AHS 1984 (S9E1) “Camp Redwood”: A Season Premiere You Do Not Want To Miss

No one makes it feel quite like Halloween like American Horror Story. The unique, intriguing stories and scares, pushing the boundaries of television setting anyone in the mood. Though, looking back, it seemed AHS had begun to lose its touch in the last few seasons, while still intriguing, lacking the terrifying punch that fans of the show had come to love. Political and religion still lingering on the minds of viewers, this was the season premiere that AHS needed to bring it. And boy did they ever!

AHS 1984’s “Camp Redwood” was one of the best episodes of the entire series. There was a flare of Ryan Murphy coating a beautiful collaboration of all our favorite horror films – refusing to remain in the construct of the 1980s. It was everything a fan of the series will love, even more enjoyable for those who are truly obsessed with the horror genre. It was one of the most fun and edge-of-your-seat experiences the show has delivered in quite some time.

1970

The episode begins in 1970, throwing viewers back into an environment closely similar to Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th. While the young campers sleep soundly, three camp counselors begin engaging in a threesome – a clear indication for any horror fan that if we follow classic tropes, death is eminent. And is it ever delivered with swift and horrific execution.

Yet, where the 1970s and 80s brought swift and violent death to those teens who engaged in sex, Murphy has turned it up a notch, showcasing our initial kill (and set up) as a three some, the seemingly innocent girl loosing her “protection” as she engages with not one but two campers. Couple this with the concept of virginity as a form of protection completely null and void (the young campers are slain as well),  and AHS 1984 delivers a loving tribute with a modernized delivery.

Before you can catch your breath, viewers are thrown into the introduction. The music may sound different and the images hypnotizing, but it is the same underlining beat as seasons past. If you listen carefully, you can still hear the all to familiar tune behind the nostalgic sounds of the 1980s. And the images that hypnotize, viewers will find themselves overwhelmed by the imagery, the encapsulation of a decade.

1984

“Let’s get physical, physical, I want to get physical. Let’s get into physical.” Nothing screams 1980s more than teased hair, aerobics classes, sweat bands and leotards. This is exactly how AHS throws us back to the 80s, the seasons main characters all engaged in a quintessential aerobics class of the time.

Brooke Thompson (Emma Roberts)  is new to LA hoping to make new friends through the aerobics class she is enrolled in. When Montana Duke (Billie Lourd) notices her interest in one of the male participants, who happens to be in her crew, she sparks up a conversation with Brooke, slowly bringing her into the rag tag bunch. Montana’s inclusion of Brooke extends to the rest of the group, when aerobics teacher Xavier Plympton (Cody Fern) invites her and the group to join him as camp counselors at the reopening of Camp Redwood – yes, much like the reopening of Crystal Lake!

While Brooke initially refuses choosing to stay home, she awakes one night to the “Nighttime Strangler” Richard Ramirez (Zach Villa), a real life serial killer that threatened the citizens of LA back in the 1980s. Terrified in her own home and to be alone, she decides to join the crew at Camp Redwood.

If you hadn’t guessed it yet, Brooke appears to be our final girl – though this is American Horror Story, so we will have to see if that continues. She is mousey, quiet, shy and new to town. Unable to defend herself, she needs the help of someone stronger to survive. She is our Laurie Strode of Halloween, Sydney Prescott of Scream and Nancy Thompson of A Nightmare on Elm Street). Pure, a virgin and innocent, she is also able to escape the villain and the violent means they will inflict. Even her look screams to those Scream Queens that have come before her. Emma Roberts perfectly encapsulates her role, bringing the classic idea of the final girl to life.

Billie Lourd too brings the past back to life, her role emulating characters of the past (A Nightmare on Elm Street’sTina Gray, Halloween’s Lynda and Scream’s Tatum Riley), whose promiscuity and carefree demeanor have spelled death. It is fun to see the role reversal for Lourd, whose quiet and reserved demeanor from Apocalypse last year is a sharp contrast to the lively spirit she encompasses here.

While many of the gentleman in the group fill a horror stereotype – the jock, the ill fated hiker – it was our Burt Reynolds call back from Trevor Kitchener (played by Matthew Morrison) that made him stand out in the pack. I fear our savvy and suave reincarnation will not be around for too long, his character’s demeanor priming him for a swift and violent exit, but there is an added enjoyment his presence and this resemblance allows.

Ties to the Past

Not only does American Horror Story deliver a premiere episode as a homage to cinematic horror history, it also finds ways of tying back to its previous anthologies. That’s right, Murphy did not wait long to give a nod to his own inductions into horror history. While some where more obvious than others, there was a real charge of excitement with their inclusions.

First, and most obvious, was the “Nighttime Strangler” Richard Ramirez. Based on a real life serial killer, his introduction in the episode ties the season back to AHS Hotel, where Ramirez’s arrives at the hotel after receiving an invitation to Devil’s Night by James Patrick March (Evan Peters). His murderous rampage took a momentary detour to aid March in the murder of a married couple during his time there.

Ramirez in his own way is also a call back to last year’s season – AHS Apocalypse. While a slight stretch, Ramirez was a satanist, committing his crimes in the name of Satan. As a viewer, I couldn’t help to throw back to last season as he screamed at Brooke, “Swear on Satan” and “ I will find you, Satan will show me the way.” His inclusion in the season allows for the reentrance of Satan in the series – an element very common throughout many horror films. But this wasn’t the only AHS Apocalypse element to come to light.

In a blink and you will miss it moment, as the gang is bringing in the hiker they found/ had injured (“we gotta get our stories straight” – Hello I Know What You Did Last Summer), viewers are introduced to Rita (Angelia Ross), the camps nurse. As she introduces herself to the group, she states she is a nurse from Hawthorne Hospital – strangely enough sharing the same name with The Hawthorne School for Young Boys. Could she have ties to the warlocks who almost bring doom upon the world? Could she also have ties to the witches, whose existence at this time is still unknown? A small detail, yet one that could be an even larger element within the bigger picture.

Terror is Afoot

As the episode concludes, there is an excitement of what is still yet to come, yet also a nervousness that this could be the best the season has to offer. Seriously, this episode knocked it well out of the park. Though I do not lean to the latter, I am hopeful for the rest of the season and that the best is yet to come.

It seems as though AHS 1984 may fulfill the lust category within the Dante’s Inferno theory – the perfect aspect to bring to life in a genre where lust has a tendency to bring swift and violent ends. Beyond lust, the season already seems to be presenting viewers with not one, but two killers – maybe more. In a time when serial killers ran rampant through California and the country, the idea of danger lurking in more than one place is an intriguing one – one that would fit perfectly in this season and the entire anthology.

With the season premiere of AHS 1984, there is a clear and guided sense of a love and respect for the horror genre, a beautifully orchestrated collaboration of horror films merged together for the first time (well, at least not in a satire sense).

AHS 1984 is gruesome, graphic and for those who love gore, oh so satisfying.

What did you think of the premiere? Let us know in the comments below!