S09.E01: Camp Redwood

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

In the summer of 1984, five friends escape Los Angeles to work as counselors at Camp Redwood. As they adjust to their new jobs, they quickly learn that the only thing scarier than campfire tales is the past coming to haunt you. 

Airdate September 18, 2019

[sashayshante]

There's no way they're going to be able to sustain the slasher movie trope theme for 10 episodes. There has to be a twist, right? Because that was painful, and i;m not just talking about Gus Kentworthy's acting.

[LoveLeigh]

I had just said that this is a rip off of Friday the 13th. Is that all there is to season 9? So they are filming a movie? Didn't they do that shtik in Roanoke? There is nothing new here. It is awful. 

And I cannot stand Billie Lourd's acting. She is always the same with those pompous sarcastic lines like "I am the suspicious type." And Leslie Grossman is the same as she was in Apocalypse. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by DakotaLavender

[sashayshante]

The scene where Kenworthy took off his shirt to show off his bod was such blatant pandering to the gay male viewership. The question is whether that was to parody an 80's movie or a direction by Murphy.

Grossman, Roberts and Lourde are all one-note. Wow, so far this casts sucks.

There has to be a twist.

[Straycat80]

I hope there’s a twist, I zoned out after the first 30 minutes it was so boring.  I’m rewatching right now and trying to stay awake. 

[willco]

It wasn't great. I always try to give this show the benefit of the doubt and not judge it too soon, and particularly not after the 1st episode, but I'm usually disappointed in the end result. 

I understand the idea of a 'homage' but is it really that when all you do is mix up some elements from different horror movies and call it new ? And let's be honest, everything between the first Nightmare on Elm Street and the original Scream ? All that stuff got pretty lame. That is a generalization but that's how I remember it. And I watched a lot of it at the time, too, because by '84, I had my very own VCR ! And renting movies was the thing to do then. 

I'll keep watching, I've never dropped out of a season ( even Coven which I really didn't like ), but based on this one, I don't have very High Hopes ( that's what the actual name of the house in The Amityville Horror was-- see, I can do it too ! I must be a genius .)    🙂

[ShadowHunter]

Is it a good sign that Evan Peters is trending on Twitter for all his hard work this episode lol.

Wow some of these cast members can not act. 

I love the 80's Music and Horror. So far this did not blend well together.

I knew it would be a parody but still Ryan could have tried harder. 

[TVFan17]

One year ago, I came to this AHS forum to comment on the new Apocalypse season right when it started.  I remember saying that even if some seasons were not as great as others, I'd always been happy that this show was on because it's a good creepy show for this time of year, to usher in the fall season and set a spooky tone.

However... this season is going to be tough to endure for me.    It's going to be a challenge.  As soon as the theme of the season was first revealed a while back, I was disinterested.   I've never been a fan of straight up slasher movies to begin with.  I like a good suspense movie, or even a scary/horror movie with a good, well-crafted story.  But just plain slasher movies (as a genre) have never interested me.   And now there is a whole season about a genre that I don't like!   lol  Yay!

Sure, for about 15 minutes it was clever and funny that there were homages and tips of the hat to other assorted horror movies from the past (including Halloween), but that got old really quickly.  Sure, I liked hearing the fun music from the '80s and seeing the '80s hair and clothing, but that got old quickly too.

As far as the cast... While I like Cody, and I think Emma has done a capable job in certain seasons, I missed all of the usual AHS actors from previous seasons who were not there (and now I find myself hoping that someone makes a 5-minute cameo somewhere along the line).  

Also, I was distracted by the fact that the Richard Ramirez in this episode was played by a different guy than the one who played Richard Ramirez in the Hotel season (because it would be a standard thing for Ryan Murphy to do, to have the same actor reprise a role in an AHS season).  Maybe the other guy wasn't available.

I guess I just found this first episode of the season to be very one-note, dull and boring, and certainly not compelling enough to interest me in the rest of the season.    I am going to try to hang in there with it as long as I can, but that's only because I have been watching this show since Season 1 and I feel like I have to see it through.

[ShadowHunter]

1 minute ago, TVFan17 said:

Also, I was distracted by the fact that the Richard Ramirez in this episode was played by a different guy than the one who played Richard Ramirez in the Hotel season (because it would be a standard thing for Ryan Murphy to do, to have the same actor reprise a role in an AHS season).  Maybe the other guy wasn't available.

Yea I was thinking about that as well.  Ryan tries to mix real life with camp and it does not go well in this setting. In Hotel the Devils Night worked better. I may give it another episode but I think I'll wait for this season to hit Netflix.

[novemberjenny]

Idk, there’s got to be more to it than just a straight slasher flick. We all know Ryan Murphy lol 😂 I’m thinking Brooke is not who she says she is...there’s more to that story. Like the fact that she’s living alone in an essentially bare apartment and the whole focus on the wedding ring. There’s got to be more to the Richard Ramirez angle, too. I’m reeeeally hoping it’s not “we’re actually filming a movie” thing. Been there, done that 🙄 I hope they don’t think we’re that dumb 

[JakeyJokes]

I wonder if there will be an Apocalypse-type twist. Like how are they the ONLY counselors? And remember the weird call that Xavier had on his messages?

I think something’s up with the doctor, too. She saw the clipping in Mr. Jingles’ room but wasn’t leaving the hospital until 3 hours later and seemed surprised by what was going on? Unless that was just a weird use of a time lapse.

[Female83]

1 hour ago, JakeyJokes said:

I wonder if there will be an Apocalypse-type twist. Like how are they the ONLY counselors? And remember the weird call that Xavier had on his messages?

I think something’s up with the doctor, too. She saw the clipping in Mr. Jingles’ room but wasn’t leaving the hospital until 3 hours later and seemed surprised by what was going on? Unless that was just a weird use of a time lapse.

Leslie's character explained that no one wanted to work there due to the killings 14 years before. 

It was a decent ep. I'm just glad we finally get another past set season instead of a present day one. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Female83

[FoundTime]

I'm afraid my reaction to this episode was colored by flashbacks to a similar series a couple of years ago, Dead of Summer (which was kinda...not great, let's say) and the fact that I'm just finishing up the real-life horror book I'll Be Gone in the Dark, to which nothing can really compare. I probably enjoyed the 80s music the most. That said, I've never given up on a season either, so we'll see.

[Anela]

58 minutes ago, FoundTime said:

I'm afraid my reaction to this episode was colored by flashbacks to a similar series a couple of years ago, Dead of Summer (which was kinda...not great, let's say) and the fact that I'm just finishing up the real-life horror book I'll Be Gone in the Dark, to which nothing can really compare. I probably enjoyed the 80s music the most. That said, I've never given up on a season either, so we'll see.

Was that the Summer show in 2016, set at a Summer camp? I was busy with real-life worries, but watched that a few times (and it was bad). 

I'm also reading that book, finally, after buying it during the Spring of last year. I started in August, but am taking it slowly, because I made the mistake of taking it to the beach, and reading about a murder, when I was supposed to be relaxing, didn't work at all. 

I have this episode recorded, but haven't watched it yet. 

[sashayshante]

NTM, Delron Horton (Ray) isn't even in the opening credits, so I guess we shouldn't get to attached to him.

Just like how American Crime Story is about a crime committed by society, AHS was about a horror committed by society, like infidelity (Murder House), how we treat the mentally ill (Asylum), etc. That and the stellar cast is what elevated this series. That threatening call Xavier got is about him being a closet case in Hollywood in the 90's and his fear of being exposed. See, I can get behind that because THAT'S a real horror. I want more of that.

I don't know it it's because Murphy is busy with his 732 Netflix projects or what, but it feels like he's intentionally dumbed down this season. You'll never convince me that Paulson and Peters both just happened to bow out of what's looking like the weakest season in the franchise. They knew it was going to suck.

There aren't enough audience winks and Easter eggs to hold me for a couple episodes, let alone a full season, and I grew up in the 80's.

[Chaos Theory]

Ok I see how it’s going to be.  This is already better then Appocolpse and I really kinda liked it so I am going to come to this board and be greatly disappointed that everyone else didn’t.

I don’t really care if it was a straight up homage to slasher movies.  I like slasher movies and 1984 first episode was fun.   I am liking  main idea of it.  Escaping one serial killer only to run straight into another.   I am also seeing one of my favorite themes in horror of the unreliable lead with Brooke.   Is she she seeing things,  is she crazy,  will she be the killer in the end?   

This is definitely already better then Appocolpse.   I am in for the long haul.  

Edited September 19, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Tachi Rocinante]

If Leslie Grossman didn't know Ryan Murphy, she'd probably be homeless.

Gus was bad, but he's an athlete.  She's a (cough) professional. 

What makes most horror movies watchable is atmospheric music and a pending sense of dread.  The musical score so far is just plain bad.

I agree that there has to be more to this, because the hiker was missing his ear and was scared shitless before "Twisty" escaped. 

[Keywestclubkid]

Couple things ... its a homage to all things 80s slashers that includes ridiculous plot points and you guessed it BAD ACTING and horrible writing ( look i love me some slashers its my favorite 80s genera but the acting and writing in 90% of them are bad hell the writing and acting in 80% of the movies released in the 80s by today's standards would be bad and cheesy on a re watch if you are honest about it)  ....people are bitching about something that is a staple in almost all bad 80s slasher movies .... and its episode one why the hell would they put the twist in the first episode? I get bitching about this show because yes it always falls apart at the end every fucking season but come on now complaining about no plot twist this early is just dumb you know its coming and normally happens around episode 5 or so .... I fell people are coming into this ready just to complain it happens every season .. I'm not understating the I don't like the genera so I'm gonna watch anyway and gripe about it... like why? wouldn't that just seem counter productive and a waste on time right off the bat to watch something you hate just so you can gripe how much you don't like it and point out the flaws in something you already hate to everyone else? like why do that to people who actually enjoy the genera and are watching this just for the fun of it...  just my 2 cents

Edited September 19, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Chaos Theory]

I have never understood why people bitch so much about this show.  Is it the best most clever show ever?  Probably not.  Does it usually fall apart at the end?   Usually.   Who cares.   It is mostly a fun show.   There have been maybe two seasons I haven’t enjoyed Freak Show and Appocolpse.   1984 is already shaping up to at least be better then at least those two which makes it a winner for me.

Plus slashers are fun if they are done right.   They just need an interesting story behind them.   Candyman was one of my favorite slashers and it had a truly beautiful story behind it.   That being said this is more in league with Halloween whose story was always very vague.

Anyway my early guess for the season is  that Mr Jingles isn’t the actual killer.  He escapes from the mental institution to protect the camp not actually kill anyone. (besides the poor gas station guy). It’s Margaret Booth who is the killer who kills campers who have sex because she is obsessed with morality.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[darkestboy]

First episode did a decent impression but I'm not sure if it can maintain the slasher theme for the entire season. I'm suspecting we're going to get a mid season twist ala Roanoke to be honest.

Nice to see Emma Roberts not play a bitch this season but I can't tell if Brooke is meant to be endearingly naive or pretty stupid at times. I mean close your damn window at night when there are serial killers on the loose.

Between Richard Ramirez and Mr Jingles, it seems we've got two killers to worry about. One will have to cancel out the other, right?

You could've had a drinking game spotting the allusions to certain movies in this one and that's not a criticism by the way.

Younger cast so far - I like Brooke, Montana and Ray. Xavier and Chet grated a little at times in parts. Older cast worked better with Jingles, Rita, Margaret, Bertie but not sure what to make of Trevor other than 70s porn star tbh.

Some good scares here and there, so I'm down with what this season is trying to pull off, 7/10

[Tachi Rocinante]

20 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Couple things ... its a homage to all things 80s slashers that includes ridiculous plot points and you guessed it BAD ACTING ....people are bitching about something that is a staple in almost all bad 80s slasher movies

I agree, except I don't think LG is acting poorly on purpose . . .

And I'll give it a chance - for the most part, Murphy has a knack for pulling things off.

Also, I like Orla Brady.  She was good in Into The Badlands.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Tachi Rocinante
Grammar

[TVFan17]

I said in my earlier post that I have watched the series since Season 1 -- even when the themes of certain seasons did not interest me from the beginning, I still watched.   That's why I am watching this season -- because I have been there since Day 1, including through other seasons with themes I didn't like.  But I just happened to think that the first episode of this season was dull.

I don't come here to "bitch about" the series.   If I like something, I will go to the forum for that show and read comments to see if other people liked it too, and then I might post my own comment to add to the discussion.  If I didn't like something, I might go to the forum for that show to see if other people had the same reaction, at which point I might post my own comment to add to the discussion (which was the case this time).    I rarely ever come to this specific AHS forum on the site to begin with, and especially not for the purposes of "bitching about" the show.  I'm clearly a fan of the show in general, or I would not keep watching it every season.  That doesn't mean that I will think every season is great, nor will every episode be great.

We should be able to state that we didn't like an episode or -- in my case -- don't like a specific theme without being criticized.  We shouldn't be scolded if we happen to dislike something that others like, or like something that others dislike.

We each have our own two cents to offer up about the show, and it's all equally valid.

Edited September 19, 2019 by TVFan17

[Keywestclubkid]

13 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

We should be able to state that we didn't like an episode or -- in my case -- don't like a specific theme without being criticized.

My post wasn't meant to criticize you i was just saying in general I just don't understand hating the theme and still watching ... If I don't like something I don't subject myself to it just cause .... I hated the theme for cult so I completely skipped that season i knew going in i would just be annoyed.... but i didn't want to ruin everyone else's enjoyment  who watched it and didn't hate the theme you know what I'm saying ..... It would just bug me for hating the theme and bug them for pointing out everything i hated about the genera that i already admitted to hating before watching it .... we all are not going to agree and that's the great thing about these boards we can state an opinion and discuses it here and there are no hard feelings behind it

Edited September 19, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Avaleigh]

11 hours ago, sashayshante said:

I don't know it it's because Murphy is busy with his 732 Netflix projects or what, but it feels like he's intentionally dumbed down this season. You'll never convince me that Paulson and Peters both just happened to bow out of what's looking like the weakest season in the franchise. They knew it was going to suck.

To be fair Paulson has had a lot on her plate for the past year and a half so it isn't surprising that she didn't have time for AHS this year. As for Evan, since he and Emma broke up, I wouldn't be shocked if that's the real reason he decided to not be involved in this season. 

In any case nothing will be as horrible IMO as Roanoke, and Paulson and Peters were both around for that shockingly bad shitshow. I'm still annoyed at how bad Sarah's accent was in that one. Evan didn't even get the chance to do anything challenging for him as an actor that season. If ever there was a season they both should have opted out of it's that one.

9 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I have never understood why people bitch so much about this show.  Is it the best most clever show ever?  Probably not.  Does it usually fall apart at the end?   Usually.   Who cares.   It is mostly a fun show.   There have been maybe two seasons I haven’t enjoyed Freak Show and Appocolpse.   1984 is already shaping up to at least be better then at least those two which makes it a winner for me.

Plus slashers are fun if they are done right.   They just need an interesting story behind them.   Candyman was one of my favorite slashers and it had a truly beautiful story behind it.   That being said this is more in league with Halloween whose story was always very vague.

Anyway my early guess for the season is  that Mr Jingles isn’t the actual killer.  He escapes from the mental institution to protect the camp not actually kill anyone. (besides the poor gas station guy). It’s Margaret Booth who is the killer who kills campers who have sex because she is obsessed with morality.

I can understand certain complaints about this show but I feel like this show sometimes gets the most bizarre criticism. I remember so many people complaining during Cult that they were tired of seeing Sarah Paulson scream that season and it was turning them off of the show. It was was like people didn't mind (or remember) her screaming her head off at multiple points during seasons 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. 

The reaction to the premiere episode of Hotel was filled of accusations that the show had descended into torture porn because of the drilldo rape scene. The first season of the show had a character who was sexually assaulted with a fire poker but each season since murder house there is *always* criticism of the violence being too much as if it's somehow a change of pace from what viewers are used to based on previous seasons.

In addition to the criticism of the violence, there is always criticism of the everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink approach when it comes to piecing together ideas from a particular genre to create a season. Each season of AHS has done this in terms of pulling ideas from well known movies, myths and real life stories, but it seems like only the first two seasons are given a pass from using this approach. 

I enjoyed the first episode and I've long been hoping that AHS would do a sleepaway camp season, so I'm not disappointed...so far. This show never really sticks the landing when it comes to wrapping things up, but it's usually a fun ride until the last couple of episodes. (The one exception to this is Roanoke. For me it was the only season where the only decent episodes were the last three or four. Everything before that was a waste of time.)

I like the setting, the costumes are perfect, and the music is great. If there's one thing that Ryan Murphy's shows nail no matter what it's the music. 

As for the acting, I agree that the bad acting approach is what works for this genre. Also, while I agree that Billie Lourd's range is limited, RM seems to know how to use her best and I typically enjoy her characters even though she basically takes the same approach to each role. I can see it getting old but I'm okay with it for now because her characters typically bring a nice amount of humor. 

So far I'm seeing more than Friday the 13th here although that does seem to be the main movie they're pulling from. There's also Halloween, Sleepaway Camp, Prom Night, plus we're getting the nods to real life crime that we get every season.

I can't help but compare this season to the summer camp season of the Canadian show Slasher. Already I feel like this show is doing a better job because Ryan Murphy's shows are good at bringing humor to a genre that doesn't work (IMO) without a lot of humor peppered throughout. I would almost argue that AHS real genre is black comedy rather than straight horror. 

Based on this episode, I have my eye on Brooke (Emma's character) possibly being one of the killers. (Assuming there is more than one.) I'm not convinced that the Richard Ramirez attack happened. The only thing that gives me pause here is that it might be too obvious. Out of everyone in the counselor group she seems like the most obvious choice so maybe that leans against it not being her. I sort of feel the same way about the Leslie Grossman character. It wouldn't surprise me if she's a psychopath but the OTT religious nut seems too straightforward for this show. 

Looking forward to the next episode. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Avaleigh

[TexasGal]

I didn't recognize Gus Kenworthy until they were in the van going to camp.  The banned from the Olympics bit was amusing to me.

Not sure why we need Richard Ramirez along with Mr. Jingles.  Maybe it's a serial killer trap camp.

[Chaos Theory]

I am sorry if my post came off as rude.  I didn’t mean it to.  This is one o the shows I look forward to each year and I genuinely enjoy it.   I don’t think any of the bigger names didn’t want to be on the season for any particular reason.  I think they have other things going on.    Besides this is a season revolving around a camp which means it needs “younger” actors. Leslie Grossman has had a career before this.  Heck she had a fe episodes of The Good Place.  She isn’t going to starve.   

I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out.   One of the interesting things about Horror in the 80s was that girls who had sex usually died soon after which is why I think Margaret is at play.  

Edited September 19, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[kokapetl]

10 weeks of slasher film nonsense does not sound fun. 

[Ohiopirate02]

29 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Based on this episode, I have my eye on Brooke (Emma's character) possibly being one of the killers. (Assuming there is more than one.) I'm not convinced that the Richard Ramirez attack happened. The only thing that gives me pause here is that it might be too obvious. Out of everyone in the counselor group she seems like the most obvious choice so maybe that leans against it not being her. I sort of feel the same way about the Leslie Grossman character. It wouldn't surprise me if she's a psychopath but the OTT religious nut seems too straightforward for this show. 

The whole attack on Brooke and her immediately leaving town made no sense to me.  The way that she is immediately attacked by Richard Ramirez after learning about him earlier that day seemed too on the nose.  Also, the neighbor clearly yells that he has called the police, and I cannot imagine the police being okay with her leaving town the next day especially when she did not know where she was going.  The police would not be done with her that soon.  Of course, this could be a set up for a detective or two to show up at the camp in upcoming episodes.

[Avaleigh]

3 hours ago, darkestboy said:

First episode did a decent impression but I'm not sure if it can maintain the slasher theme for the entire season. I'm suspecting we're going to get a mid season twist ala Roanoke to be honest.

Nice to see Emma Roberts not play a bitch this season but I can't tell if Brooke is meant to be endearingly naive or pretty stupid at times. I mean close your damn window at night when there are serial killers on the loose.

Between Richard Ramirez and Mr Jingles, it seems we've got two killers to worry about. One will have to cancel out the other, right?

You could've had a drinking game spotting the allusions to certain movies in this one and that's not a criticism by the way.

Younger cast so far - I like Brooke, Montana and Ray. Xavier and Chet grated a little at times in parts. Older cast worked better with Jingles, Rita, Margaret, Bertie but not sure what to make of Trevor other than 70s porn star tbh.

Some good scares here and there, so I'm down with what this season is trying to pull off, 7/10

This is one of the reasons I won't be surprised if it turns out that this never happened. They have this discussion about serial killers, she pops in and mentions that serial killers are more active in the summer time because people leave their windows open, and then goes and does exactly that that same night. Also, she's able to leave the next morning so quickly. She's attacked and then leaves with the group. Maybe she had time to talk with the police and everything but it seemed rushed. I also didn't think that she seemed all that shaken up from that brush with death. 

Wrt the Xavier's weird phone call--for me that didn't point to him being a killer, just that he has something to hide. Lol, how much time does Xavier spend each morning doing his hair? I'm in this for the fashion choices alone. 

Another movie that I thought of was I Know What You Did Last Summer because of the them hitting the guy and making an agreement that they think will keep them out of trouble. 

I lol'd at the Chef Birdie character. "It's magic up here with the fresh air. *takes deep drag on cigarette*" 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Avaleigh

[laschifosavita]

I didn't love it, but it didn't put me off like some of the season premiers. I'm intrigued by the concept of the season. I think I like that it doesn't seem like it is going to be enough to sustain an entire season, because I'm actually looking forward to them tossing random stuff in there. If some aliens show up, I wouldn't mind it. I also watched all of Scream Queens and kind of liked it.

I don't love how American Horror Story references movies. The big references to Friday the 13th and Halloween were closer to being reenactments than reimaginings. They don't offer enough that is new for me to not feel like I'd rather be rewatching those movies instead.

I think that the inclusion of Richard Ramirez could be interesting. I think there is definitely something to be done with how a campy genre about serial killers being popular while the country was also terrified of a real serial murderer. I just really hope that it doesn't go the Cult route of adding fictional elements to real events so much that it starts to be in bad taste.

[WednesdayAddams]

Well, I'm one of the few who seem to be liking it so far. I love 80's slashers and all the campiness with it. With the preview of the season, it looks like the whole season is taking place during this one night. Are there 2 or more killers present? Is Brooke seeing things? Why did Xavier get that message? Who was in the truck when Montana and Mr. Schu from glee were in the water? Can't wait to see how this plays out.

[AnimeMania]

I had a good laugh at the retro intro, especially some of the computer generated logo graphics.

I liked the aerobics scenes which were good for establishing the time period.

I hope the kids at camp are not too young. The ones they showed from the past were weird, dressed weird, looked weird (didn't really look like kids), I couldn't really get an idea of how old they were, I thought some of the bodies looked middle aged. 

Were there male campers in the past camp, were any of them attacked?

My favorite character was the garage owner, oh well, I guess I need to pick a new one, maybe the lady mental institution doctor.

At least they gave that Emma Roberts a good bashing.

[Keywestclubkid]

58 minutes ago, kokapetl said:

10 weeks of slasher film nonsense does not sound fun. 

Here is my issue with the "slasher" genre being on tv in general that I just had to accept in order not to be driven crazy..... It will always inevitably just get padded out so much with filler episodes and side stories and character actions that make no sense......before accepting that I would just end up pulling my hair out screaming why are they acting like no one is dying around them and doing shit that no one in that situation would do? cause once the killings start and people start "disappearing" no one is gonna stop to play in that football game or go on that date or NOT call the police (I'm looking at you scream season 3)  in order for this type of show to work they really shouldn't try to push it past 5 episodes because in order to stretch it out they have to pad and it becomes stupid ...but again I stick with it because this is my favorite genera but it is a really difficult genera to have in a episodic television show and keep whatever believability in the actions of its characters after the 2nd or 3rd death and everyone is acting non phased and going on about their day to day life ( already in episode one she is attacked by the night stalker goes to camp gets attacked again and nothing like what? having her attacked that quickly 2 times in the first episode and she keeps calm? but again in the 80s this was a troop and i see they are making fun of that i hope ) ...... but this is American Horror Story and nothing is ever what it seems so the twist is coming and I  hope that it can maintain the 10 episode momentum .... and not feel like its dragging.... Side note with all the camp movies they are referencing I hope and wonder how they are gonna work in one of the most famous camp horror movies with a twist shock ending ....... Sleepaway Camp you know it has to be coming

Edited September 19, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Avaleigh]

3 minutes ago, WednesdayAddams said:

Well, I'm one of the few who seem to be liking it so far. I love 80's slashers and all the campiness with it. With the preview of the season, it looks like the whole season is taking place during this one night. Are there 2 or more killers present? Is Brooke seeing things? Why did Xavier get that message? Who was in the truck when Montana and Mr. Schu from glee were in the water? Can't wait to see how this plays out.

I wonder if Brooke keeps emphasizing the story that Ramirez is going to come after her in order her to have someone to point to when people start to go missing.

No way is Mr. Jingles going to be the only killer. 

I don't think I've ever seen John Carroll Lynch not play a psycho whether it's movies or TV. He's always fun to watch.

[Surrealist]

3 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Couple things ... its a homage to all things 80s slashers that includes ridiculous plot points and you guessed it BAD ACTING and horrible writing ( look i love me some slashers its my favorite 80s genera but the acting and writing in 90% of them are bad hell the writing and acting in 80% of the movies released in the 80s by today's standards would be bad and cheesy on a re watch if you are honest about it)  ....people are bitching about something that is a staple in almost all bad 80s slasher movies .... and its episode one why the hell would they put the twist in the first episode? I get bitching about this show because yes it always falls apart at the end every fucking season but come on now complaining about no plot twist this early is just dumb you know its coming and normally happens around episode 5 or so .... I fell people are coming into this ready just to complain it happens every season .. I'm not understating the I don't like the genera so I'm gonna watch anyway and gripe about it... like why? wouldn't that just seem counter productive and a waste on time right off the bat to watch something you hate just so you can gripe how much you don't like it and point out the flaws in something you already hate to everyone else? like why do that to people who actually enjoy the genera and are watching this just for the fun of it...  just my 2 cents

I cannot agree enough about 80's slasher flicks and their inherent badness. Slasher movies are my favorite in the horror genre. So far my interest is piqued. I want to see where this one is going. 

@darkestboy Trevor, and his large penis, might be a nod to 70s/80s porn star John Holmes. 

Holmes died of AIDS-related complications in 1988. Horror movies always referenced real life horror disguised as a killer of some sort. I'm not suggesting AIDS is a theme this season, but if you look at 80's horror movies, you can see how that plugs in. Especially with characters getting murdered during or after sex. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Surrealist

[Drogo]

Talk about the show, not each other. 

[TVFan17]

Well, I think my first reaction -- as far as who might be suspicious on the show -- was that Leslie Grossman's character just had to be up to no good somehow. And it might turn out that she is a killer or otherwise dangerous in some way.... but then I started to wonder if she might be too obvious a choice for the main culprit.   

And I definitely agree that there is much more to Brooke/Emma's story that will be revealed, but then I started to wonder if she might be too obvious a choice for a secret psycho too.  lol

So, really, I was convincing myself that everyone who seemed suspicious to me must not really be guilty, because they could be too obvious... which sent me back to the drawing board to wonder who else is sort of flying under the radar, but still has a big enough role to warrant screen time.

[Avaleigh]

37 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Here is my issue with the "slasher" genre being on tv in general that I just had to accept in order not to be driven crazy..... It will always inevitably just get padded out so much with filler episodes and side stories and character actions that make no sense......before accepting that I would just end up pulling my hair out screaming why are they acting like no one is dying around them and doing shit that no one in that situation would do? cause once the killings start and people start "disappearing" no one is gonna stop to play in that football game or go on that date or NOT call the police (I'm looking at you scream season 3)  in order for this type of show to work they really shouldn't try to push it past 5 episodes because in order to stretch it out they have to pad and it becomes stupid ...but again I stick with it because this is my favorite genera but it is a really difficult genera to have in a episodic television show and keep whatever believability in the actions of its characters after the 2nd or 3rd death and everyone is acting non phased and going on about their day to day life ( already in episode one she is attacked by the night stalker goes to camp gets attacked again and nothing like what? having her attacked that quickly 2 times in the first episode and she keeps calm? but again in the 80s this was a troop and i see they are making fun of that i hope ) ...... but this is American Horror Story and nothing is ever what it seems so the twist is coming and I  hope that it can maintain the 10 episode momentum .... and not feel like its dragging.... Side note with all the camp movies they are referencing I hope and wonder how they are gonna work in one of the most famous camp store movies with a twist shock ending ....... Sleepaway Camp you know it has to be coming

For me it helps that this slasher story is set in the early 80s where mobile phones still aren't common. These days every movie or show has to come up with some bullshit reason for why characters can't ring for help on their phones. It's quickly established here that the characters won't be able to use the phone. 

The main characters typically can't find out about the early deaths until later or else they'd try to flee too soon and there'd be a twenty minute movie. The next thing to go is transportation to further emphasize the isolation. At some point in maybe the fourth episode or so they won't be able to use the car. I agree though that I wonder how long they'll be able to go with keeping the killer a mystery. 

I wonder too if we'll get more flashbacks to 1970. Maybe even earlier flashbacks? I wonder if there's any chance of us getting a flash forward? I kind of like how Aslyum used flashbacks and flashforwards. IIRC that show gave us 1940s, 1950s, and 1970s in addition to the main 1960s setting. 

Maybe some of the later action will take place back in LA. They eliminate the Mr. Jingles character, think that they're safe once they make it home, only to have the other killer continue to wreak havoc until they're caught/killed.

[kokapetl]

59 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I had a good laugh at the retro intro, especially some of the computer generated logo graphics.

I liked the aerobics scenes which were good for establishing the time period.

I hope the kids at camp are not too young. The ones they showed from the past were weird, dressed weird, looked weird (didn't really look like kids), I couldn't really get an idea of how old they were, I thought some of the bodies looked middle aged. 

Were there male campers in the past camp, were any of them attacked?

My favorite character was the garage owner, oh well, I guess I need to pick a new one, maybe the lady mental institution doctor.

At least they gave that Emma Roberts a good bashing.

 Cody Fern is remarkably untoned for an aerobics instructor. 

[kokapetl]

2 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

For me it helps that this slasher story is set in the early 80s where mobile phones still aren't common. These days every movie or show has to come up with some bullshit reason for why characters can't ring for help on their phones. It's quickly established here that the characters won't be able to use the phone. 

The main characters typically can't find out about the early deaths until later or else they'd try to flee too soon and there'd be a twenty minute movie. The next thing to go is transportation to further emphasize the isolation. At some point in maybe the fourth episode or so they won't be able to use the car. I agree though that I wonder how long they'll be able to go with keeping the killer a mystery. 

This being AHS, the characters wouldn't even hoof it a mere five miles for help. 

[WednesdayAddams]

56 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

Well, I think my first reaction -- as far as who might be suspicious on the show -- was that Leslie Grossman's character just had to be up to no good somehow. And it might turn out that she is a killer or otherwise dangerous in some way.... but then I started to wonder if she might be too obvious a choice for the main culprit.   

And I definitely agree that there is much more to Brooke/Emma's story that will be revealed, but then I started to wonder if she might be too obvious a choice for a secret psycho too.  lol

So, really, I was convincing myself that everyone who seemed suspicious to me must not really be guilty, because they could be too obvious... which sent me back to the drawing board to wonder who else is sort of flying under the radar, but still has a big enough role to warrant screen time.

As Dwight from The Office once said, "It's the one you most medium suspect."

[sashayshante]

1 hour ago, WednesdayAddams said:

Well, I'm one of the few who seem to be liking it so far. I love 80's slashers and all the campiness with it. With the preview of the season, it looks like the whole season is taking place during this one night. Are there 2 or more killers present? Is Brooke seeing things? Why did Xavier get that message? Who was in the truck when Montana and Mr. Schu from glee were in the water? Can't wait to see how this plays out.

The official trailer only included the first episode. The season trailer from last only covers the first two or three episodes. That's why it seems like it all takes place in one night. They won't finish shooting until early November. This is why the season always goes off the rails. Most series have written a good three to five episodes in before they premiere. That makes it harder to just veer off in another direction. AHS doesn't appear to do that. It appears as though they write each episode as the series airs.

I'm getting strong Roanoke vibes from this season. I get that for some the campy fun is entertaining, but I don't watch this show for the humor or audience winks. I watch it for the performances and the story.

[Mr. Sparkle]

4 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Anyway my early guess for the season is  that Mr Jingles isn’t the actual killer.  He escapes from the mental institution to protect the camp not actually kill anyone. (besides the poor gas station guy). It’s Margaret Booth who is the killer who kills campers who have sex because she is obsessed with morality.

My early prediction is similar - Mr. Jingles kills some people, but is then caught and killed. When everyone thinks it's over, the killings start again and it's either Margaret or Brooke who is the killer. 

[tennisgurl]

I admit I enjoy slasher movies, especially the classics from the 70s/80s before the market got diluted with crappy sequels that were more interested in boobs and blood than actually being scary (most people forget it now, but movies like the original Friday the 13th and Halloween have pretty small body counts, and spend a lot of time building a creepy atmosphere before they started stabbing people)  and I even like a lot of the post modern ironic ones like the Scream franchise, so I've been excited for this season. Not as creepy as past seasons, but I admit I enjoy the more stripped down to basics seasons (like Murder House and Roanoke) over the more over the top seasons like Cult or Apocalypse. Not that those dont have problems or that the more high concept seasons cant be good, but my personal preference is a good old fashioned spooky story. So while a lot of this episode was cliche, I still enjoyed it, and I wonder how much is on purpose? Obviously the "Your doomed!!!" gas station guy and everything with the camp is all based around classic slasher tropes, but maybe the hokey acting and cliche dialogue is on purpose as well, imitating the aesthetic of the classic slasher films? Or maybe I am giving Ryan Murphy more credit than he deserves and this just kind of sucks, I have no clue. 

Having Richard Ramirez around is weird, especially played by a different guy than who played him in Hotel. Like, is one serial killer not enough, now we have to add in a real one? Will this tie into anything, or will Richard Ramirez end up taking out Mr. Jingles to get rid of the competition? Or is it just because Ryan Murphy loves serial killers?

I do feel like there has to be a twist or something, because doing a slasher movie all season doesent seem like a very sustainable premise. When the religious camp lady was talking about seeing lights when she survived the killing, I wondered if this was tied in with the aliens from Asylum, who havnt been seen in awhile. Or this is a variation of Emma Roberts character from Scream 4 where 

Spoiler

She is set up as the sweet new heroine and Final Girl, but is actually the killer. 

Or something, I have to think that something else will go down. Normally AHS tries to combine fantastical horrors (aliens, demons, ghosts) with real life horrors (prejudiced people and societies, marital strife, treatment of the mentally ill) and right now, I dont really see that yet beyond Richard Ramirez, and serial killers have been pretty much done to death on this show. Some pun intended. 

The new credits are fun, as well as the campy 80s work out class, but I admit I miss creepier credits. A lot of time, especially by the time the show starts falling apart by the middle of the season, the credits are the only actually scary part of the show!

[TexasGal]

21 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

The new credits are fun, as well as the campy 80s work out class, but I admit I miss creepier credits. A lot of time, especially by the time the show starts falling apart by the middle of the season, the credits are the only actually scary part of the show!

I miss the credits too.  I think I can hear a variation on that creepy, record scratchy sound that's been in all the songs but it's just not the same. 

[AnimeMania]

12 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

When the religious camp lady was talking about seeing lights when she survived the killing, I wondered if this was tied in with the aliens from Asylum, who havnt been seen in awhile.

I thought it was the because when she opened her eyes, she was staring right at a light bulb. The fact that people who are dying say they see a blinding light. She saw a real light and claimed it was Jesus. A give props to the lady that kept her eye open with all that red fluid in there.

[Keywestclubkid]

25 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Having Richard Ramirez around is weird, especially played by a different guy than who played him in Hotel. 

I’m thinking it’s gonna go back to the city.  that the summer camp is just the “teaser” for the season. And once the killer on the campground is taken care of the killing in the city will start and we’ll get like a summer of Sam type season in the later half cause they made a big deal out of city serial killers at the beginning of the episode . I think the reason why it’s a different actor playing the night stalker  is the look he’s supposed to be younger in 84 then what he would have looked like when he died in 2014 and showed up in hotel that’s a big 30 year gap with what he would have looked like.  That is if they arnt pulling another Roanoke please god don’t use that troop again it sucked 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Avaleigh]

5 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I admit I enjoy slasher movies, especially the classics from the 70s/80s before the market got diluted with crappy sequels that were more interested in boobs and blood than actually being scary (most people forget it now, but movies like the original Friday the 13th and Halloween have pretty small body counts, and spend a lot of time building a creepy atmosphere before they started stabbing people)  and I even like a lot of the post modern ironic ones like the Scream franchise, so I've been excited for this season. Not as creepy as past seasons, but I admit I enjoy the more stripped down to basics seasons (like Murder House and Roanoke) over the more over the top seasons like Cult or Apocalypse. Not that those dont have problems or that the more high concept seasons cant be good, but my personal preference is a good old fashioned spooky story. So while a lot of this episode was cliche, I still enjoyed it, and I wonder how much is on purpose? Obviously the "Your doomed!!!" gas station guy and everything with the camp is all based around classic slasher tropes, but maybe the hokey acting and cliche dialogue is on purpose as well, imitating the aesthetic of the classic slasher films? Or maybe I am giving Ryan Murphy more credit than he deserves and this just kind of sucks, I have no clue. 

Having Richard Ramirez around is weird, especially played by a different guy than who played him in Hotel. Like, is one serial killer not enough, now we have to add in a real one? Will this tie into anything, or will Richard Ramirez end up taking out Mr. Jingles to get rid of the competition? Or is it just because Ryan Murphy loves serial killers?

I do feel like there has to be a twist or something, because doing a slasher movie all season doesent seem like a very sustainable premise. When the religious camp lady was talking about seeing lights when she survived the killing, I wondered if this was tied in with the aliens from Asylum, who havnt been seen in awhile. Or this is a variation of Emma Roberts character from Scream 4 where 

  Reveal spoiler

She is set up as the sweet new heroine and Final Girl, but is actually the killer. 

Or something, I have to think that something else will go down. Normally AHS tries to combine fantastical horrors (aliens, demons, ghosts) with real life horrors (prejudiced people and societies, marital strife, treatment of the mentally ill) and right now, I dont really see that yet beyond Richard Ramirez, and serial killers have been pretty much done to death on this show. Some pun intended. 

The new credits are fun, as well as the campy 80s work out class, but I admit I miss creepier credits. A lot of time, especially by the time the show starts falling apart by the middle of the season, the credits are the only actually scary part of the show!

I have considered that Leslie Grossman's character might also be an unreliable narrator. Is it possible that she could have been working with Jingles? (And maybe still is?) Having her show off her ear is an easy way to fake the audience out into eliminating her as a suspect. Her story was a little hard to believe. She says that she was able to keep from moving or screaming as he sawed off her ear? Does that seem likely? It makes me wonder if she cut off her own ear to divert suspicion away from the fact that she somehow mysteriously survived the massacre.

I thought about the possibility that she might have framed Jingles but the scene of him killing the guard doesn't make that seem likely. I agree with those who think we'll definitely get the backstory of Jingles like how we got the backstory of Twisty the Clown. 

[luna1122]

3 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I don't think I've ever seen John Carroll Lynch not play a psycho whether it's movies or TV. He's always fun to watch.

Aw, he was the nicest, breakfast-makingest, 2 cent stamp designing husband of a cop in Fargo.

I like this so far, but I liked Roanoke, so many would tell me I have no standards. I don't expect a lot from it, anymore, but I think it's fun. I'm also surprised by so many saying Billie Lourd only plays one note, as this season's character isn't remotely, to me, like previous ones. She does often play a monotone, disaffected, dead eyed sort (kind of hilariously) but Montana is vivacious and gossipy and fun loving.

Who played the guy they hit with their car?

[JakeyJokes]

10 hours ago, FoundTime said:

I'm afraid my reaction to this episode was colored by flashbacks to a similar series a couple of years ago, Dead of Summer (which was kinda...not great, let's say) and the fact that I'm just finishing up the real-life horror book I'll Be Gone in the Dark, to which nothing can really compare. I probably enjoyed the 80s music the most. That said, I've never given up on a season either, so we'll see.

I had to put that book down TWICE when reading it, and I don’t consider myself to be a squeamish reader. 

16 hours ago, sashayshante said:

The scene where Kenworthy took off his shirt to show off his bod was such blatant pandering to the gay male viewership. The question is whether that was to parody an 80's movie or a direction by Murphy.

I think it was kind of both. ‘80s slasher movies always had random toplessness and shower scenes, so I thought maybe it was an inverse of that. I didn’t mind it because I’m shallow, but it would have bothered me if they would have had him shirtless the whole episode.

Interesting point about Brooke sleeping with the window open. That was the Night Stalker’s M.O. — during a heat wave, people in SoCal weren’t gonna want to sleep with their windows closed. I love true crime, but I am not sure about the juxtaposition between a real serial killer and the campiness of Mr. Jingles. Richard Ramirez seems like he’s out of the movies, but he is unfortunately not!