Review: ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ (Massarces & Matinees)

The latest miniseries in the American Horror Story franchise, Freak Show, presents, this week, “Massacres and Matinees.” The people of Jupiter are suspicious of the freaks camped just outside of town as more bodies pile up.  Strongman Dell Toldeo (Michael Chiklis, The Shield), on the run after killing a man in Chicago, offers to keep the carnival safe, and given an inch, he takes a mile. This is much to the dismay of Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters), who doesn’t know he’s Toldeo’s son, and whom thinks he can protect this family on his own. Neither seems to understand the threat brewing, though, when the real killer gets a dangerous new partner.

One thing that strikes me about American Horror Story: Freak Show so far, is that the freaks, those who look abnormal make people uncomfortable, are pretty darn sympathetic. The show almost skews too much this way, hitting us over the head that these are ‘normal people,’ while showing just how monstrous normal-seeming they are. Whether it’s a bratty rich boy with a sadistic streak or judgmental diner customers, the most “average” freaks are the ones of whom to be aware.

In this second episode alone we’re introduced to a couple new cops, the Mott family’s hired help Nora (played by musical great Patti LaBelle) and, most importantly, Strong Man Dell Toledo (Michael Chiklis) and his hermaphroditic wife Desiree Dupree (Angela Bassett).

That’s a lot of new characters to introduce after you’ve already loaded the show with all of Elsa Mars’ “freaks” in the season premiere, but these new additions do add some intrigue.

The episode, however, focuses heavily on Dell Toledo’s entrance into Mars’ world, but doesn’t take quite enough time to give his character the balance he might need to anchor an episode. All we get to see of Toledo is his nasty, brutish side. Maybe, upon further inspection, that’s all he’s got, but it’s not enough for us to care very much about him. In fact, by episode’s end, he basically just becomes an object of hate.

On the other hand, we get a fully realized (if completely over-the-top) character in Dandy Mott. It takes an awful lot to outshine the uniquely talented Frances (who plays his mother Gloria), but Finn Wittrock plays Dandy with such absurd aplomb that it’s hard not to love him, hate him, and love to hate him all at once. It’s absolutely impossible not to want to see him onscreen the entire time. It’s like Murphy took a freakishly entertaining castoff from “Glee” and plopped him down in Jupiter, Fla., with a crazy, albeit well meaning, mother.

“I’m turning to dust from boredom,” he says before dashing off into the night to plead his case for joining the freak show.

Jimmy Darling may not see Dandy’s appeal, but we sure do.

“This is the perfect place for me,” he tells Darling before being booted from the big tent. And, by the conclusion of “Massacres and Matinees,” we actually believe him. Not only is his sidling up with Twisty the Clown, an unexpected turn for the straight-laced character, but it’s also one that will surely bring plenty of hilarity to the series for the next few weeks at least.

Speaking of Twisty, we finally get to see what the most horrifying clown in the history of pop culture looks like without his toothy grin and to say that he’s actually more terrifying is probably an understatement. Yikes.

In an episode that seems to be playing the mystery element of the show much more by-the-numbers, and even spinning its wheels at times, Twisty the Clown brings with him a much-needed sense of tension and urgency.

Sarah Paulson’s performance of Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” will likely end up being the moment of “Massacres and Matinees” that gets the most attention, but it doesn’t quite feel like it adds much to the episode’s weight the way Elsa’s rendition of “Life of Mars” did in week one. That being said, it’s a fittingly freakish song done justice by Paulson as both Bette and Dot Tattler.

It also does quite a number on Elsa who is now putting her master manipulations into action by encouraging the disappointed Bette to put an end to her twin sister. Nobody wants to lose their headlining spot, especially not Elsa Mars, and there’s absolutely no way she’s going to continue sharing second-billing with Meep the Geek.

Speaking of the little chicken-chomping oddity, he becomes fodder for the episode’s plot machinations. Jimmy Darling’s plan goes up in smoke when Dell Toledo sees him try to plant the dead cop’s badge in his trailer, gets Meep thrown in jail, and wins the day as Jimmy cries over the corpse of his diminutive friend. Thrown at his feet like a sack of garbage, Meep is another casualty of Darling’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later style of trying to rally the freaks. His attempts to lead and protect so far have not worked out so well.

One might think that now in its fourth season, “AHS” would find a way to improve in its ability to thread complicated mysteries and plot, but “Massacres and Matinees” proves that it’s still learning.

We also get a bit of Murphy’s tendency to get heavy-handed with his identity message. I love the fact that the rallying call for this season of “American Horror Story” will be “we’re not freaks,” but we don’t actually need to hear Jimmy Darling say some variation of those words nearly every time he’s on screen to get it. The audience is smart enough to understand without it being pounded into our heads.

“It doesn’t matter that they’re good,” Elsa says when she realizes that Bette Tattler can’t sing a lick. “They have two heads.

Maybe instead of telling us every five minutes that his friends are just like everyone else, Jimmy Darling should tell the person that needs to hear it most: his boss.

Lest you think I’m being too hard on the episode, there’s still plenty to like in the hour andmore than enough to keep up interested in where “Freak Show” is headed.

Chiklis and Bassett are a great addition to the cast that will really get to show off if the writing for their characters improves, Dandy Mott is a revelation, and Twisty the Clown continues to scare the pants off nearly everyone watching.

Yes, there are still plenty of questions to be answered, but as long as “American Horror Story: Freak Show” answers them along with delivering the same oddball atmosphere they delivered in the season premiere, we’ll keep watching. Matinee or midnight shows. It doesn’t really matter.