History Series / AmericanHorrorStoryFreakShow

* [[spoiler: [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half The Woman She Used To Be]]: Maggie's end in "Show Stoppers"]].

* AnyoneCanDie: In true AHS fashion. [[spoiler:Ethel, Gloria, Dora, Regina, Ma Petite, Twisty, Salty, Andy, and Dell]] have all kicked the bucket. This is such a common occurrence of the series though, this iteration has a few subversions (for now). [[spoiler: Elsa, Paul, the twins, and Maggie]] all had false alarms called.

* KarmaHoudini: Stanley and Dandy has yet to face repercussions over their actions. [[spoiler:But canonically within Asylum's timeline, Pepper's sister and brother-in-law killed their own baby and blamed the murder on Pepper, [[AFateWorseThanDeath who is sent off to Briarcliff]]. And they were never caught because of it.]]

** The scene where the freaks chant "Kill the copper!" and throw back alcohol is a twisted, darker mirror to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXyB7niEc0 the most famous scene]] from the 1932 film ''Film/{{Freaks}}''. In fact, ''Freak Show'' has more than its fair share of tributes to ''Freaks''. The bearded lady, the pinheads, the dwarves, and the "geek" appear to have inspired the appearances of Ethel, Salty and Pepper, the dwarves, and Meep the Geek.

''American Horror Story: Freak Show'' is the fourth season in the ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'' anthology. The fourth season takes place in 1952, in Jupiter, Florida, and follows one of the few remaining circus freak shows as they struggle to keep the business afloat.

* AnyoneCanDie: In true AHS fashion. [[spoiler:Ethel, Gloria, Dora, Regina, Ma Petite, Twisty, Salty, and Andy]] have all kicked the bucket. This is such a common occurrence of the series though, this iteration has a few subversions (for now). [[spoiler: Elsa, Paul, the twins, Dell, and Maggie]] all had false alarms called.

* A twist: both ''Murder House'' and ''Freak Show'' have a Detective Colquit.

* TearJerker: Pepper's fate in her flash forward, [[spoiler: following the death of her husband, where she is framed for the murder of her infant nephew, after being horribly mistreated by her sister, and institutionalized ''all because of her deformity and mental disability''.]] All topped by how childish and innocent she was.

** [[spoiler: Paul]] has a bigger than usual role in "Bullseye". [[spoiler: He ends it with a knife through his stomach. Subverted as he survives.]]

* AmbiguousSituation: Even though Pepper is locked up at Briarcliff, Elsa tells her she is always with her. That being said, she sees a LIFE magazine that shows Elsa being the queen of Friday nights. Either Stanley is telling the truth about his connections or poor Pepper is thinking Elsa has made it to prime time to cope what has happened.

** Also in ''Murder House'', Evan Peters plays a teenager with a love for grunge, explicitly naming Music/KurtCobain as one of his favorite musicians. Peters' character in ''Freak Show'' sings a Music/{{Nirvana}} song in "Test of Strength". Specifically, the song "Come As You Are," which includes the line, "And I swear / I don't have a gun / No, I don't have a gun." In ''Murder House'', [[spoiler:Evans' character was a school shooter]]. Yeah.

** Kathy Bates's character [[spoiler:loses her head again. Minus the immortality induced comedy.]]

** [[spoiler:In the tenth episode of the season, Lily Rabe reprised her role as Sister Mary Eunice.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: In true AHS fashion. [[spoiler:Ethel, Gloria, Dora, Regina, Ma Petite, Twisty, and Andy]] have all kicked the bucket. This is such a common occurrence of the series though, this iteration has a few subversions (for now). [[spoiler: Elsa, Paul, the twins, Dell, and Maggie]] all had false alarms called.

[[ProductionPosse Returning cast members include]] Creator/JessicaLange, Creator/SarahPaulson, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Creator/DenisOHare, Emma Roberts, Creator/AngelaBassett, and Creator/KathyBates, with guest appearances by ''AHS'' alumni Creator/GaboureySidibe, Jamie Brewer, Creator/LilyRabe, Naomi Grossman, and Mare Winningham. New cast members are Creator/MichaelChiklis and Creator/JohnCarrollLynch, with Patti [=LaBelle=], Matt Bomer, and Wes Bentley as guest stars that would appear throughout the season.

[[ProductionPosse Returning cast members include]] Creator/JessicaLange, Creator/SarahPaulson, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Creator/DenisOHare, Jamie Brewer, Emma Roberts, Creator/AngelaBassett, Creator/KathyBates, and Creator/GaboureySidibe. New cast members are Creator/MichaelChiklis and Creator/JohnCarrollLynch, with Patti [=LaBelle=], Matt Bomer, and Wes Bentley as guest stars that would appear throughout the season.

** Mare Winningham plays another bad mother, managing to be possibly worse than the incestuous Alicia in ''Coven''.

** Mare Winningham reprises her role as an unfit mother, managing to be possibly worse than the incestuous Alicia in ''Coven''.

** [[spoiler:Later on in the season, Lily Rabe will reprise her role as Sister Mary Eunice.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: In true AHS fashion. [[spoiler:Ethel, Gloria, Dora, Regina, Ma Petite, Twisty, and Andy]] have all kicked the bucket. This is such a common occurrence of the series though, this iteration has a few subversions (for now). [[spoiler: Elsa, Paul, the twins, and Dell]] all had false alarms called.

* AnyoneCanDie: In true AHS fashion. [[spoiler:Ethel, Gloria, Regina, Ma Petite, Twisty, and Andy have all kicked the bucket]].
** This is such a common occurrence of the series though, this iteration has a few subversions (for now). [[spoiler: Paul, the twins, and Dell all had false alarms called]].