Curtain Call (American Horror Story)

"Curtain Call"
American Horror Story episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 13
Directed by	Bradley Buecker
Written by	John J. Gray
Featured music	"Heroes" by Jessica Lange "Life on Mars?" by David Bowie
Production code	4ATS13
Original air date	January 21, 2015 (2015-01-21)
Running time	53 minutes
Guest appearances
Danny Huston as Massimo Dolcefino Wes Bentley as Edward Mordrake John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown Grace Gummer as Penny Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Angus T. Jefferson David Burtka as Michael Beck Chrissy Metz as Barbara

"Curtain Call" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 21, 2015 on the cable network FX. It was written by John J. Gray and directed by Bradley Buecker.

Plot

After purchasing the freak show from Elsa, Dandy blames the freaks for the lack of tickets sold. Having enough of their new owner, the remaining freaks push Dandy to the ground and announce that they all quit the show.

In a fit of rage, Dandy becomes hysterical, walks the camp grounds with his pistol and begins to massacre the Freaks; killing Paul, Penny, Suzi, Toulouse, Ima, Eve, and multiple carnies. Desiree is the sole survivor of the carnage, avoiding Dandy by hiding in her closet. Jimmy returns to the Freak Show to find his entire family displayed under the big top, dead. Desiree reveals herself and the two embrace, horrified over the bloodshed.

Bette and Dot, having survived the shootout, now stand at the altar with Dandy. Bette agrees to his hand in marriage and the sisters announce they’ve brought in a new maid to make Dandy a glorious banquet. At dinner Dandy begins to feel light headed and it’s revealed that Desiree posed as the maid and drugged Dandy with the help of the twins and Jimmy. Confused and betrayed, Dandy learns of the freaks plan to seek vengeance on him before he passes out. Dandy awakes to find himself locked in Hardeen Houdini’s Chinese Water Torture Cell. Desiree, Jimmy, Bette and Dot watch as he is slowly drowned in the tank while he screams to let him out.

Meanwhile, Elsa arrives in Hollywood and immediately sets out to fulfill her dreams of stardom. She requests to meet with the President of WBN, but is turned down by the secretary who makes her wait for nothing. However Elsa does meet Michael Beck, the Vice President of Casting at WBN.

In 1960, a now-famous Elsa receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Married to her manager Michael and having immense fame, Elsa is still unhappy and meets with her old flame Massimo Dolcefino. Elsa asks to run away with her and they can move to Rome, but Massimo confesses that he is dying of lung cancer. She is later confronted by her husband and the President of WBN when a copy of her snuff film surfaces. Realizing she’ll never find true love and that her career is nearly over, as well as the fact that her family of "freaks" had all been murdered, Elsa finally agrees to perform a Halloween special - knowing the effect of doing so. Singing "Life on Mars?" on a live telecast, Elsa summons Edward Mordrake and his coterie, including his newest addition, Twisty. As Elsa sings, Desiree, now with a family of her own after marrying Angus, is shown watching the broadcast, along with a pregnant Bette and Dot who are now happily married to Jimmy.

Mordrake knows this is Elsa’s way of killing herself, so he banishes her to the Freak Show grounds after stabbing her to death. Walking into the big tent, Elsa is greeted by Ma Petite and all her other deceased monsters, including Ethel who welcomes her back. She takes the stage along with her family in the afterlife, finally finding fame and true happiness.

Reception

The episode was watched by 3.27 million viewers, a significant increase in viewership from the previous episode.

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 54% based on 13 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "The finale offers a lukewarm conclusion to an uneven season of American Horror Story, but all the stories of our cherished "freaks" eventually synced together into a relatively satisfying button ending."