American Horror Story: Freak Show premiered tonight on FX. Find out what happened on the premiere episode, “Monsters Among Us.”

The show that needs no further introduction finally made its debut. American Horror Story: Freak Show was not short on gore, shocking moments, or musical performances, but it did lack a certain fear factor. Perhaps due to the over zealous promotional features and in depth character looks, the slow pacing to reveal Sarah Paulson’s Bette and Dot Tattler felt overly drawn out and boring.

There were still plenty of moments filled with stunning sets, beautiful costuming, and the German accent wielding Jessica Lange marching onto the scene. But perhaps, sticking to the hype of creepiness, was the unleashing of Twisty the Clown Killer. Instead of dragging out his reveal in small bursts that would make anyone jump out of their seats, Twisty casually walks upon a picnic in broad daylight for viewers to look take in all at once. His appearance and actions do not get any less terrifying as the episode wrapped up, and surely there are plenty more the come.

Two Sides of the Story: Taken from their home after a milkman stumbles upon the murdered body of their mother, Bette and Dot Tattler cause a stir in the hospital. How often do you see two heads sharing one body, three kidneys, four lungs, and two very different personalities? First there is Dot, the rude uptight sister who believes she knows best. Then there is Bette, the sister with stars in her eyes and the desire for fame in her heart. It is her mother’s refusal to take her to see Gene Kelly in technicolor that sparks a murderous rage and leads her to stab her to death.

Enter, Elsa Mars, purveyor of the local freak show and welcoming protector to all those who need a place to go. Convincing the rebellious teen candy striper to take a walk on the freaky side, she sets her sights on acquiring the Tattler twins. The camera work, splitting the screen between each girl’s point of view, provided an interesting perspective from their initial reaction to Elsa’s offer for a fresh start and displayed the telecommunication beautifully.

While Elsa does want to take care of the girls and protect them from the accusing eye of the police, she is in a spot of trouble at the field that houses her show. Business is not booming and her landlord asks her to opt out of the lease because he has another offer. Attractions at the theaters and on televisions are ruining her profits. While clipping her Hitchcock reviews, she overhears one of her own, out from under the tents, but hiding in plain sight.

Jimmy Darling, the man with the lobster hands, sits at the diner counter with large gloves covering his deformity. Elsa takes him away from his flirt with the real world and reminds him that he does not have a place among the average. A more profitable reminder comes when he reports for his side-job as a less than conventional pleasuring tool for lonely sex-starved housewives. Eighteen bucks is eighteen bucks.

But Jimmy wants more than the side-show life of backdoors and gloves to cover his hands. He pleads with his mother Ethel to buy some land and move everyone away from the life of the carnival. But even Jimmy realizes that protecting the family unit he built around him is just as important to him as living free.

Clear as day: Twisty the Clown saunters across an open field in broad daylight to claim his first victims daring anyone to try and enjoy a nice picnic free from fear again. An old dirty clown costume, half a mask, and an abandoned school bus he calls home, paint the outline of a terrifying circus act. His actions shaking rattles at scared children, trying to blow up balloon dogs, and ultimately just being present are enough to make you turn on the lights and lock the doors.

Twisty’s murders and kidnapping of a young boy have the police pegging the charges on the twins following their hand in their mother’s death. The freak show leads the police straight to their tent when a sign goes up advertising them as the show’s headline act.

Life for Elsa Mars: Inside their new residence, the girls adapt to their surroundings by first meeting the legion of freaks. Legless Suzi, Paul the Illustrated Seal, Meep the animal decapitator, the charming Jimmy Darling, and Ethel Darling, Elsa’s bearded henchwoman. Ethel tells the girls that Elsa is a saving grace. In a vision that displays her in pure heavenly light, Elsa shows up to retrieve Ethel from jail after a bender and reunites her with her son and gives her the chance to return to the stage.

One person who does not appreciate the Freak Show savior is the candy striper from the hospital. After days spent in a sexual wonderland, she demands to be free of the “monsters.” Elsa’s speech, gives the title, “Monsters Among Us” a run for its money. While people live soulless lives deprived of any satisfaction, her troupe provides them with the laughs and frights needed to escape their boredom. They are all living the life they chose, which is more than the rest of the small town’s residents can say.

This is especially true for one resident, Dandy Mott. Spoiled by his mother’s wealth, Dandy rents out the entire tent for a private performance. Fascinated by the displays, he pulls a Veruca Salt type tantrum when the twins refuse to be bought from their family.

The night before when the police arrive to arrest Bette and Dot, the detective is stopped by Jimmy, Suzi, Paul, and Amazon Eve. After being called a freak one too many times, Jimmy slices the detective’s neck.

Wir Sind Alle Freaks: Elsa Mars steals the show at the end of her parade of freaks with a performance of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” to the tune of her freak show band. Complete with raining glitter confetti, garish makeup, and acrobatic performances, the soul-crushing moment of the performance arrives when she realizes that the audience consists of two patrons. Hiding her anxieties over the lack of praise she receives, Elsa retreats to her tent to remove the largest burden from her life. As she undresses, Elsa reveals her two prosthetic legs.

Off in the far field, Jimmy leads the entire troupe around the body of the dead detective. In a speech that echoes Elsa’s earlier in the episode, Jimmy calls the family to action. If they want a place to feel safe and be who they are without judgement then they are going to have to carve that nook out for themselves. And if anyone tells them otherwise… well, let’s just say they’ll chop you like a Thanksgiving turkey.

One person, lurking in the shadows, seems to enjoy their new stance on violence…Twisty.

Stray Thoughts:

•Jessica Lange’s outfits as Elsa Mars were superb.

•Sarah Paulson and the special effects team, please step up and accept these Emmy Awards now.

•Tate fans step aside, Evan Peter’s Jimmy Darling may very well be his best role on the series.

Watch American Horror Story: Freak Show episode 2, “Massacres and Matinees,” Wednesday, October 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET on FX.