Warning: Major spoilers follow for American Horror Story season 13, episode six, “The Return of Devil’s Night.”
American Horror Story has sent its season 13 crossover into a full-scale battle between serial killers and the witches of Coven — and Seth Gabel says the confrontation is only getting started.
The sixth episode closed with Cordelia Goode, played by Sarah Paulson, taking an axe to the skull after Evan Peters’ James Patrick March threw the weapon. As Cordelia went down, March’s assembled killers began invading the coven, where returning witches played by Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe and Billie Lourd were also under threat.
Whether Cordelia is truly dead remains uncertain. Gabel, who returned as Jeffrey Dahmer, would only allow that she “could be dead,” while pointing to the witches’ varied powers as a reason not to draw conclusions just yet.
In his view, Cordelia’s apparent vulnerability followed several episodes in which she sensed that something was wrong. Gabel said the disorientation left her “off her A-game,” leading her to turn and run before March seized the opportunity.
“Devil’s Night” Returns With a New Target
The episode revisited a memorable concept from season five, Hotel. In the 2015 installment “Devil’s Night,” March hosted a dinner attended by portrayals of real-life serial killers Aileen Wuornos, played by Lily Rabe; John Wayne Gacy, played by John Carroll Lynch; Richard Ramirez, played by Anthony Ruivivar; the masked Zodiac Killer; and Dahmer, played by Gabel.
Season 13’s return gathering did not reunite everyone from that table. Gabel said scheduling prevented the full group from coming back. The new episode did, however, bring Dahmer, Ramirez and the Zodiac Killer into March’s latest campaign.
This time, the witches are standing between March’s group and its larger objective. Gabel described the conflict as a war over control of Earth, with hell rising into the characters’ reality. March, he explained, has manipulated the killers into joining him so they can take control, making the coven an obstacle that must be removed.
The clash continues in episode seven, which Gabel called “explosive.” He also described it as messy and “extremely elemental,” with spells colliding against guns, knives, drills and other weapons. His return is confirmed to continue in that episode, but he declined to say whether Dahmer will appear beyond it.
Seth Gabel and Evan Peters’ Two-Dahmer Reunion
Gabel’s comeback added another layer to the crossover because Peters later portrayed Dahmer in The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the inaugural season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monster franchise. Dahmer killed 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.
Gabel admitted he initially wondered how Peters would react to sharing scenes with another actor returning to a role Peters had also played. Those concerns disappeared during rehearsal, when Peters remained focused on March and encouraged Gabel to reclaim his own interpretation.
“Jeffrey was mine again and I could do whatever I wanted with it,” Gabel said. The actors did not trade advice about portraying Dahmer.
Gabel sees a clear divide between their performances. He considers himself suited to the satirical version created for Hotel, while Peters took on a younger, realistic portrayal in Monster. Gabel praised Peters’ work as “brilliant.”
For the original Hotel appearance, Gabel conducted extensive research as he tried to understand Dahmer’s psychology. The challenge was finding a way to approach a real and deeply dark figure within a heightened, satirical episode.
Murphy ultimately gave him a two-word direction: “Poor Jeffrey.” Gabel said that note unlocked the performance by framing the character as self-indulgent and unaware — someone who viewed himself as the victim despite committing reprehensible acts.
When invited back, Gabel chose not to repeat his earlier research. He instead trusted the costume and character work to bring the performance back, beginning with the Midwestern dialect he considers central to the role. Once he found that voice again, he said, returning felt like riding a bike.
What Happens Next?
Gabel does not know how season 13 ends. He received only portions of scripts and pieced together the story from the material provided, although he said he knows most of how the killers-versus-coven confrontation concludes.
Beyond AHS, Gabel confirmed he will return for season nine of ABC’s The Rookie, which comes back in January. He plays serial killer Liam Glasser and expects to appear in at least a few episodes, though he has not yet revealed story details. Gabel said his experience finding dark comedy in Dahmer helped him approach Glasser while keeping the material light.
He is also hoping to return for season two of The Watcher, but his involvement has not been confirmed.
New episodes of AHS: 13 premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FX and at 9 p.m. PT on Hulu. The season finale is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29.