjoined twins. The season opens with a shot of the friendly neighborhood milkman… who finds double trouble boil and bubbling up. Sarah Paulson plays the spooky twins with two hearts and only one reproductive system.
Excitingly American Horror Story continues to darken “further the edges of my nightmares.” The show has developed a signature cinematic stillness that takes eerie to a whole new level. It’s topics delve into our deepest fears of otherness and horror, where we ultimately meet ourselves. Again the show plays out this theme elegantly in the reflected face of our dark and broken heroine Jessica Lange.
Kathy Bates is also back and better than ever as the bearded lady who keeps it all together. Frances Conroy returns much to everyone’s delight too, and even classically delivers my favorite line from the episode- “The most freakish thing of all tonight was your singing.” The entire episode was like walking into a Diane Arbus photo on Opium. Can I run away to Fraulein Elsa’s band of curiosities now, please! Media Witch Peg Aloi and I will be resuming our online video chats about the show. Please send us your questions, comments, or freakish fan fantasies, well maybe not that last one so much!
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