American Horror Story S04E11 Recap: Magic Thinking

Two Days Ago. Stanley came to Jimmy with an idea on how to raise the funds for his release. Stanley tells him about a certain collector who is fascinated by freak shows, and who would pay a pretty penny for some memorabilia. Jimmy doesn't have anything he says, but Stanley points out that his hands, even just the left one would bring in a ton of money. Jimmy wants to take his chance, but Stanley warns that he won't get out of his cell alive, he'll die just like Meep did. Stanley offers Jimmy a vial to drink, and the promise that he'll take care of the rest. Jimmy doesn't want to take the offer, but he has no other option. Jimmy drinks the vial contents and becomes violently ill. Stanley yells for the guard to come and release Jimmy to a hospital, but the guard protests, he's under orders to keep Jimmy. Stanley makes a fuss, and threatens the guard that he'll be prosecuted if Jimmy dies. The guard allows Stanley to take Jimmy to the hospital in a ambulance that just happens to be outside, with Stanley's boytoy in the front seat. Stanley assures Jimmy that he'll take care of everything, as he gives Jimmy the gas.

Jimmy awakens in the county hospital. A nurse tells him that he'll go back to jail once he's stable. Jimmy is secured to the bed with shackles. He asks for something for the pain, but the nurse refuses, her friend was at the tupperware party. Jimmy holds up his arm and sees a stump, he looks at the other and finds the same. Stanley took both of his hands.

Dot writes in her diary. They've heard Elsa say that her freaks are the bravest, most joyous people on earth, and she sees that is true. The freaks could be angry and bitter over many things, but they aren't. Bette declares them free in her diary. Bette is back to being a brunette, and realizes that she doesn't need to be different, she just needs her sister. Dot loving Jimmy left her heart broken, and Bette thinking Dandy their savior was foolish. They finally realize that they are where they belong, but their top priority is with sex. They plan to pick someone that they both find appealing, and get on with it, going as far as to interview. And with that the two of them burn their diaries, there's no more need for secrets.

Chester shows Eve and the others some of his wares, he's a traveling salesman, and the twins are taken with him. He has a chameleon farm he tells them. As he talks to Bette he envisions another set of twins in their place. Chester (Neil Patrick Harris) has a dark past surely. Dot tells her sister that she thinks he's making eyes at her. Chester started raising chameleons after the war, needed something calming. He tells them that he came down to check out the freak show because he'd heard so much about it. He's always wanted to join the circus, but Barnum and Bailey turned him down. He delights the freaks with a little magic, and twins think he may just be the one.

Dell comes to visit Jimmy, concerned to hear his son is in the hospital. Dell takes one look at his hands, and thinks that the cops did it to him. Jimmy tells Dell that he sold his hands, that Stanley said that he would sell the hands to raise money to get a retainer. Dell is upset that he trusted Stanley. Jimmy has to believe that Stanley will do as he promised, he was the only one that even came to visit. Jimmy looks longingly at his food that's been left on a bedside table. Dell sits down and feeds his son. He tells him that he could get prosthetics, that he knew a chef who had two hooks, and worked his kitchen just fine. Jimmy hopes when he gets out that he can buy the freak show from Elsa for cheap, and Dell offers to go in on it with him. Jimmy asks why he doesn't have the lobster claws. Dell is the black sheep of the family, all the others had it. He was a freak in his family for being normal. Dell admits that he took one look at Jimmy's claws and ran away. At fifty, he's feeding his son for the first time.

Chester shows Elsa some of his act, the linking rings, and Elsa stops him. They're a freakshow, not a magic act. He apologizes. He tells her that he's just an ordinary joe, unless she counts his Marjorie. Chester brings out his dummy, and she's got quite a biting tongue. Elsa tells him that they have no room in the show for him. Chester offers to at least be able to sell his chameleons before the show. Elsa doesn't think that there's money in lizards, but Chester shows her his books, and she's impressed with his bookkeeping. If he's willing to help with the books, she'll allow him to warm up the crowd. Chester drops to his knees in gratitude.

While getting ready for the show Marjorie berates Chester. His dummy isn't happy that she's not listed on the bill, but neither is Chester. She thinks Elsa took advantage of him. Paul comes in thinking that there is someone in there with Chester, but he tells him that he's just warming up. Paul tells him to ease up on the rogue, he looks like he just marched out of the nutcracker.

Eve helps Elsa pack. Elsa is going to miss Eve's sharp tongue. Dell asks where Stanley is, he's going to kill him. He tells Elsa that Stanley cut off his hands telling him that he was going to sell them and get him a lawyer. Elsa tells Dell to get Jimmy out of jail immediately, there's no way he'll survive being helpless. Dell leaves the tent in a hurry and Eve follows him. Dell lied to Jimmy about the reason that he was in her trailer before, but Dell doesn't have time to go round with her. Eve wants to put it behind them so that they can save Jimmy.

Chester come to see the twins, and thank them for their endorsement. He performs a little trick, and brings for them a beautiful music box with twin dancers. He has more though. He was given access to storage he tells them. Paul showed him some props that Dell brought with him, some likely flinched from Houdini. The saw box caught his eye. The girls tell him that they no longer wish to be sawed in half, but he insists that its only an illusion, and tells the girls how the trick works. Bette asks why he would tell his secret, he tells them because his assistants needs to know all his secrets, and he thinks they would be perfect. They think its because they're freaks, but he assures them, its because they're beautiful. When he saw them it was like coming home. Past he remembers another set of girls, lovely girls that he watched with his dummy make love to each other. Now, the girls are taken in with Chester, and they agree to be his assistants.

Chester performs his trick on stage, with plenty of dramatic flare and the people love it. Bette notices that Chester really seems taken with them, and Dot agrees that its completely magical.

It's time for Jimmy to head back tot he jail, and the officers are less than gentle as they prepare to transport him. After throwing him in the back they race off. Eve stands in the middle of the road, and hurls a rock at the speeding truck. It crashes as Eve leaps out of the way. The officers rush out to confront Eve, but Dell is there to take care of them. He hits the first with a tire iron, and goes after the second who manages to shoot Dell before Dell kills him.

The twins get cleaned up. Shaving their legs, and perfuming their body.

Marjorie points out that Chester has never had an assistant before. He claims that he never needed one before now. The Twins interrupt. They're impressed with his voice throwing skills, and they need to talk to him. He kisses both of them, and they get a little handsy before he stops them. They may be fresh off the farm but they can tell when a man is flirting with them. He was the first person to do that. Chester gets a huge headache. When he gets worked up it happens. The twins offer to rub his shoulders while they chat about their deflowering. They've heard that its many men's dream to be with two women at once. The dummy pipes in that it isn't Chesters.

Past. The girls in Chester's past roll around entangled on the bed while Chester watches with his dummy on his lap. One of the girls stops. She can't stand Chester's dummy watching, and she has other rules. No touching her, and if he's taking the other girl from behind no eye contact. Alice is a wench. She calls Chester a molester. Chester goes to leave, and the one asks him to stay. If he doesn't participate then she'll fell guilty. He's going to go to work on his magic. Alice plans to work on her own magic, making two fingers disappear.

Chester's head pain gets worse, before it gets better. Bette puts his hands on them, and pull him into another kiss. He goes and grabs his dummy with an apology, Marjorie relaxes him. The girls are okay with it, whatever he needs, and Chester gets to work deflowering the girls.

Dandy receives some pictures of the illicit affair. They were too busy to notice his camera. He asks if the girls love Chester, but the private eye doesn't know. Dandy cries, asking him not to call the girls freaks. They were suppose to be his.

Night falls over the Freak show. Chester has prepared a lovely crate for Marjorie. He tries to put her in it, he really likes the girls but she tells him that if he locks her away that she'll tell, tell everyone everything.

Past. Chester went to get Marjorie out of her crate to find her missing. He confronted Alice about the missing dummy, and she told him that she was just trying to help him. “What kind of a man can't get it up without a doll watching?” she asks. Alice can have his wife, but not Marjorie. Alice tells him that people are starting to talk. He's returned from the war 4 years ago, and still he wears his uniform. Marjorie tells Chester that they need to get rid of Alice and the wife.

Paul comes to collect Chester to see Elsa. He tells him how the rest of the troupe tried to raise the money to buy the show from Elsa, but she turned them down. There was another buyer already lined up. Elsa and Chester share a toast. He is the new owner of the Freak Show, and Elsa is ready to let Chester in on a little secret. She's more than just an artist, she can spot a good business deal. When he showed her his ledger she knew that he was a good businessman. Chester had never thought that he would be the proud owner. She outlines the terms. No one will be fired, all acts will remain the same. Chester likes the idea. He asks her if she plans to take her tent and all of the items inside. She doesn't. Elsa notes that it may be a little too feminine for him. He was thinking it could be for Marjorie, she's had it rough lately, and they've been traveling a lot, so as the new headliner, she really deserves it. If that doesn't make red flags go up, I'm not sure what will.

Chester returns to his tent to find Marjorie missing.

The cop cars roll in, sirens blazing. Elsa comes out to meet the officers. They're looking for Jimmy Darling he tells her, and two cops were found with their heads bashed in. Chester comes over in a panic, telling them that his Marjorie is missing. The cops aren't listening for Chester, and they plan to tear the place apart to find Jimmy. Chester is distraught, looking for Marjorie. He comes across Dandy on the carousel. Dandy tells him that Marjorie ran off because of what he did with the twins, and she plans to tell everything.

Dandy's private eye investigated Chester. He found that Chester murdered his wife and Alice in cold blood. The two women fell in love when their husbands went off for the war. Alice's husband died in the war, and three was a crowd. The bodies were found with a note that said that Marjorie did it. Dandy is fascinated. He asks how it was done. Marjorie killed the women with a hammer.

Chester tells him that he tried to stop Marjorie, but it was too late. Dandy doesn't plan to turn him in, and that Marjorie told him where she was going. Chester sees Marjorie as a person in the big tent. He knows that she's angry with him, but he wants her to open up to him. She's his best friend. She tells him that he's going to do the dirty work this time, and saw the twins in half.

Maggie pays Elsa a visit, she has to show her something.

The lights go out on the Freak Show.

Dell makes it back to his trailer. Desiree is waiting in the dark for him. She holds him at gun point and tells him that they have a lot to talk about. He's glad that she wants to tell. She asks where he was. She can't sit by the lies anymore. It was one thing to sit around with his cheating, and homosexual ways. She asks who he's killed. He tells her that he killed the cops, but he had to. He's done nothing but try to set things right.

Maggie leads Elsa to a tent.

Dell tells her how he talked to Jimmy. They've made big plans for all of them, baby included if thats what she wants. She tells her that lies always come to light.

Maggie unveils poor Ma Petite's body in the jar.

Dell realizes that the jig is up. He tells her that Stanley was blackmailing him. Desiree asks again who he killed as she raises her gun. Dell admits that he killed Ma Petite, and Desiree wants to know how. He tells her that he smothered her, and Elsa shoots him from behind. That's all she needed to hear.