American Horror Story Freak Show S04E05: Pink Cupcakes

We got plenty of backstories with the emergence of Edward Mordrake, but with his freak claimed (goodbye Twisty, scared the crap out of us and you will be missed) Mordrake is gone, and there are still back stories to be had. This week we get some insight into Dell and Desiree, and Dandy continues his dark path with Murder Club.

But first, The American Morbidity museum has a night of discovery. Stanley and Maggie are in attendance. Mr. Martow is recognized, though Stanley thinks that he and Maggie should be the ones who are recognized, but they are well paid. The Seal boy is dead and on display. It's a nice fantasy for Stanley, but Maggie points out that they don't have the tanks yet. He has a source for them lined up. The bodies will be stored out of town until they can be sold. Maggie won't be a part of the murder, Stanley will just have to find a way to preserve the bodies, and keep Elsa on the hook. Maggie knocks over some of Stanley's boy toy magazines. She tells him to put a little lead in his loafers, the only thing people in the town hate more than freaks are poofs. Stanley puts away the mags, and she's in, with a little pay bump since she has to live among the freaks. Stanley plans some bad luck for the freaks.

Gloria comes down to find her housekeeper Dora murdered. Dandy rushes down to see what his mother is screaming about. Dandy claims that someone must have broken in and killed her, but his mother knows the truth. She sends him to his room while she cleans up his mess.

Stanley pays Elsa a visit in her tent. It's a full house they're preparing for, and they're on a tight schedule. Stanley makes his pitch, claiming to be from Hollywood, but he missteps when he tells her that he works for the largest television station. Elsa has much disdain for television, she would rather be boiled in oil than be on television. She finds television depressing. He tries to stroke her ego, but Elsa doesn't want her name along side of instant coffee or shampoo. She doesn't believe that television will ever replace the big screen. Movies are a reflection of the soul. She vows to never participate in what she considers the death of art and civilization. Stanley bows out gracefully.

Jimmy goes over his act, when Maggie sneaks up on him, surprised that he still rehearses. Even after all these years of performing in front of people he still gets stage fright. Maggie offers to read his hand to take his mind off of things, and he reluctantly allows her to. She tells him that she sees a shadow, a man. He's a liar, and she warns him to stay away from him. Could it be that having been saved by the charming Jimmy has softened her just a touch? Maggie tells him to leave, to go to New York. She tells him that he's smart, good looking, that he could do anything that he wants. He leans in to kiss her, and she pulls away. He could do anything he wants, but kiss her apparently. His future is bright, but he still doesn't have a chance with a girl like her. He stomps away, and Maggie is torn between calling him back and standing her ground.

The big top is full, and Dell is no where to be found. Ethel is not pleased at all, thinking that Dell is likely drunk in his trailer. Jimmy heads off to find Dell, and instead finds a drunk Desiree. Dell isn't there. He tells her to get her stuff ready, but she isn't in the mood. Everyone has misconceptions about Dell she says. She's always been a freak, but he made her feel special. With him, she'd never felt more alive in her life, and now she feels nothing. She pours another drink, and Jimmy takes a seat. The whole town has come to see him, but he says that he didn't do anything. He let his pride and his anger get the best of him, and now Meep is dead. Jimmy breaks down in tears, it should have been him. He was suppose to protect him. Desiree comforts Jimmy, and he leans in to kiss her. She pulls away for only a split second before going for it. She desperately wants to feel something, and begs Jimmy to help her. Jimmy inserts his flipper, and she's enjoying it, until she tells him to stop. When he pulls back there's blood. He calls for a doctor, and the freaks come running. The show must go on, so Ethel takes care of Desiree, and Jimmy heads to the stage.

The pinheads open the show, and Elsa comes out again in her blue suit singing Bowie. The people do not appreciate her act at all. They're noisy and they throw her off her game. All of Stanley's words about performing in front of rednecks come back to her. They boo her off the stage, and back in her tent she's open to Stanley's TV offer.

Ethel takes Desiree to the same nice doctor who helped her out. Desiree is nervous, having not been to the doctor ever. Desiree stops Ethel from leaving. She doesn't have regular menses, but thinks that this is something different. She thinks that Jimmy pierced a hole in her. He lays her down to examine her, and Ethel gives her suggestions to make it easier. He asks about her birth, and Desiree tells how the doctor proclaimed her a boy at birth, until she was twelve and grew breasts. The doctor explains that she was never a boy, the midwife was wrong, her body was just confused and then produced more estrogen to compensate. Her penis isn't a penis at all, but rather an enlarged clitoris, which he can reduce. The bleeding was a miscarriage. If she waits a few months she and Dell can try again. Desiree is shocked to hear she can have a baby.

Gloria has her gardeners dig and extra deep flower bed for her Narcisse flowers. 12 feet is very deep. With Dora planted, Dandy and Gloria place bulbs over the grave. It the spring they'll have some beautiful flowers. Dandy apologizes for killing Dora. He's sick like his father. Afflictions are common in wealthy families, who inbreed to protect money. Having a psychopath or two is a right of passage, Jack the Ripper was a Windsor she claims. Dandy just wanted to be an actor. He needs to express himself. He pleads with his mother, he doesn't want to be like his father. Gloria won't hear of it though. She tells him that he cannot go around picking up vagrants and killing them, she'll figure something out.

Elsa prepares, putting on her makeup, Ma petite does her nails while David Bowie plays in the background. She needs to become a fantasy, but hers is shattered as she sees Dot and Bette getting into Stanley's car. Flash forward to the museum. The Twin's shoulders and head are unveiled. One twin looks less pristine than the other, and the curator asks how they expired. Stanley says that the droopy one caught a cold. Stanley takes the twins on a picnic to talk about their television future, and he presents them with a pair of pink cupcakes. Bette is ecstatic over the cupcakes, taking a big bite. Stanley did the baking and he added a little extra to them, just a little drop of poison. Dot isn't so easily sold, she wants to know more about this show. A whole hour seems too much, there's no way for her to learn so many songs all the time. Stanley suggests that they invite other guests. As Stanley mentions possible co-stars, Bette begins to cough and then foam at the mouth. Her sister calls her a glutton. The cold future Stanley says started out as the sniffles and then turned into pneumonia. Back at the tent Dot panics because of the pain. She cannot feel her sister, and she begs her to wake up, but her sister is clearly dead. Dot asks Stanley to take her to the hospital, and he offers her a cupcake. She refuses, and he's forced to smother her. Jump back before the cupcake eating. Stanley offers Bette a cupcake, but Dot doesn't let her have any. If they're going to be television personalities they have to watch their figures.

Dandy was destined to be the greatest actor of all time he says as he does his crazy pants work out in his tidy whiteys. He makes faces in mirror, if only his mother would let him be the actor he desires to be he would be great. His body is America, strong, violent and full of limitless potential. He will be the US steel of murder. He cannot love, he felt nothing as he stared into Dora's eyes and killed her. The clown was put on earth to teach him the sweet song of murder. He's no clown, he's perfection and the future starts tonight.

He heads to a Gentlemen's club. For a town that hates poofs, they have a whole lot of them, and an exclusive club. He takes a moment to look over Twisty's wanted poster before heading in and running into Dell. Dell is busy getting drinks for he and the delectable Andy (Matt Bomer.) Dell looks over his artwork, feeling like his talent is wasted in the bar being a paid boy toy. Andy has heard in LA they pay the caricature artists $2 dollars a picture. He could live off his artistic talents rather than his uh-hem talents. Dell doesn't want Andy to go off with someone else. He's overly possessive, and he tells Andy that if he's getting out of that place, its with him. Andy doesn't have any plans to leave, he makes a good living where he is. Dell's green eyed monster flares all the more. He doesn't want to hear about Andy's other customers, he thinks he's special, but to Andy he's just another customer. Dell is there daily, he drinks and talks about real life. It's not just about the money. Sure they talk, but Dell is out the door running back to his wife before Andy is even cleaned up. Andy would do just about anything for a little normalcy. Dell may be a freak, but he's still hiding when he doesn't have to. Andy wants to knows his plan. Dell will eventually leave, and he doesn't want Andy to be stuck in this place. Andy thinks that Dell still loves his wife. He does, but he has problems too. The pain of the performance is a lot, and still he endures it. The pain of knowing Andy is going home with someone else is almost too much though. He doesn't want to love someone he can't have. Andy makes it clear when he's in the club he's working, and Dell storms off. It's not long before Dandy takes an interest.

Elsa comes to see the Twins. Bette doesn't understand why they shouldn't take the opportunity, but they're surprised to find Elsa there. She tells them that Stanley has asked her to host her own show too. She will be their mentors, and she tells them to get some rest. They'll need to be outfitted by the seamstress. Dot knows that Elsa is mad about something, but Bette is too childlike to pick up on it.

Lights out at the circus. Dell returns home to his wife. He claims that he was out looking for her. She tells him that she had to go to the doctor, that the doctor said she was 100% woman and she could even have a baby. Dell says the news is great, but he's clearly not feeling it as he pours himself a drink. It was great news until Ethel told her the truth, his father had lobster hands. She thought she was the freak in the relationship, but he was a liar. She knows the truth, that he's Jimmy's father. She thought that their marriage was all that she could have, but she knows better now. Bags packed, Dell still believes that no one else would have her. Once she has her little cosmetic procedure she'll be too much woman for him to handle. Desiree leaves, she's moving in with Ethel.

At the low price of just $20.00 Dandy took home Andy, and he brings him back to the bus. Needless to say Andy is use to better accommodations, but he's a working boy, and when he moves in close to Dandy, he tells him that he's not a fruit. He paid Andy $100 just to talk then. Dandy has an idea. They turn their backs to each other and strip, and then they turn back around, whatever magic happens after that happens. With Andy's almost mirror looks to Dandy, its like an angel vs devil feel. Andy tries to compliment Dandy on his perfection, but Dandy needs silence as he sets up his act. Andy turns around, and is surprised to find Dandy donning Twisty's mask. Nasty boy probably didn't even wash it. Dandy stabs Andy, putting an end to his beautiful run. Andy doesns't die easily to Dandy's dismay. And they Dandy initiates us into Murder Club. Rule #1 of Murder Club is to make sure all of the evidence is gone. He cuts off Andy's arm and places it into a bath of acid. As he moves to his second arm, Andy is still alive, and asking for death. Dandy asks why he's still alive, its making him feel bad, but he doesn't kill him as he asks. Instead he goes back to sawing off his arm.

Gloria gets a call from Dora's daughter. She's happy at school, but she's worried about her mother. Gloria makes excuses for why Dora could not call. She's very busy, and will likely continue to be too busy to call. As a child Regina played with Dandy, and Gloria asks her what she thought of her as a mother. Uncomfortable, Regina tells her that she doesn't remember her being around a whole lot. Gloria raised Dandy as she was raised with Governesses around often. Regina feels really uncomfortable over the course of their conversation, and leaves. Dandy comes home still covered in blood, and Gloria takes in her little monster.

Dot, Bette and Elsa drive into town, only Bette notices that they aren't headed in the direction of town.

Dell goes to see Desiree's doctor. He knows how hard a miscarriage can be, and gives Dell his condolences. Dell isn't upset over the miscarriage. He asks about the Doctor's history. He moved to Florida to semi-retire, he wanted to keep busy. Dell heard that he plans to operate on Desiree to make her a bonafide female. The doctor tells him that she's always been a female. Dell gets physical, breaking the doctor's fingers. He warns the doctor that if he talks to anyone about what he's done he'll pay a visit to the doctor's family.

Elsa arrives at the Mott home, Gloria is surprised to see her. She has brought Gloria something she wanted.