American Horror Story S04E08 Recap: Blood Bath

Gloria smokes her cigarette, fearing that she'll lose her precious baby she tells her therapist. Her Dandy was a perfectly cruel aristocratic boy she thought when he tortured and cut Dora's daughter's hair. She didn't think much of it. No didn't have the meaning that it should have as Dandy grew up. No, was a battlecry to him. And when he was told no, he killed the cat. He was rarely out of her sight after that. She did allow him to be socialized with other children, she knew she needed to. He took a liking to the gardener's son, which made her happy until he disappeared never to be seen from again. The Dr. suggests that he see Dandy, but Gloria doesn't think that he'll go for that. He asks if a recent event has caused her sudden anxiety about her son. She says no, but the memories of him killing Dora and being covered in her blood haunt her.

The freaks search for Ma Petite. She's so tiny that Jimmy fears even if she were screaming that they wouldn't hear her. He uses a dog to try to track her down, and he finds her. Jimmy brings her bloody dress back to Elsa in the big top. Elsa takes her loss hard. They suspect an animal took the tiny woman. Ethel doesn't look so convinced. In her tent Elsa thinks about Ma Petite. Ethel comes to check on her, bringing her dinner. Elsa cancels Christmas. Ethel tells her that she put on quite a show in the tent, clutching the bloody dress. She's never seen her put on a bigger act. Elsa slaps her. The only thing precious to her is the roar of the crowd, Ethel says, knowing how she hates anyone who steals her spotlight. Elsa could never snuff out innocence. Ethel has heard too many stories about Elsa, and she knows her too well. Elsa knocks back the drinks, she still considers herself everyone's savior. She doesn't appreciate being called a murderer when she's already lost so much. Elsa was a mother to them, most of who never knew their own mothers, its how they were sucked in. Elsa did not kill anyone she claims. Ethel asks about the twins, she heard her and Stanley plotting their demise. She wanted to be rid of them, true, but she never killed them, and she cannot take anymore. Elsa has lost two friends tonight, she tries to leave, and Ethel takes a shot at her. She hits her in one of her prosthetic legs. Ethel doesn't know Elsa as wells as she claims. Elsa tells Ethel about how her legs were crafted lovingly by the Axeman err, Massimo Dolcefino. He was an artisan prosthetist during the war, and a cinematic propmaker after. Ethel doesn't understand why she hid the truth for so long. Elsa thinks that she's going to kill her, but Ethel plans to kill them both. She knows that Jimmy will be fine, she's planned for him. Elsa offers Ethel a drink before dying. Ethel is sorry that Elsa won't be going to Hollywood, Elsa is only sorry she won't be joining her as Elsa throws a knife at Ethel, killing her. She looks a little horrified by her actions.

Dell tells Jimmy that Maggie was found distraught near the ferriswheel. Maggie is in tears, and Jimmy runs to her. Maggie tells the Freaks that she was picking flowers for Ma Petite when she saw a car crash nearby. It was Ethel, and worse, Maggie is sure she crashed on purpose. Jimmy doesn't want to believe that his mother would commit suicide, but Desiree admits that she was very sick. Dell backs up the story. They all head out to the scene of the death, and find that Ethel was beheaded in the crash. Stanley points out a chain nearby that he figures she wrapped around her neck to facilitate her quick death. During the planning Elsa didn't understand why the accident was needed, but Stanley pointed out that it would cover a multitude of sins, namely hers. Elsa is mournful over Ethel's death, claiming that she had to protect her precious angels,but Stanley knows she did it all to protect herself. And as his client, he's forced to protect her. Elsa falls to her knees mourning Ethel. Crying and screaming that she could have helped. Jimmy and everyone else buys the performance.

Regina has come to find out about her mother, as she still has not returned her call. Dandy hasn't had any answers for her, telling Regina that his mother was the last to see Dora. Gloria spins a tale of squash buying in a distant town, and picking up auction items as the reason for her absence. She isn't sure when Dora will return, but Regina will wait, going back to her game of Candy Land with Dandy.

Jimmy says a few words about his mother as the freaks stand around yet another grave. She was a woman of many facets. The teller of bawdy jokes, the fixer of things, the lover of poetry, and devoted mother. Jimmy breaks down in tears, and Ethel's body is lowered and laid to rest, only the women remain. Desiree sees the strength in Ethel. She had a hard life, and yet she remained strong. Penny understands her. She tried to be strong and was punished by her father for living her own life, by being turned into a lizard. The women won't stand for that anymore, they plan to do something about it.

Dandy takes a Rorschach tests, and rocks it with his disturbing imagery. He thinks he's there for an IQ test, and is a little put off when the therapist wants to see him a few times a week. He asks about the Cannibals in Papua New Guinea, pondering if you can take someone's power by eating their flesh, or if blood bathing would do the same. Danger, danger Dandy is about to do something heinous.

Dandy returns home, upset with his mother about her deception. He tells her that he'll never go back to see the doctor. She doesn't think he's sick, but rather spirited. Regina finds that laughable, and knows her mother is not out buying squash. Gloria tells her her mother will likely be back by dinner the following night. Regina warns if she isn't she's going to the police. Dandy offers a bargain. He'll go back to the doctor, in fact, he'll go for an entire month all she has to do is kill Regina. He points out that Gloria is a horrible liar, and that Regina wants to send him to the electric chair. If he goes, he's taking his dear old mother with him, seated comfortably on his lap. Gloria looks at her precious boy in horror.

Elsa heads to a wellness center. She's in need of a new act, and she finds a very hefty woman on a weight-loss machine. She has a pretty face, and Elsa is interested. She's miserable. She hates her entire debutante life, and she likes herself the way she is. Elsa paints a picture where she'll be celebrated for her size.

The women of the freak show have a notorious plan. Penny wants to take it from there alone, but Desiree refuses to let her do the plan alone. The women set out. Suzi slips in through a window, and lets the rest of the raiding party in. Penny's father hears a noise downstairs and heads off to investigate, shotgun in hand. He sees Penny coming up the stairs. He asks how she got in, since they changed the locks, but Penny tells him that locks can't stop them. The other women come out of their hiding place, and knock him out.

Jimmy drowns his sorrows, when Elsa has a table brought in and tons of food. Jimmy isn't hungry, he's busy drinking his way through mourning. Jimmy doesn't know why she isn't feeling it more, he just lost his mother. Elsa was as much his mother as Ethel. She taught everyone to care for him as a baby. Elsa brings in her newest act, claiming that she's doing it for him. The show must go on. The woman sits down and begins to eat. Elsa points out the woman's beauty, how he could find comfort in her abundant bosom. Jimmy is disgusted by Elsa and her actions. The show is over, but Jimmy couldn't be more wrong, Elsa still has big plans.

Back in Desiree's trailer, they have Penny's dad tied up. Penny goes to grab the pillows as Eve grabs the tar. He cries for God. There is no God coming to his rescue for what he did to his daughter. Desiree plans to cut off his penis when they're done, and kill him, dumping his body in the river. To see if the gators have any use of his when they're done. Penny rushes in, stopping Eve for a moment. She wants to be the one to administer justice. They start to pour the tar on him, Maggie hears his cries and heads towards the noise. She finds the women have tarred and feathered Penny's father. Desiree tells Maggie to get out, that this is freak business. Maggie tells her that this will change her, that she's risking everything she does have, like Paul and his love, for this one act against her father. She doesn't know what its like to be an outsider, like the rest of them Desiree points out. Always being told they're not good enough for something because someone else said so. Maggie can't really understand what its like for the rest of them, but they don't know what sort of chances they have left either. If they do this, their chances will be numbered to. Desiree hands over the knife to Penny. Penny proclaims herself the lizard girl, and tells him that he only gets to live because she says so, but should he come near her or hers then she will kill him. Desiree orders Eve to take him to the edge of camp and let him crawl home.

Gloria notifies her therapist that she's booked passage, and is leaving with Dandy. He doesn't think it a good idea. He recommends committing Dandy. She doesn't find that a good idea, that he's fragile. The Dr. fears for her safety. Gloria finds his services no longer needed and hangs up. Dandy heard the whole exchange. He doesn't like that his mother finds him damaged or fragile. She was only trying to placate the doctor. He blames his own unbalance on his mother. Her father lost it all, and she was desperate to get their wealth back, so much so that she married her own cousin. Dandy doesn't want to go anywhere with someone that hates him so. Gloria doesn't hate him, she's always loved him. She has no more to give, he's wiped her out. He puts a gun to his head, sorry that he's been such a strain on her. She can't bear for him to do this, begs him not to, so he doesn't. He shoots her in the head instead.

Jimmy stacks his bottles. Maggie would have thought he would have sobered up by now, but it looks like he has no intention of doing so. He can't be in charge if he's drunk. The best way to move on is to take care of business around there. They were suppose to leave, but there's no hope of that with the path he's on. Maggie fell in love with a learder. Jimmy can't compartmentalize his feelings, and he tells her to get lost. Maggie knows that Jimmy blames himself, thinks he could have saved her, but he couldn't. She doesn't understand he thinks. Maggie tries to grab the bottle away from Jimmy and he tells her that she shouldn't be bothered with the likes of him, that she should have her beautiful life with someone else. Maggie leaves in clear. Jimmy notices Barbara, and falls into her large bosom in tears.

Man child Dandy heads off to his bath, literally bathing in his mother's blood.