American Horror Story: Freak Show—The Complete Fourth Season

After earlier seasons centering on a haunted house, an insane asylum, and a witch's coven, the fourth season of Ryan Murphy's scarily successful FX series focuses on Fräulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities, home to an assemblage of differently-abled characters who find themselves in danger from nefarious outsiders, most notably a serial-killing clown named Twisty (John Carroll Lynch), and wealthy psychopath Dandy (Finn Wittrock). Many of Murphy's repertory company of actors return, including Jessica Lange as the proprietress, Sarah Paulson as conjoined Siamese twins, Kathy Bates as the bearded lady, Evan Peters as her lobster boy son, Angela Bassett as a hermaphrodite, and Emma Roberts as a fortune teller. Newcomers include Michael Chiklis as a strongman and Neil Patrick Harris as a magician, as well as a number of players who have genuine physical challenges—some professional actors, others not—whose presence might seem stunt-like were they not treated with respect. As some direct plot references make clear, this 13-episode narrative arc from 2014-15 serves up an unabashed homage to Tod Browning's 1932 cult classic Freaks, combining thoughtful characterization, stylish mayhem, and flamboyant acting to create an impressive tribute. Extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, and cast interviews. Recommended. (F. Swietek)