Warning: SPOILERS ahead for AHS: 1984 “Episode 100.”
The latest episode of American Horror Story: 1984 featured a surprise connection to the show’s second season, Asylum. There was much celebration surrounding the installment since it marked the 100th episode of the horror anthology. Created by Ryan Murphy, AHS is already renewed for a tenth season set to release in 2020.
Murphy has become a master in creating an interweaving web of connections to all of the AHS seasons. Each year, the series presents an entirely new theme, setting, and set of characters. Many of the actors return season after season in new roles but at times, familiar faces make appearances. There has also been an abundance of crossover storylines. American Horror Story season 8, Apocalypse, honored those connections by presenting a major crossover between Murder House and Coven.
Longtime viewers of AHS understand the importance of paying attention in order not to miss any details or callbacks to previous seasons. There’s been a serious lack of links to other installments in 1984 but one connection was made to the setting of season 2’s Asylum. “Episode 100” traveled to 1989 and revealed that a two-time massacre survivor, Margaret Booth, turned into a real estate mogul of the macabre. She built her empire by purchasing sites of horrific crimes and turning them into immersive tourist attractions. Aside from John Wayne Gacy’s ranch house, the Lizzie Borden house, Charles Manson’s Spahn Ranch, Margaret owned Briarcliff Manor, the Massachusettes insane asylum that served as the primary location of AHS season 2.
American Horror Story: Asylum took place in the 1960s and focused on a journalist, Lana Winters, who found herself as a patient in the institution along with an innocent man who had been incarcerated for killing his wife. The building was said to be a Tuberculosis ward before the Catholic church purchased the property and turned it into a sanatorium for the criminally insane. Years after her release, Lana fought to expose the dark secrets within Briarcliff’s walls and the institution was shut down in the 1970s. It remained abandoned until Margaret set her sights on the property. An image of Briarcliff Manor was shown in “Episode 100” during Margaret’s Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous TV segment. She apparently didn’t do much development to the building since it remained decrepit in the present-day storyline presented in season 2.
Only three episodes of American Horror Story: 1984 remain but there’s plenty of time to draw more connections to previous seasons. Even if Murphy doesn’t have any tricks up his sleeves, a few AHS alums will soon be making their return to the series. Leslie Jordan already appeared as Margaret’s assistant, Courtney. The actor previously played Quentin in Coven and Ashley/Cricket in Roanoke. The next episode will feature the return of Murder House star, Dylan McDermott. Actress Lily Rabe is also rumored to appear before season’s end so keep those eyes peeled.
Next: American Horror Story: 1984 Killer Mr. Jingles’ Backstory Explained
