A crime-founded love affair, serial killer v. serial killer and—whoops!—the real camp murderer is revealed!
So much truth and yet so much darkness; episode four drops the series’ biggest (at least for now) revelation: the true Camp Redwood killer. We also get a flashback to when Montana and the Night Stalker first met, and it was love at first stab, literally. And of course, that Freddy Krueger versus Jason-esque faceoff the Internet was talking about happened in this episode, too (and if I’m being honest, there wasn’t much to talk about but ???).
Herewith, a recap of True Killers (also warning: even more spoilers ahead):
Slashdance ends with Montana asking, “why haven’t you killed her yet?” and in episode four, we confirm that it was Brooke whom she really wanted dead. But why, why is everybody so obsessed with Brooke?
It all begins in an aerobics class, where Montana was teaching a bunch of guys how to booty roll to Billy Idol. The Night Stalker comes upon her class and guess what? He loves punk rock (because who didn’t in the 80s?) and Billy Idol. The lost-looking killer stumbles in at the right time; just when someone from Montana’s class complains about her playlist. So to show his appreciation for his idol and Montana (assuming at this point that his love for music came first), he guts the guy and strings him up in the locker room using his intestines.
“Promise me she’ll suffer.”
She walks in, gets (not shocked but) impressed and they have bloody sex. Post-coitus, she asks the Night Stalker if he’d kill for her again. Turns out, Montana is the sister of the guy Brooke allegedly slept with and was shot to death by her fiancé. So, basically she wants revenge and she makes her dark knight in all-black promise her that she’ll make her suffer.
Over at the infirmary, the three surviving males head out to get help. Xavier goes to collect Chef Bertie who seems to have zero clue that there are serial killers on the loose. But then Mr. Jingles arrives prompting Xavier to hide under the table. Bertie, the nice lady that she is, stays calm, tries to have a conversation with her former co-worker and even makes him PB&J. Xavier’s timing, however, is impeccable; he attempts to crawl out and escape, but knocks over a cup (like why was it under the table anyway?). So Jingles attacks and traps him in an industrial oven set to sweltering heat. But, bless her heart, a dying Bertie lets him out and asks to be put out of her misery in return.
RELATED: American Horror Story 1984: Mr. Jingles Recap
Meanwhile, Brooke is finally awake and escapes only to walk into a trap. Donna hears her pleas and emerges from the bushes. Does she help her? Nope, instead she leaves her swinging in her net snare to see if Mr. Jingles prefers to hunt for his victims or have them served on a silver platter. “I’m doing this for science,” she says. Montana sees a trapped Brooke, too, and sends the Night Stalker her way. Sorry, I’m not going to detail what went down between the two serial killers because it wasn’t as ~epic~ as I’d pictured it in my head. What you need to know though is that the Night Stalker ends up hanging from the nearest tree—through his mouth.
They say you should never meet your heroes. #AHS1984 is all-new tonight at 10pm on FX. pic.twitter.com/7zT7PNzuJY
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) October 16, 2019
And now for (one of) AHS:1984’s most shocking revelation(s): the real camp murderer. For those who called it, yes, it is Margaret Booth (because who can be that calm, knowing killers are roaming around camp?). Okay, rewind to the 70s when she was still sporting pigtails and Mr. Jingles was simply known by his first name, Benjie, and as the maintenance man that had a crush on Margaret. Benjie, during one bullying incident, promised to protect her but she decided to take matters into her own hands. Yes, she killed every single person at Camp Redwood. Yes, she cut off their ears and her own ear. And yes, she pinned it on poor Jingles…which means he is not the killer.
“I am the monster you made me.”
Back to the retro present, Mr. Jingles finds Margaret in her cabin, praying. She tells him the truth but he doesn’t remember a thing. All he knows is that he dunnit, thanks to being electroshocked into believing that he committed a mass murder. “I am the monster you made me,” he reckons, before swooping in for the kill. Margaret shoots him and then stabs Trevor, who (is a genuinely nice guy btw) shows up at the wrong time.
But don’t think this won’t be the last time we’ll see Jingles or anyone else that died for that matter—especially when True Killers ended with an impaled Night Stalker levitating and being brought back to life.
(It’s starting to feel like Hotel and I’m not ~yet~ complaining.)
Art Alexandra Lara
