American Horror Story: 1984: Does “Mr. Jingles” Connect the Season to Murder House and Hotel?

This week on American Horror Story: 1984 delivered the season’s first major twist: the hiker that Xavier and company hit with the van on their way into Camp Redwood and who Brooke saw killed during the season premiere isn’t an ordinary hiker. He is a ghost of some sort, one who has been wandering the woods near where he met his end in 1970, the year of the first Camp Redwood Massacre. Each time he dies, he comes back again something that Richard Ramirez notes when he “kills” the hiker not once, but twice. While anything is possible as to what the real nature and purpose of the hiker is in 1984, some fans have already started suspecting that that this week’s reveal may be a clue to a larger, more sinister to truth to Camp Redwood: that the summer camp is actually similar to the Murder House and the Hotel Cortez as a hell mouth.

In both Murder House (season one) and Hotel (season five) people who were killed within the confines of the house’s property and the hotel remained trapped as spirits there. If this is the case with Camp Redwood, it would explain the situation with the hiker. He died on camp grounds — even if not in one of the cabins itself — so he can’t actually leave. It also would introduce the idea that Margaret isn’t exactly how she presents herself, either. In the season premiere, Margaret presents herself as the camp’s owner and sole survivor of the 1970 massacre. However, if Camp Redwood is a hell mouth, Margaret may not have actually survived and is trapped at the camp eternally and has used the “reopening” as a ruse to draw in new victims as well as the man responsible for her death, Mr. Jingles.

If Camp Redwood is a hell mouth, it is also one that could be a little bit different from Murder House and Hotel Cortez. One of the things that the hiker notes when Richard murders him the first time this week is that that’s not where he was supposed to die. The comment seemed a little odd at the time, but it could be a hint that as a hell mouth, Camp Redwood is also stuck on a time loop, making the location a purgatory of sorts that forces its victims to live a situation over and over until they are possibly able to move on. If that’s the case, we may be seeing some of the other victims popping up such as Dr. Hopple and Blake who both met grisly ends this week. It also could have some interesting applications for the main cast once they start dying as well.

Camp Redwood being a hell mouth also could provide an opening for series-favorite Sarah Paulson’s “pop up” return. Ahead of the 1984 season premiere Paulson, who was not initially expected to appear at all in the season, said in an interview that she might still make a brief appearance in the season. Camp Redwood being a hell mouth may prompt an appearance from Billie Dean Howard, a character that Paulson played in both Murder House and Hotel. While one could argue that Billie Dean would be too young in 1984 to show up, if Camp Redwood is a time loop for those trapped there then the season may not actually be taking place in 1984, something that Billie Dean’s appearance would tip the trapped off to.

Is the theory a stretch? Absolutely. But it also wouldn’t be the biggest twist American Horror Story has ever pulled so it will be interesting to see if — and how — this works out.

What do you think? Is Camp Redwood a hell mouth and will we be seeing Paulson’s Billie Dean pop up or is something else sinister going on out in the woods? Let us know your favorite American Horror Story: 1984 theory in the comments below.