The fourth season of the American horror

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

television series ''

American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' (''AHS'') is an American horror film, horror anthology series, anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy (producer), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the Cable television, cable network FX (TV channel), FX. Th ...

'', subtitled ''Freak Show'', is set in 1952

Jupiter, Florida Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 US Census, the town had a population of 61,047. It is 84 miles north of Miami and 15 miles north of West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach. ...

, telling the story of one of the last remaining

freak show A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to in popular culture as "Freak, freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual Human#Anatomy and physiology, humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, t ...

s in the United States and their struggle for survival. The

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

includes Sarah Paulson,

Evan Peters Evan Thomas Peters (born January 20, 1987) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in the 2004 drama film '' Clipping Adam'' and starred in the ABC science fiction series ''Invasion'' from 2005 to 2006. Peters gained wide recognition fo ...

, Michael Chiklis,

Frances Conroy Frances Hardman Conroy (born March 15, 1953) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a ...

Emma Roberts Emma Rose Roberts (born February 10, 1991) Additional on October 9, 2016 is an American actress, singer and producer. Known for her performances spanning multiple genres of film and television, her work in the horror film, horror and thriller ...

, Denis O'Hare,

Finn Wittrock Peter L. Wittrock Jr. (born October 28, 1984), known professionally as Finn Wittrock, is an American actor who began his career in guest roles on several television shows. He made his film debut in 2004, in '' Halloweentown High'' before returning ...

Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television since the 1980s, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Angela Bassett, various accolades, including a Primetime ...

Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...

, and

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Chiklis and Wittrock. The season marks the first not to be strictly anthological, with Lily Rabe,

Naomi Grossman Naomi Grossman (born February 6, 1975) is an American actress, writer, and producer best known for her role as Pepper in the second and fourth season of the FX horror television series ''American Horror Story''. Early life Grossman was born in ...

, and John Cromwell reprising their roles from the series' second cycle, '' Asylum.'' Created by Ryan Murphy and

Brad Falchuk Bradley Douglas Falchuk (born March 1, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for co-creating the television series ''Glee'', ''American Horror Story'', '' Scream Queens'', and '' Pose'' with Ryan Murph ...

for the

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

network FX, the series is produced by

20th Century Fox Television 20th Television, Inc. (formerly known as TCF Television Productions, Inc., 20th Century-Fox Television and 20th Century Fox Television) is the television studio arm of 20th Century Studios, owned by Disney Television Studios, a division of the Di ...

. ''Freak Show'' was broadcast between October 8, 2014, to January 21, 2015, consisting of 13 episodes. Like its predecessors, the season was met with positive reviews and consistently strong ratings. The premiere episode attracted a series high of 6.13 million viewers, making it the most viewed episode of the series. It ultimately became FX's most-watched program ever, surpassing its previous installment, ''

Coven A coven () is a group or gathering of Witchcraft, witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English lan ...

''. The season garnered a total of twenty

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

nominations, the most for any season of ''American Horror Story'' to date, including nominations for Outstanding Limited Series, and six acting nominations for Lange, O'Hare, Wittrock, Paulson, Bassett, and Bates. In addition, Paulson won for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series at the

5th Critics' Choice Television Awards The 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards ceremony, presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association#Broadcast Television Journalists Association, Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), honored the best in primetime television pro ...

Cast and characters

Main

* Sarah Paulson as Bette and Dot Tattler *

as Jimmy Darling * Michael Chiklis as Wendell "Dell" Toledo *

as Gloria Mott * Denis O'Hare as Stanley *

as Maggie Esmerelda *

as Dandy Mott *

as Desiree Dupree *

as Ethel Darling *

as Elsa Mars

Special guest stars

* Wes Bentley as Edward Mordrake *

Celia Weston Celia Weston (born Celia Watson; December 14, 1951) is an American character actress. Weston received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance in '' Dead Man Walking'' (1995), and also had supporting roles in more than 40 movi ...

as Lillian Hemmings * Gabourey Sidibe as Regina Ross * Matt Bomer as Andy Stiles *

Danny Huston Daniel Sallis Huston (born May 14, 1962) is an American-British actor, director and screenwriter. A member of the Huston family of filmmakers, he is the son of director John Huston and half-brother of actress Anjelica Huston. He is known for ...

as Massimo Dolcefino * Lily Rabe as Sister Mary Eunice McKee *

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...

as Chester Creb

Recurring

as Pepper * Grace Gummer as Penny Nelson * Chrissy Metz as Barbara / Ima Wiggles *

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Malcolm-Jamal Warner (born August 18, 1970) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his role as Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom ''The Cosby Show'' (1984–1992), which earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a ...

as Angus T. Jefferson * Erika Ervin as Amazon Eve * Mat Fraser as Paul the Illustrated Seal * Jyoti Amge as Ma Petite * Rose Siggins as Legless Suzi * Ben Woolf as Meep the Geek *

Lee Tergesen Lee Allen Tergesen (; born July 8, 1965) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayals of Chett Donnelly on USA Network's '' Weird Science'' (1994–1998), Tobias Beecher on HBO's '' Oz'' (1997–2003), Peter McMillan on the second seas ...

as Vince Nelson * John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown * Skyler Samuels as Bonnie Lipton *

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

as Dora Brown

Guest stars

Jamie Brewer Jamie Brewer is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles in the FX horror anthology television series ''American Horror Story''. In its first season, '' Murder House'', she portrayed Adelaide "Addie" Langdon; in the third ...

as Marjorie the Doll *

Mare Winningham Mary Megan Winningham, known professionally as Mare Winningham ( ; born May 16, 1959), is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe ...

as Rita Gayheart *

Matthew Glave Matthew Glave is an American actor best known for his recurring roles in the television shows ''Picket Fences'', ''ER (TV series), ER'', ''Charmed'', ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Army Wives'', ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'', ''Better Things (TV s ...

as Larry Gayheart * David Burtka as Michael Beck * Heather Langenkamp as a Tupperware Party Housewife (uncredited) *

Angela Sarafyan Angela Sarafyan (), sometimes credited as Angela Sarafian, is an American actress. She has appeared as a guest star in several television series and has acted in the feature films: '' Kabluey'' (2007), '' On the Doll'' (2007), '' A Beautiful Life ...

as Alice * John Cromwell as Hans Grüper

Episodes

Production

Development

In November 2013, FX announced that the show had been renewed for a fourth season. Series co-creator Ryan Murphy hinted that clues about the fourth season would be hidden in the final episodes of the third season. In March 2014, the season was revealed to be set at a carnival, according to co-executive producer/writer Douglas Petrie. It was also revealed that Lange would be playing a role similar to

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. Murphy revealed that the season would take place in 1950, adding: "If you look historically what happened in the year 1950, there's some more clues in that year. It's a period piece. We try and do the opposite of what we've done before. Jessica Lange has already started practicing her German accent, so I'm very excited!" Murphy indicated that this season drew inspiration from

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of var ...

's '' Freaks'' and

Herk Harvey Harold Arnold "Herk" Harvey (June 3, 1924 – April 3, 1996) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and film producer, perhaps best known for his 1962 horror film '' Carnival of Souls''. Early life Harvey was born in Windsor, Colo ...

's ''

Carnival of Souls ''Carnival of Souls'' is a 1962 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young woman ...

''. This season featured the largest set ever constructed for ''American Horror Story'', with Murphy stating: "We had to build an entire city. We built an entire huge compound, and then we had to build the interior of all those buildings on set. It's all, period. And it's all based on roduction designerMark Worthington's immaculate research."

Casting

Ryan Murphy confirmed that

would be returning for a fourth season, although said to be in a reduced capacity. She portrayed Elsa Mars, the owner of the freak show. In November 2013, Murphy said he approached

and

to return. Bassett later confirmed in an interview with ''

Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', briefly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was create ...

'' that she would be indeed coming back. They portrayed Ethel Darling and Desiree Dupree, respectively. In an interview with ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', Sarah Paulson revealed she would be returning, possibly for a main role, which was later revealed to be the conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler. It was announced at the

PaleyFest The Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio (MT&R) and the Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, is an American cultural institution in New York City with a branch office in Los Angeles. It is de ...

2014 that the cast members present at the panel would all be returning for the fourth season in some capacity, including Denis O'Hare (Stanley),

(Maggie Esmerelda),

(Gloria Mott),

(Jimmy Darling), and Gabourey Sidibe (Regina Ross).

was also added to the present roster, although Murphy later indicated Brewer may not appear during the season. She was later confirmed to portray the ventriloquist dummy Marjorie after appearing in a promo for the final episodes. Additionally, Michael Chiklis was announced to play the father of Peters' character and ex-husband of Bates' character, the strongman Dell Toledo.

was the last lead actor joining the cast. He portrayed the psychopathic Dandy Mott. In July 2014, ''

TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...

'' reported that Wes Bentley would appear in the season' two-part Halloween episode as Edward Mordrake. At the 2014

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...

, it was announced that John Carroll Lynch would portray one of the central antagonists during the season, Twisty the Clown. In August 2014, R&B singer

joined the cast for a four-episode story arc as the mother of Sidibe's character, named Dora, the Motts' housekeeper. Also in August 2014, it was revealed that Matt Bomer would be guest-starring in one episode as Andy, Dell's secret lover. Murphy took to his Twitter account to announce that the world's smallest woman Jyoti Amge has joined the cast as Ma Petite. Murphy had written a role specifically for ''

'' alum Leslie Jordan, but he did not appear on the show due to scheduling conflicts. In September 2014, it was reported that '' Asylum'' alum

would return to portray Pepper, which marked the first time a character appeared in multiple seasons of the series. Lily Rabe also reprised her ''Asylum'' character Sister Mary Eunice McKee in the tenth episode, "

Orphans An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages, such as Swedis ...

made an appearance in the same episode, as Pepper's sister Rita.

guest starred in two episodes as Chester, who takes over the freak show when Elsa leaves for Hollywood. Harris' husband, David Burtka, appeared in the season finale as Elsa's husband.

Filming

At Paley Center for Media's 2014 PaleyFest event, Ryan Murphy announced that the season's filming would take place again in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, although the show's setting is in

. The premiere episode was directed by co-creator Murphy, his first effort since the

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

for the season began on July 15, 2014. Production on the season concluded on December 19, 2014.

Marketing

A video released in July 2014, entitled "Fallen Angel", was reported by many news sources to be an official ''Freak Show'' trailer. The video – which featured the ''American Horror Story'' title card – was later taken down after FX confirmed it was fan-made. Before the debut of the fan-made video, FX had not released any official trailers concerning the upcoming season. The first official teaser was released on August 20, 2014, entitled "Admit One". As with previous seasons, FX released a series of teaser trailers on the show's

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

page. FX also used the marketing

hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag operator that is prefaced by the hash symbol, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a form of user-generated tagging that enable ...

#WirSindAlleFreaks in the German language, and its English translation #WeAreAllFreaks.

Reception

Critical response

''American Horror Story: Freak Show'' has received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it scored a 69 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. The review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 7.29/10 based on 202 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Though it may turn off new viewers unaccustomed to its unabashed weirdness, ''Freak Show'' still brings the thrills, thanks to its reliably stylish presentation and game cast."

Awards and nominations

In its fourth season, the series was nominated for 76 awards, 21 of which were won.

Home media

Soundtrack

Every cover song performed in ''Freak Show'' was released by 20th Century Fox TV Records in

online music store A digital music store is a business that sells digital audio files of music recordings over the Internet. Customers gain ownership of a license to use the files, in contrast to a music streaming service, where they listen to recordings withou ...

s following the broadcast of the episode in which it appeared, except the cover of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

's "Heroes", performed by

in "

Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...

References

External links

* * {{American Horror Story episodes 2014 American television seasons 2015 American television seasons 2010s American drama television series American historical television series 04 Television shows set in circuses Fiction set in 1952 Fiction about filicide Television shows about ghosts Fiction about conjoined twins Mass murder in fiction Fiction about matricide Television shows about serial killers Southern Gothic television series Television series set in the 1950s Television shows set in Florida Fiction about discrimination Television series about psychopaths and sociopaths Intersex-related television works 2014 LGBTQ-related television 2015 LGBTQ-related television 2010s LGBTQ-related drama television series Gay-related television shows