Bruce is a sadistic serial killer who finds his purpose at Camp Redwood. He is a character in 1984 portrayed by Dylan McDermott.
Background[]
At some point during the 80s, Bruce started using his charismatic persona to charm people into a false sense of security and then kill them in sadistic ways.[1]
Personality and Appearance[]
Bruce is a sadistic and charismatic man who seems to lack any empathy or capability for genuine emotion besides rage, thus showing psychopathic traits. Bruce is fascinated by serial killers such as Richard Ramirez and Ted Bundy but wishes to surpass them and to become one of the most prolific serial killers ever. Unlike others who may kill out of revenge, religious and/or political beliefs or personal gain, Bruce kills solely for his own genuine sadistic pleasure. He is easily able to deceive and convince people to help him, only to then turn on them and kill them in incredibly cruel ways.[2]
Story[]
Bruce tried to hitch a ride with Brooke and Donna. When they deny, he sabotages their car and offers to fix it in exchange for a ride. On the road, he creeps them out with a story about murder and they ask him to get out. A cop pulls up and asks them if everything is all right, and in response to this, Bruce murders the cop, coldly shooting him twice.
Brooke and Donna drive off but as they stop at a red light, Bruce drives into the back of their car with the patrol car, incapacitating the two girls. When Brooke woke up, he had chained Donna to the back of the car and told Brooke she could either drive as fast as she can and cause Donna to be skinned and killed by the road or be murdered by Bruce. Brooke however, reversed the car and Donna ducked under it, and Brooke grabbed Bruce's pistol and shot him. The two women then cut off Bruce's thumbs and tied him to the side of the road so that he can never hitchhike again.[1]
Later, Bruce is rescued by a Mary Kay Representative who was passing by. In response to the woman's kindness, Bruce immediately strangled and incapacitated her and locked her in the trunk. On the road to Camp Redwood, he offers a ride to a disoriented hitchhiker. Bruce uses music to cover the woman's screams, but when the hitchhiker becomes suspicious, Bruce stabs the woman and the hitchhiker disappears.
Looking for revenge, Bruce drives to Camp Redwood where he hits Benjamin Richter with his car while he and Richard Ramirez are talking. Bruce, realizing who Ramirez is, wishes to team up and kill people with him. The two eventually team up with Margaret Booth, who decides to murder all the music acts that are coming to the camp in order to make the place an '80s music mecca. Ramirez and Bruce agree as long as Billy Idol remains untouched.[2] Bruce and Rameriez later kill Stacey. Bruce is later seen sitting down with Ramirez while Courtney is killed in front of them. Trevor later uses Midge as bait to kill Bruce and Trevor kills him and kicks him down a hill out of Redwood where he won't become a ghost.
Quotes[]
- Bruce: "Concrete is so unforgiving."
- Bruce: "These old roads are like cheese graters, rip your clothes clean off at 40 miles per hour. At 50, human skin sloughs off like wet paper."
- Bruce: "Bones are ground into nubs as you try to hold your face up, but one little bump... and you're bouncing. That's when pieces of you start falling off."
Notes[]
- He is the third character portrayed by Dylan McDermott. For a complete list, see Cast.
- He is the second serial killer portrayed by McDermott.
- According to Dylan McDermott, Bruce is a psychopath who was born into it. He likened Bruce's manipulative charm to Ted Bundy's.[3]
- When asked to imagine Bruce's backstory, Dylan McDermott said to TV Guide that he thinks that Bruce is "someone that's a child of abuse and neglect who got into a lot of trouble as a kid" and that "he has an inability to feel, besides anything but rage".[3]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Episode: The Lady in White
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Episode: Rest in Pieces
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gennis, Sadie (Nov 6, 2019). American Horror Story: 1984's Dylan McDermott Teases 'There Are No Good Endings With Bruce'. TV Guide.
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