American Horror Story

:

Season 4
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 5, 2011
Season #: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 508 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 334 out of 508
  2. Mixed: 94 out of 508
  3. Negative: 80 out of 508
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User Reviews

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  1. Freakswine
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Com certeza o melhor pilot de todas as temporadas, adorei ver a Sarah interpretando 2 personalidades diferentes, estava ótima. A cena final com a Elsa retirando suas próteses foi a que mais me chocou.… Expand
  2. miss-April-Voss
    Oct 15, 2014
    10
    I highly recommend this insane, shocking, and terrifying show! This show is highly unique and the story lines and actors are full of originality. If you love to be scared and freaked out than you will love this show!
    Nothing like it! It truly is a freak show! All of the 4 seasons have blown me away!
  3. DirigiblePulp
    Jan 26, 2015
    7
    An up and down season, even by AHS standards. The promise of the premise, the setting, the actors, the situations and the events seems to be an exciting and interesting one rife with possibilities, but nothing is ever really made of them. Jessica Lange plays a variation of her Coven character, coveting fame and fortune and youth and "using" Freaks to get there. It's nothing new.

    The    An up and down season, even by AHS standards. The promise of the premise, the setting, the actors, the situations and the events seems to be an exciting and interesting one rife with possibilities, but nothing is ever really made of them. Jessica Lange plays a variation of her Coven character, coveting fame and fortune and youth and "using" Freaks to get there. It's nothing new.

    The biggest problem with the season was a lack of narrative momentum. The show just lolled from scene to overly dramatic scene, a whole lot of sound and fury without much or any dramatic weight or wicked Asylym-esque fun. It's the kind of show where you keep having to pinch yourself to remind you that what you are seeing is "fascinating", but you never feel it and you never care and it never really is (Edward Mordrake aside, I did especially like those episodes and of course the whole Pepper backstory episode).    … Expand
  4. Skitte
    Dec 29, 2014
    7
    I am a big fan of AHS. This season was a great one, like fantastic acting and impressive visual. I like how yhe relationships between characters evolve quickly and different but the single disturbing thing is the miserable and boring and cheesy story. Unlike the other seasons, this was a disappointment as story, even though the acting made it easier to swallow.
  5. Adson
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    Oh my goodness, I've been waiting so long for this season and I'm not disappointed. The characters are perfects, the story is very good, not predictable at all, the performance of the cast is awesome and I don't know what to expect next, but I think will be an amazing season.
  6. Meth-dude
    Nov 21, 2014
    7
    Freak show is probably the most interesting one.The show is all about the freaks and it's good.The acting is great and the visuals/special effects are really well made.
  7. BadCat
    Nov 15, 2014
    10
    I think it's gonna be my favorite season of AHS. I'm just in LOVE with it !
    And Jessica Lange, still the Queen of this show, she's an amazing and talented actress!
  8. Fordee15
    Apr 16, 2015
    5
    "American Horror Story: Freakshow" is a... a huge let down.

    I was so looking forward to this season, but, after a great first four episodes everything went down hill. Like previous seasons; the plot just became jumbled and 'thrown together'. I was starting to doubt that Ryan Murphy could even hold a plot. It started out so strong, but, as the season progressed, it just spiraled out of    "American Horror Story: Freakshow" is a... a huge let down.

    I was so looking forward to this season, but, after a great first four episodes everything went down hill. Like previous seasons; the plot just became jumbled and 'thrown together'. I was starting to doubt that Ryan Murphy could even hold a plot. It started out so strong, but, as the season progressed, it just spiraled out of control.

    Don't get me wrong- Freakshow has a few redeeming qualities. Great acting, great sets, great atmosphere, great soundtrack, snobby childish Dandy, and a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful send-off to Jessica Lange.

    But, there is essentially no plot. It gets swamped half-way through the season, and things basically just get rolled together into a big blob of meaningless plot lines and drama. Top it off with the amount of wasted characters and... well...

    I really wanted to like Freakshow. But, I could only barely. It has some great qualities, but all these qualities are brought down by the fact that the season was horribly, horribly written.    … Expand
  9. CharlieGray
    Sep 11, 2015
    10
    Unfortunately, this is the last season where Jessica Lange is in. She was by far the best actrees in the series.
    But besides that, AHS: Freak Show it's an scary and amazing show.
  10. JonesTexx
    Oct 26, 2014
    10
    I just love every season. There is no other show like this. It's like a movie in 13 parts in each season. I do really like this season so far, I think that there are going to be many surprises for us as viewers, like it always was. I mean it's Ryan Murphy and his brilliant ideas.
  11. francisrgo
    Oct 9, 2014
    8
    The first episode sets the tone of Season 4,darker and "freakier." The characters are more pronounced and seem to be well connected unlike previous seasons. The dynamics and chemistry between the actors are stronger and balanced.
  12. Sato505
    Oct 29, 2014
    10
    This season is just so amazing and to all the haters you can't be serious, I mean after watching 3 episodes. Really ?? This show has everything in : Horror, Humor, great camera work and talented actors !!
    I don`t know any other GOOD horror show except American Horror Story!!
  13. shunthathouse
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    By far the best premiere of the anthology series. Coven forsake the horror for silliness and a lighter atmosphere which had its perks, but forgot about the true core of the series. The premiere featured terrific actors in juicy roles, the Visuals were simply astonishing, and the storytelling already seems much more coherent compared to coven. Congratulations Murphy and Falchuk, you did it!
  14. eddyallnight
    Oct 29, 2014
    10
    I'm in love with this season so far. The freaking Clown , Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, it's just the whole show. They deserve an Emmy!!! I was always like the walking dead or American Horror Story and now I realize, definitely American Horror Story. It's never getting boring!!
  15. atherezo
    Oct 10, 2014
    10
    I find clowns scary as hell. Can't wait for more! What about the David Bowie musical number? This is classic horror, mind blowing. I don't see how anyone can find it cliche and a waste of time.
  16. wafihabib
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    I just now this season is gonna be awesome! The first episode is already intriguing and it was the best premiere episode of any season. Also because Twisty is the scariest AHS antagonist yet!
  17. witchyseattle
    Nov 3, 2014
    9
    I Think Season 4 is going to be great. It is after all only the 4th episode and the characters and story lines are just starting to unfold. I found the clown creepy and sad. I am looking forward for to the continuing development of the plot and how the characters evolved. So far I find the it interesting. It reminds me of the X-File episode "Humbug" which is also set in Florida amongI Think Season 4 is going to be great. It is after all only the 4th episode and the characters and story lines are just starting to unfold. I found the clown creepy and sad. I am looking forward for to the continuing development of the plot and how the characters evolved. So far I find the it interesting. It reminds me of the X-File episode "Humbug" which is also set in Florida among the Freak-show regulars. Keep up the good work.… Expand
  18. thetvreviewman
    Nov 4, 2014
    10
    This fourth season of American Horror Story is titled "Freak Show." This season deals with, you guessed it, FREAKS! Set in the 1950s in Florida in one of the last standing Freakshows this season involves human oddities, dark backstories, con artists with terrible motives, and one **** scary ass clown and his creepy assistant Dandy!
    This season is very strong so far because it gives us the    This fourth season of American Horror Story is titled "Freak Show." This season deals with, you guessed it, FREAKS! Set in the 1950s in Florida in one of the last standing Freakshows this season involves human oddities, dark backstories, con artists with terrible motives, and one **** scary ass clown and his creepy assistant Dandy!
    This season is very strong so far because it gives us the human emotions of the freaks being left out and feeling like they don't belong, while still giving us spine tingling chills and nightmares.    … Expand
  19. AmauriR
    Oct 26, 2014
    10
    otima serie otimos atores queria a taissa mas reconheço q a serie continua boa vamos ver se supera asylum mas ate agr esta otima a série e ja bateu recordes de audiencias
  20. majid92
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    Episode 3 of season 4 review:

    Obviously, nothing can beat this anthology series. it's just too beautiful and amazing. No tv-show could ever bring a good horror to your tv like Amercan Horror Story. Last episode was simply over the top amazing. I don't know what made this episode so perfect. Is it Jessica Lange singing a Lana Del Rey song? or is it the truly eccentric and astonishing new    Episode 3 of season 4 review:

    Obviously, nothing can beat this anthology series. it's just too beautiful and amazing. No tv-show could ever bring a good horror to your tv like Amercan Horror Story. Last episode was simply over the top amazing. I don't know what made this episode so perfect. Is it Jessica Lange singing a Lana Del Rey song? or is it the truly eccentric and astonishing new character; Edward Merdork? And the list goes on! I think every moment of episode three was beautifully done! Can't wait for more.

    Majid Al-Ansari    … Expand
  21. willlol
    Oct 8, 2014
    10
    Por mais que seja difícil de assistir, por se tratar de temas delicados e mostrar a sociedade daquela época como realmente era com relação ás pessoas com anormalidades, essa temporada promete ser bastante agonizante.
  22. kris2fur
    Jan 26, 2015
    3
    Worst American horror story yet.
    This series detracts from the previous ones even the coven which was a step in a different direction.
    Towards the end it reminded me of the horrible end seasons of sons of anarchy just death, senseless death, repayed with senseless death. The only thing that made this even a horror story was the ominous spirit and the clown. With out them this could    Worst American horror story yet.
    This series detracts from the previous ones even the coven which was a step in a different direction.
    Towards the end it reminded me of the horrible end seasons of sons of anarchy just death, senseless death, repayed with senseless death.
    The only thing that made this even a horror story was the ominous spirit and the clown.
    With out them this could barely be considered a horror story.
    Why is metacritic fuelled by fanboys? User scores mean nothing everyone who liked it gives it a ten no matter what and everyone who hated it gives it a zero. This is destroying metacritic.
    If this is Jessica Langes last season you wasted her. She has played better roles in the previous series.
    I liked seeing the softer side of the axeman or the carpenter that was good.
    Other than that I really look forward to flipper boy being an evil character… again.
    Hopefully we can get back to the horror roots and get some actual wrap up of the series, maybe even some decent cross connect between the series.
    I honestly would not recommend this series over the others, ever.    … Expand
  23. chidime
    Dec 25, 2014
    4
    First off let me say I am such a big fan of AHS. When everyone was quick to dismiss it initially, I stuck with it and even convinced others to watch it. However, i am sorely disappointed in this season. What made AHS such a thrill to watch was the randomness of things. You could never ever predict what was going to happen. For the first 2 seasons, I can say I was never ever bored. ThereFirst off let me say I am such a big fan of AHS. When everyone was quick to dismiss it initially, I stuck with it and even convinced others to watch it. However, i am sorely disappointed in this season. What made AHS such a thrill to watch was the randomness of things. You could never ever predict what was going to happen. For the first 2 seasons, I can say I was never ever bored. There was always something scary, something out of this world going on. the writers had a vision for a one-of-a-kind show and they stuck with it. However, from Season 3 things began to change. They decided they wanted to appeal to teenagers or so and started to add sappy storylines removing the key thing that made them so irresistible in the first place - unpredictable goriness. I thought okay maybe its just that season and maybe they just wanted a more toned-down season for some reason. However, season 4 is just absolutely terrible. Very boring, conventional horror you can see coming from a mile away, very predictable. I am so disappointed. I can't even finish this season. I hope for season 5 they correct their mistakes and go back to what made them so popular in the first place rather than trying to attract more teenagers.… Expand
  24. xenojoey
    Feb 1, 2015
    0
    I hoped it would get better after watching each episode. As I was hoping, the season was over. All I can say is that these writers need to be replaced for season 5
  25. Tywalker
    Oct 12, 2014
    10
    Whether you love gory hack-n-slash, crime mystery and suspense or physiologically disturbing variety of horror films, this freak-show is sure to have enough acts to please a broad range of audiences.

    This season's theme is fear of one's own body -- fear of oneself. Fear of not being desirable or embraced by society when we become worn or lack normality. Jessica Lange's performance is    Whether you love gory hack-n-slash, crime mystery and suspense or physiologically disturbing variety of horror films, this freak-show is sure to have enough acts to please a broad range of audiences.

    This season's theme is fear of one's own body -- fear of oneself. Fear of not being desirable or embraced by society when we become worn or lack normality. Jessica Lange's performance is eerily reminiscent of Bette Davis in Baby Jane. The premiere leaves you wanting more, despite a lingering feeling of misery.

    The premiere does the craft of introducing the numerous characters, themes, and plots into a single episode coherently. The pacing is sharp, accelerating the introduction of plot and characters, and slowing down to allow the audience to experience the most profound and psychologically disturbing moments.

    As per usual, there is no clear protagonist or antagonist. Though, this season is primed unlike any other season to blur the ethical and moral judgments of each character to demonstrate the human ambiguity. Even "freaks" are capable of being victimized and victimizing others, as well as showing compassion and acceptance. In that sense, I was glad to see the "freaks" not being placed on a pedestal nor demonized.

    Usually series stunt their growth, recycling the same characters and plot, desperately seeking to reinvent them each time. America Horror Story has the unique ability to recreate the themes, plot, and characters in order to create a new and distinct show. This season of American Horror Story, transcends its predecessors in every way -- that includes, Asylum, which I consider to be one of the very best seasons of television.    … Expand
  26. datass
    Oct 8, 2014
    10
    With how bad season three ended I was surprised how good the premier of the new season of American Horror Story was. Really pumped for the rest of the season.
  27. nicholasbert
    Oct 9, 2014
    8
    After the let down (at least for me) of season 3, which I thought was weak and not scary at all, especially compared to seasons 1 and 2, season 4 prospects to be much more entertaining and is off to a good start.

    We've got the usual Jessica Lange in a difficult role, apparently, but she's a tried actress and I'm sure she'll manage. As for the other regulars, they don't appear to be that    After the let down (at least for me) of season 3, which I thought was weak and not scary at all, especially compared to seasons 1 and 2, season 4 prospects to be much more entertaining and is off to a good start.

    We've got the usual Jessica Lange in a difficult role, apparently, but she's a tried actress and I'm sure she'll manage. As for the other regulars, they don't appear to be that changed... we'll have to see.

    As usual, great photography and great directing, some original camera work, and eerie promises for episodes next! Hopefully it won't be a downer like Coven was.    … Expand
  28. israeldorneles
    Oct 22, 2014
    10
    Amazing, just amazing. Coven was a huge letdown for me, so I wasn't expecting that. Glad it's back on track. Asylum is not just the best AHS season yet but it's one of the best season I've seen in any TV show and I'm feeling Freak Show will surpass it.

    EDITED: Where all this hate came from? It's pointless.
  29. MyaMarisse
    Oct 21, 2014
    1
    I think since season 2 this idea of introducing "musicals" is just out of line, this season "Freak Show" seems like its going to become a "Freak Glee"... Im not even bothering in watching another chapter... listening the 2 heads girl singing "Criminal" was enough.. bye bye AHS
  30. sahuet
    Oct 23, 2014
    0
    NO, NO, NO...

    I am shocked by how many people think this season is so terrific, scary, mind blowing, etc.

    I am a huge fan of the series, but this season is so cliche!

    And the clown, really?!

    Watch Vulgar and you will see a scary clown story!!!
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Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best TV Season of 2014
24
#24 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
36
#36 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Kevin Fallon
    Oct 9, 2014
    70
    It’s hardly [his crowning achievement], lacking the aggressive whimsy and emboldened storytelling that’s made him the pied piper to a nation of TV-watching weirdos, mocked and ignored. But there’s a seriousness with which he’s given this first Freak Show outing that actually piques more of a curiosity than trotting out the expected onslaught of spooks, one-liners, and cheekiness could’ve possibly be done at this point in the American Horror Story run.
    Read full review
  2. Under The Radar
    Reviewed by: Zach Hollwedel
    Oct 9, 2014
    75
    Freak Show starts off strong, offering more than just a taste of the spooky, bloody, quirky season to come.
    Read full review
  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Oct 8, 2014
    50
    The over-long season premiere--it's 63 minutes without commercials, so expect it to run close to 90 minutes on air; set yoru DVR accordingly--feels disjointed and the characters seem underdeveloped.
    Read full review
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