American Horror Story gets its freak on

Step right up, come one, come all to Fraulein Elsa’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Otherwise known as season four of the FX hit American Horror Story (this time subtitled Freak Show). AHS is really like nothing else on TV today, and its closest antecedents were the anthology shows popular back in the 1950s and 1960s (and those had different casts and stories each week).

Season three, Coven, brought an even wider audience to the show and the anticipation for season four has been at a fever pitch since tidbits about the story and characters began to “leak” out not long after the last season concluded. So far we’ve had a modern day haunted house in Los Angeles, a New England asylum (with demons and aliens!) in 1964, and a New Orleans based coven of witches that bounced around between two eras of witchcraft.

Season four takes us to Jupiter, FL, 1952, the site of Elsa Mars’ Freak Show (and also historically a place know for its circus background). But like any town on American Horror Story, Jupiter has more than a few dark secrets to reveal. As the season starts, Jupiter is beset by a series of gruesome murders perpetrated by one of the most frightening clowns in TV history (sorry, Pennywise). But why the clown (we’ll come to know him as Twisty) is killing people and kidnapping children remains to be seen … as does what he hides behind his half mask that covers his mouth.

Elsewhere, we meet Dot and Bette, conjoined twins are responsible for the murder of their mother (and a self-inflicted wound) which they hope to pin on the town serial killer … except no one is buying it since their wound was too fresh. But to the rescue comes Fraulein Elsa who spirits the girls out of the hospital and into her show, hoping their oddity and notoriety will bring audiences flocking to her failing show (unfortunately, the banners heralding their arrival also bring the police).

There is an entire cavalcade of characters to meet throughout the first 90 minutes, including Elsa’s right hand, Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates), a bearded lady, her son Jimmy (Lobster Boy) and a host of real-life oddities with impressive acting skills. And then there’s everyone’s favorite character from season two – Pepper! Yes, this marks the first time any character has crossed from one season to another, and with Freak Show taking place 12 years before Asylum, we can assume we know where Pepper will end up by the end of the season.

In addition to the horror and general weirdness, the first episode also had some heart as well and really portrayed the “freaks” as a family (the season’s overarching theme). Elsa may not be the world’s best mother, but she has brought all of society’s rejects together and given them a sense of worth … at least that’s what they think. Elsa may have ulterior motives, and her obsession with the movies and putting herself center stage tells a lot about her true character. The question is, does she really care for the family she created, or is she just using them for her own fame? Whatever her motives, Jessica Lange once again gives a bravura performance.

Kathy Bates, who won an Emmy for season three, gives the warmest performance in the episode, showing how much she truly cares for Elsa and the “family” even when she knows Elsa’s true colors. I think maybe she thinks Elsa will redeem herself. The role also shows her fearlessness, sporting a fuzzy beard and what can only be described as a “butch” haircut, and a less than flattering wardrobe (except for when she’s on stage). And, to my delight, she also imbues her character with a thick, classic Baltimore accent, hon! (Not Cajun, as some reviews have suggested.)

But even with conjoined twins, a Lobster Boy, a bearded lady and a killer clown, the episode’s most stunningly bizarre moment came when Elsa took to the stage to perform for a “sold out” audience (a local millionaire bought out the show for her son and they were the only two in the audience). In a scene right out of Moulin Rouge, Else took center stage and belted out David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” … which wasn’t released until 1971. It was actually a beautifully staged scene and even heartbreaking at the end when Elsa realized there was really no one watching her. And then as she sulked in her tent, she revealed another secret … she’s not as different from her “family” as we thought she was.

Ryan Murphy packed a lot into the first 90 minute episode of the season, and despite some earlier reviews which called the first two episodes lackluster, I am totally looking forward to what comes next as we meet new characters and more secrets are revealed. What did you think of the premiere?