No slasher movie or TV show is complete without a mysterious killer and FOX’s Scream Queens is no exception. While maybe not yet in the pantheon of horror villains, The Red Devil Killer made quite an impression in his (or her) first appearance. The two hour Scream Queens premiere led many fans (and the characters themselves) to put forward their own theories of the killer’s identity. I will enter the theoretical fray with my best educated guess that Abigail Breslin’s Chanel #5 is the woman behind the red devil mask.
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1. Chanel #5 is the Most Ryan Murphy Choice
A semi-long history of watching American Horror Story has taught me one thing. Show-runner Ryan Murphy likes his twists to be completely out of left field. The more unexpected and less built up the better. There is always an explanation eventually and usually it fits, but very rarely is, the big secret seeded beforehand. Since Scream Queens is basically a more comedic American Horror Story run by Murphy, the same rules should apply. Almost all the most obvious suspects for the Red Devil Killer should be ruled out. If any character was accused of being the killer or exhibiting extremely shady behavior that pointed to them being the killer, they’re not the killer. Thereby ruling horrible but not murderous people like Chanel #1, Dean Munsch and Pete.
Chanel #5 gives the outward impression of being devoted to Chanel #1. She takes the “sanctity” of Kappa Kappa Tau House very seriously and she is shocked by all the murders happening. Besides the boring protagonist Grace, Chanel #5 is the least likely Red Devil Killer. This is precisely why she is the perfect Red Devil Killer.
2. Chanel #5 Fits a Lot of the Possible Categories
While I think it’s probably likely that the mysterious baby that was born to Sophia in 1995 and the Red Devil Killer are two different people. The characters of Scream Queens, particularly Grace, are working off the assumption that they are one in the same. Chanel #5 is presumably the youngest of the Chanel’s and the newest to Kappa House. This would make her somewhere around 19-20 — precisely the age the baby is supposed to be in present day. She also shares a physical resemblance to the not-so-dearly departed Sophia.
Whether the Red Devil Killer is killing people to seek vengeance for their mother’s death or not, they have a clear target in mind with Kappa House. They could simply be a murderous sociopath that is targeting the people closest to them. Being a member of the house, Chanel #5 would have intimate knowledge of the house and its members. She would have the knowledge to know how to spook Chanel #1 upstairs in “Hell Week” and sneak out to kill security guard Shondell before anyone noticed her absence.
The other factor to consider is that the Red Devil Killer has only killed members wanting to leave Kappa House, new people wanting to join or uninvited interlopers. In other words, the killer has only murdered those who upset the status quo at Kappa House. Maybe Chantel #5’s fanatical loyalty to Chanel and the house isn’t an act. Maybe she believes the only way to protect Kappa House from change is to kill anyone and everything that would institute said change.
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3. The Boone Connection
The scene more than any other that led me to believe that Chantel #5 was the killer happened in the coffee shop during “Hell Week”. When Boone expresses a desire to join Kappa House, Chantel reacts with unholy fury. It’s too much anger and vehemence. I’m obviously not expecting moderation in Scream Queens. The show is nothing if not a live action cartoon. If we should take Ryan Murphy’s Law into account, the most unexpected and convoluted explanation is the right one. Chantel’s fury could be an effort to disguise a partnership with Boone. She’s really not outraged by the idea of a gay man joining her sorority.
Boone was also thought to be killed by the Red Devil Killer but only for that to turn out to a ruse. A ruse devised by Boone and one other person. Ryan Murphy’s Law would tell us that person it’s not the real Red Devil Killer because that’s too simple. However, lets just assume this reveal was something straightforward. No one expect Boone to be working with the Red Devil Killer and for that killer to be Chantel #5 after her very public outburst against him. Thus making many of their actions in “Hell Week” a preordained plan between them. Maybe it’s actually Boone who is the baby that was born to Sophia in the bathtub.
4. It’s Very Unlikely Abigail Breslin Is Playing a Minion
Abigail Breslin might not a household name. Yet, she started her career in movies and continues to get steady work in that medium. Even if the tide is changing in terms of quality between TV and film, TV is still looking at as the smaller and less successful cousin. It seems odd that a rising star like Abigail Breslin would take a role on a TV show to play such a secondary character. It’s true that the more famous Arianna Grande did the same but she’s a) not primarily an actress anymore b) was killed off in the first episode with the implied shock of killing off a big star. Chanel #5 seems like she will alive for quite awhile.
Maybe there really is no twist coming for Chanel #5. Maybe she’ll be just as one-dimensional and lacking in real personality in episode fifteen as she was in episode one. I can’t forsee a rising actress like Abigail Breslin taking such a nothing role. The much more likely scenario is that Abigail Breslin signed onto to Scream Queens for a role that would challenge her. A character with a hidden agenda or hidden depths and layers. A character who is secretly a serial killer would certainly fit that bill.
But what do you think? Is Chanel #5 the Red Devil Killer? Is someone else your top suspect? Do you even think they are multiple people running around in that mask? Is the Red Devil Killer Sophia’s baby from 1995?
Scream Queens airs Tuesday at 9pm on FOX.
(Images courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
