AHS: Freak Show "Edward Mordrake Pt. 2" Review: German Horror Story (PHOTO RECAP)
American Horror Story S04E04: "Edward Mordrake, Pt. 2"
Much like what happens when we eat nachos for dinner every day, always getting what we want can grow boring. Therein lies the showrunner's dilemma: How do you convince viewers that what they don't like is what they eventually will like? Probably the most obvious approach to striking that balance is through casting. Judging by what's on TV these days, most producers and networks seem to believe that viewers all want to see beautiful, hot-bodied, young white people in as many of the lead roles as possible. And hey, maybe those characteristics constitute your idea of an ideal series lead. But they are also ingredients for boring and therefore terrible TV. Diverse casting is necessary for two big reasons. Yes, of course there's the notion that people of all backgrounds deserve to see themselves represented in the context of a universal story. But more importantly, as viewers we deserve to be shown things we don't always see. Instead of nachos for dinner every night, maybe on Wednesdays it's half a funfetti cake. And honey-glazed ham on Saturdays. Look, I don't know what you eat for dinner. What I'm saying is, sometimes the most effective way to keep us happy is to present new and unusual things as often as possible, and that includes unusual people.
Many people like to complain that Ryan Murphy's frequent showcasing of differently abled individuals constitutes exploitation. These detractors might reluctantly agree that, sure, there is a place on TV for an actress like Coven's Jamie Brewer or Freak Show's Jyoti Amge, but they'll then claim that Murphy's intentions are somehow not pure enough to warrant it. But honestly: WHO CARES why a creator would want to feature atypical actors or actresses in a TV series? The fact is that somebody should—if only to break up the monotony of interchangeable babes and hunks in primetime—and Murphy is pretty much the only one who does, and he does it so much better than people give him credit for. This week's episode of Freak Show further underlined this point by not only continuing to spotlight characters with physical differences, but by allowing those actors' emotional talents to shine. I could watch entire monologues by Mat Fraser (Paul "the Illustrated Seal"), but that's the problem: Other TV shows don't allow us that pleasure. So despite its lurid first impressions, Freak Show and American Horror Story in the larger sense know that to keep us entertained is to show us things we didn't know we needed to see. Specifically, the humanity of the differently abled. Any time we get that without any "very special episode" hand-holding is a huge and valuable experience.
Of course, all of this is just a complicated way of saying that "Edward Mordrake, Pt. 2" was extremely disgusting and horrifying, yet it still managed to serve as a tribute to Murphy's ability to mix empathy with outrageousness. What insane acrobatics this show performs! I mean that sincerely: American Horror Story is important.
Anyway, let's talk about "Edward Mordrake, Pt. 2"!
We picked up right where we left off in "Edward Mordrake, Pt. 1": With Edward Mordrake hassling the f*ck out of some circus folk.
Up first: Legless Suzi, who was not only woken up from a peaceful slumber by this top-hatted jerk, but look what happened when she tried to flee:
He kicked her across the damn room! That is by far the rudest treatment I've ever seen a half-woman receive. It was not fair or nice and quite frankly I was instantly mad at Edward Mordrake. But anyway, this top o' the episode grilling he was giving everybody at least allowed us to hear some of the so-called freaks' backstories.
In Suzi's case, she was pretty much abandoned by her parents when they decided she was too grody to have around—so she faced a life of street begging, which was not easy in that most passersby do not like having to bend over when tossing a sixpence into your tin cup. And that's to say nothing of the assy tapdancers hanging around just showing off their functioning legs. So one day Legless Suzi had HAD it and she straight-up SHIVVED a guy!
And she scurried right away from the scene of the crime and joined a freak show. Fair enough.
Meanwhile Paul the Illustrated Seal's story was not quite as awesome, but it did involve getting a full body tattoo in order to 'own' his freakishness. Except, when pressed, he admitted that he decided not to get tattoos on his face because his face was too handsome to ruin. And you know what? He DOES have a really handsome face, so that was a good decision on his part.
And in both cases these actors were REALLY GOOD. Like obviously they were cast for their unusual physical states, but it turns out they're also really talented at doing heavier dramatic work. Man, this show is really great, seriously.
Anyway, in both cases Edward Mordrake's psychic demon back-face determined that they weren't "true freaks" (and he didn't even bother evaluating Pepper and Salty), so it was time for one more stop on their freakish inquisition:
Elsa was, of course, still under the impression that Edward Mordrake was some kind of svengali who'd arrived to shuttle her off toward certain stardom, so she started flirting with him right away.
But that's when he got down to business! Because all of a sudden his gang of ghosts arrived and stole her legs!
Meanwhile out in the woods, a captive teenager was thinking of making a run for it.
Unfortunately the girl's plan did not go very well and within 10 seconds Twisty was tackling her in the middle of the road.
But on the positive side, at least it all happened in front of two eyewitnesses!
Yep, darling Jimmy Darling and the con artist lady had just happened to run out of gasoline for his motor scooter and were hiding in the woods in case the cops came and hassled them for breaking curfew. But what Twisty didn't expect was that Jimmy Darling WILL chase a clown into the woods and he WILL peek into a clown's nightmare RV.
But unfortunately Jimmy and the con artist lady were not great at hearing grown men sneaking up behind them, and that is how they ended up getting bopped on the head until they were unconscious on the ground. You win some, you lose some, you get attacked by an aspiring killer clown some.
Meanwhile Elsa was still telling her tales to Edward Mordrake, and she was about to get REAL specific.
And that's when we were treated to a flashback of early-'30s Berlin, where Elsa was engaged in some freaky behavior.
Next: Page 2, featuring Elsa's very naughty backstory
(Continued from Page 1)
Like, I'm not even sure what's happening here, but it involves an Abraham Lincoln hat with spoons taped to it?
And here is a lady making a tinkle into a comically large teacup while a man tries to keep his hand warm:
Here's a lady giving a man a P.J. (puppet job):
But of course the main attraction of this particular underground German sex club was a certain dominatrix with a fondness for lace:
Behold young Elsa Mars and her menagerie of whips and collars. Plus two working legs!
Here she was leading a young German soldier to a toilet seat covered in nails, obviously.
Okay, American Horror Story. Whatever you say.
But at this point Edward Mordrake was like, "I get it. German sex clubs are dark. But what about them legs?" And this was where Elsa's story took a turn for the unpleasant. In short, her career had hit the skids and she'd been reduced to starring in the occasional erotic film. But then one time she forgot to read the fine print and suddenly she was starring in a SNUFF FILM.
Hey look at that camera, doesn't it look like a friendly wooden robot? What's your name, fella? I bet it's Roderick or maybe Lionel. Where are you from, Lionel? Did your parents make you out of shingles they found in an enchanted forest? Lionel, you seem lonely. It must be tough being a wooden robot in this great big world. Hopefully you'll meet some good friends on your journey to discovering who you are. Nice to meet you, Lionel, and godspeed.
Anyway, that's how Elsa got her legs chopped off with a chainsaw in a snuff film and was left for dead.
At this point Edward Mordrake's back-face decided that Elsa was still pretty delusional about her life, which made her a true freak, and so he decided to murder her. But at the very last second he heard music coming from the nearby woods! Was it another anachronistic cover song?
No, it was not. It was simply a madman in a mask "putting on a show" while another madman in a mask accompanied on piano. Also the audience was made up of a bunch of children with no other options, much like the target audience for Frozen.
But then Dandy started to saw the wooden box that Emma Roberts' con artist lady was chillin' in, so Jimmy had no choice but to untie his ropes and take matters into his own flippers.
At that point Twisty jumped up and put Jimmy in a sleeper hold, but at least the con artist lady escaped. And I loved when she helped the other three kids escape also.
More like con ESCAPE-artist, you know? I don't know what you know, but I know what I know, and what I know is that this lady seems pretty decent deep down. I loved when she helped the kids, is what I'm saying. This guy doesn't know what I'm saying:
Woooo Dandy was TICKED.
Next: Page 3, where Twisty speaks!
(Continued from Page 2)
Meanwhile back in the nightmare RV, Twisty was about to scissor Jimmy and I don't mean in a sexy way. But fortunately for Jimmy, Edward Mordrake showed up just in time!
From there he sat Twisty down by the campfire and told him to take off his mask and that's when Twisty started getting real. Also he was surprisingly articulate for being a man with a slimy, gaping maw where his mouth used to be.
As you probably guessed, Twisty was a developmentally disabled man who was a perfect clown until a couple of little people started bullying him.
At that point Twisty ran away and joined the non-circus where he attempted to sell toys made of garbage.
But of course the public just wasn't ready for a clown selling toys made of garbage, so he resorted to plan B.
And there you have it! The story of Twisty. The problem was that he 'meant well' even when he was slaughtering innocents and kidnapping other innocents. And it was this delusion that set off the "true freak"-o-meter in Edward Mordrake's back-face.
So then Edward Mordrake knifed Twisty TO DEATH. But on the upside, at least he extended a warm invitation to join his gang of leg-stealing ghouls.
Also, congrats to Ghost Twisty for getting his mouth back. To be honest, nobody wanted to look at him with that lower-face mess he'd been sporting under the mask, not even the other ghosts.
And speaking of the mask, guess who walked up and took it from Twisty's still-warm corpse?
In four seasons of American Horror Story, this to me was the absolute grossest thing anybody's ever done. Just imagine what's been bumping and licking up against the inside of that mask for YEARS. Ugh, this show. I am gonna puke probably brb.
Meanwhile Jimmy woke up in the trailer and was immediately hailed as a hero for leading the charge in rescuing those kids.
Except he was still all mad about Meep getting murdered in jail, so he told off the detective real good. Still though, the rest of the town was very stoked about having their kids back, so they all showed up to extend an olive branch to Elsa's menagerie.
Meanwhile guess who seemed to be having feelings for Jimmy for REALZ now:
Guys, nothing less than a full-HD video at top volume can accurately portray Angela Bassett's single line of dialogue in this episode, but this still image should give you a hint:
She made that face at a little girl who'd asked if she was a woman, while replying, "I'm a lady... And then some!" But with a full body roll and arm movements straight out of the "Vogue" video. It was truly spectacular, and it goes without saying that Angela Bassett remains untouchable on this show. ONE LINE and she blows everyone away. Sorry Jessica Lange, sorry Kathy Bates, sorry Frances Conroy, sorry Pepper. Angela Bassett wins always and forever.
Meanwhile, now that the next performance was going to be a sold-out show, Elsa got REAL with the set-list.
But that's when a certain mysteriously endowed man showed up claiming to be from Hollywood!
Which resulted, of course, in an immediately comped ticket. Hollywood!
This was the worst:
DANDY MURDERED PATTI LABELLE!!!
Ugh, Dandy, how dare you. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing Patti LaBelle and her eyebrows tell Dandy off one last time, but I can't believe she's already dead. That's two of the season's best characters (including Twisty) killed off by Episode 4! You'd better be careful, American Horror Story. You're playing games with our hearts now. Gabourey Sidibe better do something crazy whenever she shows up. Like minotaur-masturbation levels of insanity.
Friends, after I complained about how uneventful "Edward Mordrake, Pt. 1" was, "Edward Mordrake, Pt. 2" more than made up for it. What a great episode! Tight and more than alright, it revealed big truths about Freak Show's characters while providing huge story turns. Except for the part where I nearly had to vom after seeing Dandy put on Twisty's mask (imagine the smell!), I have no complaints about this episode. Good one.
K BYE
QUESTIONS
... Should Dandy have at least Lysol'd that mask?
... Is it technically still a love triangle if one member has a conjoined sister?
... Should snuff films be against the law?
... Is there a face on the back of your head, be honest.
