Blood Bath

The freaks organize a search party in the woods to look for Ma Petite and when they find their bloody torn clothes, they believe a coyote attacked and killed her. However, Ethel believes Elsa killed her and confronts Elsa that kills her, stabbing a knife in her eye. Gloria discloses the behavior of the psychopath son Dandy to her psychologist but omits his murders, and he wants to talk to Dandy. When she returns home, Dora's daughter Regina is waiting for her with Dandy. She gives a poor excuse, and Regina decides to wait for her. Elsa, Stanley and Maggie forge a car accident to justify Ethel's death and behead her to hide the pierced eye. Desiree organizes a hunting party with Legless Suzy, Amazon Eve and Penny to pay back what her father did to her. They kidnap Vince, bring him to their tent and cover him with tar and pillow feathers. When they are going to castrate him, Maggie arrives and convinces them to stop. Elsa travels to Palma to meet the 365 kg Barbara and convinces her to join the Freak Show. Gloria decides to travel with Dandy to Europe on the Queen Mary, but he says no. They have a brief discussion and Dandy shoots her. Then he has a blood bath in a tub. Jimmy now is a drunkard grieving his mother, breaks with Maggie and gets close to Barbara.

"Blood Bath" is an episode of the "American Horror Story" with unexpected deaths. The freaks learn the death of Ma Petite on the previous episode but do not suspect of Dell and Stanly. But Ethel believes Elsa is the responsible and is murdered by the evil "mother of the freaks". The shallow Gloria is murdered by her son that finds the pleasure of a blood bath. Unfortunately, the life of Vince is spared at the last moment by Penny. A new character arrives at the Freak Show brought by Elsa. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Blood Bath"

"Blood Bath," the eighth episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show, directed by Bradley Buecker and written by Ryan Murphy, is one of the most intense and emotionally charged installments in the season, marked by brutal violence, deep grief, and complex interpersonal conflicts. This episode combines harrowing character deaths with rich thematic exploration and powerful performances, elevating its narrative beyond shock value to a poignant reflection on loss, betrayal, and survival within the Freak Show community.

The episode opens in the aftermath of Ma Petite's gruesome death, with the troupe discovering her bloodied dress and bones in the woods. This discovery sharply intensifies suspicions within the carnival, particularly from Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates), who confronts Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange) with accusations of murder motivated by jealousy and rivalry over the spotlight. The confrontation between Bates and Lange is a highlight of the episode, showcasing masterful acting as these two powerhouse performers ignite a dramatic showdown. Their fierce dialogue and physical altercation-the bearded lady versus Elsa with her mechanical legs-is both compelling and loaded with underlying themes of power, betrayal, and survival in a cutthroat environment.

The revelation of Elsa's prosthetic legs is a moment of vulnerability that adds complexity to her character, humanizing the woman behind the diva facade. A flashback showing Elsa's recovery after a snuff film injury, when a doctor crafted her new legs and reassured her of her beauty, fleshes out her backstory and deepens audience empathy despite her ruthless actions. This vulnerability adds depth to Elsa's darker traits, illustrating her relentless drive to preserve her status even at great moral cost.

Another significant development is the brutal and calculated killing of Ethel by Elsa in a moment charged with raw emotion and violence. Elsa's stabbing of Ethel in the head, followed by a staged suicide with Stanley's help-where Ethel decapitates herself in a car crash-marks a turning point in the season and sets off waves of mourning and tension within the troupe. The deceptive nature of the suicide and Elsa's public grief, including a breakdown expressed in German, reveal her complex psychological state and survival instincts. This moment's portrayal cleverly balances genuine sorrow with performative manipulation, showcasing Jessica Lange's nuanced acting.

The grief over Ethel's death galvanizes the female performers-Amazon Eve, Desiree Dupree (Angela Bassett), Penny (Grace Gummer), and Legless Suzi-in a searing narrative of feminist empowerment. In a powerful sequence, they capture and tar and feather Penny's abusive father in brutal revenge for his crimes. This scene is viscerally cathartic and thematically significant, addressing cycles of abuse and the reclaiming of agency by women within a hostile world. The emotion and solidarity displayed here contrast with the season's darker moments, embodying a fierce, rebellious spirit.

Meanwhile, the episode intensifies the psychological depth of Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock), who spirals out of control. His admission of being a product of incest and a history of violent tendencies culminate in him shooting and killing his mother, Gloria (Frances Conroy), in a chilling and blood-soaked scene where he bathes himself in her blood. This act punctuates his descent into madness and violence, making him one of the season's most terrifying figures. Wittrock delivers an unsettling performance that captures Dandy's enmeshed psychosis and chilling detachment.

Visually, "Blood Bath" is striking, balancing the grim realities of death and violence with the haunting aesthetic of the Carnival. The cinematography uses dark, muted tones with sporadic bursts of vivid color-the red of blood, the white of Ethel's funeral dress-to emphasize the contrast between life, death, and illusion. The director's use of space and shadow enhances the tension and emotional gravity, while the editing maintains a rhythm that allows moments of horror and quiet grief to resonate fully.

The script is commendable in threading together extreme violence, character introspection, and thematic weight, exploring mortality, betrayal, and empowerment. The episode confronts the fragility and tenacity of those living on society's margins, using spectacle and tragedy as complementary storytelling tools. Some critics note occasional pacing challenges amid dense narrative content, but overall, the writing orchestrates a compelling emotional crescendo.

In the broader cultural context, "Blood Bath" taps into motifs of gothic horror, feminist revenge narratives, and the performative nature of victimhood and power within marginalized subcultures. It builds on American Horror Story's tradition of blending historical carnival lore with contemporary social commentary, confronting issues of trauma, abuse, and the search for agency.

"Blood Bath" is a harrowing yet compelling episode that combines visceral horror with profound emotional depth. Through powerful performances, particularly from Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Finn Wittrock, and Angela Bassett, and evocative direction from Bradley Buecker, it lays bare the pain, resilience, and ruthlessness of the Freak Show's inhabitants. This episode challenges viewers to grapple with the complexities of friendship, betrayal, and survival in a world where beauty and brutality coexist. Its brutal honesty and thematic richness mark it as a standout chapter in an already bold and unsettling season.

The good was there was some decent horror here, the bad mainly everything else as the character become more uninteresting and unlikable anand the story continues to drag on and lead to deadends and time wasteing scenarios