‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ Deadly Finale Offers Rare Happy Ending

With a high body count and plenty of violence, Ryan Murphy’s FX horror anthology bids farewell to the 1950s Carnival of Curiosities

Finn Witrock on "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
FX

(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you have not yet seen the season finale of “American Horror Story: Freak Show” entitled “Curtain Call.”)

It was the end of the journey for the “freaks” of Jessica Lange‘s Carnival of Curiosities. The 1950s-set fourth season of Ryan Murphy‘s ongoing FX horror anthology came to a bloody end Wednesday night, offering a comeuppance for its darker characters and a rare moment of triumph for a few of the show’s underdogs — the ones who survived, at least.

Previous seasons of “AHS” have left very few survivors, and even those tended to be left shattered and broken, either physically or psychologically. But the people at the heart of Elsa’s (Lange) carnival not only got their chance to exact their revenge on their new psychopathic boss Dandy (Finn Wittrock), they got the chance at a normal life after the tragic events of the series — or at least as close to a normal life as they’re likely to get.

But first, Dandy went on a killing spree after his own attempt at being a star failed, wiping out many of the supporting players of the “freak show.” Just wanting to be accepted, Dandy was tricked by Bette (Sarah Paulson) into thinking she could love him, only to find himself strung up in a classic Houdini escape stunt with no escape possible.

At least he got to go out as part of the show, albeit unwillingly. On the far side of the country in Hollywood, Elsa was finding her own star moment, though the fame proved less satisfying than she’d hoped. So much so, that she embraced her own doom at a Halloween show, ultimately reuniting with her beloved “freaks” in the afterlife. Even in death, Murphy offered his characters a happy ending this season.

The almost uplifting finale for the latest season finale kept viewers talking on social media into the night, with the hashtag #AHSFinale topping Twitter’s trending list. As usual with “AHS,” responses were mixed. Whether positive or negative, fans are definitely passionate about the show.

We’ve gathered some of the more memorable tweets about the Season 4 finale.

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