American Horror Story: Freak Show, “Bullseye” began with Elsa (Jessica Lange) imagining throwing daggers at the spinning wheel she had moved into the big tent, practicing for her small screen debut.

‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ Recap

Since the Tattler twins (Sarah Paulson) are gone, Ethel (Kathy Bates) worries that the Freak Show will no longer have a main act and hopes that Elsa will still be getting up on stage. She also hopes that Elsa won’t soon be leaving them for Hollywood. Elsa tries to calm her fears by claiming that the freaks will be joining her on the West Coast.

Meanwhile, Bette and Dot have won the affections of Dandy (Finn Wittrock) at the Mott residence. He’s so enamored with them that he wants to marry them. When Gloria (Frances Conroy) gives him condoms, he dismisses the suggestion that he’d violate the twins, as he loves them. Returning Dandy’s feelings is Bette, who has never been happier. Dot is wary of the entire situation, but finds a silver lining after Dandy showed them an article about a surgery that separates conjoined twins. Dot hopes that when she’s separated from Bette she can have Jimmy (Evan Peters). However, that plan comes crashing down when she and Dandy get into an argument about who saved the victims from Twisty the clown.

Back at the freak show, Elsa is the center of attention. For the party thrown in her honor, she’s seated upon a throne, accepting gifts from her many employees. Elsa stops enjoying the revelry, however, when someone mentions missing Bette and Dot. Later on, Elsa and Paul (Mat Fraser) get intimate. Elsa warns him not to fall in love with her, though mentions the possibility that he could come with her Hollywood before the others join them. But Paul already has his heart set on someone else – Penny the Candy Striper (Grace Gummer).

In town picking up some perfume for Penny, Paul spots Dandy getting clothes that could only be for Bette and Dot. Paul takes his suspicions to Jimmy, suggesting that Elsa had them sent off in a fit of jealousy. Jimmy doesn’t believe Paul in the slightest, leading Paul to accuse Jimmy of appearing too normal to see Elsa’s true colors. Though Paul sees Jimmy as generally “normal,” Stanley (Denis O’Hare) is eager to kill him for his lobster hands. Maggie (Emma Roberts) intercedes and suggests that instead of sending just Jimmy’s hands to the museum, he could send Ma Petit’s (Jyoti Amge) entire little body.  Maggie eventually snatches up Ma Petit and brings her to Stanley’s barn. Willingly, Ma Petit gets into the jar, and it looks certain that Maggie is going to drown her.

Later on, after singing Kurt Weill’s “September Song,” Elsa notices that Paul has the scent of another woman’s perfume on him. When she starts to throw a fit, he accuses her of getting rid of Bette and Dot. Elsa wants the rest of the freaks to declare their complete trust in her and belief that she did not get rid of the Tattlers. In order for them to prove it, she wants one of the freaks to get up on the spinning wheel and let her toss daggers. Paul volunteers and gets a knife through his gut for his trouble. When Penny gets there, he’s near death.

The following day, Jimmy is incredulous to learn that his mother Ethel has baked a cake for Elsa – despite the fact that she’d stabbed Paul. Their argument is soon interrupted when Amazon Eve (Angela Bassett) comes in to inform them that Ma Petit was missing. Before panic ensues, Maggie shows up with an alive and well Ma Petit and urges Jimmy to run away with her. Stanley is unlikely to let that happen without a fight.

Back at Mott Manor, Dandy uncovered Dot’s diary. Inside, he read all about her plans to woo him in order to get him to fund her surgery to separate from Dot. Destroyed and weeping, Dandy decides that murder, not love, is what he was meant to do. Before he got his chance to kill the twins, Jimmy showed up to get them.

While Jimmy saved Bette and Dot, Ethel gave Elsa her birthday cake. Elsa, feeling vulnerable with all of the other freaks at Paul’s bedside, tells Ethel she’s like a sister to her. Ethel didn’t fall prey to the sentiment and returns it with a threat. If she finds out Elsa lied and got rid of the Tattlers, she’ll kill her with her bare hands.