Tonight on FX our favorite creepy drama American Horror Story: Freak Show starring Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates continues tonight with an all new Wednesday December 10, season 4 episode 10 called “Orphans,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, the death of a Freak sparks troubling behavior in Pepper. Elsa [Jessica Lange] reveals the history of the Freak Show.
On the last episode, in the wake of a tragic loss, Jimmy sunk into a drunken despair. A reading from Maggie spurred Dandy to action. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the FX synopsis, “The death of a Freak sparks troubling behavior in Pepper. Elsa reveals the history of the Freak Show. Desiree grows suspicious of Maggie. Written by James Wong; directed by Bradley Buecker.”
Tonight’s episode is going to be another spooky one and you won’t want to miss it. So be sure to tune in for our live coverage of FX’s American Horror Story – tonight at 10PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know if you are excited about season 4 of American Horror Story and check out a sneak peek of tonight’s episode below!
RECAP:
Elsa talks about her freaks, her family. “The death of a fellow monster is always a sorrow but never unexpected.” Salty, one of the pinheads, has just died — and Pepper is distraught. She won’t leave his body.
Stanley continues his charade and tells Elsa that he’s received a telegram from a network exec. Stanley wants to take care of Salty’s body. Elsa’s reluctant to let him do this. Next, we see Stanley chopping off Salty’s head with an axe. Soon after that, we see Salty’s head being arranged in the Freak Museum. A museum worker fills a glass jar with formaldehyde. Next to Salty’s head stands Ma Petite — her preserved body on display.
Des is reading Pepper a story when Dell walks in. He tells her that she’s going to make a great mom some day, and he wants to talk with her. He says that he wants a second shot at being her husband, but she reveals that they both deserve a chance at happiness — and they can’t give each other that, not really, not truly.
Des goes into talk with Elsa, and she wants to know what will become of the show once she leaves for Hollywood. Elsa tells Des about how she founded her freaks. Pepper was one of the first, found in an orphanage. The orphanage simply let Elsa take Pepper away since she was technically of legal age to make her own decisions. Next, she says how Ma Petite showed up: she was traveling with a group from India. Elsa wouldn’t let them leave without them giving her Ma Petite. She ultimately traded Dr. Pepper (the soda) in exchange for Ma Petite.
Elsa tells Des that when Ma Petite showed up, Pepper’s maternal needs were fulfilled. But that Pepper still needed a spiritual mate, a partner. Elsa tells how she contacted nearly all the orphanages around the country. Six months later, a boys’ shelter said they had a boy that could be a match — another “pinhead.” When Salty showed up at the camp, Elsa says it was love at first sight. They were married. “Theirs was a love story for the ages,” Elsa says.
Des says that they need to find Pepper’s biological sister — maybe it’s time for her to be reunited with her family.
Maggie is drinking, mourning Jimmy’s current situation, when Angus and Des come into her tent. They want a reading, and Maggie says they’ll end up happy together, until she goes off on them and says they’ll end up despising each other — just like it turns out with everyone.
Des and Angus run out.
Later, Maggie is drinking on the carousel. Des comes out to confront her about what happened earlier. Maggi, drunk, confesses that she’s no real fortuneteller. Next, she spills the beans that Stanley isn’t a real Hollywood talent scout and that they’re actually business partners, have been for years. She says that Stanley found her one day stealing and offered to make her his partner, giving her 10-cents for every dollar they earned. She reveals she was an orphan. Des wants to know what they’re doing here in Jupiter. Maggie says that they’re picking the pockets of the customers once the show ends — but Des, a smart woman, doesn’t buy it. She says that she didn’t grow up on a farm but she can still smell bullshit when it’s being flung her way. Des threatens Maggie, telling her that if she finds out she and Stanley had anything to do with the recent Freak deaths she’ll “kill them dead.”
The twins are waiting for Maggie in her tent. They offer to give her money to get Jimmy a proper lawyer. Maggie is kind of cold towards them. Bette tries to reason with her nicely, but Dot isn’t having much of it, calling Maggie a phony. The twins get up and throw the envelope of cash in Maggie’s face. Dot says, “You do right by Jimmy,” and they exit the tent.
Meanwhile, Jimmy’s in his cell. A guard comes by and says he’s got a visitor. Stanley. Stanley says he knows exactly what he’s feeling. He reveals that he lost his mother when he was young to and says he got into some trouble, though not the kind of trouble he’s in. Stanley asks if he killed all those women. Jimmy’s not sure if he did it because he was pretty drunk and blacked out. Stanley says he’s going to help Jimmy get a good lawyer, but the lawyer’s going to want a retainer. Jimmy says he’s got nothing to give him. Stanley leave but then returns. He says he has an idea how he might be able to pay. There’s a shot of Jimmy’s hands.
Meanwhile, back at camp, Maggie talks with Des. Maggie tells Des, who’s not entirely trusting of Maggi anymore, says that she might have a way to save everyone in the camp, including Jimmy, by placing blame upon the real victim. Desiree’s not sure what to do with all this information and is about to leave when Maggie begs for her help. Maggie tells her there’s something she needs to see.
Elsa and Pepper are visiting Pepper’s sister. Her sister is uncertain at first and isn’t thrilled with the idea. Pepper is sad that Elsa’s thinking about leaving her.
Maggie takes Des to the freak museum where Ma Petite’s body is on display. Maggie says that she needs a witness to all of this in case Stanley hits the fan when he’s called out. While there, Des sees Ma Petite’s body, as well as the head of Salty.
The museum director is leading a tour group and says that the museum just got in a lovely new specimen. She unveils the new arrival: Jimmy’s “lobster” hands.
We see Pepper’s sister talking with Sister Mary Eunice. She tells her a fake story about Pepper and how she needs to be institutionalized because of her “killer instinct.” Pepper’s sister had a baby in her later years and Pepper became the baby’s caretaker. In the story, the facts different from what she’s relaying to Sister Mary Eunice, Pepper’s sister and her husband fond a way to kill their deformed baby — and frame Pepper for it.
This is how Pepper ended up at the asylum at Briar Cliff.
This scenario takes place later in the future. When Sister Mary Eunice has Pepper reorganizing the magazines in the library, Pepper finds a magazine with Elsa’s face on the front cover. It reads, “Elsa Mar’s, TV’s biggest star.”