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[TV Review] “AHS: Freak Show” Ep 4.9, ‘Tupperware Party Massacre’ (Like Dandy, I’m Bored)

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Soooooo…this week, eh? Not terrible, not great. About as good as last week. Somewhere in the middle. Despite the fact that I’ve admitted my love for Dandy practically every week, I think I can say with absolute impartiality that he is the big bright shining star of the show. No one lights up the screen like Dandy. He is “Murder House’s” Tate. “Asylum’s” Oliver Thredson. “Coven’s” 18th century Madame Delphine LaLaurie. He is everything right about “American Horror Story: Freak Show.” And although I got a bit of a laugh out of his naked rant about being above the law, being the law (“I am the law!” Bizarro Judge Dredd, anyone?) he wasn’t wrong. There’s nothing scarier than a sociopath with money to buy the town cops.

Unfortunately for Jimmy, his misery over his mother’s death not only led him to get into the luscious Ima “Wiggles” (Chrissy Metz) driving away his true love, Maggie, but it had his drunk ass rip into Dandy, which propelled Dandy’s storyline this week (including the titular Tupperware party massacre). Dandy’s new role in life—or at least this episode—is acting solely out of retribution toward Jimmy.

Although this week focused on the storylines of almost all the major characters, it essentially revolved around Jimmy—that is to say almost all of the storylines served the development of his arc—an arc that saw Jimmy develop and destroy several relationships, including his relationship with himself.

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While Dandy murders an insane amount of women (including the creepiest of scenes when he sews the head of the murdered Avon lady onto his mother’s rotting corpse and dances it around like a gruesome Bette/Dot puppet), he does so in order to frame Jimmy. Because he is going to take everything from Lobster Boy. But the joke’s on Dandy because Jimmy Darling has nothing left.

Meanwhile, Stanley convinces Elsa that he actually found the “doctor” who can perform the separation surgery on the Twins. They find where Ethel had tucked them away and prepare them for the doctor’s arrival. This leads to one of the most touching scenes of this season. Sarah Paulson delivers a truly emotive performance as Bette tells Dot that she’d sacrifice herself for Dot’s happiness. “I want to give my life to you, sister. I want to give my life, so that you can have one.” It was honestly the first scene in which I wanted to feel sympathy for both sisters. However there’s a caveat to this statement of mine. It’s only touching when viewed out of the context of the show. Because last we saw, Bette was a selfish, bratty nutcase who was sassing Dot all over the place. Now she’s willing to give up her life and brand new blonde coif? Please Murphy, don’t treat your audience like we have no memory of previous episodes. So cheers to Paulson for the wonderful performance. But in context, I was underwhelmed.

So after this emotional, loving scene between the twins, things get weird as they offer themselves to Jimmy, rather Dot offers herself to Jimmy and Bette must come along for the ride. This doesn’t end well for anyone. It also shows us just how quickly “AHS” can go from awesome to downright insane in a matter of minutes. At this point I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. It just is.

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And that’s the crux of “AHS,” it just is. I’ve been called out on my reviews for confusing people from week to week because one week I’m on board and the next week I’m not. But I stand by the fact that “AHS” is a roller coaster of crazy and it will never be consistent so neither will my feelings. Case in point: Dell’s storyline is literally all over the place. His suicide attempt, while valid, had no outcome. Literally….no. outcome. The writers have no idea who they want Maggie to be. Bette and Dot are gone every other episode and when they return their characters are totally different. Jimmy has been drunk for the last three weeks and Elsa goes back and forth between wanting to kill her freaks and “loving her monsters.” The only wonderfully consistent thing about this season is Dandy. And so again I say, he is the showstopper.

As with many of the previous seasons, the show starts a storyline and then either completely drops it or waits weeks to follow up. Where was Penny this week? After her huge act last week we all thought there would be some townie retribution. But she wasn’t even in the episode. Also, Jimmy and his drunken hook up attempts are really starting to devalue the character. His entire repertoire of romantic antics are beyond ridiculous. Remember when he fell for Dot? Then started in on Desiree? Fell in love with Maggie? Now Ima…if we are to empathize with this character, they gotta do better. Then there is all this homoeroticism with Stanley but where is that taking us? And what of the actual Freak Show? It’s non-existent.

So that’s that. I’d love to know your thoughts because frankly this show is becoming exhausting and I feel like my thoughts on it are going in circles. What are you truly enjoying about “AHS: Freak Show”?

Some extras for your consideration:

Michael Chiklis’ character really turned out to be a disappointment. He’s just mopey and boring. I was so excited when they cast him because I fucking loved “The Shield.” Also I really thought I’d get to see him in spandex. But I’m tired of him. He’s literally done nothing of interest or importance on this show.

Gabourey Sidibe is just the worst actress and I had a hard time not laughing at everything she said.

Speaking of…I laughed in this episode. Giggled. Snorted even. A lot. Dandy had some great lines and his hubris is delightful.

Well hello Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Where did you come from and why were you only on screen for three seconds?

And finally, I never need to see Dennis O’Hare jack it again. Ever.

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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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