Deadly alliances are formed as the remaining players in the fight for Camp Redwood get ready for the final bloodbath.

“Every horror movie has a final girl.”

“A final girl?”

“The one who survives it all and lives to tell the tale.”

There has been a lot of discussion and build-up over who’s destined to be the infamous “final girl” for this season of American Horror Story. As important as it is to figure out who will be the sole survivor and the voice to carry on from this slaughter, this season’s penultimate installment is even more interested in something else. If it’s necessary to understand who lives through all of this pain, then it’s just as crucial to figure out who’s responsible for causing it. As “Rest in Pieces” begins to close the door on American Horror Story: 1984, it presents a formidable trio of murderers who are determined to incur as high of a body count as possible.

Much of “Rest in Pieces” is filtered through the final leg of Brooke and Donna’s trek to Camp Redwood. These two continue to evoke this easy vibe that’s not unlike Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode, as one tries to casually impart tidbits on the nature of serial killers, but also the slasher genre as a whole. I’m almost surprised that Donna’s conversation with Brooke about final girls wasn’t somehow dialogue that kicked off the premiere due to how perfectly it distills what this season is all about. The two of them remain en route to Camp Redwood, but they must be doused in serial killer pheromones or something because they can’t help but attract another unwanted presence in their travels.

Brooke and Donna encounter Stacy (Stefanie Black), a murder-obsessed tabloid reporter who’s aware of their real identities and is determined to get to the truth of this story. It’s enjoyable to see American Horror Story indulge in another trope and Stacy makes for a nice addition to Brooke and Donna’s dynamic. All of this material plays so well it makes me wish that there were more episodes of Brooke and Donna on the road with a different hitchhiker each time. Once again, this season shows restraint and allows Brooke, Donna, and Stacy to all reach Camp Redwood, rather than save it for the finale.

Stacy is another character who forces Brooke to examine herself in more ways than she’s perhaps comfortable with. Brooke remains the show’s guiding force of optimism, but the stresses that Stacy triggers within her make Brooke ready to turn to murder herself. Donna is able to keep Brooke on track and focus on the larger goal of Margaret, but it’s still startling to see how the effects of this trauma has worn her down and changed her. At the same time, it’s that very bloodlust that may be necessary to overcome the evils that lurk at Camp Redwood.

On the topic of this, Brooke and Donna may have thought that all it’d take to get hitchhiker Bruce out of the picture is to sever his thumbs and leave him for dead, but we all knew that it wouldn’t be that easy. For one, you don’t just throw Dylan McDermott away after one episode, but also, he showed that he was familiar with Donna—at least in some respect—back in “The Lady in White.” Bruce’s connection to Donna still isn’t made clear, so hopefully it will come to light in next week’s finale. It’d be pretty unsatisfying if there wasn’t any payoff there, but then again, this is American Horror Story.

Bruce proves to be even more unhinged than in his first appearance and he even takes on a bit of a Patrick Bateman quality over his affinity to listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival uninterrupted. It’s explosive, frightening stuff. Once Bruce arrives at Camp Redwood he’s given a choice to align with either Richter or Ramirez and it’s not at all surprising to see him side with Satan. Not enough can be said about how wonderful McDermott’s performance is here. His stooge-ish sidekick status alongside Ramirez really works as he just tries to concentrate on being the best killer that he can be.

Bruce also quickly learns of the supernatural happenings that are ripe in this area. It’s unclear if he intends to incorporate this into his strategy if need be, but it definitely looks as if life as a ghost could be a viable back-up plan for Bruce. Bruce is also given the honor of executing Stacy, which is considerate since he has a pitiful body count in comparison to Margaret and Ramirez. This act seems to solidify their murder trio and Margaret divulges the rest of her plan to take out every musical act at the festival (minus Billy Idol because, “Go Satan!”) as a means to commercialize manslaughter.

The ghost of campers past are all also set on preventing as much carnage as possible from happening. They’re fighting the good fight here, but until that final showdown takes place they’re a little more concerned with more personal matters of the heart. In spite of all the bloodshed and paranormal plotting, Montana is still able to get herself involved in a deadly supernatural love triangle. All of this discussion on the ins and outs of ghost orgasms makes for an appreciated lighter alternative to the dread that Richter’s caught up in. To be clear, Trevor is the second person who is willing to throw their life away in favor of some ghosts. Thankfully, Montana is able to come clean with Trevor before he actually takes his own life. He may be heartbroken, but at least he’ll be able to live a life where he can leave the campgrounds. Some post-mortem torturing of Richter also acts as a great bonding experience for everyone involved. And who says that love is dead?

Even though Richter unequivocally fails his mission to eliminate Ramirez, he does reach a strange kind of solitude in his demise. Granted, the only reason he killed himself is so he’d be strong enough to take on Ramirez, but this watery afterlife that he obtains with his deceased brother and mom is an oddly peaceful epilogue. Richter’s past demons get to gain some closure. Besides, if Friday the 13^th films have any bearing on reality then it will only be a matter of time until Richter and his family are out of that lake or in the waterways of Manhattan. Although I don’t know how I feel about them stealing the exact jump scare from the original film without adding anything new to it.

With it now clear that Richter won’t be the one to take out Ramirez and cleanse Camp Redwood of its evil, that leaves the task to Brooke and Donna. It seems more than likely that Brooke will be the one to earn the status of “final girl” (and frankly, she’s the most deserving), but I wouldn’t be surprised if American Horror Story had a few more twists in store to make sure that their finale still comes as a shock.

“Rest in Pieces” is a satisfying follow-up to what’s introduced in “The Lady in White.” Not only are the culminations of these character arcs still entertaining and satisfying, but the fresh blood that’s been brought in has actually helped instead of steal focus. The shorter length of this season continues to keep the episodes focused and each entry still manages to fit in a handful of inventive murders. The music has been on point all season, but this episode’s needle drops and score work are the best of the year.

“Rest in Pieces” concludes with everyone now in position for what should be a very exciting season finale that still has enough mystery baked into it. It feels like the good guys will come out on top here, but if American Horror Story: 1984 continues to pull from classic slashers, then there could be a very dark ending in store. Then again, it looks like we could also get a giant ghost concert, so either way we’re in for something grand.