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[Escape Goat]

I watched the last episode and i find it so tedious now. Its not as frustrating as Coven. Instead i just dont care what happens. American Horror Story? The Olsen Twins made scarier shows.

 

[User 479360]

It really is. This episode was a bit better than most, though I also don't care about the characters or what happens to them and have little in the way of investment in the show. I just decided to watch it all because I'm a completionist.

This season has lacked a wow factor, intrigue, interest and more. It's dull as hell.

People liked Dandy and thought he'd be a good character, but I didn't feel the same. I still don't, and find him boring. The clown was a lot more interesting.

What happened to

Spoiler

Emma Roberts

was pretty awesome, but nothing has been scary or horrifying outside of that gore.

JUST ONE MORE EPISODE TO GO! Then it'll finally be over!

 

[Nemesis_]

Predictions: The Aliens abduct Elsa and give her legs back and she joins the Nunnery after trying to make it big once more and failing abysmally.

 

[Escape Goat]

Predictions: The Aliens abduct Elsa and give her legs back and she joins the Nunnery after trying to make it big once more and failing abysmally.

Do the aliens steal her accent too?

 

[Nemesis_]

Do the aliens steal her accent too?

Yes, they wipe her memory and let her start anew as Judy Martin.

Spoiler

honestly I would not be surprised, I just hope they don't sacrifice a good finale for some contrived links. I honestly feel like the Pepper and Arden links have been reasonable so far though

 

[Fenderputty]

Yes, they wipe her memory and let her start anew as Judy Martin.

Spoiler

honestly I would not be surprised, I just hope they don't sacrifice a good finale for some contrived links. I honestly feel like the Pepper and Arden links have been reasonable so far though

I thought the links were pretty good as well. This season has been pretty up and down for me. At time really good and at times really meh. It's ending has been stronger so far though. Hopefully next episode finishes well.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I'd be happy if the introduction of American Crime Story and Scream Queens means that the American Horror Story cast gets a little bit thinned

Agreed.

I watched the last episode and i find it so tedious now. Its not as frustrating as Coven. Instead i just dont care what happens. American Horror Story? The Olsen Twins made scarier shows.

Coven at least had a pulse to it - that's what made the latter half of the season so frustrating. Freak Show is just

lacking in wow factor, intrigue, interest and more. It's dull as hell.

^.

 

[Nemesis_]

Agreed.

Emma Roberts is signed on as a lead along with Jamie Lee Curtis for Scream Queens. Sarah Paulson is signed on for American Crime Story. I can't imagine Ryan would be able to help himself and would cast other people in those ones.

I definitely think that was the biggest problem with Freak Show which is so disappointing considering it was one of the biggest problems with Coven. There's just too many character arcs and not enough time to develop them all and pay them off effectively.

Gabourey Sidibe and Dora felt completely unnecessary and a hamfisted way to get Gabourey in Freak Show after Coven and for Ryan to work with Patti who I'm sure he adores.

The most shocking and surprising things this season was just how much they underused Kathy Bates and Frances Conroy this season. I was legitimately shocked when they killed off Ethel because of how little she'd done all season. After playing Old Moira, Sha'Cath and Myrtle Snow I was pretty underwhelmed with how they went with Gloria Mott's character.

Paulson did really well as Bette and Dot this season too, I legitimately felt like they were two different people with her acting but I do feel like her characters are still slightly similar. I'm currently rewatching Nip/Tuck and I was taken aback by how well Paulson played a redneck drug addict.

If they're going to re-use actors I want him to write characters for them on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of what they played last season.

I wrote a post back in the Asylum times of all the actresses who've worked with Ryan Murphy previously who I'd love to see brought into the American Horror Story fold to give the series a fresh look. I'd love for it to still happen somehow.

Heck bring back James Cromwell. I remember he wanted to come back fro Coven but they didn't have a spot for him and then he signed on to some tragic ABC drama that got cancelled anyway.

 

[Ragnarsson]

I've enjoyed the last three episodes and this season's definitely not as bad as Coven. However, it's a strange thing with this show... it feels like it has way too many characters (the cast is huge) but way too few interesting characters (I know very little about most of them). I understand that Angela Bassett is an amazing actress, but seriously, that's the role you give her? Why is Jessica Lange reprising her season 3 role with a German accent and wooden legs? What is the purpose of Evan Peters's character? Did we really need Denis O'Hare and Emma Roberts this time around?

 

[Deleted member 20920]

That still baffles me to this day. I have absolutely no idea what went down there. There are still a couple things that Murphy said was coming this year that haven't happened yet -

Spoiler

(the return of Twisty and Mordrake)

- but I could actually see those happening in the finale next week.

Maybe they will reappear. One more episode to go. They've been pretty quiet about Season 5.

She's all over the place. I think she was honestly surprised by her Emmy win for Coven (totally undeserved, imo) and that may have enticed her into coming back for another season (5). I seem to remember reading an interview recently where someone asked whether Lange would be back next year and the question was completely dodged, so I wouldn't be surprised if she returned once again. (as the lead :/)

She was so much better in Asylum. Don't follow the Emmys but maybe it was weaker competition.

I've enjoyed the last three episodes and this season's definitely not as bad as Coven. However, it's a strange thing with this show... it feels like it has way too many characters (the cast is huge) but way too few interesting characters (I know very little about most of them). I understand that Angela Bassett is an amazing actress, but seriously, that's the role you give her? Why is Jessica Lange reprising her season 3 role with a German accent and wooden legs? What is the purpose of Evan Peters's character? Did we really need Denis O'Hare and Emma Roberts this time around?

Denis O'Hare was needed to do the plot about killing freaks for their bodies. Maggie didn't really need to be there. She's supposed to help with the killing of freaks and to be the spy who would get information because it's more convenient. Which didn't make sense since Dennis shows up a while later to do his own thing and did perfectly fine without Maggie's help. They should have just focused on building Dot/Bette and Jimmy and have the two girls be the ones who stumbled upon Twisty.

Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett were both underutilised. I thought they were too in Coven. AHS characters are often too one dimensional and do weird things just because.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Emma Roberts is signed on as a lead along with Jamie Lee Curtis for Scream Queens.

Ah, I completely forgot about that. So looks like Paulson and Roberts are definitely out (as far as leads go anyway - they could still cameo). That's progress, at least.

I definitely think that was the biggest problem with Freak Show which is so disappointing considering it was one of the biggest problems with Coven. There's just too many character arcs and not enough time to develop them all and pay them off effectively.

Yeah, the main cast is far too large. I wouldn't mind a couple one episode arc type characters (like Matt Bomer's cameo earlier this season) that exist in the background to serve the other characters, but the main cast should be cut at least in half.

Gabourey Sidibe and Dora felt completely unnecessary and a hamfisted way to get Gabourey in Freak Show after Coven and for Ryan to work with Patti who I'm sure he adores.

The most shocking and surprising things this season was just how much they underused Kathy Bates and Frances Conroy this season. I was legitimately shocked when they killed off Ethel because of how little she'd done all season. After playing Old Moira, Sha'Cath and Myrtle Snow I was pretty underwhelmed with how they went with Gloria Mott's character.

Kathy Bates
Angela Bassett
Frances Conroy
Gabourey Sidibe
Patti LaBelle

were all severely underutilized this season. You don't get people of that caliber and give them shitty nothing material to work with. Where are the scenery chewing over the top Acting! scenes? The monologues?

I mean, Coven wasn't great, but Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, and Francis Conroy were at least given roles that they could sink their teeth into.

Paulson did really well as Bette and Dot this season too, I legitimately felt like they were two different people with her acting but I do feel like her characters are still slightly similar.

I agree. I think Paulson did a great job this year with the twins (even if their "arc" is all over the place). She did a great job differentiating the two of them.

She was so much better in Asylum. Don't follow the Emmys but maybe it was weaker competition.

Competition was pretty weak that year, true.

 

[User 479360]

I hated Dennis O'Hare's character and that plot line. Same with the strong man, to be honest.

Then again, choosing things I liked about this season would be easy, because it'd only take a couple fingers.

 

[Nemesis_]

If they really want to go the route where they start to tie the seasons together they should probably just follow on from Murder House next. Give Jessica a chance to recouperate too.

I can see it now - have an Omen like setting and story and then have the child in question visited by his grandmother or mother and have it revealed to be none other than Constance from the first season.

Nice way to include Jessica Lange without making her front and center and lets Murphy tie stuff in if he needs to do so.

Imagine if Grace Gummer's involvement somehow got her mother involved

I hated Dennis O'Hare's character and that plot line. Same with the strong man, to be honest.

The two gay characters HMM

 

[rude]

So what happened to Dandy and Gabourey's character? Stopped watching after Dandy killed his mom.

 

[User 479360]

If they really want to go the route where they start to tie the seasons together they should probably just follow on from Murder House next. Give Jessica a chance to recouperate too.

I can see it now - have an Omen like setting and story and then have the child in question visited by his grandmother or mother and have it revealed to be none other than Constance from the first season.

Nice way to include Jessica Lange without making her front and center and lets Murphy tie stuff in if he needs to do so.

Imagine if Grace Gummer's involvement somehow got her mother involved



The two gay characters HMM

That didn't have anything to do with it.

I kind of like Jimmy, but hate most of the characters. I especially hated O'Hare's though.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

So what happened to Dandy and Gabourey's character? Stopped watching after Dandy killed his mom.

Dandy immediately kills Gabourey's character (well, he pays someone to do it iirc) before she is even able to do anything. She literally does nothing - she came on the show so she could immediately be killed off.

After that Dandy disappears from the show for a while, only popping in to have Evan Peter's character thrown in jail. Then he buys the Freak Show.

 

[Nemesis_]

Dandy immediately kills Gabourey's character (well, he pays someone to do it iirc) before she is even able to do anything. She literally does nothing - she came on the show so she could immediately be killed off.

After that Dandy disappears from the show for a while, only popping in to have Evan Peter's character thrown in jail. Then he buys the Freak Show.

I think the whole point of Gabourey's character was to include a "reference" to Dandy's childhood to show how he was fucked up from the start. But yeah it did seem needlessly convoluted to get a point across. I felt like Nora could've perhaps had her role expanded to do so rather than shoehorning Gabourey into it.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

I agree. I think Paulson did a great job this year with the twins (even if their "arc" is all over the place). She did a great job differentiating the two of them.

Her arc would have been much better if they had written it better. I really like the framework. Two very different souls sharing one body, two hearts and two brains. One's lifelong dream is to be separated and the other never wanting to because she fears that she could die. I thought it was good that they managed to reach the point where they could finally reconcile and live in peace with each other, knowing that they can't do with one another. I really liked the scene where they burned their diaries. I thought they could do a bit more to flash out the thought process of Bette, especially when Elsa offered her solutions to her problem. A bit more jealousy perhaps? I didn't like how they suddenly decided to be sexually adventurous either. Seems like a weird turn and a weak continuation of a character arc that has been completed.

If they really want to go the route where they start to tie the seasons together they should probably just follow on from Murder House next. Give Jessica a chance to recouperate too.

I can see it now - have an Omen like setting and story and then have the child in question visited by his grandmother or mother and have it revealed to be none other than Constance from the first season.

Nice way to include Jessica Lange without making her front and center and lets Murphy tie stuff in if he needs to do so.

Imagine if Grace Gummer's involvement somehow got her mother involved

I want them to advertise Lange as main again with that story but then have the evil baby/child kill her off right in the first episode. She doesn't return as a ghost or anything, maybe just a few flashbacks.

I think the whole point of Gabourey's character was to include a "reference" to Dandy's childhood to show how he was fucked up from the start. But yeah it did seem needlessly convoluted to get a point across. I felt like Nora could've perhaps had her role expanded to do so rather than shoehorning Gabourey into it.

They've already established that he's messed up with the exposition by his mother. I saw Nora as a shoo-in character that ultimately didn't achieve much. Dandy has already killed his mother and some random woman, and bathed in their blood. Bribing a cop to kill a childhood friend seems mild at that point and was more a regurgitation of a point that was already made. I was hoping that she would stay on more and didn't like that she was killed, again just for shock factor.

 

[rude]

Dandy immediately kills Gabourey's character (well, he pays someone to do it iirc) before she is even able to do anything. She literally does nothing - she came on the show so she could immediately be killed off.

After that Dandy disappears from the show for a while, only popping in to have Evan Peter's character thrown in jail. Then he buys the Freak Show.

Such a waste. It seemed liker her character was really going to amount to something due to all of the build up w/her mother dying. I hope next season is able to blend the stricter story structure/interesting characters of asylum with the funniness of Coven.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I think the whole point of Gabourey's character was to include a "reference" to Dandy's childhood to show how he was fucked up from the start. But yeah it did seem needlessly convoluted to get a point across. I felt like Nora could've perhaps had her role expanded to do so rather than shoehorning Gabourey into it.

Yeah, the problem (one of them anyway) with the past few seasons is that they introduce 3 characters to achieve what they could do with just one.

Her arc would have been much better if they had written it better. I really like the framework. Two very different souls sharing one body, two hearts and two brains. One's lifelong dream is to be separated and the other never wanting to because she fears that she could die. I thought it was good that they managed to reach the point where they could finally reconcile and live in peace with each other, knowing that they can't do with one another. I really liked the scene where they burned their diaries. I thought they could do a bit more to flash out the thought process of Bette, especially when Elsa offered her solutions to her problem. A bit more jealousy perhaps? I didn't like how they suddenly decided to be sexually adventurous either. Seems like a weird turn and a weak continuation of a character arc that has been completed.

I think those characters are really compelling, in concept - two persons sharing one body. I think they should have made Bette and Dot the lead characters, honestly.

 

[Chinner]

they should call this american TOILET story, because this show really is poop.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

Yeah, the problem (one of them anyway) with the past few seasons is that they introduce 3 characters to achieve what they could do with just one.

I think those characters are really compelling, in concept - two persons sharing one body. I think they should have made Bette and Dot the lead characters, honestly.

It almost feels like there's no real lead this time. I think the problem exists in Coven too but it wasn't as bad as Freakshow. The good thing about Murder House was that it was always about the family, followed by Tate and Constance. The others are just embellishments to further explore the past of the house. Asylum also chose to just focus on Lana, Kit and Sister Jude as the season when along. They've always had the issue of ending stories abruptly in unsatisfactory ways but it never felt as bad as what they're doing in Freakshow.

I too think Bette and Dot should have been the lead characters.

 

[inm8num2]

they should call this american TOILET story, because this show really is poop.

That would make a good spinoff.

 

[Hex]

Christ just when I think this season can not go any deeper into the shit hole, down like a corn covered Alice it dives.
Can someone please flush so we can try again with a new season?

 

[Deleted member 20920]

Christ just when I think this season can not go any deeper into the shit hole, down like a corn covered Alice it dives.
Can someone please flush so we can try again with a new season?

Just one more episode and we're done.

I suspect Ryan Murphy might focus on Scream Queens and American Crime Story next year though. AHS might not get as much attention from him and that may or may not be a good thing. Maybe with those two AHS won't repeat the serial killer angle again in Season 5. We've had like at least one every season.

 

[Nemesis_]

I seriously am trying to work out just how they'll end this season with one more episode without making it feel incredibly abrupt. I guess it won't happen

 

[tali'zorah84]

I seriously am trying to work out just how they'll end this season with one more episode without making it feel incredibly abrupt. I guess it won't happen

I'm sure it'll just be a flash-bang affair with major deaths and stories being tied up left and right. I do want Bette, Dot and Jimmy to survive though.

Spoiler

A still from the finale teaser shows Dandy being covered with water in one of those escape act tanks so I think he might wind up dead.

 

[Nemesis_]

I'm sure it'll just be a flash-bang affair with major deaths and stories being tied up left and right. I do want Bette, Dot and Jimmy to survive though.

Spoiler

A still from the finale teaser shows Dandy being covered with water in one of those escape act tanks so I think he might wind up dead.

I'd love for them to make it as poignant and touching as they did with the Asylum ending, which is still one of the most satisfying finales in the series for me.

Jude

 

[Deleted member 20920]

I seriously am trying to work out just how they'll end this season with one more episode without making it feel incredibly abrupt. I guess it won't happen

I expect many to die and someone to take over the Freakshow if enough freaks are alive.
We already know Elsa's going to become famous but they are still going to something with her in the finale. I guess it'll be about what she has to do to become famous.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Horror Story Eyes a 'Huge Reinvention'

FX’s fifth American Horror Story will be “very different,” FX Networks CEO John Landgraf.

“One of the things I love so much about that is that it can be radically, radically reinvented in terms of tone, setting, period, characters, cast.” And along those lines, “I think there’s going to be an unusually large reinvention in between Book 4 and Book 5 relative to, say, between Book 3 [Coven] and 4 [Freak Show].

The only Season 5 clue Landgraf perhaps let slip was when asked about the show returning to the present day (as it thus far has done with odd-numbered seasons). “That’s my hope, yeah,” he answered.

 

[kirblar]

Translation: "FX: We're getting really bad ROI on this cast."

 

[Holmes]

With Murphy starting two new shows and some of the AHS cast (Paulson, Roberts) moving to those new shows, I am expecting things to be pretty different come next season. Hopefully Murphy is a little less involved next year because some of what was wrong this season had his smell all over it. I'm also expecting the new season to be in the present, since odd seasons seem to be in the present and even season are based in the past.

 

[Matt_]

I don't think anyone would object to having a smaller cast
While getting big names is good for promo and may bring in the fans, it is utterly pointless when they are underused and giving poor stuff to work with.
Lest characters, less story lines, tighter plot.

I think it will help next season anyway in that they're not casting 'freaks' in addition to the already existing stable of actors that they use.

Edit; as for the setting I can't even begin to think where they might go
I felt like a freakshow was quite a natural choice but the only thing I can think of now is a prison or an army base kind of thing, but then a prison may be too close to asylum
Perhaps some redneck inbreeding setting like Hills Have Eyes

 

[Nemesis_]

Some of the ideas I've been thinking about include

• Wild West / Frontier-esque setting
• Snowy setting (think The Thing or a Yeti story)
• Fashion house / modelling agency (I honestly thought they were going this route for Season 4 after Myrtle screamed Balenciaga)
• Satanic cult (ie. Manson-esque)
• Medieval times / Victoria era

The only thing we've been told about Season 5 is that the coffee cups throughout Freak Show, which have a top hat on them, is apparently a clue. I can't imagine them doing a "magic" or houdini-esque setting or story so close to Coven.

Things that I associate top hats with: -

• Abe Lincoln
• Stage magic
• Dressage
• Uncle Sam (US Army?)
• Monopoly

So yeah, I am at a loss to guess a setting or idea from just that one clue.

 

[User 479360]

Horror Story Eyes a 'Huge Reinvention'

That's great news

Now I need to decide if I really want to watch Coven or not. Asylum, yes.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Wild West / Frontier-esque setting

WANT

Fashion house / modelling agency (I honestly thought they were going this route for Season 4 after Myrtle screamed Balenciaga)

I think this would be too close to Coven.

The only thing we've been told about Season 5 is that the coffee cups throughout Freak Show, which have a top hat on them, is apparently a clue. I can't imagine them doing a "magic" or houdini-esque setting or story so close to Coven.

Yeah, apparently the top hat popped up a bunch of times throughout the season.

Abe Lincoln
Stage magic
Dressage
Uncle Sam (US Army?)
Monopoly

Those are interesting, but I think Abe Lincoln would be too close to the flashbacks in Coven and stage magic would be like Coven mixed with Freak Show.

The Army could be cool though, but I have no idea how that would work.

I was also thinking maybe like Phantom of the Opera theater type stuff but I think that would be too similar to Freak Show again (with a troupe of performers). I really wish they would consider space (US space station, US colony) or even just "future". That would be really freaking cool.

 

[inm8num2]

Some of the ideas I've been thinking about include

• Wild West / Frontier-esque setting

• 
  
  We think alike!
  
  After season 2 I thought that a wild west setting would be perfect - the show could explore urban legends and mix a lot of different types of horror.

 

[Matt_]

army stuff could be like Ifrit in True Blood

 

[RatskyWatsky]

army stuff could be like Ifrit in True Blood

o god

 

[partime]

I really enjoyed the 1st season and it's turn of events towards the end.
The 2nd season had a great concept, but I only got 3/4 through because it didn't have the same feeling the first had. It was hard for me caring for the characters, everything was a bit too staged.

The 3rd season, after watching the 1st episode, was a bit off. I'm not sure if I want to continue.

Does any season match the 1st? Is it work marathoning anymore?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I really enjoyed the 1st season and it's turn of events towards the end.
The 2nd season had a great concept, but I only got 3/4 through because it didn't have the same feeling the first had. It was hard for me caring for the characters, everything was a bit too staged.

The 3rd season, after watching the 1st episode, was a bit off. I'm not sure if I want to continue.

Does any season match the 1st? Is it work marathoning anymore?

The general consensus is that the first two seasons are the best. The third and fourth have been mostly terrible.

 

[Nemesis_]

I wonder if they'll drop the "American" part of the title, given what the FX president has been saying.

 

[User 479360]

I wonder if they'll drop the "American" part of the title, given what the FX president has been saying.

That would be a good move, especially if they based the show in an interesting locale.

 

[inm8num2]

It's almost over!

 

[User 479360]

You beat me to it, but...

IT'S FINALLY GOING TO END!

 

[RatskyWatsky]

The final episode of Freak Show is tonight. Thank fuck.

 

[BoboBrazil]

I really enjoyed the 1st season and it's turn of events towards the end.
The 2nd season had a great concept, but I only got 3/4 through because it didn't have the same feeling the first had. It was hard for me caring for the characters, everything was a bit too staged.

The 3rd season, after watching the 1st episode, was a bit off. I'm not sure if I want to continue.

Does any season match the 1st? Is it work marathoning anymore?

There is nothing redeemable in either of the last two seasons. The clown this year was decent, but they kill him off in the first few episodes. Him and Dandy were great on the screen together and they should have explored that much more, but it's not worth watching the season.

 

[dcelw540]

wow am i the only one watching?

 

[Downhome]

This finale, the shooting scene, was just about a bit too realistic. So freskin' disturbing...

 

[The Culture Vulture]

I'm sure it'll just be a flash-bang affair with major deaths and stories being tied up left and right. I do want Bette, Dot and Jimmy to survive though.

Spoiler

A still from the finale teaser shows Dandy being covered with water in one of those escape act tanks so I think he might wind up dead.

You're doing good so far.