30 Most Shocking Moments in All Of American Horror Story

Photo courtesy of FX

Freak Show: Elsa’s Past

Elsa Mars, played by Jessica Lange in the last season featuring the actress, is the leader of the freak show. She is in charge and the main event. When we first meet her, the episode ends with a weird performance of David Bowie’s Life On Mars and it does nothing to explain things.

Honestly, that moment should have told us all we needed to know about this season of American Horror Story. However, Elsa’s story reveals a shocking past that wowed audiences into really enjoying Freak Show.

Elsa is a German actress who we find out has a very dark past. That past includes getting paid to torture men as a dominatrix. The torture? Having them sit on toilet seats with nails in them.

But that’s not even the most shocking part, she wanted to be a star and she’s put into a movie. This snuff film ends up taking her legs away from her because the film depicted her getting them taken off with a chainsaw.

Obviously she is saved (by the solider client she was torturing who ended up falling in love with her) but from that moment on, Elsa just wanted to die and it makes sense why she is as desperate as she is throughout all of Freak Show.