Alice Rush reviews the fourth episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show…
Picking up straight where last week left off episode 4 of American Horror Story: Freak Show brings with it even more scares and delights. ‘Edward Mordrake part 2’ mainly concerns itself with exploring the background of the characters at the freak show as the titular character glides around the camp in his green smog, searching for a soul that is “perfect in its monstrous imperfections”.
In the previous season, Coven, I felt that character development was something lacking throughout, with the writers prising certain characters over the rest. This led to a lot of confusion when it came to prising sympathy from the audience, as there weren’t a great deal of strong feelings towards a lot of the characters, with many of them slipping into boring stereotypes. What Freak Show is doing brilliantly so far is making you care about all of the characters, from pinheads to maniac clown killers, and it does so in a way that also helps move the narrative along. This week we are treated to backstories from Paul the Illustrated Seal, Legless Suzy and, more interestingly, Elsa and Twisty. With such a huge ensemble cast it’s impressive that only four episodes in we are already forming strong attachments to this characters and their backstories only serve to certify the thematic question running through this season; Who Are The Real Monsters?
Paul and Suzy’s stories paint similar pictures of being rejected and taunted their whole lives but they’re not enough to entice Mordrake, as they are humble and admitting of their mistakes. Elsa takes his fancy as from the very beginning has been painted as a fame hungry diva, lost in her own delusions of grandeur. However as she tells her tales of being forced to work in seedy Berlin brothels as a Dominatrix when her movie career failed her well-kept façade is well and truly dragged off, along with her false legs, the result of a snuff movie in which she was manipulated to be in. It’s still hard to find sympathy for her, however, as with one hand she pretends to side with the carnie folk but in the other condemns them behind their backs. Indeed it is not a focus on physical monstrosities that Freak Show is trying to parade but instead those rotten from the inside. With every moment where it seems Elsa may have redeemed herself she proves yet again to be a self-serving narcissist, which by the end of the episode will prove to be her downfall as con man Stanley turns up pretending to be a Hollywood talent scout. Little does Elsa know it’s not her talent that he intends to steal.
What’s a Halloween episode without some good old fashioned scares? Providing the horror this week, as with every week so far, is our old friend Twisty with the help of Dandy who is proving himself to be one of the most monstrous characters we have seen on the show. Jimmy and Esmerelda’s saving of his hostages captures the attention of Mordrake who leaves Elsa behind. Cue the backstory that we’ve been waiting to hear as Twisty tells all to Mordrake; about his hatred of freaks since they drove him out of the circus with untrue paedophile rumours, his failed suicide attempt which explains his nightmarish mask and his true belief that he is helping children by taking them away from their mean parents and saving them from the freaks. It’s enough for Mordrake who claims him for his own, killing him and taking his soul.
It’s both satisfying and frustrating to see Twisty go. From the start of this series he has been one of the most interesting characters, with his forced silence being a classic horror signifier, as what you can’t see or hear is always more scary than what you can. Finally hearing him speak does take away a lot of the terror surrounding him which is a shame, but at the same time it allows his character to not become a one dimensional psychopath. We are allowed to feel sorry for him in spite of what he has done but he is still punished and we are given catharsis. And we don’t lose him completely, as the truly deranged Dandy lays claim to his mask, both literally and metaphorically, becoming a killer by the end of the episode.
Overall I thought ‘Edward Mordrake part 2’ was a strong episode. As I stated last week I feel that the show is learning from its past mistakes and is being more equal handed in its execution of head spinning horror and solid character development. It’s never too indulgent of one or the other, instead using both to create a believable world and relatable characters but with a supernatural, psychedelic spin. I only hope it continues like this and doesn’t get lost in the crazy world it is building up.
Alice Rush
Originally published October 31, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
