Plot

With a killer on the loose, police impose a curfew on Jupiter. Elsa hires a strongman, unaware of his dark past with Ethel.

Things aren't improving at the box office for Elsa. With the sudden rash of murders, people are afraid to go out at night and the town has announced a nighttime curfew until the killer is caught. Gloria Mott and her son Dandy attend a show but are not impressed. Ethel Darling, the bearded lady, is upset to see that her ex-husband Dell Toledo and his current wife Desiree Dupree arrive looking for work. Elsa takes them on and decides to let Dell run things. Jimmy decides to get rid of Dell by framing him for the murder of a police detective but it all goes horribly wrong. Gloria sees Twisty the Clown walking along the road and brings him home as a plaything for Dandy.—garykmcd

Jimmy listens to the radio news that says that there are four victims from the killer and a boy and a police detective are missing. Two detectives appear at the Freak Show and Elsa tells them that they need a search warrant to snoop around. They tell her that there will be a curfew in Jupiter. Meanwhile, Gloria and her spoiled son Dandy are having lunch, and he tells her that he is bored. Dandy has a conniption and leaves the house. Gloria drives her car seeking him out and sees the killer clown. She invites him to come to her house to entertain her son. In the freak show, Dell "Strongman" Toledo arrives with his trailer bringing his wife Desiree Dupree. He asks for a job to Elsa, and Desiree shows that she has three breasts and a penis to Elsa. When Dell learns about the curfew, he decides to have matinees at three p.m. He has also a friction with Jimmy and beats him. Jimmy plots revenge against Dell but it does not work as planned. Elsa feels jealous of Dot singing and poisons Beth against her sister. Dandy follows the clown and teams-up with him.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Jimmy flips on the radio for a report about the four recent murders and the still-missing boy. It also mentions that a police detective has been missing for two days and "the boys in blue are out for blood." A pair of detective arrives and asks to talk to Elsa.

She tells them they need a search warrant and they tell her they're instituting a curfew.

An employee of Hanley's Toys returns with Mr. Hanley's coffee. A few of the toys aren't where they should be, and one wind-up robot has made tracks through blood. As the employee follows the trail, he doesn't notice the Killer Clown standing against the wall, blending in with mannequins. The employee finds Mr. Hanley's head on the shelf, and then gets the Clown's scissors through his neck.

At night at the freak show, the freaks are all celebrating the death of the cop, but Jimmy is in no mood. He goes out to the woods with Amazon Eve and Paul the Illustrated Seal to dig up the bits of the detective, which he plans to burn and scatter.

Jimmy thinks people will like them if only they get to know them. He pockets the detective's badge to melt down.

At the Mott household over a silent mother son dinner, Gloria rings for their maid, Dora (Patti LaBelle). She brings them the escargot Dandy asked for, but he turns his nose up at it. He's drinking brandy out of a crystal baby bottle. Gloria is upset that Dandy rejects all the girls she's tried to set him up with. He complains that he's turning to dust from boredom because she won't let him become a thespian. He storms off in a huff.

Dora quietly tells Gloria she found some cat parts behind the shed again, and mentions the people who have been disappearing all over town.

Back at the freak show, Ethel sees Dell Toledo (Michael Chiklis) the Strongman pulling up. He opens his trailer door and escorts out his wife Desiree Dupree (Angela Bassett). They sit down with Elsa for an interview and Del explains they just left Chicago

Flash back to Chicago, 3 weeks ago

Del comes home drunk to find two gay men waiting for their friend who is inside "trying to change his stripes" with Desiree. The man is thrilled he's up for the challenge, but they're interrupted by Del, who sees the man on top of his wife and promptly snaps his neck.

Back with Elsa, she's heard the stories about a strong man with a temper, and a murder. "There ain't no murder if there ain't no body," says Desiree.

Finally, Desiree shows her "freak" qualifications. Three breasts and she's a full hermaphrodite. Elsa is impressed, but says with business so slow, she can't afford them. But Del tells Elsa they have nowhere else to go.

Elsa reconsiders.

Out driving, Gloria Mott finds Twisty the Clown walking along the roadside. She asks him if he does private parties for children.

Dandy Mott goes to the Freak Show and tells Jimmy he wants to join them. He's not a freak, but he knows the entire Cole Porter catalogue. Jimmy gets in his face and tells him he should be grateful for all he has.

Back in his car, Dandy has a tantrum and bashes his head against his steering wheel.

Dandy returns home and Gloria excitedly takes him to see Twisty the Clown. "Your very own clown, you can do whatever you want to him!" she says.

She leaves them alone.

Ethel wait for Desiree to leave her trailer and then goes in to talk to Del. "Well, if it isn't Honest Abe herself," Del says.

Del is Jimmy's father. He gleefully tells Ethel he's now in charge of security for the whole show.

Dot and Bette rehearse as Desiree plays piano, but Bette's singing voice is terrible. Elsa says it doesn't matter if they have talent, they're the opening act and they have two heads.

Jimmy addresses Dot directly and tells her to sing just to him. She starts "Dream a Little Dream of Me," and it's lovely. Elsa looks stricken.

Del joins them and announces they can have a matinee. Elsa objects, saying daytime is for kiddie shows. But Del brushes her off and announces he's going in to town to get an audience for the 3 p.m. show tomorrow. Elsa realizes he's going to be a problem.

Back at the Mott's, Dandy is staging "The King and I" puppet show for the Clown, who appears uninterested. Instead, Dandy complains about his terrible day and orders: "Amuse me, Clown."

He shows the Clown to his toy box then roots through the Clown's bag, finding the scissors, bowling pin, and something else. The Clown cracks him lightly on the head and runs. Dandy follows him.

Jimmy returns to the diner where he was flirting with the waitress. His gloves are off and he has all his freak friends with him. Amazon Eve, Paul, Legless Suzi, Pepper and Salty all take seats at the counter as the staff watches in a mixture of horror and awe.

A prim mother asks them to leave because they're upsetting her child. Jimmy invites her to the show. Outside, Del tacks up fliers. He comes in when he sees them. They take exception to Paul eating a diner's uneaten food. The patrons start leaving and Del lectures Jimmy that if they give everyone a free show, no one will pay. Del takes Jimmy outside and roughs him up as all the freaks watch.

Back in the Clown's cages in the woods, the captive girl and boy pry loose a bar with a nail sticking out of it.

Dandy follows the Clown back to his trailer. Inside, the Clown opens the cage and sits down with his captives. He presents the boy with a wind-up robot and tries to make him smile, while his grotesque mask continues its frozen leer.

Then reaches into his bag and pulls out the toy shop employee's head. The girl whacks the clown with the nail board and the captives run out of the trailer, knocking off the Clown's mask. He has no lower half of his face, just a gaping, sinewy maw.

Out in the woods, they run directly into Dandy, who hoists the girl over his shoulder and brings the girl back to the Clown, who has grabbed the boy. "You're going to have to do a much better job of confinement if we're going to have any fun," Dandy tells the Clown.

Jimmy returns to the show, where Elsa tells him she's going to give the matinee a chance. She thinks Del might be able to protect them from the town if they come looking for scapegoats. Jimmy tells her they already have a strongman and shows her the detective's badge, telling her what he did.

Then Jimmy shows Elsa the flier Del put up, which bills her last. That's too much for her to take.

But later, the matinee begins with an actual audience. Del introduces the new headliner: Dot and Bette, with Dot singing the lead on Fiona Apple's "Criminal." The audience leaves their seats and dances in front of the stage. Dot sings to Jimmy as Bette tries not to look disappointed that she's not the star. Elsa seems to feel the same.

The next day, the police pull up again, this time with a search warrant based on anonymous tip. He asks which tent is Del's. Elsa points them to the trailer, but they come up empty.

Del remembers Jimmy leaving mid-show. He followed him. Del tells Jimmy they'll never find what he left behind in his trailer. Instead, they find the badge in Meep the Geek's tent and haul him off.

At the station, they toss the tiny Geek into the drunk tank and leave him to the blood-thirsty criminals.

Elsa wakes Bette up in the middle of the night to sow discord, saying Dot purposely eclipsed her. Elsa tells Bette that anyone can see that Bette is the star. Elsa leaves Bette a knife.

Ethel finds Jimmy nearly passed out drunk. She's never seen him drink before. She warns Jimmy to stay away from Del. Jimmy is worried what will happen to Meep in jail and wants to confess. Jimmy goes outside in time to see the police pull up in a truck and toss Meep's body on the ground then drive off.