American Horror Story: 1984 Review: Slashdance (Season 9 Episode 3)

Tension rises as Ramirez and Jingles roam around the camp in search for their next victim, the truth comes out about a few campers, and one camper loses their head on American Horror Story: 1984 Season 9 Episode 3, “Slashdance.”

The truth comes out for many characters in this week’s episode, but the most shocking has to be the reveal of Donna Chambers, aka nurse Rita. Montana being with Ramirez is a shock, but she’s also the type to do just that so it makes it less surprising. Nurse Rita being a psychologist who helps free a serial killer, however, I did not see coming.

Before the original Nurse Rita is found, bound and gagged, in the boathouse I originally thought that Donna had murdered her, and I think it says something that she didn’t kill her herself. She’s insane, there’s no denying it, but at least it seems like she isn’t so far gone that she’ll kill to get whatever she wants. She wants to keep her hands clean from any bloodshed.

I’m curious as to what exactly she’s looking for from Jingles or how she’s watching him in his natural habitat when he’s off doing his own thing. All he’s doing is murdering whoever gets in his way, besides the loser in the woods. How does this help her study him?

It seems that Donna doesn’t know about Ramirez, but she could also be putting up a front to make it seem that way. It looks like she hit the jackpot with serial killers, two in one summer camp is surely enough supervising for her to get whatever she needs.

As for Montana, I’m surprised but not entirely shocked that she’d be sleeping with Ramirez and helping him taunt Brooke. It’s a tad bit upsetting because I did like her character, but it’s only episode three so I foresee a chance where she could win me back over.

I suspect that Montana wants Ramirez to murder Brooke because she doesn’t want another female in her group, or because she wants her out of the way so she can ransack her home. I know there’s got to be a bigger motive behind it, but her character hasn’t been particularly complex up until now.

Where Donna and Montana are both crazy and helping serial killers, Ray is just a straight-up coward with no care for anything but himself. On top of pushing a pledge off a cliff in his car, he purposefully tries to leave the group in the cabin to deal with Ramirez themselves. The only thing saving his life being Chet as he throws Ramirez off him.

So, to repay Chet for not letting him die, what does Ray do? He leaves Chet in the pit to die alone with nobody knowing where he is and then lies about being separated from him so nobody will be suspicious.

I don’t particularly like Chet, but it’s such a dick move to leave him alone to die and I’m happy that Mr. Jingles chops Ray’s head off before he can escape the camp and leave everyone to die. There’s absolutely no way that Ray would get help for anyone at camp, had he gotten away.

The twists and turns keeping coming episode after episode this season, and it makes me wonder what could come next. Why was Margaret missing from the entire episode? She didn’t hear anyone screaming and think to see what’s happening outside? I feel like there’s about to be another twist with her as well.

This season is still one of the better ones, in my opinion, and I hope that the momentum continues because there hasn’t been an episode yet to make me not want to come back and see what happens next.

Next week I want to see some more backstory on Trevor because we’re still in the dark about anything on him other than he has a big package and worked with Jane Fonda once.

What did you think of this episode of American Horror Story: 1984? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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American Horror Story: 1984 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.

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