Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: after watching American Horror Story: Freakshow, I’ve wondered if the show has run its course, or at least, needs to change its formula a bit.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve actually quite enjoyed every season of the show since its inception, despite its obvious problems. To me, Asylum was by far the best (I know people always put Murder House in that spot, but creepy mental hospitals always do it for me), with the first coming in at a first second, and then Freak Show, this last season, in third. Coven remains in the bottom, if only because there were no true stakes half-way through that season, as everyone kept coming back from the dead.

I digress: let’s get back to Freak Show. Overall, it was an enjoyable season. Setting this year within the carnival-like atmosphere seemed like an obvious choice, and it was only a matter of time before it happened. The large ensemble cast was fantastic as well, allowing us time to get to know each character (sometimes a little too much), and give everyone a chance to shine.

The three “villains” of the piece, Twisty, Dandy, and Stanley, gave this season a great cruel streak, with them being some of the most inspired baddies to grace the show.

However, despite its massive cast, I don’t feel like there was enough of a real story to fill the 13 episode order. A lot of the things shown seemed like extra padding, just something to fill the time until we got closer to the end. As much as I love Neil Patrick Harris, his entire story could have been exorcised to make the overall arc seem leaner and tighter. 10 episodes would have been perfect for this season, really trimming the fat, and zeroing in on the real story at hand.

That said, the extra time did give some of the characters time to shine, as mentioned earlier. Everyone got their moments, or three, to really stand out. Jessica Lange continued to be the stand out, but that may just be because I am completely enthralled by her…and have been for years. Her Elsa Mars, and her happy ending, was a fitting send off for this wonderful actress. Sarah Paulson’s portrayal of the Tattler twins also deserves a shout out. Having to play to vastly different women, inhabiting the same body, couldn’t have been an easy task, but she pulls it off nicely. Even Finn Wittrock’s Dandy impressed me, giving an amazing performance as a mentally unstable, spoiled rich boy, and provided some of the most gruesome moments in the season.

Some of the stand out episodes included the two Edward Mordrake ones, including an element of the supernatural into the show, and allowing us to hear the tragic story of Twisty the Clown. Though he was taken from us very early on (and I’m not complaining about that, mind you), it provided an interesting twist to the season. Orphans was also great, furthering the story of Stanley’s freak-killing spree, and giving an massive heart to one of American Horror Story’s most endeared characters, Pepper.

I even didn’t mind some (not all) of the musical numbers interspersed throughout, though Ryan Murphy may have forgotten this wasn’t Glee a time or two.

I really hope that next season’s Hotel addresses some of these problems. An overly bloated story with too much padding isn’t needed to make American Horror Story great. If Ryan & Company trim the fat, I have no doubt that Hotel will shine as an amazing season.