Tag Archives: AHS: Freak Show

Ryan Murphy discusses the interconnectedness of ‘American Horror Story’

How have you been enjoying American Horror Story latest incarnation? Only four episodes in and it’s already proven to be one of the franchise’s best seasons yet. The Halloween themed “Edward Mordrake” two parter was quite exquisite, to say the least. And I’m sure you feel the same way I do about the inclusion of little miss Pepper. It’s a shame she never got her meatloaf, but more than that she’s served as a great addition to the season’s sprawling cast. Creator Ryan Murphy said including her and effectively bridging a gap between season 2’s Asylum and the current Freak Show was a decision that was not made lightly. But now that the door is cracked open, he’s going all the way in.

It’s been reported that AHS mainstay Lilly Rabe is making an appearance later this season and she will be the second actor to reprise a character from a previous season. She’s coming to the Freak Show as her Asylum alias Sister Mary Eunice to snatch up poor Pepper and bring her to the mental institution Briarcliff Manor. In an interview with EW, Murphy waxed about Rabe’s return as well as the interconnectedness of it all.

I don’t want to say much about it but obviously she’s playing Sister Mary Eunice. The interesting thing about doing a show like this is every season is incredibly its own story and its own beginning, middle and end. Its own journey. But we have always from the very beginning in the intertwining mythologies and how things connect. This is the first year where we begin to tell you that season two is connected to season four which is connected to season one. People have started to write articles about that. A lot of their hypotheses have been completely right on. That’s the fun of the show. Hopefully by the end of the run, be it 10 years or 15 years, people will be able to stand back and be able to say, “Oh that was connected to x.”

There’s definitely a rhyme or a reason and a connectedness to all of these seasons, but in the same way, they’re standalones, which is the fun of it. But it is a puzzle. And Lily coming back and dealing with Pepper is sort of the first unveiling of that connectedness. She’s so great in that role, Lily. I understood she wanted to go off and do her own show. But I was thrilled she was able to come back and give us a couple days and show how Sister Mary Eunice and Pepper are connected and how it’s all connected. I’m glad she’s back in the habit!

So AHS fans, rejoice! The show will remain an anthology series, but going forward Murphy and co. will begin to tie at least some things together for studious fans to froth over. I, for one, cannot wait to find out how exactly this season will make a bridge to Murder House!

AHS: Freak Show airs Wednesdays at 10 on FX.

First details spill from upcoming ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’

As has been the case each year, American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy has fun with his fans by slowing doling out details about the next incarnation of his adored anthology FX series. For the fourth round, he started with the upcoming season’s title: American Horror Story: Freak Show (see the revealing tweet embedded above). EW managed to scoop up a tantalizing bit of the plot:

Set in Jupiter, Florida, in 1950, Freak Show finds Jessica Lange playing a German ex-pat who is managing one of the last freak shows in the U.S.

On March 28 at PaleyFest celebrating AHS: Coven, Murphy confirmed that the majority of the witchy season’s cast will return for Freak Show: Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Frances Conroy, Jamie Brewer, Denis O’Hare, and Evan Peters. The newest addition to the AHS cast is Michael Chiklis (The Shield). Season 4 will also try to reel back some actors from the series’ first two seasons, Murder House and Asylum.

At PaleyFest Murphy elaborated, “It’s not a circus, it’s not a carnival, it’s a freak show set in 1950, and it was a concept that Jessica Lange talked about as she wanted to play this type of character.” The season, like Coven before it, will be shot in New Orleans though, as previously stated, it will take place in Jupiter, Florida.

So we’ve got the what, the when, and for the most part the who for the upcoming Freak Show. That’s quite a start! Stick it here for more details regarding the next installment of AHS as they creep in.

[Via EW 1, 2; Deadline]