American Horror Story: Episodes 4 and 5

Get ready to bawl your eyes out, because this is the original Twisty!

Episode 4 Edward Mordrake Part 2

Edward Mordrake Part 2 is one of the saddest American Horror Story episodes I have ever seen, because of several thematic elements. In this episode, we learn of the freaks' sad pasts and how they ended up in the freak show. Though they are all heart wrenching, Twisty the Clown's was definitely the most somber.

Twisty began as a regular clown for the circus, and he loved entertaining children. As an infant he was dropped on his head, resulting in him becoming slightly slower than most individuals. Because of this condition, he is gullible and immediately believes it when the freaks accuse him of inappropriately touching the children. In a panic, he leaves the circus and returns to the town where his mother had died. In the town he tries to reinvent himself, and makes toys out of the trash around his home. He then tries to sell them to a local toyshop but the owner refuses to buy his toys, and instead wrongfully calls him out as one of the freaks who touch little kids. In his anger, Twisty runs out and goes back to his trailer to kill himself. Sadly, when he puts his shotgun in his mouth and pulls the trigger, he fails and he only completely shatters his jaw. He then says a quote that made me tear up, “I'm so stupid, I couldn't even kill myself.” This is when the scary twisty comes to life, and begins to abduct children because he believes that he's saving them from their mean parents who make them do chores. 

After hearing his story, Edward Mordrake decides that this is who he should take with him, and kills Twisty. This is the end of our beloved Twisty.

Of course all of the other stories are of quality material, but I had to do an extended take on Twisty, because he's by far my favorite character. I'll miss him, but I have a feeling that his replacement, Dandy, won't disappoint.


Episode 5 Pink Cupcakes

In this episode more mystery is mixed in with the plot, and leaves the audience a little bit confused, yet still hungry for more. Dandy proves himself to be blood thirsty as ever; he kills his maid Dora, as well as Matt Bomer's temporary character, who was a male prostitute.

This episode brings up an issue that is extremely appropriate to the time period, which is homosexuality. The Strong Man, Dell, is revealed to have had visited with Matt Bomer's character many times thinking they were developing a relationship, and even becomes upset when Bomer repeatedly denies any feelings of love for Dell. After Dell leaves, Dandy shows up at Bomer's table and is soon hired for $100. Bomer believes that he is hired for some sort of sexual act, and follows Dandy to Twisty's trailer. In the trailer, Bomer is stabbed repeatedly, and when Dandy begins sawing his limbs off, we find that Bomer is still alive. His gruesome death is definitely not justified, and there was no reason behind it.

The next most disturbing part of this episode is Dot and Bette's death. Bette is given a pink cupcake, by Dr. Mansfield who we have discussed in the last article. The cupcake is poisoned, and unknowingly Bette eats it. Dot however, refuses.

Poisoning the twins for an exhibit, how distasteful!

We then realize that only Bette had died, and that Dot is still alive. Dot is now in a panic, and says that she can no longer hear Bette. She is in excruciating pain, because her Siamese sister who shares the same organs as her is rotting by her side. Being bothered by this commotion, Dr. Mansfield walks up to her bed and whispers “you should have eaten the cupcake,” and strangles her to death. We now find the twins are in a display case and that Dr. Mansfield is about to make a whole lot of cash.

The twins in their display case, extremely disturbing.

But wait! We all know that this is American Horror story, and that the writers like to tease and confuse the audience, because minutes later another story about the twins is given.

They instead both refuse the cupcake and live. They are promised a television show with Elsa Mars as a guest. Knowing Elsa's craving for the spotlight, she gets frustrated and then thinks of the easiest way to be rid of the twins without killing them. She drops them off at Dandy's home, because in the first episode he wanted to purchase them.

We no longer know what truly happened to the twins because both endings are shown. It could be that the twins weren't actually killed by Dr. Mansfield and that the whole scene was simply a fantasy that Dr. Mansfield had day-dreamed.

- Jackie -