American Horror Story: 1984's leaked plot timeline leaves scope for throwbacks to previous seasons
While Ryan Murphy is trying his best to keep the upcoming plot route of 'American Horror Story: 1984' the tightest secret ever, trust ardent fans of the show to pick up on the slightest of give-aways that the show's cast and crew are accidentally spilling on social media.
The latest case in point happens to be the ongoing ninth season panning over past and future both as one of the show's makeup artists has revealed that they have had to style the cast based on four separate timelines, including as old as 1940s, and as recent as 2019 itself. But the real question here is what are the possible links the season could have with those specific timelines? Reddit fans think it could be another throwback to an older season of the show, so let's dig up some dirt on the AHS timeline.
Speaking of the 40s, the oldest and closest reference made to the era in the entire series so far happens to be a sum total of three. Back in 1934, season 4 Freak Show's Twisty the Clown had fled the circus he was working in, as he believed the police were looking for him. A failed stint at freelance clowning later, Twisty attempted suicide and ended up losing half of his face instead.
The second reference made to the 40s is through season 1, aka 'Murder House' where the eponymous house is haunted by the spirit of Charles Montgomery, whose spirit had convinced the house's 1947 resident a dentist called Dr. Curan to maim and dismember the body of a woman Curan had raped while she was under anesthesia. Elizabeth had died from sedation chemicals, which Curan realized after he was done with the assault - in a manner similar to the infamous Black Dahlia murder case.
The third instance dates back to 1949, in season 3 'Asylum', where we see Judy Martin get into a drunk and driving accident, with the person she hit on the road - a girl called Missy - presumed to be dead in the crash.
Now, considering AHS is notorious for throwbacks from previous seasons, it's highly likely that there could be some possible connection between those aforementioned three seasons, now that a 1940s setting is confirmed in season 9's future. As of now, three immediately upcoming episodes' synopsis has been revealed, with the next episode being titled 'The Lady in White'. The synopsis spills that "A hidden chapter of Camp Redwood is revealed. The survivors help a stranded hitchhiker." Could it be possible that the labeled Lady in White is the believed to be dead Missy from season 2, 'Asylum'?
Camp Redwood's premise, in true AHS style, is a purgatory ground - people who die there, have their spirits trapped in the campus forever. So if Judy's accident had taken place somewhere in and around the grounds of Redwood, perhaps Missy did die and her spirit becomes the infamous Lady in White? It is also to be noted that Asylum's titular psychiatric facility, Briarcliff Manor, is also one of the properties acquired by real estate tycoon Margaret Booth in the show's fast-forwarded current timeline as shown in the previous episode 7. Is it possible she personally knows Jude - who went on to become the head Sister Judy at Briarcliff in 'Asylum'?
Even if that doesn't work out, there's always the prospect of watching AHS alum Dylan McDermot and Lily Rabe rumored to be returning at some point this season. McDermot played the role of psychiatrist Ben, whose family moves into the titular murder house in season 1. Elizabeth's spirit, that was trapped within the manor because of its purgatorial essence, had come to Ben for a therapy session in the same season. And as fans would know, both McDermot and Rabe played the evil antagonists in 'Asylum' so the odds are all leaning in favor of a possible throwback from season 2!
'American Horror Story: 1984' airs on Wednesdays at 10pm only on FX.