‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ TV Recap

Overview:
The troupe isn’t happy about Dandy taking over as the new owner.  Paul points out that they have no choice.  The freak shows are dying out.  They have no other place to go.  Dandy has money and they need that money to survive.  Dandy later berates the troupe for lack of ticket sales.  Paul snaps and Eve punches Dandy.  Paul insults Dandy and decides enough is enough.  The troupe quits and leaves Dandy by himself.

Elsa makes an appearance at a local TV station.  The receptionist informs her, just like yesterday, the network president only takes appointments.  Apparently, Elsa’s shot at fame is about to vanish. She gets a second shot when a man, Michael Beck, comes to her aid.  He’s the Vice President of Casting.  It appears Elsa might get a shot after all.

Dandy appears to have a new idea for the troupe.  After getting all dressed up, he takes a stroll with his gold plated revolver and begins hunting down the troupe and the workers, one by one.  Paul and Penny are his first victims.    He arrives at Desiree’s trailer, only to be attacked by Eve.  Eve fights valiantly, only to be killed in the end.  He leaves the trailer and goes back to his hostages, Bette and Dot.  He offers to spare them if they leave with him.

Jimmy returns to find the aftermath of Dandy’s rampage.  Desiree comes out of hiding and they comfort each other.  Dandy is taking comfort in the fact that he’s marrying Bette and Dot.  Dandy has such high hopes for their future.  Bette and Dot promise him a grand feast and even hired a maid to help.  The maid is Desiree and she has plans of her own.  Jimmy arrives to help as well.  They’re going to make Dandy a star.  They put Dandy in Houdini’s infamous water trap.  Dandy drowns as Jimmy, Desiree, Bette and Dot watch.  They have avenged their friends.

We go forward in time to 1960 in Hollywood, California.  Elsa Mars is truly a star and an award winning singer.  Her husband and manager, Michael Beck, has helped achieve her dream.  Unfortunately, Elsa is still the same Elsa.  Fame hasn’t changed her one bit.  She’s still the cruel, selfish, demanding woman she was before.  Her rise to fame crashes when some old film resurfaces.  A reporter has found some footage of Elsa’s dominatrix days.  She’s going to post an article.  Elsa’s career will be ruined.  She also learns that her troupe is dead.  Her whole life has come crashing down.

Elsa agree to do one last performance on Halloween.  As she sings, we see what happened to the surviving troupe members.  Desiree is married with two kids.  Jimmy has wed Bette and Dot and they’re expecting.  Edward Morodrake appears and kills Elsa.  She isn’t allowed to come along with him.  Instead she is sent to a limbo where she’s reunited with her troupe.  She steps onto the stage to perform for a packed house.

Impression:
This whole season was all over the place.  The premise started out promising but soon went in so many different directions.  The season finale had some promising moments.  Seeing Dandy finally getting his punishment was a nice touch.  I don’t see the point in him massacring the whole troupe.  You’d think one of them would have a gun.  He only had a revolver.  I kept expecting the troupe to rush him.  Eve should’ve killed him.  That would’ve been a great way to kill off Dandy. On the plus side, it was nice to see Jimmy, Bette and Dot happy.

Elsa didn’t receive the punishment she deserved.  She was a mean, vicious, selfish woman who killed people who cared about her.  She died but was sent to a limbo where everyone forgave her?  I enjoyed seeing Ma Petite and Ethel one more time.  However,  this was not the way this season should’ve ended.  It seemed too happy and forced.  Viewers, what were your thoughts on the finale?