American Horror Story: Freak Show/ Episode 9 “Tupperware Party Massacre” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

All hell breaks loose as the show begins to no longer slowly descend into mediocrity, but hits the gas and dives off a cliff.

Topic 1: The Dead Watch – Dell & Jimmy

Topic 2: The Twins – Elsa, Stanley, Bette & Dot

Topic 3: I.Am.God – Jimmy & Dandy

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Topic 1: The Dead Watch – Dell & Jimmy

With his mother’s death still deeply affecting him, Jimmy has become a mess. He walks around constantly drunk; has dedicate his life to having sex, and feeding, Ima; and pretty much he is turning into a serious mess. Though things really get bad when he does his side gig, using his fingers for housewives, and he shows up drunk and useless. An issue because not only are the housewives unsatisfied, but he sees Ethel in a housewife and confides in her and completely freaks the women out. To the point, needless to say, he gets fired.

As for Dell, well between Stanley still willing to blackmail him, and use his shame for his benefit, it seems Dell was going to exit the show by hanging himself. Something Ma Petite and Ethel were watching, and cheering for a bit. Fortunately for him though, Desiree saves him last minute. Leading you to wonder if she may postpone possibly leaving with her beau [1].

Commentary

While Dell came storming in as a potentially interesting character, a lot of his thunder got lost once his storyline turned to him being a closeted homosexual and all his talk of taking over left. For while the topic of a closeted strong man could have been interesting, it isn’t like American Horror Story is the type of show which allows everyone in depth character development. Usually the show seems to play favorites, and those who aren’t favorites get maybe a one episode back story before their character begins to deteroite to the point death is kind. Making me wish they would have just offed Dell rather than kept him around with seemingly no purpose grander than being Stanley’s henchman.

As for Jimmy, well only half of his story has been told, and the good part isn’t until topic 3.

Topic 2: The Twins – Elsa, Stanley, Bette & Dot

We find out Ethel stored the twins in a motel and had planned Jimmy to take care of them, unfortunately though Elsa finds them and, with Stanley, seems ready to grant Dot her wish and separate her and her sister. Something Bette is completely against, for she fears dying in the surgery, but Dot is adamant. However, with Elsa and Stanley being the ones they have to trust, and Bette seemingly willing to give into Dot’s desires for autonomy, they leave the shack one of Stanley’s prostitutes were supposed to see them, and go see Jimmy. Thus leading to Dot offering herself to him and being rejected.

Commentary

I find it sad that this season pretty much peaked in episode 4. For truly, 5 episodes later, you can really see that the whole Edward Mordrake situation perhaps should have come much later.  For the twins, as said many times, have lost their luster and two heads of Sarah Paulson don’t seem better than one. For while she isn’t a bad actress, what so ever, at the same time her character has the same issue Jessica Lange’s has, it lacks interest, intrigue, and is the weakest one she has played in this series. Add on Elsa and Stanley to the story, and it makes things worse for they don’t play off each other well. Which is a shame since, in past seasons, Paulson and Lange made a good duo for scenes. Now though? It honestly does seem like both got the career boost they needed from the show, and now are ready to move on.

Topic 3: I.Am.God – Jimmy & Dandy

One of the unfortunate parts of Jimmy being drunk is him being drunk around Dandy, someone who has fully committed himself to becoming a serial killer, and has set his sights on ruining Jimmy’s life. How? Well, with Jimmy falling in love with bathing in blood, he decides to come in right behind Jimmy’s exit, of the housewives, and kill them all. Then, later on in the episode, when Regina shows up with a cop, he pays the cop a million dollars to first kill Regina, who rejected him and snitched, and then to frame Jimmy for the housewives’ murders. Making it seem, with Dandy’s vast fortune, he plans to do as he pleases, be completely open about it, and truly get away with murder.

Commentary

It’s a sad day when Dandy has somehow become the most interesting character. For, despite all that has happened with the character, including turning his mother into his own version of Dot & Bette, I still find him boring. Which I know, based on other reviews, I’m in the minority opinion, but watching a spoiled brat go on a murdering spree isn’t entertaining to me. I mean, I was hoping he was going to have a matching of wits with Regina, being that she would know the real him, but with her dying it leaves just Esmeralda to possibly end the madness. Something I’m not really for since while Emma Roberts was interesting in last year’s coven, she too has a boring and rather uninspired character. Leading me to really believe, no production of Ryan Murphy should probably last past 3 seasons. Though, to be fair, since I have watched quite a few things with his name on it, most shows really lose their appeal after 2-3 seasons.

With that said though, unless season 5 has one hell of a sell, I may just review the season premiere and leave it at that.

Things To Note

[1] Angus T. Jefferson played by Malcolm Jamal Warner, someone possibly from back where Desiree and Dell came from. If not a local.