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[TV Review] “Freak Show” Crossed Over With “Asylum” Last Night!

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“Orphans” was set at a glaringly different pace than the majority of “AHS: Freak Show” episodes. It was slower, actually took time to develop a story. It took me awhile to realize if it was boredom I was suffering from, or if I simply wasn’t used to the show moving at a normal pace. In the end I think it was a bit of both. It was a longer episode than normal, and I always think that’s a mistake. But in addition to that, I’d say the first half suffered from over-explanation without much action, it wasn’t until the second half when Pepper’s story started to pick up and the stakes became higher for her, that things got interesting.

The majority of the episode dealt with Pepper’s history, present, and future. We saw how she came to be one of Elsa’s monsters, in fact, Elsa’s first monster. We saw how much she cared for her husband Salty and how his death greatly affected her. And we felt the fear and abandonment that she faced in her life, especially when Elsa decided to take her from the freak show and return her home to a sister who didn’t want her in the first place. Pepper is the first character this season to evoke genuine sympathy from me given her innocent, childlike attitude. (Well, also Ma Petite, but we didn’t get an entire episode to mourn over the tragedies of Ma Petite’s existence.) For any of us who’ve watched Asylum, we know her fate. It was interesting to see how they pulled off the reconnection with Sister Mary Eunice that we’ve been teased with for so long.

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Overall, I found Pepper’s initial backstory slow and some of the details unnecessary. It felt like an excuse for Elsa to talk, and talk, and talk. But when we got to the Asylum, and Pepper’s sister started to tell Sister Mary Eunice what Pepper had “been up to” in the years since Elsa dropped her off, things really started to move at a perfect pace for me. Not too hurried, not too frazzled, not too cramped, and not too slow. Just right. And while I truly enjoyed learning more about Pepper, especially since she is the first character to carry over through seasons, this felt like it would have been better served as a webisode, as it didn’t move the main plot forward at all.

Maggie or rather Emma Roberts continues to be just awful. I know I’m the minority here but I think both the character and the actress are dreadful. Truly painful to watch. Now that Jimmy is in jail, it’s Maggie’s turn to step up to the plate as the freak show’s sloppy drunk… and she’s almost worse than Jimmy. Did I miss something? Because I don’t remember them having a particularly strong bond. Nothing over the last 10 episodes has made me fall in love with their “relationship.” So her belligerence over him being with other women (last week) and his current plight just doesn’t add up. So soon enough she’s yelling at Desiree and her hot new man because happy couples now set her off…you know, because her and Jimmy were fucking Romeo and Juliet and then she is drunkenly admitting to Desiree that she and Stanley are conmen (not to the full extent—not yet at least—at first she claims they pickpocket show-goers). Desiree, in true Desiree fashion, throws out the sassiest of threats and hell, I love her so much. Next to Dandy she is my favorite character.

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But things start to even out when Maggie decides to put the full blame on Stanley and save the freaks. She convinces Desiree to come with her to the Museum of Morbidity where all is revealed. Including a surprise reveal for Maggie… ::jazz hands::

Every bone in my body wants this to “betrayal” of Stanley to turn out poorly for Maggie because I absolutely cannot stand her and she doesn’t deserve anything good. She’s a liar, a thief, has played a secondary role in at least one murder, and is just boring as all hell.

Perhaps the most intriguing moment of the entire episode is when Pepper is stacking magazines in the Asylum library (in 1958, years after she left the freak show) and sees Elsa’s future on the cover of TIME magazine. This might be one of the coolest foreshadowing moments of all the “Freak Show” foreshadowing moments. If she’s become big in Hollywood, what’s happened to all her “monsters?” It’s truly the coolest little teaser the show has thrown at us thus far.

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Other than Pepper leaving the freak show and Maggie taking Desiree to the Museum, no plotlines were moved forward this week. We got zero Dandy, and after last week, and the comments I received, it’s clear Dandy is the fan favorite and it would be wise of the show not to omit him from episodes. As I mentioned above, this episode would have done well as a side story, a webisode of sorts: The Story of Pepper! It just didn’t work as an entire episode on its own. Now we’ve got two episodes left to resolve Jimmy’s issues, Dandy’s psychosis, Elsa’s future fame, and the tenuous future of each and every freak. Seems like we are looking at a couple of hectic-ass episodes coming up in January.

Stray observations:

Nice one line, Michael Chiklis. Might as well keep you out of the episode. It’s almost insulting to throw you in for some pathetic moment that means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I know I mentioned this above but no Dandy? Really? After his reign of terror last week and then nothing?!

I truly believed Elsa cared genuinely for Pepper. Is she really too blind to see that leaving her with that monster of a sister is no good? That didn’t seem to fit her character arc. I get that Elsa wants to rid herself of some of her monsters, but Pepper never seemed like one of them. And I think Elsa is smarter than to believe that bitch would take good care of Pepper.

Lots to wonder about, and maybe be worried about at the loss of Jimmy’s hands…I can’t imagine it was a very sterile surgical procedure or that the aftermath of medical care was pristine…

Naomi Grossman was this week’s Finn Wittrock in terms of showstoppers. Well done.

Interesting that they dropped the musical numbers, yea? Not that I’m complaining.

What did you think of this week’s Story of Pepper? Did you like the change in pace? How about that Emma Roberts, eh? ::rolls eyes::

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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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