American Horror Story: Show Stoppers

"Show Stoppers" is the twelfth episode of season four of the seasonal anthology series American Horror Story, which is branded under the subheading of "Freak Show". It is the fiftieth episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Loni Peristere with a script written by Jessica Sharzer. It first aired on the FX Network on Wednesday, January 14th, 2015.

Notes & Trivia

 * American Horror Story was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.


 * "AHS: Show Stoppers" serves as a shortcut to this page.


 * This episode is rated TV-MA.


 * This episode is production code number 4ATS12.


 * "Show Stoppers" had a viewership of 2.938 million people upon its initial broadcast, making up 1.39% of the 18-49 age demographic. It is down by .172 from the previous episode.


 * Actor Michael Chiklis is credited in this episode, but does not make an actual appearance.


 * Actress Frances Conroy is credited in this episode, but does not make an actual appearance.


 * This is the second episode of American Horror Story directed by Loni Peristere. He previously directed episode 4x09, "Tupperware Dance Party". It is second of two episodes he has directed from season four.
 * This is the eighth episode of American Horror Story written by Jessica Sharzer, who is also a producer on the series. It is her second and final episode from season four. She previously wrote the script for episode 4x05, "Pink Cupcakes".


 * This is the tenth and final appearance of actress Emma Roberts in the role of Maggie Esmerelda; dies in this episode.


 * This is the second and final appearance on the series of actor Neil Patrick Harris in the role of Chester Crebb. Harris is best known for playing Barney Stinson on the CBS comedy series How I Met Your Mother.


 * This is the final appearance of Stanley. He is revealed to have been mutilated and turned into a sideshow geek, similar to Meep from earlier in the season. Stanley's final fate is unclear, but it is reasonable to assume that he dies shortly after the events of this episode, especially in light of what takes place in "Curtain Call".


 * This is the second and final appearance of actress Jamie Brewer in the role of Marjorie.


 * Actor John Cromwell is the son of James Cromwell, who played the older Arthur Arden in season two, "Asylum". Cromwell also played a young Arden in a flashback scene in "I Am Anne Frank (Part 1)".


 * This is the second and final appearance of actress Angela Sarafyan in the role of Alice. She appeared last in "Magical Thinking".


 * This is the second and final appearance of actor Miles Doleac in the role of the watcher. He appeared last in "Edward Mordrake (Part 2)".

Allusions

 * Legless Suzi makes reference to the film The Sign of the Cross. This is a 1932 epic directed by Cecil B. DeMille. This movie is also referenced in another season of American Horror Story. In season two, Jessica Lange's character, Sister Jude Martin, screens The Sign of the Cross at the Briarcliff Manor mental hospital to entertain the patients during a freak thunderstorm.


 * The film that Elsa Mars plays is the 1932 movie Freaks by director Tod Browning. The movie is from Hollywood's pre-code era and presents actors with actual birth defects playing characters in a carnival sideshow. Themes and plot devices seen in the film are common to those presented in "Freak Show".

Bloopers

 * Actor Drew Rin Varick, who plays Toulouse, trips over a bench in the scene where Dandy Mott is speaking to Paul the Illustrated Seal about owning the Freak Show.