Hello everybody! I’ve had an American Horror Story: 1984 piece sitting in my drafts for a while now. But, I’ve decided to ditch it and create a list since pretty much the same thing happens in every episode. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good. It’s just not something I need to go through episode by episode. Before I get into the list, allow me to give you a brief introduction into the world of AHS: 1984.
Sweet young Brooke (Emma Robers) decides to join some strangers from her aerobics class on a trip to Camp Redwood. There, the gang will become counselors. But, as soon as they arrive, it’s a bloodbath. Infamous serial killer Mr. Jingles (John Caroll Lynch), who terrorized the same camp a decade earlier, has escaped and is out for revenge. Who will survive?
Now that you know the very basic plot, let’s get into the five reasons I’m loving AHS: 1984.
1. It’s An Homage to 80s Horror
There are some real 80s horror movie tropes this season. You have the young virgin who is pure and sweet but somehow manages to survive despite her never-ending clumsiness. You also have the ominous killer who never really runs, but always seems to catch his victim. And you also have the rather disposable group of unfortunate people trapped with a homicidal maniac.
2. But It Still Has A Twist
This “disposable” group has more skeletons in their closets than Mr. Jingles. It appears that almost everyone is crazy in some way, shape or form. So far, some of the reveals are extremely surprising. They add a greater sense of urgency to an urgent situation.
3. Can We Talk About Billie Lourd?
Honestly, I cannot think of a Billie Lourd character I didn’t like. I loved her as Chanel #3 in Scream Queens. I loved her as Winter in AHS: Cult (even though Cult was garbage). She was amazing as Mallory in AHS: Apocolypse. Now, she plays Montana. Montana is a coked-out aerobics instructor that’s hiding a secret vendetta…and a secret love affair.
4. Can We Also Talk About Angelica Ross?
I am a huge Pose fan. Pose is one of the most well-written, well-produced shows around. One of the stars of Pose was the beautiful Angelica Ross, serving you cheekbones for days. Unfortunately, Candy (Ross’ character on Pose) was killed in the last episode. Thankfully, she returns in AHS: 1984 as Nurse Rita. I’m not going to tell you why, but Nurse Rita is very instrumental to this story
5. Convoluted but Dripping in Lore
In classic AHS fashion, the storyline gets a bit convoluted in the latter episodes. It’s not just a simple matter of a Jason Vorhees-style serial killer on the loose, now we have elements of the supernatural including possession and ghosts. It feels like a bit too much, but it’s very American Horror Story. The story is never straight-forward. It’s always chalked full of twists, even if they are unnecessary.
But if you are a true crime fan like yours truly (I’m not a fan of the criminal act but I do appreciate the story-telling aspect of it), you recognize the history the American Horror Story brings to light. We’ve seen the fictionalized backstories of real-life people like H.H. Holmes, the Black Dahlia, the missing settlers of Roanoke, and Marie Leveau on the show. This season, we have Richard Ramirez (played by Zach Villa) aka the Night Stalker terrorizing our heroine Brooke.
Overall
When you watch American Horror Story you’re going to have a season that is absolutely thrilling (Murder House), a hot mess (Cult), or somewhere in the middle (Asylum). I think that 1984 falls somewhere in the middle. It’s not as good as Murder House, but it’s not a disaster like Cult.
The season starts as a slasher creep-fest that is entertaining as hell. But, as the season progressed, the show mutated into a complicated maze of twists and turns. I think that is why it is difficult for AHS to surpass the extremely high bar season one. It trying too hard to tell a story instead of just simply telling the story.
Wrapping It Up
Well, that’s it for AHS:1984. Next time, we are returning to the Shokugeki in Food Wars. I will see you later.
Couch Cruisin' 