American Horror Story — Series 4: Freak Show — Episode 9 and 10: Tupperware Party Massacre & Orphans

7th November, 2017

You know, I’ve had to admit, I’ve not had that much time off, this year.

Really.

I should, obviously, take more of it.

But, when I’ve not been sleeping like a log?

I’ve been sleeping like … something that’s not a log, to be perfectly frank.

But there we go.

At any rate?

I’ve found out, today, what should be happening with any unused holiday pay I’ve accrued.

Let’s just say it’s interesting, and leave it there, shall we?

~≈Î≈~

At any rate … ?

At any rate, I’ve had today, off.

And, yes: feeling as tired as I have been for the past few days.

But not so tired that I couldn’t catch up with more TV box set.

Yep.

Monday is Star Trek Discovery night.

Tonight, on the other hand?

Is American Horror Story night … 

Is about series 4 … 

Is about … Freak Show.

~≈Î≈~

Episode 9 — Tupperware Party Massacre — shows us Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters) slowing turning into a drunk: as events catch up with him.

Because of that?   He’s seen off of a house where he’s been turning tricks at a tupperware party.

After bursting into tears on one clients lap.

And, before he gets there?   Having a confrontation with Dandy (Finn Wittrock) who’d gotten a psychic reading — ahem — from Maggie (Emma Roberts).

It’s only after Jimmy leaves the tupperware party?

That the real trouble starts.

With Jimmy’s arrest for massacring everyone at the Tupperware party. 

~≈Î≈~

Episode 10 — Orphans — opens with tragedy.   Salty (Christopher Neiman) his died in his sleep: and his partner and fellow pinhead, Pepper (Naomi Grossman), is overcome by grief.

Meanwhile?   Maggie gives Desiree (Angela Bassett) and her new love a reading.

And, once recovery from her hangover?   Visiting the Museum of Morbid Curiosities with Desiree.

Only to be shocked at what she finds there.

Jimmy’s hands … 

~≈Î≈~

I have to admit, Freak Show … ?

Freak Show is showing me something.

It’s showing that American Horror Story’s writers are on form.

Not only that.

I’ve felt, for some time, that the show’s changing, ensemble cast, is one of its strengths.

From the little I know?   Jessica Lange leaves the series after this series.

But is, as Madame Elsa, putting in the performance of a lifetime.

There’s something else.

Something American Horror Story shares with Star Trek: the Next Generation is that large ensemble cast.

What’s more, the former seems to have learnt as trick from the former.

Give each character a moment to shine: sometimes with an episode about them, sometimes a strong scene.

It’s the latter in the case of Tupperware Party Massacre: the scene where Ethel goads Dell into hanging himself had me on the edge of my seat.

And the sceen towards the end, where Dot admits how she feels to Jimmy, Betty admits she can be very tactful when needed, and where Jimmy breaks the twins hearts by admitting there’s someone else?

Left me feeling quite emotional.

But not as emotional as Orphans.

Quite frankly, in showing us Pepper’s story, the writers have fed  us a story that ties Asylum and Freak Show together.

And shows us Naomi Grossman giving the emotional performance of a lifetime.

If you watch no other episode of Freak Show?

Go watch Orphans.

If you’re not wiping away tears by the end?

You’ve no heart.