Welcome to Camp Redwood

FX

(This post contains spoilers for the season premiere of “American Horror Story: 1984.” You have been warned.)

“American Horror Story: 1984” wasn’t too secretive coming in, at least not by “AHS” standards. We knew it would be a sendup of ’80s slasher movies and that it would involve a summer camp and a killer who escaped from a mental institution, but we didn’t know how that premise would lend itself to a ten-episode season.

But “AHS: 1984” finally kicked off this week and it revealed that, of course, there’s more going on here than we knew. Of course, now that we know more, we actually feel like we know less — but that’s “American Horror Story” for you.

See below for our list of questions and check back next week to find out which ones have — and haven’t — been answered.

What does The Night Stalker want?
Richard Ramirez a.k.a. “The Night Stalker” was a real-life serial killer who was convicted of thirteen counts of murder in 1989. On the premiere of “AHS: 1984,” the Night Stalker (played by Zach Villa) is currently terrorizing Los Angeles and he’s the main reason Xavier (Cody Fern), Montana (Billie Lourd), Chet (Gus Kenworthy), Ray (DeRon Horton) and Brooke (Emma Roberts) decide to get the hell out of dodge and go be counselors at Camp Redwood for the summer. OK, the others are slightly more concerned about the ’84 Summer Olympics descending upon LA, with Brooke specifically deciding to leave because the Night Stalker broke into her house, stole what appears to be a wedding ring, and threatened to kill her before running off when he heard someone coming.

Ramirez was ranting about having the protection of Satan and Brooke was convinced he would find her at Camp Redwood. And though everyone reassured her she was safe, viewers saw the Night Stalker arrive at the camp at the end of the premiere. But why is he there exactly? What’s his obsession with Brooke when there are plenty of people he could still be murdering in LA?

We should also note that the Night Stalker previously showed up on “AHS: Hotel,” the show’s fifth season, but was played be a different actor in that appearance. So we’re wondering how that bit will come back around, if at all, since “AHS” likes to play with its connections.

Why did Mr. Jingles snap in the first place?
Escaped mental patient Benjamin Richter a.k.a. Mr. Jingles (John Carroll Lynch) has returned to Camp Redwood — though only Brooke saw him, and no one believes her — and he appears to be out for revenge against Margaret Booth (Leslie Grossman), the woman who survived his slaughter of Camp Redwood and put him in prison.

While we saw flashbacks to the 1970 massacre, it’s unclear what made Mr. Jingles snap the night he murdered all those kids. Or, you know, if he’s just like that. But this is “AHS,” so we’re sure there’s more backstory here that will unfold as Margaret tries to reopen the camp.

Who left that threatening message for Xavier?
They sounded mad he skipped town and like they might be coming for him and his friends at camp.

Who is going to live and who is going to die?
It’s the standard slasher movie question that has to be asked about an “AHS” season that’s a tribute to slasher movies. Actually, this has to be asked about every season of “American Horror Story,” but we’re particularly worried about the fates of this crop of characters, considering the installment’s theme.

What’s the twist?
One of the big elements that makes “American Horror Story” interesting is that each season tends to contain some kind of major, game-changing twist. Last year in “Apocalypse,” for example, the show killed off most of the main cast a couple episodes in and transitioned into a crossover between “Coven” and “Murder House.” Back in “Roanoke,” they revealed midway through that we had been watching a reenactment of real events — a show within a show — before those real ghosts started going after the cast and crew of that meta-show.

Since it seems like it would be difficult to make a straight homage to ’80s slasher movies last ten episodes, we can’t help but assume that “AHS 1984” will feature some kind of similar change-up, but of course it’s hard to guess right now what it might be. But there has to be something, right?

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

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