Tuesday, January 27, 2015

American Horror Story Freak Show Finale: Curtain Call Recap and Thoughts

Spoiler Alert for American Horror Story Freak Show finale: Curtain Call

The curtain has come down on American Horror Story Freak Show finale. I must say, I'm going to miss my weekly ride. As many say, it's an uneven show but still wonderfully entertaining.

I loved the costumes, the way the clothes had tent stripe patterns and various other motifs. American Horror Story is luscious eye-candy every season between the amazing costumes, fabulous set designs, photography, and other nuances.

There are so many story-lines in FreakShow that it was frustrating to be on the ride sometimes. Almost every storyline could have done with more care and attention and could likely be an entire series unto itself. It almost felt like a hot-and-dirty one night stand, much like the sex lives of most of the freaks. However, life is frustrating. Being a freak is frustrating. Horror stories don't always tie up into a neat bow.

This is a good thing because it shows that the audience cares about the series. The audience wants more, and the best entertainers know you leave them wanting more.

In binge-watching a few episodes and then following the rest of the Freakshow season weekly, the season does indeed adhere to its original premise or arc. The idea of freaks taking care of each other mostly rings true except for a few random betrayals by the owner herself, no less, but is tied up in the end. There really is no place like home...? However, the concept of beautiful Dandy being the most ugly person on the show was faithfully followed from the very first episode to the very last. He was the (albeit hit-us-over-the-head-with-a-sledgehammer) symbol for what the freaks and all humans are all about. With him being an outsider, he provided another perspective of Elsa Mars' Cabinet of Curiosities.

There are many questions that fans want answered. We may never learn the answer. Or perhaps some loose ends will be tied up in Season Five.

There have been rumblings about Chester's non-appearance in the finale. Why should there be? He was likely thrown into a straight-jacket and tossed into a loony bin. In doing a background check, they'd realize he's wanted for a double-homicide if not more, and he's not going anywhere ever again. The writers didn't need to waste precious minutes showing us any of that. Besides, this leaves a gap for Chester to pop up again, depending on where the series heads.

What happened to Stanley and his giant...uh...appendage? Last we saw him was when Dandy found him with his arms and legs hacked off and his tongue ripped out. I thought Dandy would have shot him in that moment, or conversely, made him a centrepiece for his new show. You never know with Dandy. I wondered if Stanley still had his manhood or why no one mentioned once that he had a three foot schlong after they amputated him?

Even if you didn't notice that Freak Show had somehow morphed into two different shows along the way, the finale certainly hammered that one home. First we had the Dandy Show and then we had the Elsa Mars Show.

Dandy bought the freak show in the previous episode. We now learn that he's going to sing and dance as the star. As expected he's a prima donna in rehearsal and gets on the freaks' nerves. They mock him, Dandy is mean as usual, Paul the Seal spits on Dandy, and most of the freaks quit, even though, only a few minutes before they had all agreed they'd put up with any shit Dandy threw at them because he was rich. Dandy had one of his patented hissy-fits, and the freaks lost their meal ticket in their own stupid "oo you hurt my feelings" hissy-fits. Sucks to be them.

Well, we know you don't piss off Dandy.

Next we see Dandy walking through the freak-show grounds in a white suit, whistling Tchaikovsky and shooting any freak he sees. Haters online are complaining how Dandy didn't stop to reload. I myself have no gun knowledge so the thought never occurred to me as he was walking, whistling, hunting, bumping into stuff, and there was quite a passage of time between cut-aways. If him not reloading is the biggest complaint you have, well, this is a fiction story, after all. I personally think what's worse is that he should have whistled a Cole Porter tune or say, something from the previously referenced, The King and I, such as "Shall We Dance?" or  "I Whistle A Happy Tune" instead of The Nutcracker Suite but perhaps the writers didn't think a modern crowd would "get it."

Dandy takes his beloved twins hostage, almost the only freaks left alive. In a dizzying, happens way too fast and is unbelievable but they needed to cram all this crap into about five minutes manner, Dandy marries Bette in a fancy-ass ceremony in his playroom. I mean really. How did he get all these people together so fast? Who made this two-headed frou-frou dress so quickly? Hasn't anyone talked about the massacre at the freak-show over the few days it must have taken to pull this off? What did he do with his mom/Tupperware lady puppet? Are they rotting away behind the curtain? Is there a fly issue with all the blood in the tub or does the maid scrub it?

One thing leads to another and next thing you know, he's chained up in his tightie whities in a Houdini tank back on the freak-show stage ranting about he's immortal. Thank you, writers, for giving us one last look at lovely Finn Wittrock in angry naked Dandy-mode.

What I think would be really cool is that once everyone splits the freak-show and the cops come and discover the carnage, Dandy's body is lifted from the tank and he's still alive. He's immortal after all.

Once the Dandy Show concludes, we begin the Elsa Mars Show for the second half of the finale.
We watch Elsa's journey to be the star we already knew she'd be from that magazine that Pepper read a few episodes ago. Elsa has everything she ever wanted, yet she's bitterly unhappy. Yup, she's one of those people...never happy. At any rate, she thinks she has a plan for happiness, but yet, even that is thwarted. She decides to do something she had always refused to do since she left the freak-show. She performs on Halloween.

Elsa is whisked away by Mordrake, however, she isn't what he wants, but he does let her go to another dimension. In this world, she is reunited with her beloved Ma Petite and all her monsters. Her face, (god Jessica Lange is so amazing) betrays her confusion, happiness, love, hate, and dread at the idea of being in the freak-show again...forever.

The series ends as it begins. In doing so, my own theory is that the eternal freak-show is not the heaven that many views believe it is, but hell. Yes, Ethel tells her Elsa's the star of the show (just like Dandy was the star of his death-show, with Angela Bassett remarking, "That boy is a star," in case we didn't make the connection) with a full house every night but we know that Elsa didn't want to be star of a freak-show in real life, and even when she became a rich TV star, she wasn't happy so Elsa, no matter where she ends up, will not be happy.

I believe that the story of FreakShow is Elsa's endless hell loop.

Although the audience sees the surviving freaks leading happy lives in a montage while Elsa sings, is this really what happened to the others, or is Elsa having a fantasy?

I presumed that Bette and Dotte inherited Dandy's money. Of course, where is his body? Don't they have to provide a death certificate to get their hands on his inheritance which he may not even have yet from his own mom, depending on timelines and how smart or dumb he was?

Was the marriage even legal?

How come there's no mention of a millionaire being found in a water tank or however they found him?

How come Elsa never heard about the freaks in her many years in Hollywood, or had she and was just surprised that others found out? A freak show massacre would definitely make the news. As well as a dead millionaire, his mom, and who knows who else? I'm sure Dandy buried mom puppet in the garden. But was it found? Or did he dissolve them in acid?

How did Dandy drag Ima across the freak-show grounds for his macabre masterpiece? Yes, we know he's strong but can he really drag her around?

How can you call something a "snuff" movie when the star didn't die? Why is it bad to have survived a horrific "snuff" movie where your legs get sawed off? Wouldn't it be a GOOD thing you survived torture?

And isn't Jimmy wanted for a bunch of things like the murder of Tupperware ladies and some cops? Won't he be suspected of the freak-show massacre too? And Dandy's death? And perhaps whatever mayhem that's discovered at Dandy's house.? So how is Jimmy living a happy life with two-headed girls and presumably no one knows about them? They just cashed a whopper of a check and ran to a remote place and hid for decades, with two heads and lobster hands? Aren't the girls on the run for murder? Wouldn't they get thrown in the clink if they use Dandy's bank account as they would be discovered?

I'm sure that the frozen dinner Jimmy is eating is from Dandy's company. Jimmy's likely running it, maybe even as Dandy by phone?

Does Bette ever miss Dandy? I don't think she liked tricking him and still had a soft spot for him even though she said she hated him. She was being pressured by the others. Her sister got lobster boy but she gets nothing but to share lobster boy. Or maybe she loves lobster boy now too since she realizes that's who's she's getting and that's that. And let's face it, there are a lot worse fates than chilling with Evan Peters.

I have more random thoughts about this series that I'll post at another time. I really did enjoy the finale even though, as I said, I was very frustrated with some of the story lines that were rushed or not tied up as neatly as I desired. I like it when shows make me think about all the possibilities these fabulous characters can experience and Freak Show has done that.

Please share your comments and theories.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Oh, Dandy, How I'm Going to Miss You!

Superdeduper Spoileramas for American Horror Story: FreakShow

I began watching American Horror Story: FreakShow during the second part of the two-part Mordrake story arc. I didn't really like the Dandy character much and thought he was totally out of place in the FreakShow universe.

I eventually was able to finally view the series from the first episode right up until Tupperware Party in pretty much a two-day binge.

The character of Dandy made way more sense to me, obviously, and I fell in love with his man-baby, blood bathing, puppet-making ways.

When we first meet him, he's wide-eyed at the FreakShow and wants to become part of it. He knows he's "different" and hopes that maybe the freaks will accept him. He also wants to buy the twins who have two heads and one body. His mom gives it a shot but Elsa refuses to sell them. Dandy also wants to become part of the FreakShow but Elsa turns him down.

Dandy is bummed out and bored. He's well read and loves the theatre. He dreams of becoming an actor, a star, but his mom won't let him become common theatre folk. However, she attempts to cheer him up by renting him a clown that she finds wandering the road. Of course, she has no idea that Twisty the Clown is a demented serial killer.

Dandy plays with the clown a bit, but the clown isn't into his puppet shows. The clown is bored of Dandy and knocks him out. Dandy wakes up and follows him, likely for revenge, but he has the time of his life when he sees what Twisty is really all about.

It is around this time that the audience sees the character of Dandy evolve through an arc that is actually carrying into the final episode.

Along the way, Dandy finally gets to have his twins in his playroom and he's thrilled and spoils them rotten. One of the twins falls in love with him. The other twin loves Jimmy the Lobster Boy. The twins leave when Jimmy discovers where they are and takes them back to the circus.

Dandy is beyond despair at the loss of his loves. He wanted to marry them. Even worse, they lose their virginity to a crazy ventriloquist and Dandy has the pictures, provided by his P.I. We actually feel sorry for Dandy when he realizes what's happened. When he says, "They were supposed to be mine," we know that this isn't over by a long shot.

Now, at the end of the latest episode, "Show Stoppers" Dandy owns the circus and essentially, owns the twins, again. What a thrilling and chilling moment!

Storyline, character, actor, director, and photographer have combined to create a work of horror art/iconic psychopath that hasn't been done in a while. Dandy was already a costume this past Halloween and that was before the Dandy/Finn Wittrock fan base blew up.

Dandy is a perfect commentary of the modern psychopath/sociopath/narcissist. Material greed, selfishness, hovering narcissistic mom, unlimited resources, and boredom is indicative of many households in modern times. Even without unlimited resources in a family, a narcissist usually manages to find a way to get others to pay. Dandy is the modern man-baby, it's all about him. His bedroom is like a child's nursery though he's a grown man, perhaps early twenties? It doesn't matter that FreakShow isn't a modern story, the parable is, on many levels.

Fun things about Dandy is that he drinks booze from a crystal baby bottle. He's obsessed with his looks. He likes puppets and theatre. He likes learning new skills. He's not afraid of exotic adventures. It's all about what he wants though he doesn't know what he really wants except to be an actor, well, until he decides he's much more.

Where I went from not really like this character to thinking he was the best thing I'd seen in forever occurred when he was sawing off Matt Bomer's arm. Sure I loved seeing him running around in his undies, especially both of them together. Absolutely. But Dandy was just another pretty spoiled TV-show boy until that moment. That classic moment when he's sawing off the arm, and Matt is still alive. Dandy has the best moments there. I was laughing and horrified at actor Finn Wittrock's brilliance. How hammy that could have been (don't get me wrong, this character is over-the-top but it IS about freaks and showbiz) or how wooden as so many other "psycho" actors can be. Finn hit the mark and it rocked.

He had a couple of now classic lines that he delivered magnificently as well throughout the series that have been made into countless memes. Especially some of his comments to Twisty. They are priceless. That Julliard training paid off for Finn Wittrock.

Dandy's droll observations really make for great entertainment. And really, that's all I want in any show. To be entertained. So thank you writers.

When the curtain comes down tomorrow, Dandy will be gone. It doesn't matter if he dies or not, the magic of this character creation in this season is over. Dandy Mott will live on in reruns but we'll never see anything original about him again. I'm sure Murphy is well aware of how many new fans Finn Wittrock has garnered and will likely put him in Season Five and who knows? Dandy may make an appearance or Finn may play someone else, as he's stated he wants to do in various interviews. But Dandy will never be Dandy how we know Dandy now. So enjoy him tomorrow night no matter what happens in the plot.

I will miss Dandy and his crazy adventures.

Can't wait for tomorrow's final episode.

Added thought:
Long ago we saw the twins in a bottle at the museum. I guess that this was just a fantasy?

It would be kind of cool if somehow Dandy became curator of the museum as well and put his beloved twins in his collection after they meet their demise.

I also had high hopes that Stanley's appendage would end up in a bottle as well.

What do you think?

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Psychopath Sunday: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Obviously this contains spoilers for American Horror Story: FreakShow Episode Twelve "Show Stopper!"

Well, I give kudos to American Horror Story: FreakShow writers for tantalizing us with the idea that they might actually be exploring the story arc of frustrated-actor-obsessed-with-the-twins Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock) taking over the FreakShow for the final episode. He may be a horrifying boss, we have yet to see, but not any worse than the lovely lady from whom he purchased the show.

Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange) is a frustrated actress who only wanted to be a star. Due to a series of horrifying life events, she became a reluctant star for deviants with specific appetites. She discovered a sense of belonging as she created the freakshow, collecting her monsters, quelling her sexual cravings, and most importantly, being the headliner in her own Freak Show. A con artist plants the seed in her head that she could be big on TV so after offing a few of her loved ones, she's off to Hollywood to make it big. She knows exactly what will happen if she sells the show to Dandy. She knows he loves the twins. She knows he's a psychopath. She's one too so she figures the show will be what it will be.

All Dandy Mott ever wanted to be was a star.

But it was hard to be a man-child with a domineering mom who put the kibosh on any aspirations he had towards going to Hollywood to be an actor.

Bet she's sorry now.

Dandy finds his muse in a serial killer clown and inserts himself as his eager protégée. When Twisty meets his demise, Dandy carries on the killer clown mantle for a while, but grows bored, as psychopaths do. Through a series of events, he eventually finds himself the owner of the very FreakShow that had turned him down for a chance to belong. He now not only gets to belong, he's in control.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

American Horror Story: Series and Season One Musings

American Horror Story

American Horror Story musings with tons of spoileramas for all the seasons!

With American Horror Story: FreakShow wrapping up in two episodes, I decided it was high time to sit down and watch the first two seasons once and for all. Luckily I’m a Rogers subscriber and a new service they’ve started called Showmi is offering the first three seasons. Even luckier, the first month of Showmi is free so there’s no excuse to not do my homework.

I completed my American Horror Story: Murder House viewing in the wee hours of the morning after watching it for about two days. I will confess, I had tried to watch it twice before when it was on FX. Once was on the day it actually started and the other when it was in reruns last year during Coven-time. However, both times it failed to hold my interest past the first little while. Mostly it was the less-than-stellar acting.

Several good horror writing pals told me that I’d like Murder House if I’d just get into it. And they were right. I like it very much. It was way better to watch it binge-viewing. And as a Rosemary’s Baby fan, I loved that part of it.

My first gut instinct comment is that Evan Peters has evolved and matured amazingly as an actor over the seasons. His work in Murder House is acceptable, he didn’t really have to do much as hunky horny FrankenTeen in Coven but as Jimmy the Lobster Boy in FreakShow, he deserves awards. I can’t wait to see him in Asylum which I’m starting tonight.

It was fun to watch Murder House after seeing Coven and FreakShow first. There are some little bits that tie the series together that are fun to spot. It’s also fun to see all the tropes and homages to other horror stories (hence the title of the series); some obvious, some not so much.

The first real line of dialogue in Episode One, Season One of American Horror Story is: “Hey, Freak!”  If you’ve been watching FreakShow, you know that freak is the operative word, especially with Jimmy yelling, “We’re not freaks,” a thousand times an episode.

Rosemary’s Baby is hugely spotlighted with Jessica Lange as a Ruth Gordon-type character. There are way too many Rosemary’s Baby references to get into. However, I loved the eating of the raw brains as one of my favourite scenes in RB is when Mia Farrow as Rosemary is chomping on raw liver. I’ve had those cravings myself when pregnant (craving raw steak, not brains) so it’s always fun to see a pregnant lady with extreme iron-deficiency cravings.

Evan Peters as Tate is very much playing a Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange character. I always thought Peters had a McDowell look about him, but they just plain out shot him a la Kubrick in a couple of scenes to drive it home! Love it.

As I mentioned, I didn’t totally buy Peters’ portrayal of his character. Of course, it’s hard playing a ghost playing a psychopath. I wonder too if perhaps it had something to do with the directing. The female psychopath Hayden played by Kate Maya in Murder House was terrible. I’m sorry to say that, I wanted to like her as we all know, I love psychopaths. She looked like Avril Lavigne trying to act like a bad girl. (I've never bought into Avril Lavigne as a Goth Grrl either.) I didn’t buy the black eye-liner, and she just didn’t feel real. Maybe she’s too nice in real life to find the evil inside of herself to be a husband-stealing-baby-stealing little bitch. I just didn’t buy her performance at all. I barely believed her as a mistress and didn’t believe her at all as a stalker. She gets points for trying. I’m not sure what didn’t work for me.

I guess the problem with seeing Murder House after FreakShow is that FreakShow is high voltage bloodbath orgy-ridden roller coaster ride while Murder House is slow slow slow. In FreakShow, Finn Wittrock expertly plays psychopath Dandy in larger than life manner; every nuance, every finger twitch, every lip quiver, every eyebrow lift is carefully calculated in a dance of perfection between actor, director, and camera. The actors playing psychopaths in Murder House don’t have the same level of intensity, perhaps direction, and so the performances feel weaker and don’t ring as true. There isn’t that level of audience fear about what the psychopath will do next, that anything can go horribly wrong at any minute in Murder House that you get with Dandy’s scenes in FreakShow. Dandy is a tightly wound violin string that can snap at any minute, and it's not predictable exactly when that snap is gonna happen. Peters character just doesn't have that same intensity although as a school-shooter mom-raping psychopath, he should.

Interesting that there was a very specific chair flip camera pov shot that is in Murder House and FreakShow and I think in Coven as well. It may well be a famous shot from some horror movie, I don't know.

There are lots of puppet and doll references in Murder House. We all know about the puppets in FreakShow. Dandy plays with his puppet theatre a lot and makes his own puppets out of mom and Tupperware lady. And there was a psycho doll hoarder who made a girl into his own doll in Coven. The ventriloquist doll/Jamie Brewer in FreakShow is going to be a big plot point this week, I think.
Murder House has a Dr. Frankenstein, in Coven we have a Frankenteen. In FreakShow, Elsa has wooden legs. Lobster Boy needs new hands to name a couple of numerous Frankenstein references.

Jamie Brewer wears a mask and make-up in Murder House and plays a ventriloquist doll in Freakshow. She sees dead people in Murder House and Coven and likely FreakShow. Chester wears the same over-exaggerated make-up in FreakShow that she does in Murder House.

There’s a character named Fiona in Murder House. Jessica Lange plays a Fiona in Coven.

Not sure how I feel about the Freddy Krueger stuff.

There’s a scene where Constance is painting a pair of lady legs in Murder House. Elsa has wooden legs in FreakShow.

Is the little boy in the Murder House Dandy? Yet it can’t be since Dandy was born by his mom, a product of inbreeding with relatives. And Dandy is just like his dad. In Murder House, Tait is the dad. Or was Dandy adopted or switched? We never saw his birth. Of course, I have to go back and look at the timeline, it likely wouldn’t make sense.

How is Tait a dad? How does a ghost make a baby? Or is he a demon, devil? We never learn what the original source of the horror of the murder house was. Yes, it was built for Lily Rabe by a Frankennut, but what was there before THAT? What made Frankendoc the original horror? There's a whole plot point where Sara Paulson tells us there's an original evil and made it sound like it was a demon or a portal, but then it was never addressed again. Or maybe I dozed off...

In Murder House, since it's in California, there are a few characters over the eras who want to be famous movie stars. A few are satisfied that their grisley deaths make them famous. In Coven, Emma Roberts is a famous movie star. Of course, Madam LaLaurie and Marie Laveau are famous in NOLA folklore, as were Axman and several others who showed up. In FreakShow, the driving theme is fame. Elsa wants to be famous, she almost was, and then she was for grisly reasons (much like some of the people in Murder House) and then she has another chance to be famous and won't stop at anything to make it happen. Dandy wants to be an actor and if his mom had just let him do some community theatre, he wouldn't have tried to become a clown and then found his true calling: Playing God.

Major Series Theme takeaways: puppet makers, other people "working the strings," Pinnochio, Frankenstein, God Complex, being famous/movie stars, parts sewn to parts, loves lost, perversions win, and the real freaks are those who are warped/evil on the inside no matter how beautiful they are on the outside...

Overall, I enjoyed Season One and am glad I took the time to watch it. 

Thursday, January 8, 2015

American Horror Story FreakShow : Magical Thinking Thoughts

As always, lots of spoilers!

I've come to accept that American Horror Story will always be disjointed and scrambled so I've given up on plot lines and any real resolutions. Hell, I still have a mountain of questions from "Coven!"

However, I'm along for the ride on the FreakShow merry-go-round and with only two episodes left, I'm not looking for anything but an entertaining slice-and-dice finale.

The writers of AHS: FREAKSHOW likely had no idea that the character of Dandy would have such a huge cult following. Although people loved Twisty, the character of Dandy has taken psychopath love to new heights. And I'm right on that bandwagon myself. So even though we've been going nuts waiting to get a Dandy "fix" again after three weeks, he wasn't even in the episode until almost halfway through. Before he showed up, I was getting depressed that it would be like the last episode with Pepper, no Dandy at all. But yes, he was there, scheming away.

I've been trying to decipher why "regular" folk are falling in love with creepy killer Dandy. I don't have to figure out my own personal love for him; I'm a horror writer and have had handsome/beautiful psychopaths in several of my stories and have a weakness for bad boys as my romantic history can attest. And he bathes in blood! Gotta love him!

However, lucky for Finn Wittrock, the rest of the world loves this creepy psycho too! I'm sure his acting card will be filled for years to come. I'm not familiar with his other work, yet, though I fully intend to get acquainted with it. I do find it interesting in my own little mind that he was on All My Children, the only soap I ever watched, which I watched for about twenty years, but stopped several years ago. Obviously I've never seen him on it. And with him in Angelina Joilie's new movie, his starvation days are likely now safely behind him. And if anyone ever makes my novella, Captured Souls (Samhain Horror, 2014), into a movie, I want Finn Wittrock to play Specimen One, who is not a psychopath but he's an egotistical writer being held captive by one!

Dandy's storyline is great fun and any actor would likely love to play him. Finn's nuances are fabulous. Since I've had my own real life run-ins with psychopaths, I have to say he does a great job. His mood swings, the bursting into tears at the drop of a hat, his maniacal smiles, his quivering lip petulance, the man-child innocence, and of course, working out in his underwear, are all very well done. So far, he's not turned Dandy into a crazy cartoon, and likely, this is why we've all fallen in love with him.

Not a lot of guys could pull off that crazy fur coat on the merry-go-round either, but Dandy-Finn does! As soon as I find a good picture from that scene, I'll put it up here.

I found a Dandy-Finn coat picture!

Okay, enough of my Dandy-thoughts. With two episodes left, I have some comments to make.

Why did we waste the first ten (?) minutes of the episode with Jimmy and the hand amputations? We already knew there were two lobster hands in the jar from weeks ago. All we needed to know was if they were in fact  Jimmy's or a relative's. Since we already knew he lost them both, it wasn't a surprise or even a horror. Also, Jimmy was painted as somewhat savvy in this series yet he was easily hoodwinked for this horrific amputation.

I guess instead of Jimmy using lobster hands, he can use those stumps to please the ladies...

If Esmeralda saw his hands and fainted in the other episode, why didn't she rush to the jail to see if he was okay, even though she was getting the Ma Petite jar? I guess she'll go see him in the next episode.

I have no idea why Elsa sold the circus to Chester. Does he have a thousand dollars? He looks like he doesn't have one dollar! Did they have a payment plan? Yes, I understand that she thinks he's "well-heeled" yet on the other hand, she was creeped out by him as well and could have pulled the contract.

The whole twins suddenly deciding they don't need diaries any more was weird. And the whole losing their virginity quest was odd too in a way, although both the girls have fallen in love with others; one with Jimmy, the other with Dandy. Yet neither one even thought about their "loves" during any of this! And why weren't they utterly creeped out by Chester and his doll, although I suppose you sort of have to get it where you can when you have two heads. A threesome/foursome with the twins, Jimmy and Dandy would be way more delicious than with Chester and his creepy doll!

When Dandy's PI tells him how the twins were frolicking with the ventriloquist, Dandy's really bummed out. And we feel sorry for him. And we fear for Chester. Dandy really had the hots for one of the girls, if not both!

Sure enough, Dandy takes Chester's precious Marjorie and taunts him about it. It would be way too easy for Dandy to just kill Chester. Dandy is a psychopath and is going to have a good time playing cat and mouse until he finally kills him. If he does. Maybe Chester will kill Dandy.

Is sawing the twins in half Dandy's spiteful idea? Did he plant the idea in Marjorie's/Chester's head? Is Marjorie really just a little doll on the stage that Chester hears speaking to him at the end of the episode? Did Dandy hire someone to act like the doll to instruct Chester to kill the twins? But if Chester hears the doll and then if someone is acting like the doll, will there be two dolls? If Dandy put the doll on the stage in the big top, he obviously has a plan. He wouldn't just give the doll back so that's why the ending is confusing.

What happened to the two-headed puppet that Dandy made of mom and the Tupperware lady? Is it rotting and collecting flies somewhere now that he has no servants to clean up after him? Is his mansion a mess now? Did he hire new staff? Has anyone noticed mom's not around?

Has he used up all his bathing blood? Does he need more? Is there a fly problem at the mansion?

Dandy has one of the best scenes in the episode (again). When the PI is telling him about how Chester murdered his wife and lover, Dandy's expression and comment is priceless and already the stuff of a thousand memes. "What a sicko!" and then he gets all child-like with glee. "Tell me, how did they die?"

I don't doubt that there will be a big Dandy/Chester showdown, literally. If Chester knew that Dandy wanted to be an actor, he likely could have bargained with him for a part in the circus since Chester now owns it. Or Chester could sell Dandy the circus and then Dandy could have the twins as pets again! But of course, Chester doesn't know that Dandy has it in for him or even who Dandy is. Chester went from kind of normal chameleon lover salesman to bat-shit crazy in forty minutes. Good job, Neil Patrick Harris.

So, two episodes to go! I can't wait to see what happens next.

Let me know your thoughts and predictions in the comments!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Psychopath Sunday:Musings and Observations

While I was walking today, I had deep thoughts about American Horror Story:Freakshow that I binge-watched last night. If you've been following my blog, you know I started watching this season late, the episode when Twisty was led away by the Halloween spirit. My thoughts are many and I don't have a lot of time to ponder in my blog, as tomorrow begins my back-to-work writing and editing life! However, like millions of others, I've been fascinated and repelled by the storyline concerning Dandy and his evolution from spoiled mama's boy to serial killer. This blog isn't really about that either.

Psychopaths Entertain Us!
I could likely write several non-fiction books about the power of the real-life psychopath and how normal folk are drawn to their dark, dangerous ways, however, I'm sticking to fiction. And even then, I'm just having a few scattered Sunday thoughts.

Some of the best stories are about psychopaths, serial killers, and other deranged folk. It's easy to see why we use them in entertainment. I myself often write about psychopaths, they are my favourite monster. When I look at my favorite books, movies, and stories, I seem to favor tales about psychopaths and narcissists.

Some iconic psychopaths have a lot in common in how they've been portrayed in film and television. They are often good-looking or unique-looking, have a hang-up or obsession, and inevitably have scenes that exposes their human-like vulnerability.  Although psychopaths themselves have no empathy, the average viewer has empathy for them and this is the key to how we love and hate these psychopaths. We see how they are "misunderstood" as we are privvy to their behind-the-scenes madness. This makes them human to us, and we root for them even though we know we shouldn't.

Psychopath Rituals
We get hooked in by scenes such as Eric Roberts in Star 80 working out and self-talking in the mirror for confidence. On my first viewing of this movie, at the Toronto Festival of Festivals (our film prof recommended we score tickets, if possible, so I did) this was one of the scenes that creeped me out the most. If you've ever seen All That Jazz, you'll recognize that Fosse used this idea though with another kind of narcissist. Jessica Lange is in All That Jazz, one of my favorite musicals. 

Real-life narcissists and psychopaths have to self-talk as well to get through their daily routines of deception and maintaining the illusion that they are human.

Many psychos are insecure despite their immense narcissism.   

Dandy has deep thoughts while doing push ups.
In American Horror Story: Freakshow, we were treated to a montage of Dandy working out and losing his mind. Nice work, Finn Wittrock!

Psychopaths think best in a warm tub.

Alex in bath. 

Dandy in his bath.

They also spend a lot of time in bed or on couches, thinking, obsessing over their idols and hobbies, and playing with themselves.

Alex in bed.

Dandy in bed. 

They love to dress up for their nefarious deeds and may even wear a mask now and again as they clown around.

Clowning around in A Clockwork Orange

Dandy Clown

Sometimes they just like to do normal stuff, which is why we like them.

Are you ready for your close-up?


Though sometimes they can freak out their friends with their enthusiasm.
"Hey! Why don't you want to take a bath with me like we used to when we were little?"

Which can lead to bad things happening.

Dandy did it this time!

Sometimes there's a mom ready to wipe up the psychopath's mess. 

Dandy and his mom

Of course, where would we be without the original movie, Psycho and the modern series, Bates Motel and those twisted mother and son stories?

Bates Motel finally starts up again very soon. I can't wait to see what's next in this sick soap opera!

Norman and his mom, Norma.

And since the big wigs in television land know that we are used to seeing our bad boys running around in tightie-whities, they've thrown in some big brother eye-candy for good measure. Norman's older brother, Dylan is essentially a good guy but has enough bad boy for us to love him.

Norman's hunky older brother, Dylan ends up shirtless in every episode and often is covered with blood and bruises! Yum.

So what's going to happen next on American Horror Story: Freakshow? Are they going to kill off Dandy so that the new cast members can shine? Will they make use of the psychopath storyline they've begun? Will Dot and Beth, the two-headed woman get their men, mortal enemies Dandy the psychopath and Jimmy the alcoholic Lobster Boy? Or will that potentially weirdly fun (and could be bizarrely erotic) and violent storyline get discarded because the series needs to wrap up fast?

I think that the lobster hands we saw in the jar were from one of Jimmy's relatives. Lord knows they've mentioned them enough over the past few months.

Like I said, these were a few of the thoughts that tumbled around my head this Sunday afternoon in January. I'm already thinking of more to add and maybe I'll have a Psychopath Sunday every week.  Remember, truth is often stranger than fiction. Watch out for the psychopaths in your own life!

Feel free to add your thoughts about psychopaths and American Horror Story: Freakshow.