'American Horror Story: 1984' Episode 5 has fans gushing about the references to 'Murder House' and 'Hotel' on the show

The most recently aired fifth episode finally nails the coffin on speculation that fans have been making made for a while now - people who die on the grounds of Camp Redwood, can't escape.
PUBLISHED OCT 17, 2019

This article contains spoilers for season 9, episode 5: 'Red Dawn'.

'American Horror Story: 1984's just brought in more than one prominent aspect of its debut season, 'Murder House' and fans have a lot of opinion on that and for all the right reasons. 

The most recently aired fifth episode finally nails the coffin on speculation that fans had been making for a while now - people who die on the grounds of Camp Redwood, can't escape the grounds after they come back from the dead. Their spirits are trapped there forever, and it doesn't matter how hard they try to sneak out, the purgatory grounds of Camp Redwood hold them hostage forever. We had seen that in case of the camper from Margaret's time at the camp - the hitchhiker was repeatedly coming back to lie after being stabbed multiple times by the satanic killer Richard Ramirez. He also couldn't understand how he would be transported back to the camp premises, despite trying to sneak out via hitchhiking on cars passing by.

The same happened with Ray on tonight's episode, as we saw him come across his own decapitated head, thus learning that he is, in fact, very much dead. But when the nurse couldn't find a pulse on his arm and decided to carry him out of the camp premises to the nearest hospital, he ended up zooming back inside the camp's main gate, realizing there was no escape. Well, the hitchhiker guy helped too, sneaking up on him from behind, explaining to him that's how the purgatory system works.

This is something we had last seen in season 1: 'Murder House'. The ominous house would take all its inhabitants hostage by brutally causing their murder and trapping their souls in their forever. But the murder house references don't end there; '1984' episode 5 also showed Ray's ghost having sex with Brooke, just the way Tate Langdon's had with Vivian, back in 'Murder House', thereby impregnating her with a baby that was revealed to be an antichrist later. With Brooke losing her virginity to Ray, it's possible that a similar antichrist baby storyline is woven in this season's future, but for now, it's the 'Murder House' references we can't stop gushing about. 

Taking to Twitter, fans expressed their excitement about the signature 'American Horror Story' tropes from tonight's episode. User @SUPREMEVANITY shared: "The fact that they brought up purgatory and This theme of trapped spirits tonight on #AHS1984 is such a nod and homage to MURDER HOUSE, COVEN and HOTEL! This season has not disappointed once so far!!!" Noting the same, another fan, @LouisAngelino1 pointed out: "OMG WHEN YOU DIE AT CAMP REDWOOD YOU CANT LEAVE CAMP REDWOOD JUST LIKE MURDER HOUSE AND HOTEL"

'American Horror Story: 1984' airs on Wednesdays at 10 pm only on FX.
 

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