American Horror Story (9×03) Slashdance Review

For our review of the last episode of American Horror Story, click here.

Synopsis: Imitation is the best form of tragedy. Coming clean can be pretty messy. (IMDb)

It seems that every season of American Horror Story contains one major decision, usually occurring in the earlier episodes, that single-handedly derails the momentum it’s built. After two strong episodes, it’s felt as if 1984 might be able to break the cycle…that is…until Donna Chambers entered the picture.

Slashdance picks up immediately after the last episode as the two separated groups are running for their lives as Mr. Jingles is believed to be after them. Xavier, Montana and Trevor are fooled by pranksters explaining that it’s a tradition to dress up as Mr. Jingles and scare people on the anniversary of the Camp Redwood massacres. But their time at camp would come to a swift end as the real Mr. Jingles appears and murders them in gruesome fashion, providing enough time for Trevor and his group to escape. Elsewhere, Nurse Rita, Brooke, Ray and Chet experience their own terror as they come face to face with The Nightstalker. Ray shows his true colors as he is content to leave the rest of them in order to save himself only to barely escape The Nightstalker’s knife thanks to Chet. As they run away, Chet and Ray fall into a trap leaving Chet impaled on a wooden stake forced to listen to Ray face the demons of his past while looking for a way out and Brooke and Rita run to her car until Rita reveals her true identity and plan regarding Mr. Jingles, much to Brooke’s surprise.

Both Ray’s trauma and Rita’s Donna Chambers’ revelations force two flashbacks providing some much-needed backstory on the two polarizing characters. Ray has been running from his past as a brother of Omega Psi who managed to kill a recruit during pledge week. The episode cleverly misdirects us to believe that this is due to alcohol consumption, however, with a twist his pledge didn’t die from a drunken fall but rather from Ray’s decision to make it look like an accidental death from driving off a cliff. Ms. Chamber’s story revolves around her pursuit of a Ph.D. in Psychology which brings her to the doorstep of Mr. Jingles. Wanting to study him in his natural habitat in order to hopefully solve the problem of whatever drives serial murderers. She impersonates the real camp nurse meant for Camp Redwood and devises a plan for Jingles in order to escape from his mental facility and return to Camp Redwood to do what he does best – murder unsuspecting teens.

As the episode draws to a close, we see Xavier & Co. free the real Nurse Rita and send her right to her death with Mr. Jingles. As they regroup with the other survivors, Ray leads them to believe that he is the only one left alive from his group and proceeds to take Trevor’s Ninja for help. His cowardice is meant with a justified response from Mr. Jingles’ ax as his headless body doesn’t even make it past the Camp Redwood sign. Good riddance Ray. Rest In Pieces. But the episode can’t end on a happy note such as this and instead leaves viewers with more questions going into next week as Montana comes face to face with The Nightstalker but rather than running away she runs towards him.

In the end, as was alluded to at the beginning of this article, the decision to have Chambers be the reason and influence behind Mr. Jingles’ escape and motivation to kill again seemed so weak in terms of possibilities. There were far better options to drive this particular plotline and the fact that they settled on this path severely derailed how I feel going forward in this season.

However, a glimmer of hope and redemption lies with the group of survivors being able to learn Chambers’ true identity and not stringing that mystery along for several episodes. Hopefully, justice will be swift with her as it was with Ray but only time will tell.

PARTING THOUGHTS:

• Xavier continues his streak of inadvertently murdering people with Nurse Rita. Never change Xavier.
• Pornography + Vietnam = serial killer. Go play in traffic Donna Chambers
• Ray’s flashback made a good push in taking the crown of best flashback from Brooke but I will hold out hope for Trevor’s
• Is Montana how The Nightstalker found Camp Redwood?
• TREVOR WATCH: “His knife. My guns [slaps both bisceps].

Critics w/o Credentials

Trying my best to get all thoughts about TV and Film out of my head and onto the interweb.