American Horror Story: Freak Show – "Test of Strength” Retrospective. A Time to Kill.

Dell plays his part as a “strong man,” but fails at being his true self.

Season 4, Episode 7

Airdate: Wednesday, November 19, 2014, 9/8c on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

[warning] SPOILERS AHEAD [/warning]

“You know what your problem is, Jimmy? You’re stuck on the rosy notion that the world operates on goodness…” — Ethel Darling.

Is it possible American Horror Story: Freak Show (AHS: Freak Show) is American Horror Story‘s best and most thought provoking season to date? After watching “Test of Strength,” I’m starting to believe it is. Whereas a lot of violence on television sensationalizes death to shock viewers, AHS: Freak Show’s use of violence feels more methodical with a specific kind of purpose to draw horror not only from gore but the capacity humans have for cruelty. Each new episode reinforces the concept of how real monsters lurk behind some of the most angelic faces. Twisty the Clown’s (John Carroll Lynch) story line and the way it connects with Dandy (Finn Wittrock), whose good looks and boy next door quality, is a perfect example of how evil can manifest itself in different ways.

In “Test of Strength,” starting from Ethel Darling’s (Kathy Bates) scene stealing moments discussing the real world with her son Jimmy (Evan Peters) to Dell’s (Michael Chiklis) secret double life, the episode suggests Twisty is nothing more than a symbol and segue to a bigger picture: monsters are not born, they are made by circumstance. Each subsequent episode since “Edward Mordrake (Part Two)” has had noble characters like Jimmy meeting with circumstances that bring out their darker side.

Playtime is Over

“Test of Strength” picks up where “Bullseye” left off with Jimmy discovering the twins, Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson), living in the Mott Mansion with Dandy. It’s odd how in “Bullseye,” Dandy makes it very clear that he plans to embrace his dark side, but then suddenly he’s treating the twins like princesses.

This minor continuity flaw became a non-issue for me as soon as Jimmy realizes Dandy’s hand in Twisty’s death. I’m happy the writers and producers did not hold off on that piece of information until the season’s end. That said, Dandy may have a lot of things going for him as far as homicidal tendencies, but he’s no Hannibal Lector. He’s meant to be a menace not a criminal mastermind and I’m fine with that because it adds to his unpredictability since he’s completely impulsive. Jimmy, however, has the smarts to put two and two together; instead of aggravating Dandy further with his presence, he calmly lets Dot and Bette know they should leave “right now” without much detail. For a moment, it looks as if the twins may stick around the Motts’ home; that is, until Dot discovers Dandy reading her diary. “I told you, there would be no secrets between us.”

Dot convinces Bette to leave Dandy and return to Elsa’s (Jessica Lange) freak show. After Jimmy returns to the carnival, he accuses Elsa of selling the twins. Just when you think Elsa’s goose is cooked, Dot steps in to defend her. No, hell hasn’t frozen over; it’s just slightly chilled. After concocting a story to shut down Jimmy’s suspicions, Dot and Bette’s motives become clear later when they use Elsa’s actions as leverage for blackmail, proving they are not the only ambitious negotiators in Jupiter. Tracing how far Dot and Bette have come from the premiere episode, “Monsters Among Us,” their amount of confidence is great, but Dot’s obsession with the surgery to separate herself from Bette is going to end ugly.

A majority of the scenes with Elsa and the twins continues to build on the plot but are written in a way that flows with all the major story lines in the episode. We don’t see Dandy again, and that’s probably for the best. “Bullseye” really gave insight into his mindset, and setting his story aside during “Test of Strength” balances the development of the other characters. I love how writer Crystal Liu balances the main story lines without losing the significance of the theme—strength.

Dell makes the deal with the devil. In this case, the devil has a name: Stanley.

Dell makes a deal with the devil. In this case, the devil has a name: Stanley.

Death of a Strong Man

Ok, so Dell doesn’t literally die but by the end of the episode, you’re wishing he’ll bite it soon. Out of fear from the world, Dell’s suppression of his desires and his sexuality leads him through a journey in “Test of Strength,” an episode that truly defines him. From the moment he laments over missing his lover, Andy (Matt Bomer), worries over Stanley’s (Denis O’Hare) threats to out him as a gay man, and finally accepting Jimmy as his son, we get a glimpse of his tortured soul—something beyond his usual acts of violence. Unfortunately, the pivotal story line is not about Dell’s humanity but rather the loss of it—or whatever shred he had left inside. Dell’s devil of a deal with Stanley to kill one of the “freaks” in exchange for silence is shocking. It never crossed my mind that Dell would back out of the deal. The real suspense stems from whom Dell will choose to seal the deal with Stanley. After Dell fails to murder Amazon Eve (Erika Ervin), which everyone in the carnival mistakes as an attempted rape, he lures Jimmy into a false sense of security with plans to cut his hands; once again, he fails to follow through. It’s only after Jimmy recounts his favorite memory that Dell realizes whom he must kill. It’s hard to watch Dell complete his part of the bargain, especially when the person is an innocent in the presence of evil. I won’t lie, the very last scene nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Favorite Moments

Jimmy singing “Come, As You Are” by Nirvana gave me flashbacks to season one of American Horror Story: Murder House (AHS: Murder House) where Peters plays a very disturbed phantom teenager who died in the 90s with influences of Kurt Cobain in his style. Evans does a great job of covering the song, and in a way, it foreshadows his role throughout “Test of Strength.”
Kathy Bates is remarkable in her portrayal as the bearded lady this season, but it’s Bate’s performance when Ethel offers words to Jimmy about hope that really become a major highlight of the episode.

Ethel: “Truth is, all goodness guarantees ya is an early grave. The biggest joke of all, the thing that will sink ya every time, is hope. Hope that the world will right itself, that the just will be rewarded, and the wicked punished…oh, once you buy into that horseshit, you’re dead in the water. The only way to survive in this disgusting, godforsaken world is to take control. Ain’t nobody gonna take care of our people but us. Dell hurt one of our own; we can’t let him get away with that…can’t let that degenerate prick win. He’s got to pay. ”

Bottom Line

“Test of Strength” is a well-suited title for a heartbreaking and emotional episode. The direction and execution of all the scenes are precise, while the costume and set design always impress. However, it’s the writing that makes AHS: Freak Show worth watching every week! Second to the outstanding performances by the entire cast, the character development is core to each episode, making it so impactful, you’re left kind of speechless by the end. “Test of Strength” is really Dell’s episode; his lack of ethics by agreeing to murder someone to save himself is a weakness. When Dell uses his physical strength, using his bare hands to kill one of his “own,” the scene is macabre in its direction and Dell’s reaction with apologetic words.

Overall, this has to be one of the more memorable episodes of the season as AHS: Freak Show digs deeper into what makes monsters out of men. For that, I remain transfixed on what happens next to all of Elsa’s “monsters.”

What did you think of “Test of Strength?” Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @conallen.