I don't know about you guys, but so far being a member of Elsa's sideshow does not seem like a whole lot of fun. When you're not having knives thrown at different parts of your body, then you're most likely being offered poisonous cupcakes from sketchy con artists. Suffice to say, it must make for a pretty stressful workday. And judging from the synopsis of Wednesday's AHS: Freak Show episode "Test of Strength," these performers are gearing up to face yet another foe in the form of strong man Dell Toledo. According to the description, the women of the Freak Show will rally against Dell after he commits yet another act of violence. (Surprise, surprise.) Which begs the question: who is Dell (maybe) killing in the AHS promo?
Considering who we're dealing with it could be pretty much anybody. Dell has more than proven that his strength is only surpassed by his rage, so it wouldn't take much to send him off on a killing spree. Though if the episode promo is any indicator, it seems this act will be motivated by fear rather than anger, given how Stanley is seen pointing a gun at him, demanding that he hand over a "freak." However, I'm less concerned about the why and more intrigued by the who. After all, it's been a little while since someone has met their maker outside of AHS 's pointless dream sequences. And something tells me someone's time is almost up.
But who will Dell offer up as a sacrifice? Let's break down the most likely candidates:
One of His Former Lady Loves
Desiree and Ethel would appear to be two of the more obvious choices, considering the complicated history Dell has with both of them. In fact, it wasn't too long ago that Desiree decided to leave Dell after discovering that she was a 100 percent woman, who just so happened to be married to a 100 percent jerk. Odds are he's feeling a little resentful right now and could choose her not only as a way to meet Stanley's demand, but to also exact his own personal revenge. (Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.) And, of course, Ethel seems to be siding with Desiree, so there's a chance she could show up on his kill radar as well. Watch your backs, ladies.
Paul the Illustrated Seal
In the promo, we hear a woman come up behind Dell and yell "What have you done?" And while this mystery lady isn't actually shown, her voice doesn't sound like Desiree, Ethel, or even Elsa. I may be wrong, but I think it could belong to Penny the Candy Striper, who we recently discovered is in love with Paul. So why would Penny be scolding Dell? Perhaps Dell, noticing that Paul is already severely wounded and therefore easy prey, decided to kill him and hand the body over to Stanley. Though since Paul is such a welcome addition to the series, I really, really hope that I'm wrong.
Amazon Eve
Again, I'm going to have to resort to the promo on this one. Though the incident is only shown for a split second and we never get to see the victim's face, Dell attacks someone in their bed late at night. And amid all of the limbs and shadows thrown around, you can see the long, slender arm of a woman, which appears to be coming out of a red pajama sleeve. And who do we already know owns a pair of red silky PJs? Amazon Eve, who is showcased in her nightwear above. I'm no Sherlock or anything, but I feel this is a definite cause for concern. If I were to wager a guess, I highly doubt she'll make it out of this episode alive. Brace yourselves…
Images: Michele K. Short/FX (4)