Freakshow on AMC
Welcome to the freak show.
At the Venice Beach Freakshow, owner Todd Ray, along with his wife Danielle and son Phoenix, carries out his passion for the strange by running a revamped version of the carnival freak shows of the past. At his seemingly ordinary suburban home, there resides a not so ordinary collection of vintage sideshow items that showcases P.T. Barnum, his idol, and two very unique specimens – a two headed snake and a two headed bearded dragon. It turns out that the bearded dragon, named Poncho and Leftie, is turning three and Todd wants to celebrate with a party including his company of just as unique individuals. The attractions include Asia, who happens to be Todd’s daughter and is a lovely fire eater, Larry, a boy with an extraordinary amount of hair that covers his body, Marcus “The Creature”, is an African-American body modification artist, Morgue, a shock artist, Murrugun, specializes in sword swallowing, the adorable Amazing Ali, Brianna Belladonna, “The Indestructible Woman”, and a gentle giant that comes in at 7 feet 8 inches tall, George Bell.
Mr. Bell becomes the focus of much of the episode as Todd attempts to woo him over to join the ranks of the Venice Beach. Bell sees the word ‘freak’ with a negative connotation until over time he comes to realize that Todd is out to reinvent the stigma attached and turn it into a positive.
In order to complete his collection, however, Todd goes on the search for and eventually finds, a bearded lady.
Many interesting facts come out about the sideshow participants over a cozy meal where we find out that Mr. Bell wears a size 18 shoe, is a police officer in Virginia, and played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters. The bearded lady was once a street performer in Las Vegas, and the reason she developed the beard was from early onset menopause. Asia can’t inhale during her fire eating performance or else she would burn the insides of her lungs. And Mr. Bell is the tallest American, and consequently, Todd’s most valued prize.
The party is a success, and Todd is happy. He is able to bring his oddities to the public, for others to see their wonder. We have to wonder what he’ll have up his sleeve for the sideshow in the next episode.
You can catch “Freakshow” on AMC Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c.
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Posted by Amber Keller
on Saturday, February 16th, 2013. Filed under Dark TV, Headline, Images.
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Tags: amc, creature, freakshow, morgue, murrugun, venice beach freakshow
