AHS 1984 (S9E2) “Mr. Jingles”: Raises Both Hell & Questions

AHS 1984 followed up their season premiere with another killer episode, giving audiences new questions, further theories and a fleshing out of the characters we were introduced to last week. While new insights were provided, more than enough questions arose as murder, secrets and terror lurked in the shadows.

“Zonks”

“Mr. Jingles” picked up shortly shortly after episodes one’s conclusion. Brooke (Emma Roberts) is now cleaned up from her Carrie-like display, huddled in the corner questioning her own sanity, yet fearful enough to jump at anything unknown. As news breaks over the TV that Mr. Jingles (John Carroll Lynch) has escaped and a gas station attendant murdered – the same one they had spoken with on their way to Camp Redwood – Brooke begins to become frantic again, convinced Mr. Jingles is out to get them. Strangely, it seems as though Brooke is the only one who hears the news report, Margaret (Leslie Grossman) bursting into the cabin and enforcing her strict separation of boys and girls before viewers can find any confirmation of Brooke’s reality.

As she instruct the girls to go to sleep, and the men to shower (as they are only permitted at night), questions behind Margaret’s intentions and behaviors continue to grow as she turns out the lights to the entire camp. A perfect set up for a horror mass murder, but also a questionable behavior when she knows the boys are still lurking in the night by her instruction.

Yet, her behavior only becomes that much more strange as, failing once again to claim the life of Brooke, Richard  “Night Stalker” Ramirez (Zach Villa) finds refugee in her care, one she welcomes with open arms and ill-intentioned fire stoking. There are more nefarious intentions behind Margaret – a vibe and sense that calls back to Wilhelmina Venable (Sarah Paulson) from last season’s Apocalypse.

While we begin to question the true nature behind Margaret, as well as further questions surrounding Ramirez, other characters are fleshed out, new information leaving questions as to how it will all play into the season down the road. As the men are preparing to shower, Xavier Plympton’s (Cody Fern) past catches up to him, the origin of his mysterious phone calls and voicemails last episode revealed to be from his agent (let’s be real: pimp). A gay porn star, he is the prized star of Blake’s (Todd Stashwick) business, one that he is not ready to let go without a comparable exchange. In this moment, we get a glimpse of Xavier’s true nature, his will to survive and what he is willing to sacrifice. A glimpse into his faults that do not speak well for his future. This is a horror story after all.

As we dive deeper into the psyche and personality behind Xavier and Margaret, Brooke too was given a moment to be expanded upon, her backstory more horrific than one would have been presumed. As we witness her almost wedding, drowned in a rage of blood and jealousy, viewers come to understand the nurture vs. nature aspect within Brooke. While naturally passive and muted, the PTSD aspects of her past experiences give explanations to her over the top reactions immediately following the woods and the Night Stalker – also leaving questions as to what could be real and not real.

Ties to previous season?

This week’s episode gave us more questions than answers – leading to theories season specific, but more so for the overarching series as a whole. Personally, I can’t help but ignore how similar Margaret seems to be to Venable. While just a possible coincidence, this is AHS after all. They are just to similar in their rules and enforcements, the idea that their ideas are superior to all the others. The vibe flows eerily in line with one another and it will be interesting to see where the season takes her from here.

With Margaret sending vibes of last season, another character seemed to call back to previous seasons of AHS as well – specifically Murder House and Hotel. With hiker Jonas (Lou Taylor Pucci) revealed to be dead, unknowingly coming back to life over and over again each time he is killed, I could not help but find myself remembering the ghosts trapped in murder house and others the same in Hotel. Here, this hiker is trapped in the woods, a ghostly time capsule of the past. How did his vicious cycle begin, why and does he have more information of that horrific night back in 1970 that – like Tate (Peter Evans) with his school shooting in Murder House, he just doesn’t remember yet. What else is hidden away in a memory that seems to only now be returning?

There is also a fan theory floating around the internet that Brooke may be Madison Montgomery. Seems a little far-fetched, but sharp eyed (and eared!) viewers may be on to something. While trapped in her own personal hell in Apocalypse, she mentioned to one of her endless retail clients that she had a role in an up and coming Michael Myers movie. Oh, and if you remember, Madison Montgomery was sent to the Coven after killing her director. Could this be the Michael Myers film? And could the big twist be that this is a movie set, which would be another great explanation for why a different actor is playing Ramirez than when he first appeared in Hotel?

Conclusion

As the characters are running in terror, trying to find any means to escape – with no luck as would be the classic turnout – bodies begin to pile up and terror lurks in more than one form. As each of the pieces are being introduced, some more seemingly random that others, I can not help but wonder and anticipate the “big twist” that usually occurs each season of AHS. While there is still a ways to go before we reach the midway point where this typically occurs, there is an excitement to see where this is all taking us.

AHS airs on Wednesdays.