TV Recap: American Horror Story (Freak Show) - "Test of Strength"

Left to right: Michael Chiklis and Denis O'Hare

Come one, come all to the new weekly TV Recap of American Horror Story: Freak Show in which every Thursday I take a look at the latest happenings in Fraulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities. What will the fourth season of Ryan Murphy's anthology series bring and what will we remember from this delightfully oddball group of characters? Join me as I look at the Top 5 Characters of the week, recap important events, and share overall thoughts on the series as well as any other interesting tidbits worth of mention.

Top 5 Characters of the Week

Denis O'Hare

1. Stanley (Denis O'Hare)

Importance: Without him, the major surprises that come throughout this episode wouldn't be nearly as powerful or interesting. He has been looking to kill a freak for quite some time. He finally gets the shot with a very enraged Dell Toldeo (Michael Chiklis) trying to work out his personal problems. He is a great con man and with the help of his persuasive wit, he manages to get what he wants without too much effort. 

Best Scene: When first meeting up with Dell back at the circus, they discover that they were both at the same bar the night before. Dell begins to get upset when Stanley asks him to do some dirty work for him. However, with Maggie Esmerelda (Emma Roberts) on the outskirts, he knows how to play the game. He sets the freaks against each other without much effort. In a way, he may be one of the more dastardly characters to come out of the later episodes of this season.

2. Dell Toldeo

Importance: Where to start. Beyond killing Ma Petite (Jyoti Amge) for Stanley, he finally opens up to Jimmy "Lobster Boy" Darling (Evan Peters) that he is his father. Together, they manage to get drunk and unite over Dell's very flawed logic about men being superior to women. In an episode where Dell gets beaten up by the tall woman and is potentially about to get a severe backlash from his peers, he is quite a nuisance in this episode while looking for respect anywhere that he can. Sadly, that involves giving into Stanley's request.

Best Scene: Upon stumbling back form drinking all night, Dell and Lobster Boy have bonded and are causing a ruckus. It causes Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange) and everyone to wake up and try to deal with the scene. Elsa tries to calm them down, but Dell is so convinced that he is in control that to see Lobster Boy fall to the same fate is a little tragic. It is a brief moment that comes on the heels of them discovering their familial bonds, but one that may sadly turn the otherwise likable Lobster Boy into a jerk just like his father.

Evan Peters

3. Jimmy "Lobster Boy" Darling

Importance: It looks like things are changing for Lobster Boy. Where he has always been somewhat of a rambunctious kid who wants to be doing something, this is the first episode where he may be becoming influenced by the wrong forces. His father Dell may not quite agree with Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates), but it never seemed like a problem to him. That is, until this week when suddenly his new found love of Nirvana music and drinking have turned him into a clone of his father. Will the rage issues come along? That's a good question.

Best Scene: While at the bar, Lobster Boy tries to confront Dell about the truth. He knows that Dell is his father, but he doesn't want that to be the cast. He doesn't understand why his father doesn't share the claw-like hands. As they sit and drink, he wants to not believe the situation in front of him. However, as he stumbles into the alleyway, drunk and dismayed, they finally accept each other, starting a bond that may become a little dangerous somewhere down the road.

4. Penny's Dad (Lee Tergesen)

Importance: Penny (Grace Gummer) loves Paul the Illustrated Seal (Mat Fraser) and he doesn't approve. When Penny refuses to listen to him, he decides to take matters into his own hand and turn her into a freak with the assistance of a tattoo artist. The results are horrifying and leave her scarred and forever unable to be seen in public without any freakish reactions ever again. The stern father has made his point, which is very, very sad.

Best Scene: In an episode full of cruelty, the final 10 minutes play out as some of the darkest moments in the show's history. Along with Ma Petite dying, watching Penny's Dad enjoyably watch a tattoo artist scar his daughter's face with ugly designs is heartbreaking and his joy in seeing it is even more perverse. This may be the last that we see of him, but his cruelty to his own daughter because they disagree on one thing is very sad and probably one of the most tragic aspects of the season. Not bad for characters that were just introduced an episode ago.

Sarah Paulson

5. Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson)

Importance: Once again, the two heads are taking sides and getting very upset. First, they disagree on the stance in which Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock) kidnapped them or they escaped. Also, with one wanting to move into stand-up comedy, there's a whole lot of conflict between the two. Also, there's still talk of them losing one of the heads in order to become more normalized.

Best Scene: In a split screen, Bette reads a letter exchange that she had with Elsa regarding their future. In an episode that lacked a variety of memorable performances, this technical design is rather exciting because it introduces some flare to the characters as they talk about the surgery and the future that each of them want. There's a desire to be accepted and to get rid of each other. Still, their lives are in place and it will be hard to change most of it.

Jessica Lange

Overall Thoughts

I think that something happened between last week and this week that made me care more. I will admit that the thrill that I get from this show has been a little tarnished the past few weeks. However, I came away finding a lot to enjoy about this episode. It could be that the tones are nicely dark this time around and they are full of perverse interest. Yes, some stories are meandering, but the final 10 minutes builds to something fascinatingly bleak. Nobody wanted to see Ma Petite die, not even Dell. That makes the final moments all the more tragic. However, that just shows how powerful Stanley's persuasion is. Even if Maggie is clearly in a relationship with Lobster Boy, it seems like he is going to get mad with power and start killing everyone.

I will also admit that while I have been enjoying the musical numbers, I didn't feel much substance in Lobster Boy covering Nirvana's "Come As You Are." There were some interesting transition shots, but otherwise it felt a little hollow. I get that it was established to make a rift between Lobster Boy and Elsa, but I want so much more. I do think that Lobster Boy is one of the few characters who is all over the place and is hard to pin down on any given week. First he starts off against Dell, but now has embraced him. He seems to have gotten easily persuaded. Either that, or he is a very gullible drunk. I'm not entirely sure.

Also, while I didn't really care about Penny or Paul last episode, I feel like they have slowly become something more. Where Dandy wanted to be a freak by choice, Penny was thrust into the category by a very sadistic father. It may be a little too uncomfortable, but it is surprising and keeps the show's "horror" as a relevant moniker. I have no idea if they will matter beyond this episode, but it does feel poignant that Penny and Paul were joined together by defacing their own bodies (in different approaches). Still, it is going to be quite a last few episodes I hope.

I wonder what lays ahead. The doctor doesn't like freaks anymore because Dell broke his hands. That is reasonable, but what does it mean for the road ahead? It feels like Ethel is going to end up being screwed over, as she is already dying. In fact, I see Dell being a massive brute in most of the remaining episodes, choosing to destroy the camp from the inside. With the lack of Dandy this episode, I have no idea what exactly is left to do with him. However, there's a good chance that he can pin it on Dell since he is a more present force at the moment.
Still, the episode is rather solid given all of the strange inconsistencies that I feel towards the show. It has accepted its dark tone and is starting to pick up the steam. I am not entirely sure where it is going and if it will work out in a satisfying manner, but as long as it does something productive next time, I may be back on board with the series. As for now, it's a good episode and probably the best in a few weeks. Most of all, it just packs quite a punch in all of the most unexpected ways.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5