NOTE: Spoilers for episode one
American Horror Story returned this week in the US with its brand new season Freak Show, and whilst it's a whole new story being explored, there is also a throwback in the form of fan favourite character Pepper, who featured in second season Asylum.
We're immediately introduced to the fantastic Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange in their roles as two-headed Bette and Dot, and German ex-pat freak show ringleader Elsa Mars. Their accents are different this series - a little off-putting at first but not so much so that an audience shouldn't be able to come to terms with them before too long. And who couldn't fall in love with Jessica all over again when she took to the stage singing David Bowie's 'Life On Mars'?
It was Kathy Bates who failed to strike the right chords with her John Travolta as Hairspray's Edna Turnblad-esque Baltimore/Philadelphia accent. As a bearded woman that was 'saved' by Elsa, she seems willing to do anything to please the woman she treats 'too well'.
Evan Peters' take on the lobster-clawed Jimmy Darling provided a shock or two when we found out just how he earns his money on the side, and the casting of the real-world's smallest woman in existance - Jyoti Amge - was sheer genius.
However, the character that takes everybody's breath away - whether for good or bad reasons - is Twisty The Clown. Stereotypical for a series based on the life of carnival folk? Yes, but delivered so perfectly. His introduction is so tense and terrifying - he's eager to please and Ryan Murphy has already stated he has pure intentions which of course will toy with viewer's emotions immensely.
The scariest moment was when he returned to his home where he was keeping a couple of captors, at first trying to put on a show for them but soon snapping and flipping out. The scariest characters are those who you cannot immediately figure out the intentions or mind frame of.
Promising more scares in episode two, Ryan also revealed through a Twitter conversation with Sarah Paulson that something Twisty does in episode two made a member of the show's crew faint on-set. It's going to be big.
Music and sound effects used are spot-on if a little loud - especially so in the diner scene to the point of having to turn up the volume - but the real star of this opening episode is the fantastic cinematography. The hospital scenes for one are filmed in a way that captures the essence of classic horror. There's even little nods to some of the genre's big players, such as Bette and Dot's split screen - reminiscent of De Palmian's Sisters.
Not enough praise can be heaped onto this season opener. It is, perhaps my favourite of the four gone by. Well-paced giving just enough action whilst holding much back so it can be delivered in titbits throughout future episodes, the team seem to have finally gotten everything right. Let's hope that it lives up to this standard going forward.
American Horror Story: Freak Show continues in the US on FX next Wednesday, and premieres in the UK on FOX Tuesday, October 21 at 10pm.
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