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‘AHS: 1984’ Recap: ‘Slashdance’

On AHS: 1984 last week viewers had more questions than answers by the end of “Mr. Jingles.” This week’s “Slashdance” is no exception. More questions need answered more than ever now. Audiences rejoin Brooke, Chet, Ray, and Rita inside of the cabin with an unknown assailant on the other side. Is it The Night Stalker or Mr. Jingles? As we continue to inquire which serial killer is where there’s silence. Has the killer given up getting inside? One might think so until the window shatters. Rita screams and now they finally believe Brooke that there is a killer after her. Thankfully, Rita has found the keys but Ray, who I now cannot see as but a cowardly version of V. C. Dupree’s character Julius Gaw in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, attempts to flee.

We have picked up on cowardly vibes for a while but cannot comprehend why. Instead of leaving him behind Chet goes back to save him. As the camera cuts over to the other cabin, viewers immediately assume Mr. Jingles is on the other side of the door. They are not entirely wrong. Since it is the anniversary of the massacre there are two locals of the area attempting to scare the counselors. Despite it being relieved that this version of Jingles is fake, that does not make me feel any better someone willing saved their poop once upon a time and lit it on fire to throw through a window. As the two characters explain what they were doing their ill intent, the real Mr. Jingles appears. Without showing any remorse he kills the two pranksters before committing to taking his trophies.

AHS: 1984
FX Networks – AHS: 1984 – Slashdance – 9×03

Meanwhile, Montana, Xavier, and Trevor do the only logical thing. They begin to run and make their way back to the designated meeting area of the group. The other group of counselors decides to split up, Chet and Ray fall into a pit filled with spikes. This was designed to kill whoever fell in, but why is it in the middle of the woods? Chet insists Mr. Jingles created the pit, I cannot help but think someone else did. While last week I was willing to place bets on Margaret, this week I think it might be Rita. This week, everything has been turned upside in the world of AHS: 1984. This all starts when “Rita Nurse” jabs Brooke in the neck with a needle. While we know something is painfully dubious about Rita, the pieces do not add up until we flashback to one week earlier with Dr. Hopple.

This time her outfit is very reminiscent of Nancy Thompson’s psychiatrist outfit in Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream WarriorsMore importantly though, audiences are reintroduced to Rita as Donna Chambers. She’s another psychiatrist who started studying prolific serial killers of the time. She remarks since the mid-1970s the uptake in serial killers has increased. Why though? That’s the question she wants to answer. Despite Dr. Hopple arguing that Donna will never get Benjamin Richter to talk, Donna insists that she can.  After all, she manages to get other silent killers to talk. Giving her a chance, Art (Mitch Pileggi) escorts Donna into the room with Richter. He appears sedated and not interested.

AHS: 1984
FX Networks – AHS: 1984 – Slashdance – 9×03

However, the more Donna explains her reasoning for serial killers being on the rise, Richter talks. Is this because of the killings of a generation forced to fight a word? Is this the uptake in pornography? No. At least not according to Richter. High fructose corn syrup. As they continue to talk, Donna insists that people are not born evil. Evil is activated by outside circumstances. He’s redeemable. Who would not want to listen to someone feeding them such lines? Especially when that person has been viewed as a complete and utter monster who is irredeemable and does not deserve a second chance. Maybe none of this is his fault after all.

To test her theory though she insists that she needs to study him in his natural habitat. This is after he admits he wants to stab her over and over again. Though there is no explainable as to why he wants to do this, he says he knows for certain if he goes back to Camp Redwood he will kill again. Donna insists that sometimes sacrifices need to be made in the name of science. However, after this big reveal, my guess is she is not even a real psychiatrist. Did anyone else pick up on her catching herself as Dr. Hopple narrowed her eyes at her about studying serial killers? It’s all for academic purposes. Right.

AHS: 1984
FX Networks – AHS: 1984 – Slashdance – 9×03

I do not believe anything after this week’s episode. I openly admit I have never been more wrong about a season of American Horror Story so far than this one. That’s the beauty of the slasher genre though. There’s always suspense and always a reason to stay on guard. The counselors at Camp Redwood certainly need to stay on guard as the only person spared by Mr. Jingles is the nerdy guy who was along for the ride that evening with the two local pranksters. Plus after the reveal of the real nurse Rita (Dreama Walker), as Randy said in Screameverybody’s a suspect. Though playing “Maneater” as Donna emerges slowly in the backseat is far more hilarious than it should have been.

Meanwhile, audiences believe this might be the only twist in “Slashdance.” AHS: 1984 reveals why we are dead wrong. We learn about Ray’s past. A past that I did not see coming. I will give him credit though for taking on the good guy persona at the beginning. He certainly had me fooled. As Chet passes out from the pain, Ray explains the only reason he left Los Angeles is that he’s in trouble. We learn that during hell night for his fraternity something goes wrong. Not just a little wrong, but painfully so. One of the pledges, Chan (Mark Daugherty), cannot take it anymore. In an attempt to spare him some pain, Ray takes him out of into the hallway where he falls down the stairs. Typical in any most horror films though, there must be a cover-up.

AHS: 1984
FX Networks – AHS: 1984 – Slashdance – 9×03

Upon one of his brothers sees the occurrence, Ray insists he can fix this and takes Chan to an undisclosed location. The horror is written all over Ray’s face when Chan grabs his wrist just before the car went over the cliff. Instead of going back and explaining what happened, he dropped out of school and went on the run. Relieved to get it off his chest, we learn that Chet has been listening to him the entire time! While I wish that he had not revealed this to Ray, I can understand why he did. However, with someone else knowing his secret, Ray leaves Chet in the pit to essentially die until Xavier and Trevor show up finally to save him. This is only after they have been lied to by Ray and he and Montana go off to go get help on Trevor’s ninja.

The craziest part was this week’s ending. This is par for the course so far this season. As Ray attempts to leave Montana alone with the Night Stalker, initially I was angry. Though he does get his payback when Mr. Jingles decapitates him as his body continues to ride on for a moment before falling over with the bike on the road. While we all think that Montana is going to seduce the killer, by the time she pushes him away we learn something entirely different when she simply asks: 

AHS: 1984
FX Networks – AHS: 1984 – Slashdance – 9×03

What?! I originally was not sure what Montana’s vendetta could be against Brooke, but I do have a theory. I think she is either Joey’s sister, Sam’s girlfriend, or vice versa. She is somehow connected to those characters and intends on ending Brooke’s life the way she did theirs. I see her justifying it being the only fair thing to do in this lifetime. This raises the question though if the Night Stalker is The Night Stalker. With so many twists and turns this week on “Slashdance” viewers are on a roller-coaster of doubt this week. Who can we trust anymore? What happened to Brooke? Why does Montana want Brooke dead? Why did Trevor have to go and kill Nerd Jingle?!

Only time will reveal these answers and many more before  AHS: 1984 ends. Join us next Wednesday at 10 pm EST on FX Network.

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