Reviews Series / American Horror Story Freak Show

What the other guy said.

Though slightly better than Coven, Freak Show is almost as bad when it comes to meandering plots. They do get the American Horror part right, but there still needs to be a story. Shit needs to coalesce.

We have perhaps the biggest cast of characters yet this season. Some of the titular freaks are played by people with actual mutations or deformities, and turn in very good performances.

In Jupiter, Florida of 1954, one of America's last freak shows is presided over by another fame-obsessed Jessica Lange character, Elsa Mars. While she claims to love them like family, Elsa's vanity is a powder-keg that could threaten them all. Even as the freaks decide they aren't enduring society's unfair treatment anymore and the town is plagued by a child-abducting Serial Killer.

This is indeed the silliest, most nonsensical season yet, which I guess is fitting given the subject matter: Florida freak show in the fifties. The show's blatant hokeyness used to compliment its disturbing horror, but with this and season three, hokeyness seems to reign over horror.

Barely any of the main characters are nuanced, interesting or sympathetic. The ones who are end up slowly sabotaged if not quickly, gruesomely killed off.

Freak Show did succeed in its exploration of how horrifically unjust and unstable post-World War II America was, as well as the psychology of various different murderers. However, its poorly constructed story, skewed character development, and general lack of direction make it very disappointing. Especially when the first five episodes were so terrific.

Points:

• Twisty was the best and scariest part of the season. Criminally underused.
• In spite of their characters, most of the cast turned in fun, powerful performances.
• That said, Evan Peters did his best, but he just did not have a very good role this year.
• Finn Wittrock was simply a revelation as Dandy, the faithful parody of just about every modern image of a psychopath. He was the reason I kept watching all the way through.
• A few nice tie-ins to Asylum, though they didn't add up to much.
• I personally didn't mind the musical numbers. They were fun, even if they were out of place.

Don't know if I'm coming back for the next round, honestly.