Starring Emma Roberts, John Carroll Lynch, and Billie Lourd, season 9 of American Horror Story sees the popular anthology series going back in time to the 1980s. The pilot episode has many fun elements from this decade, from an aerobics class to the fact that some of the characters have big hair and wear colorful outfits. The opening credits also deserve praise for being particularly entertaining.
Every episode of American Horror Story season 9 is fairly surprising, and there is a lot of careful attention given to the setting. The American Horror Story season 9 is as entertaining and scary as it is satisfying.
What Is American Horror Story Season 9 About?
American Horror Story season 9, which is subtitled 1984, is about Brooke Thompson (Emma Roberts), a young adult living in 1984 Los Angeles. When a serial killer named the Night Stalker tries to murder her, she gets a job at Camp Redwood. This is no ordinary camp as, in 1970, Benjamin Richter/Mr. Jingles (John Carroll Lynch) worked there as a groundskeeper and went on a killing spree. He is definitely one of the scariest American Horror Story villains.
Brooke is happy to work there alongside Ray Powell (DeRon Horton), Chet Clancy (Gus Kenworthy), Xavier Plympton (Cody Fern), and Montana Duke (Billie Lourd). Margaret Booth (Leslie Grossman) is another main character in American Horror Story season 9. She runs Camp Redwood and shares the story of what happened.
The end of the first episode, "Camp Redwood," sets up the rest of the season. After Brooke comes close to being attacked again and sees a dead hiker, the Night Stalker is here, ready to find his next victims. The next few episodes focus on a cat-and-mouse game between Brooke and the Night Stalker. Brooke functions as a horror movie final girl who doesn't give up easily. Since there are so many villains and untrustworthy characters, her sweet personality is a nice contrast.
American Horror Story season 9 stands out because of the summer camp setting and the focus on serial killers. Viewers find out that Mr. Jingles was in an institution and is now on the loose. As the episodes progress, the creepy relationship between Richard Ramirez (Zach Villa), the Night Stalker, and Montana comes out. This is a terrible idea as the Night Stalker is one of the most unpredictable horror villains.
There's definitely a lot going on in American Horror Story season 9. By the time the season approaches its finale, several characters have been murdered and live on at Camp Redwood as ghosts. It's also possible to say that there are too many characters and many flashbacks, some of them better crafted than others. But recurring American Horror Story cast members like Billie Lourd and Emma Robert do a solid job of playing two very different types of young adults: one who is drawn to the dark side and one who is sweet, innocent, and wants to help others get away from the Night Stalker.
How Does American Horror Story Season 9 End?
The American Horror Story season 9 ending makes sure not to leave any stone unturned, which is a good thing since otherwise, episode 9 called "Final Girl" would be disappointing. The last episode alternates between 2019 and 1989. One of the most important parts of the ending is the fact that there are several Camp Redwood counselors who are now ghosts. Over a period of 30 years, they murder Ramirez time and time again. They realize that this is how they can beat him. It's satisfying to watch the counselors get revenge on one of the best American Horror Story villains.
In 2019, Bobby, the son of Lavinia Richter (Lily Rabe) who is an adult now, arrives at Camp Redwood. Trevor and Montana tell him that his father Ritcher went missing when he was thrown in the camp's lake. Brooke saves Trevor and allows him to stay at Camp Redwood in ghost form after Margaret shoots him.
After Montana saves Bobby from being killed by Ramirez, who is back in 2019, Bobby has a memorable conversation with Donna Chambers (Angelica Ross), the mental institution's director. It turns out that although people think that Brooke passed away, she was actually able to get away. Like forgotten final girls who are still memorable, Brooke wins in the end.
The ending of every season of American Horror Story is fairly emotional as the episodes really dive into the characters' relationships with one another. The final scene of American Horror Story season 9 is as sad as the ending of American Horror Story: Murder House as there are a lot of ghosts who can't get their lives back. In the final scene of American Horror Story season 9, Bobby visits Camp Redwood one last time and has a heartbreaking reunion with his mother Ritcher. Before he leaves, the spirit of Margaret wants to murder Bobby, but his mother is able to stop this along with the other ghosts. Bobby has been through so much, and it's a satisfying ending.