Ep 1. Monsters Among Us

In the first episode of American Horror Story season 4, entitled "Monsters Among Us," the story opens in 1952 in Jupiter, Florida where a traveling carnival led by Elsa Mars (played by Jessica Lange) is struggling to remain relevant in a changing world. Elsa's troupe includes a bearded lady named Ethel (played by Kathy Bates), a conjoined twins named Bette and Dot (both played by Sarah Paulson), and a strongman named Dell Toledo (played by Michael Chiklis).

As the carnival prepares for opening night, a group of young boys sneak into the freak show tents and witness a horrific attack by a mysterious creature. The police are called to investigate, but local law enforcement seems more interested in shutting down the carnival than solving the crime. Meanwhile, a wealthy collector named Gloria Mott (played by Frances Conroy) visits the carnival and expresses an interest in purchasing the conjoined twins.

As the carnival struggles to keep its operation afloat, tensions begin to rise between the members of the troupe. Dell Toledo, who is also Ethel's ex-husband, arrives at the carnival and causes a stir by announcing that he is the new strongman. However, Dell's motivations for joining the carnival are not solely professional – he is in fact the father of one of the twins, though it is unclear whether he knows that both of them exist.

Throughout the episode, the audience is introduced to several other freaks and performers in the carnival, including a lizard man, a bearded lady, a lobster boy, and a woman with three breasts. The performers are all deeply interconnected and reliant on each other for support, despite their differences and physical abnormalities.

As the episode draws to a close, a new performer arrives at the carnival – a mysterious and dangerous woman named Twisty the Clown (played by John Carroll Lynch). Her arrival foreshadows the darker and more disturbing elements of the season to come, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats as they wait to see what will happen next.