Twisty’s captives didn’t have such a great week. Though the fetching Bonnie (Skyler Samuels) managed to assault him with a nail-studded plank of woods and give her and young boy Corey (Major Dodson) a chance at freedom, the clown quickly recaptures them with Dandy’s help. That creepy little creep has decided to join a different kind of freak show, one a little better suited to his inner cruelty. And because of Dandy, all Bonnie’s efforts amounted to was a horrifying peek under Twisty’s mask – it appears that his lips, teeth and tongue have been completely ripped out, and all that’s left is a gruesome, fleshy maw. Ew.
No sign of Emma Roberts this week, but I’m sure her fortune teller will be making an appearance soon enough. The number of stories already forming on Freak Show are more than enough to fill an hour a week, so it’s not as if her character is sorely needed at the moment. As far as second episodes go, “Massacres and Matinees” did a fine job all around. It continued to deepen characters, maintain the creepy period atmosphere and implement a few well-timed scares (anyone else jump ten feet when they saw Twisty standing behind that poor guy in the toy store?). Episode director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon brought a sense of playful theatricality to the proceedings, something that paid off during the climactic freak show performance.
The great thing about American Horror Story is that, no matter how ludicrous the stories get (and this is a Ryan Murphy joint, so they get out there and then some), the actors, direction and production values are almost always strong enough to really sell it, to completely transport you to whatever batty time and place it so chooses, and also to make you invested in the characters.
On Freak Show, Lange and Paulson are already nailing every note, throwing everything they’ve got into lavish, over-the-top characters whom they’re simultaneously taking great care to provide balance and composure. John Carroll Lynch is doing crazy-good stuff without a word of dialogue as Twisty, and Wittrock, as previously mentioned, is shaping up to be the season’s most fascinating and terrifying character. I’m also increasingly a fan of Evan Peters’ work as Jimmy, a tragic hero with shades of Frankenstein’s Monster, Edward Scissorhands and Les Misérables‘ Marius.
Where next week’s episode will go, I have no idea. I’m eagerly anticipating it, if only to find out whether Bette actually did something to Dot at Elsa’s urging (though murder is off the table for obvious reasons, I could maybe see her cutting out Dot’s tongue, which would create all sorts of interesting dynamics). The bond between these two sisters has been strained for a while, but I’d still be shocked if she actually carried out any sort of plot. Then again, American Horror Story does revel in upending expectations. Perhaps Bette is about to reveal a much darker side to her character. Tell me, what did you make of “Massacres and Matinees?” A worthy follow-up, or are you not hooked on the season quite yet?
