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| “ | You were right. I am a monster. | „ |
| ~ Mr. Jingles |
Benjamin Ritcher, also better known as Mr. Jingles, is the deuteragonist of American Horror Story: 1984, serving as the main antagonist in the first half.
Jingles is a serial killer who was rumored to be responsible for a spree killing of nine teenagers in Camp Redwood in 1970. However, turned out he was framed by Margaret Booth, who was the true killer. He was later committed to an insane asylum but managed to escape 14 years later and started a new spree killing back to the old place of Camp Redwood, for killing Margaret to seek vengeance.
He is portrayed by John Caroll Lynch, who previously portrayed Twisty the Clown in American Horror Story: Freak Show, John Wayne Gacy in American Horror Story: Hotel, Sheriff Bob Ryan in Gothika, and Arthur Leigh Allen in Zodiac.
Overview
Past
Benjamin Ritcher was once a veteran from Vietnam War who suffered from being dishonorably discharged. After returning from Vietnam, he took his new identity as a serial killer. In 1970, Margaret Booth killed nine teenagers in Camp Redwood, following bullying at the hands of the other campers. Richter, blamed for the killings, became captive in Red Meadows Asylum, and was subsequently subjected to terrible treatments during his time in the asylum. He was nicknamed as "Mr. Jingles" due to the jingling keychain on his belt. His murder was still told as a haunting horror story.
1984
Fourteen years later, Jingle was visited by Donna Chambers, a PhD psychology student with a keen interest in the recent rise of violence and serial killers. She wanted to study him in his natural habitat and help him escape. By faking his suicide, Jingles was able to take down an orderly by surprise. Then, Jingles took his keys and walked out of his room, while also allowing all of the patients at the mental ward to leave their rooms. This provided him with an ideal distraction as he made his escape.
1989
Five years later, a reformed Richter lives in Alaska under the name Donald along with his wife Lorraine and son Bobby where he works as the assistant manager at a movie rental store. He returns back home the same night of Richard Ramirez's escape to find Lorraine dead due to Richter defying Satan and as revenge for his incarceration. Richter leaves his son with his sister-in-law and with a newfound hatred, sets off to kill Ramirez.
Gallery
Trivia
- Etymology: The alias Mr. Jingles is named after a mouse in the The Green Mile, a 1996 serial novel by American writer Stephen King. It's the pet mouse of one of the inmates at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. His first name Benjamin is named after Benjamin Willis/Fisherman from I Know What You Did Last Summer.
- The characterization of Mr. Jingles pays homages to several classic fictional serial killers in 1980s slasher films, like Michael Myres from Halloween franchise, the aforementioned Fisherman, and more particularly Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th franchise due to being a serial killer who targets teenage campers who have sex near a lake.
- The connection with Jason is further seen with his mother, Lavinia Richter, who like Pamela Voorhees, was a camp cook who was driven insane after her son dies at the camp due to negligence from the counselors.
- Mr. Jingles is the fourth main serial killer in American Horror Story series after the Bloody Face from Asylum , Dandy Mott from Freak Show, and the Ten Commandments Killer in Hotel. However, his name is revealed ever since the first episode, making people to speculate whether he is the real killer or just a pawn of someone more evil and insidious.
- Mr. Jingles is also the second main serial killer of the series who has his name revealed in the first episode, after Dandy.
