Alice Rush reviews the season finale of American Horror Story: Freak Show…
It’s time for Fräulein Elsa’s Cabinet of Curiosities to close as another season American Horror Story ends. It’s been a tempestuous season, housing moments of television gold amidst a generally average sea of superfluous characters and storylines. I’ve had my fair share of criticisms as once again I feel like Freak Show has not been able to live up to seasons past, lacking that specific mix of tension, horror, art, and poetry that characterised the first two seasons wonderfully. All this being said, however, I was surprised at how much emotion I had actually invested in this show and it wasn’t until the very last scene that I came to a sudden and shocking realisation: I’m going to miss these characters and this show a hell of a lot.
As the new owner of the camp, Dandy sets about making himself the headliner, bossing the rest of the freaks around. The two sides soon come to blows and enraged by Paul’s assertion that he will never be a freak like them Dandy does what he does best and goes on a killing spree. Paul, Penny, Suzy and Eve are all on the wrong end of Dandy’s pistol and soon everyone is dead, with the exception of Jimmy and Desiree. Understandably they’re upset and the pair track down Bette and Dot who are being held at Dandy’s house and they all conspire to get revenge. They trick Dandy and drug him, bringing him back to the camp for justice, freak show style. It always had to be a grand exit for Dandy, undoubtedly one of the best characters of this season. His desperation to perform and be a freak is his undoing as he meets his demise trapped in a Houdini water tank whilst Bette, Dot, Desiree and Jimmy watch, eating popcorn.
Fast forward to 1960 and we see that Elsa has made it in Hollywood. She has everything she ever wanted, however the irony being that these material dreams are hollow and she is really unhappy, as all she ever wanted was to be truly loved. She seems more lost than ever and with nothing left to lose after she learns of Massimo’s illness, the freaks death and the networks plans to drop her, she agrees to perform on Halloween. As she sings her last Bowie number we see that Desiree got married and had children, Jimmy and Dot got together and her and Bette are pregnant. With their stories all tied up it’s time to bid farewell to Fräulein Elsa, and by extension Jessica Lange who is leaving after this season. Edward Mordrake comes for her but does not take her soul with him, deeming that she belongs somewhere else.
And here comes the ending that I’m sure will divide the audience. Elsa spiritually returns to her freak show surrounded by all the other dead camp members, including Ethel. She hurries into her dressing room, dons that blue suit and as ‘Life on Mars’ begins to softly play Elsa returns to where she always belonged; surrounded by her family and ready to perform.
I’m sure people will look disdainfully on this “happy ending”, comment that it’s a cop out and profess that the writers could have done better. And they would be partially right, I do think this whole series could have been done better. It had a lot of promise and potential to be the most unnerving and aesthetically interesting season yet but it fell short of expectation. It’s messy storylines made the majority of the mid season episodes rather repetitive and the one on one relationships never really came to believable fruition. And yet, I loved the finale. It wasn’t until those first few bars of ‘Life On Mars’ began to play that a mixtures of happiness and sadness hit me like a brick. I hasn’t realised it, but over those weeks I had secretly become attached to these characters, these superfluous and often two dimensional characters. I had been sucked into the Freak Show and I didn’t want to let go. I think a big part of this cathartic release was down to the fact this was Jessica Lange’s final bow. She’s been the bedrock of the show since day one and I can’t imagine a season without her. But as Elsa slapped on the makeup and was wheeled onto the stage, bathed in the bright stage lights, I felt this was how she was always meant to leave; ready and willing to give the performance of her life.
For all ‘Freak Show’ did wrong I think it got it right in the end. These characters who had suffered so much all got their happy endings, one way or another. I still don’t hold it in as high regard as I do Murder House or Asylum but as a closing episode I got all I wanted as a viewer. Bowie was right, this was the freakiest show, and the thought of Elsa’s Cabinet of Curiosities perpetually existing in same shape or form for me was a perfect end. Maybe I’m a sucker for a happy ending, but after that episode I can honestly say I don’t care if I am at all. Auf Wiedersehen, Freak Show.
Alice Rush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszFJHnpNzqHh6gswQ0Srpi5E&v=qqtW2LRPtQY&feature=player_embedded&x-yt-cl=84411374&x-yt-ts=1421828030
Originally published January 23, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
