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[TV Review] “American Horror Story: Freak Show” Episode 4.6, ‘Bullseye’

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This week is Handsome Paul’s week. It’s the episode I’ve been waiting for, the episode to show not only how strong of an actor Mat Fraser is, but how noble of a man Paul is. I thoroughly enjoyed his scenes but unfortunately, those were virtually the only scenes that didn’t have me rolling my eyes.

The twins are gone and everyone is concerned. Which is sure putting a damper on Elsa’s birthday celebration. While Ethel tries to hold everything together, Paul is slowly starting to figure out the truth about the twins’ whereabouts, and when he confronts Elsa about it—the outcome is (yet unknown, but very likely) fatal. After Paul eyes Dandy at a local drug store buying two of everything girly, his suspicions arise. He admits to Elsa that he thinks she had something to do with their disappearance and in true Elsa form, she dramatically wakes up all the freaks and goes on a vile tirade that puts ol’ Dandy to shame. It’s a feat of self-involvement and self-obsession that has been boiling right below the surface for some time now. In order to prove their trust in her, she demands that one of the freaks be strapped to the spinning bullseye for her to throw knives at. Paul gallantly (and rightfully, I guess) volunteers. Earning him a knife in the belly.

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Meanwhile, outside of the big top, Dandy is playing house with his two new playthings. Or as he tells his mom: his future brides. Not shockingly, Bette is blissful in her new lavish home with her attentive new beau, Dandy. Everything is coming up roses for her. Equally not shockingly, Dot is wary, unsure of what darkness lies ahead. But when she realizes Dandy could easily pay for the surgery to separate her from Bette, she gets a twinkle in her eye. Or dollar signs. Or hearts…for a life alone with Jimmy. We’ve known for awhile that she’s pretty heartless when it comes to Bette, but this episode really proved that she is downright hateful. Her complete disregard for the life of her sister is really saddening. So she plays along as best she can so that she can eventually get her money from Dandy and live a life sans Bette. Everything is…well…dandy with Dandy and the girls until he reads Dot’s diary and realizes her true intentions. It’s at this point he makes his definitive decision. He has been put on this earth to kill. Which surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly?), his mother takes in that information with zero reaction.

Our con-artists are still busy at work on their grand scheme of killing a freak and selling it to the oddities museum (I gotta be honest, that’s a plot line I did not think they would stretch out this far). When Stanley tries to convince Maggie to kill Jimmy for his lobster hands, she counters with Ma Petite instead. It will be easy, no mess, no body…a completely deplorable and callous plan. This segues us into a quick but incredibly difficult-to-watch flash forward in which Ma Petite is slowly drowned in formaldehyde after being placed in a glass jar by Maggie.

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Did I miss something crucial? Because it seems to me that it’s never been explained why Maggie is under Stanley’s thumb. Why is it that she is forced to perform such heinous acts that she clearly doesn’t have the heart or desire to do? I truly hope that relationship is explained at some point during the season or else that’s one giant plot hole.

Midway through the episode there was so much screaming and tantrum throwing I actually wanted someone to die. I was craving a shocking death as some kind of release from all the pent up anger inside the big top. So much tension and so many close calls with very little pay off. It’s starting to feel like Murphy can’t pull the trigger that he has pulled so often in past seasons. Speaking of tantrums, Elsa pulls one of many (what I am now referring to as) Dandy moments when she screams at her birthday party that she “demand” everyone start having fun “this instant.” And it’s at this point that the parallels between Elsa and Dandy started smacking into me like mack trucks. They are both incredibly delusional, they’ll do whatever and hurt whomever to get what they want and desire, they are both childish and selfish, and feel completely entitled. I’m embarrassed to say it took me so long to see the stark similarities.

This episode had some fun moments and some breakthrough scenes, but for the most part it felt like a step back from the bold strides Murphy took in last week’s episode. There was simply too much screaming, crying, and bitching for me to not want to click the TV off. And how stupid are we supposed to believe that Jimmy is to think Maggie would want to run away with him at the snap of a finger, especially after last week’s rebuff and the fact that we have literally never seen a romantic scene between the two of them. Are we really supposed to suspend our disbelief that far? Having said all that, I did wholly enjoy Paul’s scenes (Paul and Elsa! Who saw that coming?) And I loved the return of Grace Gummer as Penny, the nurse from episode one, as Paul’s secret lover. Their relationship is darling and daring and if Paul makes it through his knife wound, I really hope to see more of her.

One last word from me and then I want to hear your thoughts on this episode. I was starting to feel like Kathy Bates was being underused in a way that is near insulting. But I must say, she finally gets her moment of brilliance in the last minute of the episode, and I’ll leave it at that.

What did you think of ‘Bullseye’? Did anyone miss Dell and Desiree? Who do you think will get the sharp end of Dandy’s dagger?

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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