S09.E03: Slashdance

[jewel21]

Imitation is the best form of tragedy. Coming clean can be pretty messy.

Airdate: 10.02.2019

[Keywestclubkid]

Well people wanted a twist and a twist the show gave you lol .... my only question is how did mr jingles have so much time set up the booby traps? 

Edited October 3, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Chaos Theory]

Oh my God this season is so much fun.

Last season was a drudgery to get through  pretty much from the start while this has been the exact opposite.   I have no idea if I will be in the minority or not.  I know I am in loving Hotel because I found it to be fun and I find this season to be the same kind of fun,

I also really liked Ray's storyline.  The coward frat boy.  It worked for me. 

Plus the 80s music is to die for.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[sashayshante]

What the hell did I just watch?

This has to be a movie. Between Trevor's ridiculous dialogue and that fake Ray head flying in the air...it has to be a movie.

[TexasGal]

7 minutes ago, sashayshante said:

What the hell did I just watch?

I second that.

I guess, at least we know how Night Stalker found Brooke at the camp.  

[sashayshante]

I will say that this episode was exponentially more enjoyable without Brooke. Even Gus Kenworthy was better.

[Straycat80]

And we got twists. So Rita is not really Rita and is a mind hunter whose on Mr. Jingles side. And Montana is with the Night Stalker. But why does she want Brooke dead? This is getting fun. 

[sashayshante]

The theory is that Montana is connected to Brooke's ex-fiancee. That would explain why Ramirez wanted the ring when he broke into Brooke's apartment. It would also explain why Brooke was attacked the same night she was talking about being attacked because of open bedroom windows.

[ShadowHunter]

1 hour ago, TexasGal said:

I second that.

I guess, at least we know how Night Stalker found Brooke at the camp.  

I make it 3 lol.  I do not care about any of these characters.  They can all go on the chopping block.  It is nice to not have to watch Sarah cry or hear her scream that is it. 

I do not blame Evan for going to HBO instead lol.  

[Davidhp]

I can barely see this episode filmed way too dark.

[darkestboy]

That episode certainly had some great twists. Rita actually being Donna and working with Mr Jingles was one thing but Montana working with the Night Stalker was another. Both twists are actually rather great.

Why does Montana want Brooke dead and does Donna really believe that someone like Richter can actually be rehabilitated? Benjamin himself doesn't seem remotely interested in any kind of redemption at all.

The real Rita, yeah she was never going to make it out of this one alive.

Ray's death didn't move me at all or make me feel bad for him given what we saw of him this episode.

Brooke is a weak protagonist, if she's meant to be one at all.

Right now, Xavier, Chet and Trevor seem to be the only remotely decent people on the show, 8/10

[Chaos Theory]

10 minutes ago, darkestboy said:

Brooke is a weak protagonist, if she's meant to be one at all.

I think that might be another twist coming actually especially since Brooke is being played by Emma Roberts.  Not that she has never played the good girl before.   But having all this woe is me stories being lies and her actually being the worst one there would be a great AHS twist.

[llewis823]

My favorite part of this series so far is the opening credits and all the 80's references and music. Anyone else notice how close the music is to that of the last season of Stranger Things? I mean, I know they are both set in the 80's but I'm telling you - that music is so very similar.

That being said, I just cannot stand Emma Roberts. She has to be one of the world's worst actresses - maybe a runner up to Billie Lourde. Two prime examples of actresses who get work because of to whom they are related.

The sad part is that the well-endowed guy is the most believable character of them all!

I am hoping the Nurse Rita twist and the Montana/NIght Stalker twists redeem this season for me.

[hoodooznoodooz]

9 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

My favorite part of this series so far is the opening credits and all the 80's references and music. 

That being said, I just cannot stand Emma Roberts. She has to be one of the world's worst actresses - maybe a runner up to Billie Lourde. Two prime examples of actresses who get work because of to whom they are related.

I love the 80s music, too!!!

Am I the only person on this planet who didn’t know that Billie is Carrie Fisher’s daughter?!?!?

I liked the Donna/Jingles interview.

[WednesdayAddams]

Now I'm looking at all the other characters and wondering who's in on what.

The frat boy not being dead as the car went off the cliff got me. That's a terrible story, but I'm glad he got his as he took off on the motorcycle.

I love that Xavier finds Chef Birdie next week. I'm sure she's got a story to tell.

[AnimeMania]

Will there be any buildings or people left standing by the time the young campers arrive?

[iMonrey]

Quote

I do not blame Evan for going to HBO instead lol.  

What's he doing over at HBO?

I'm just not sure what to make of this season, three episodes in. It's weird. It's not horrible but I'm not sure I see the point to it. I guess the twists and turns are fun, like finding out Nurse Rita and Montana aren't who we think. It's keeping me guessing anyway. But the homage to 80s slasher flicks feels like parody so the whole thing has a strange, comical vibe to it.

At this point in the series I'm usually more invested in trying to figure out what's going on, like in Apocalypse or Hotel or any other number of seasons. This time around, I'm just sort of watching passively and going "huh. So that happened."

[Chaos Theory]

Honestly this may be my favorite season since Hotel which had structural problem but was a fun time.   This is shaping up to be the same thing.     

[JakeyJokes]

I’m a true crime junkie, so I liked the scene with Donna and Jingles at the asylum, as it did bring up prominent theories of why there were so many damn serial killers in the ‘70s (Vietnam and the way men were treated when they returned, high fructose corn syrup). Donna’s motivations are a little too Batman villain for me right now, though.

There have been recent cases where young men died as a result of frat hazing, and one of them involved a drunken fall like on the show. Scary stuff.

[LoveLeigh]

Wow, I am the only one it seems who can't stand this season so far. It is just awful. It is a rip off of so much that has been done before in films. I can hardly get through this episode. I recorded it and have about 10 minutes left to watch. What am I missing? 

[sashayshante]

5 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Am I the only person on this planet who didn’t know that Billie is Carrie Fisher’s daughter?!?!?

And her father is part of Ryan Murphy's management team. So there's that.

Last night was fun-ish. I get the feeling Donna's backstory is going to amount to exactly nothing and she doesn't need to be there at all. Out of everyone there, she has no purpose aside from some manufactured out there premise that justifies giving Angelica Ross a job.

Edited October 3, 2019 by sashayshante

[TexasGal]

6 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Am I the only person on this planet who didn’t know that Billie is Carrie Fisher’s daughter?!?!?

I didn't realize it until midway through the run of Scream Queens.  Then I realized why she always wore earmuffs...

[luna1122]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What's he doing over at HBO?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10155688/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1

I liked seeing Dreama Walker as poor real Nurse Rita.

I don't even know what's up with this show, and it's all very slight and silly, but I still mostly dig it.

[willco]

I can buy into the Vietnam theory on the increase in serial killers in the 70's, but I call BS on high fructose corn syrup ! ( Yes, I realize that line was meant to be satirical.) I grew up in the 70's and I drank way too much Coke and other soda, and I turned out perfect (ha). I guess I'll never know if being in the war would have warped my mind.

[archer1267]

Quote

But the homage to 80s slasher flicks feels like parody so the whole thing has a strange, comical vibe to it

It's reminding me of the Canadian TV series "Slasher." 

I'm not sure how I feel but I'll keep watching. I'm GenX so the nostalgia factor is fun...and even mediocre AHS is still better than a lot of stuff out there.

[MrPissyPuppy]

I'm not convinced that Donna is really Donna.   Did they really study her credentials before allowing her to visit Mr Jingles?   Is there actually a person named Donna whatever that's doing that sort of research? 

[bosawks]

As a child of the 80’s calling the episode “Slashdance” pretty much meant there was no way I wasn’t going to like it.

[AnimeMania]

9 minutes ago, MrPissyPuppy said:

I'm not convinced that Donna is really Donna.   Did they really study her credentials before allowing her to visit Mr Jingles?   Is there actually a person named Donna whatever that's doing that sort of research? 

I am sure if there is actually a person named Donna whatever that's doing that sort of research, she is tied up in a furnace room in the Psychology Building of her University.

[ShadowHunter]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What's he doing over at HBO?

A limited series with Kate Winslet. It is filming now and they are still filming AHS. 

4 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

Wow, I am the only one it seems who can't stand this season so far. It is just awful. It is a rip off of so much that has been done before in films. I can hardly get through this episode. I recorded it and have about 10 minutes left to watch. What am I missing? 

This was the least watched Episode in the history of this show.   They are way down in the demo as well. So no lol I think people bailed.  They do pick up DVR views though.

[qtpye]

10 hours ago, llewis823 said:

My favorite part of this series so far is the opening credits and all the 80's references and music. Anyone else notice how close the music is to that of the last season of Stranger Things? I mean, I know they are both set in the 80's but I'm telling you - that music is so very similar.

That being said, I just cannot stand Emma Roberts. She has to be one of the world's worst actresses - maybe a runner up to Billie Lourde. Two prime examples of actresses who get work because of to whom they are related.

The sad part is that the well-endowed guy is the most believable character of them all!

I am hoping the Nurse Rita twist and the Montana/NIght Stalker twists redeem this season for me.

9 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I love the 80s music, too!!!

Am I the only person on this planet who didn’t know that Billie is Carrie Fisher’s daughter?!?!?

I liked the Donna/Jingles interview.

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What's he doing over at HBO?

I'm just not sure what to make of this season, three episodes in. It's weird. It's not horrible but I'm not sure I see the point to it. I guess the twists and turns are fun, like finding out Nurse Rita and Montana aren't who we think. It's keeping me guessing anyway. But the homage to 80s slasher flicks feels like parody so the whole thing has a strange, comical vibe to it.

At this point in the series I'm usually more invested in trying to figure out what's going on, like in Apocalypse or Hotel or any other number of seasons. This time around, I'm just sort of watching passively and going "huh. So that happened."

The people who created the AHS theme music are geniuses. I remember the horrifying and beautifully nightmarish opening sequences to the relatively silly Coven. 

This season almost feels like a parody of AHS itself where we are all in on the joke. That said I can understand why a lot of people are bailing. There is not a whole lot to It beyond the lunacy so not particularly compelling in an era where Netflix has a lot of very interesting programming.

[Terrafamilia]

"He has issues." Chet, you all have issues.

I'm just along for the ride and enjoying it. If it were a straight slasher pic I wouldn't be having as much fun.

[JennyMominFL]

10 hours ago, WednesdayAddams said:

The frat boy not being dead as the car went off the cliff got me. That's a terrible story, but I'm glad he got his as he took off on the motorcycle.

To me that was an Homage to Ghost Story(1981) I love that movie

[LoveLeigh]

I want to like this season so much and try to be influenced by others thinking it is "fun" and they are enjoying the "twists." But what I don't get is why the nurse not being the real nurse or the counselor being connected to a killer is anything new? This has all been done before in movies. 

I enjoyed Freak Show, so what do I know? 

[jewel21]

I'm really enjoying this season. Probably my favourite season of AHS after Season 2. It's fun and I'm loving the twists and turns. The music also helps. 

[Dobian]

Every season of this AHS there is one episode where it goes off the rails from a pretty scary horror show into something bizarre and goofy.  I think we just hit that episode.

I think the show sustained too many cast hits.  No Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Dennis O'Hare.  It lacks a real solid anchor that these actors can provide.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Dobian

[llewis823]

9 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

I enjoyed Freak Show, so what do I know?

Me too! I thought the characters were the best and the opening credits were the creepiest of all of them. Besides Murder House, Freak Show was my favorite.

5 hours ago, Dobian said:

I think the show sustained too many cast hits.  No Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Dennis O'Hare.  It lacks a real solid anchor that these actors can provide.

Exactly! I think I read somewhere that one of them (or more) were going to make a guest appearance, but I'm not sure - maybe I dreamed it : )

[Mr. Sparkle]

26 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

Exactly! I think I read somewhere that one of them (or more) were going to make a guest appearance, but I'm not sure - maybe I dreamed it : )

Spoiler

Sarah Paulson is listed on the wikipedia page in an uncredited role. I know Evan Peters has said he's not appearing. 

[Bali]

18 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

Wow, I am the only one it seems who can't stand this season so far. It is just awful. It is a rip off of so much that has been done before in films. I can hardly get through this episode. I recorded it and have about 10 minutes left to watch. What am I missing? 

You were expecting it to be original and scary. But for me, I can watch it without those things, because the past several seasons have been, "How can AHS disappoint me this year?" So, this year, it isn't taking itself seriously, and I'm honestly enjoying it more. Although I have not given up on my "Brook's hair is too flat for 1984 and she must be evil" theory. 😁

16 hours ago, willco said:

I can buy into the Vietnam theory on the increase in serial killers in the 70's, but I call BS on high fructose corn syrup ! ( Yes, I realize that line was meant to be satirical.) I grew up in the 70's and I drank way too much Coke and other soda, and I turned out perfect (ha). I guess I'll never know if being in the war would have warped my mind.

I could buy into it, except that I think the media perpetuated it by showing it all of the time. There have been serial killers for decades, but they didn't get their 15 minutes of fame like they do today. So, people with those tendencies get an extra boost or whatever. I just think that we tend to oversimplify things so they make sense. The fact is, some people are just wacko. And for a few decades now, the more wacko you act, the more PR you get.

13 hours ago, qtpye said:

This season almost feels like a parody of AHS itself where we are all in on the joke. That said I can understand why a lot of people are bailing. There is not a whole lot to It beyond the lunacy so not particularly compelling in an era where Netflix has a lot of very interesting programming.

I would have bailed several seasons ago if Mr Bali hadn't said, "It's AHS, and we always watch AHS." I haven't been interested in the show since Hotel. Really, the show isn't original. If you watch enough horror, you've seen it ALL before. And often, you seen it done better before. I haven't liked any of the characters since Hotel. Well, I take that back. Myrtle Snow appeared in Apocalypse. 

If this really was the lowest rated episode ever, then maybe they will shoot it and put it out of our misery. For now, I'll watch this season with the low expectations created by Roanoke, Cult, Sarah P's screeching tears, and a lack of Lange. And maybe I'll enjoy it more that way.

[Ohiopirate02]

While I did enjoy this episode, I wonder how many more we will get in this vein.  I can't see dragging one night out into 10 episodes.  That can work for a 90 minute film, but not a whole season.  Whoever is still alive the next morning will get rescued by the parents dropping off campers.  

[iMonrey]

On another note . . . what kind of name is Mr. Jingles for a serial killer? That doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of man. Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dalmer, The Zodiac Killer, the Night Stalker and . . . Mr. Jingles? Seriously?

[Dobian]

The funny thing about Mr. Jingles is that he moves about in a kind of bored way, like he just wants to get his kills in so he can go back home and open a beer and watch The A-Team.  When he's by himself, he's not scary or terrifying at all lol.  Even when he kills sometimes it's kind of with a blase "let's get this over with" undertone.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Dobian

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, Dobian said:

The funny thing about Mr. Jingles is that he moves about in a kind of bored way, like he just wants to get his kills in so he can go back home and open a beer and watch The A-Team.  When he's by himself, he's not scary or terrifying at all lol.

I am still trying to figure out why he chose to come back to Camp Redwood.  He broke out of the hospital and can go anywhere and he chooses to follow Candy/Rita/whoever's directions.  He makes great time to get back so he can pick off the counselors before camp begins in the morning.  A place that has already been booby-trapped.  I wonder if any of this will be addressed, or if this is the beginning of the loose ends.

[Captanne]

Well, although I agree that Mr. Jingles is kind of a lame horror name, the last Krazy Klown was called "Twisty" so......

As for this series, I'm lukewarm about it.  I was in my 20s during the 1980s so I'm of the age for this story to be nostalgic.  Um, personally I loved the 80s and I loved being in my 20s (I was a young Air Force jet pilot and convinced of my immortality) so, turning it into a horror story doesn't resonate with me.  Honestly, the horror didn't start until we realized that AIDS was killing everyone we knew.  That fact turned us all into nuns and life was suddenly very regimented and disciplined; what had been exciting and vibrant turned very dry and grey -- which dovetailed with my military service so I hardly noticed the change.

[LoveLeigh]

5 hours ago, Bali said:

You were expecting it to be original and scary. But for me, I can watch it without those things, because the past several seasons have been, "How can AHS disappoint me this year?" So, this year, it isn't taking itself seriously, and I'm honestly enjoying it more. Although I have not given up on my "Brook's hair is too flat for 1984 and she must be evil" theory. 😁

I could buy into it, except that I think the media perpetuated it by showing it all of the time. There have been serial killers for decades, but they didn't get their 15 minutes of fame like they do today. So, people with those tendencies get an extra boost or whatever. I just think that we tend to oversimplify things so they make sense. The fact is, some people are just wacko. And for a few decades now, the more wacko you act, the more PR you get.

I would have bailed several seasons ago if Mr Bali hadn't said, "It's AHS, and we always watch AHS." I haven't been interested in the show since Hotel. Really, the show isn't original. If you watch enough horror, you've seen it ALL before. And often, you seen it done better before. I haven't liked any of the characters since Hotel. Well, I take that back. Myrtle Snow appeared in Apocalypse. 

If this really was the lowest rated episode ever, then maybe they will shoot it and put it out of our misery. For now, I'll watch this season with the low expectations created by Roanoke, Cult, Sarah P's screeching tears, and a lack of Lange. And maybe I'll enjoy it more that way.

I didn't expect it to be original or scary, i expected it to be interesting and well done.... even entertaining. This is just boring. This is a real amateurish job. It is just foolish and even juvenile in many ways. 

[Bali]

12 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

I didn't expect it to be original or scary, i expected it to be interesting and well done.... even entertaining. This is just boring. This is a real amateurish job. It is just foolish and even juvenile in many ways. 

That's how I felt about Cult and Roanoke. Meanwhile, there are others who list Cult and Roanoke as their favorite season. 

[Mattipoo]

This was a fun episode if only for the kills alone. Ray getting decapitated while escaping on Trevor's motorbike was epic. I also feel sorry for the real nurse Rita who died a terrible death!

[iMonrey]

Doing an homage/parody/whatever to classic 80s slasher films is an interesting idea, but I'm not convinced they're doing it effectively enough. It's sort of not wild enough to be parody and not original enough to be homage. I'm also not convinced it can be sustained for an entire season without becoming tedious. It's already zeroing in on that after three episodes taking place during the course of just one night.

[LoveLeigh]

Spoiler

I think they ARE making a movie, a very very bad movie which opens to horrendous reviews. It is sort of Ryan Murphy's "inside joke"... he knew the beginning episodes would be hated but he shot himself in the foot because the ratings are so low. Then 3/4 into this season the careers of the actors playing these roles decline and the season turns in to a real horror story when their lives unravel in awful ways. The actor playing Mr. Jingles turns into a "Joker" like Joachim Phoenix and "Margaret" becomes a televangelist and "Montana" in 2019 is living in a trailer. Speculation of course. 

This is speculation, hence the spoiler tags. I think my speculation is a long shot, but if I am right it IS a spoiler. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by DakotaLavender

[Simba122504]

On 10/2/2019 at 11:58 PM, ShadowHunter said:

I make it 3 lol.  I do not care about any of these characters.  They can all go on the chopping block.  It is nice to not have to watch Sarah cry or hear her scream that is it. 

I do not blame Evan for going to HBO instead lol.  

Many seasons have been shitty but it’s telling when many regular cast members turned this one down. There’s no plot or logical reasoning behind anything that’s happening onscreen. And wasn’t Ray in medical school? His friend falls down the stairs and he just assumes he’s dead even though his body is still doing not dead things? Didn’t check anything? I mean once he would have been admitted to the hospital and he most likely was going to make it. And the night stalker plot is still dumb and in this fictional universe he won’t actually become the infamous night stalker because his actions won’t match up with his actions in the real world. He killed a 9 year old in the spring of ‘84, another in the summer and more in ‘85 until he was captured in the summer of ‘85. He wasn’t ain’t no damn Camp Redwood that’s for sure. lol So his actual crimes won’t actually happen because none of his actions in this fictional universe will match with his actual actions in the real world. Richard Ramírez won’t become any damn body in this universe. 

[sashayshante]

4 hours ago, Simba122504 said:

Many seasons have been shitty but it’s telling when many regular cast members turned this one down. There’s no plot or logical reasoning behind anything that’s happening onscreen. And wasn’t Ray in medical school? His friend falls down the stairs and he just assumes he’s dead even though his body is still doing not dead things? Didn’t check anything? I mean once he would have been admitted to the hospital and he most likely was going to make it. And the night stalker plot is still dumb and in this fictional universe he won’t actually become the infamous night stalker because his actions won’t match up with his actions in the real world. He killed a 9 year old in the spring of ‘84, another in the summer and more in ‘85 until he was captured in the summer of ‘85. He wasn’t ain’t no damn Camp Redwood that’s for sure. lol So his actual crimes won’t actually happen because none of his actions in this fictional universe will match with his actual actions in the real world. Richard Ramírez won’t become any damn body in this universe. 

I said the same thing in another forum. This season should have been called American Horror Story: Unemployment since the majority of the cast's entire career is dependent upon Ryan Murphy writing them into one of his shows. The more we learn about Donna Chambers, the more I'm convinced she's this season's Dinah Stevens: character with no real purpose to the plot but given a role because she's friends with Murphy. in fact, many of these characters feel like they were intended for someone else - Burke the porn Daddy even looked like Cheyenne Jackson.   Cook seems like a role meant for Kathy Bates. Age-wise, Paulson was a much closer fit to Margaret than Grossman. Trevor has Peters written all over him. Either they all hard-passed this season or Murphy didn't invite them back.

I can remember Murphy giving an interview right after he got his star on the walk of fame. He said he was going to share the theme for the upcoming AHS season with the cast at some after party they were having. He knew back in late 2018 he was going to shoot this camp season. And I was today years old when I made the connection between this season and Lourde, Grossman, Roberts and Fern appearing at this year's Met Gala with Murphy where the theme was "camp."

I don't think Ramirez will turn out to be Ramirez because of what you said: he has a real-life timeline. (But then, Murphy had no problem implying Gianni Versace has HIV and one of Cunanan's victims tried to kill himself despite there being not one shred of evidence to support either, so who knows?)

Also from the This Makes No Sense file: Jingles is there to kill Margaret. Margaret is flitting about that camp, talking to ghosts in the forest, flipping off all the lights, just generally strolling about. How is it that Jingles has encountered everybody except the one person who is not hiding or running from him?