Dell the Strongman and his wife, Desiree the Hermaphrodite, show up at the carnival and shake things up. They were formerly working out of a carnival in Chicago, but after Dell discovers Desiree fucking fruits in order to turn them straight (since she has both sets of genitalia), he snaps the johns neck and they have to leave town. Desirees three breasts intrigue Elsa, and the fact that they will work for whatever she is willing to pay them inspires Elsa to give them a contract. Elsas carnival is the last freak show, the last place they can go. Dell will bark and head up security, especially since the cops are snooping around, looking for their missing detectives.
Ethel doesnt trust Dell. Dell is Jimmys father, but when he was born disfigured, Dell tried to kill him. Ethel ran him out of their lives with a shotgun. Dell assures Ethel he is not there for Jimmy and has no desire to reveal his parentage.
With Jupiter under curfew, Dell plans on holding matinee performances until the curfew is lifted. Elsa hates this idea, claiming no one wants to view freaks in the daylight. In reality, I think she is just worried that a matinee doesnt care as much cache as an evening performance, thus dimming her star. Dell refuses to take no for an answer and heads into town to post flyers. Jimmy takes Eve, Paul, Suzi, Pepper, and Salty to the diner for some lunch. They spark a mini-riot, with some patrons leaving, others asking if they would leave, and a lot of staring. Jimmy insists they all be on their best behavior – they are just like any other customers. (Except for the fact that Paul decides to eat the food abandoned by another customer.) Dell is posting a flyer outside and sees them. He marches in to yell at Jimmy, mad that they are giving away the show for free. Dell drags Jimmy outside and beats him up. Jimmy returns to the carnival and tattles to Elsa. Elsa doesnt really care about the matinee anymore – might as well give it a shot. To prove that he is able to take care of the carnival, he tells her about the cop they killed and hands over the badge as proof. Then Jimmy shows her one of the flyers that Dell was hanging. It lists Elsa at the very bottom, in tiny letters, next to the geek. She is ready for him to go.
Desiree helps the twins come up with some sort of act. Dot isnt into it; Bette is, but Bette is a terrible singer. But shes having fun with it. Jimmy suggests Dot try singing and she does, tentatively. Shes very good, which surprises and delights everyone – except Elsa. Its settled: Dot and Bette will headline.
That afternoons show draws a modest crowd, but when Dot starts singing, the crowd gets up and starts moshing. The dwarf even crowd surfs. Dot sings Criminal by Fiona Apple, and the whole scene is even more out of place than last weeks Life on Mars. The version of Criminal Dot sings is far more modern – and with less verve – than the version of Life on Mars that Elsa sang, plus the crowd is actually moshing. At first I thought it was just the crowd getting up to dance, but no that was definitely a ’90s-style most pit (though slightly less violent). Ryan Murphy is trying to bring a bit of Baz Luhrmann to the show, but failing. Anyway, that night, while the twins are asleep, Elsa sneaks in and wakes Bette. Bette feels sad and embarrassed that she wasnt able to really add anything to the performance, and Elsa uses this to plant seeds in her impressionable head that she is the star and Dot is stealing her spotlight. As she leaves, she slips a small blade under Bettes pillow.
The cops show up at the carnival to execute a search warrant after receiving an anonymous tip (which came from Jimmy) that Dell was responsible for the detectives disappearance. During the show, Jimmy had slipped into Dells trailer and planted the badge, but Dell saw and later planted the badge elsewhere. The cops find it under Meep the Geeks bed and take the scared Meep into the police station. Even though Meep couldnt possibly have killed the strong, beefy detective, the cops toss him into a holding cell with a bunch of tough, angry drunks who dont care for this little man with few verbal skills and and a strange, feathery costume. Jimmy feels terribly guilty about this and drinks himself stupid that night. Ethel is alarmed, as he never touches booze. Jimmy decides the guilt is too much and he is going to turn himself in. But its too late: A pick-up filled with detectives tosses a small bundle at the front of the carnival before peeling off.
Inside is Meeps corpse – he was beaten to death.
Outside of the carnival, Dandy is getting even creepier. He actually drinks bourbon out of a cut-crystal baby bottle. He is bored and throws a temper tantrum, storming out of the house. He goes to the carnival and asks to join, insisting he is a freak on the inside, but Jimmy turns him away. He goes home to pout, but while he was gone, Gloria went on a little trip of her own. While driving, she sees Twisty the Clown wandering down a road. Ignoring the filthy, blood-stained costume and terrifying smile, Gloria offers to pay him to come entertain her son. So when Dandy arrives home, he finds his treat waiting for him in the playroom. He is fascinated by Twisty, drawn to him, and for his part, Twisty seems content watching Dandys puppet show and playing with his toys. Dandy goes into Twistys bag (which we later find out contained the head of the toy store clerk he killed earlier in the episode) which pisses off Twisty. He knocks the kid out with a juggling pin and leaves. Dandy follows him through the bayou.
Out in his bus of terror, the girl pries loose a wooden board with nails in it and hides it, to use as a weapon. Twisty comes in, sits with the kids, and presents a little wind-up toy he took from the toy store. He leaves the kids untouched, but the girl takes the opportunity to knock him in the head with her weapon. It doesnt do much, other than dislodge his grotesque mask (which hides his even more grotesque face – he is missing most of his lower jaw) which gives the kids enough time to rush from the bus. The girl runs right into Dandy, who seems like a nice, normal young man. But hes not, and he throws her over his shoulder and carries her back into the bus, behind Twisty, who has the boy.
Partners!
For last week’s American Horror Story: Freak Show recap…click here.
