WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for American Horror Story season 11, episode 8!Theo returns to American Horror Story: NYC in an extremely ill state, with his fate seemingly indicating that he died at the end of episode 8. After leaving Sam and beginning a romance with Adam, American Horror Story’s season 11 character Theo joins his new boyfriend on a weekend trip to Fire Island. However, it’s implied that Theo is suffering from the same virus affecting Hannah and Adam, with his illness seemingly causing his death in American Horror Story: NYC.
In the final scene of American Horror Story season 11, episode 8, "Fire Island," Theo is seen chained up to a tree at the “Meat Rack” on Fire Island, having been drugged and kidnapped by Sam. However, Big Daddy suddenly appears and scares off American Horror Story season 11’s mobster Henry, who was manipulated by Sam to unintentionally assault Theo. While Theo isn't touched by AHS: NYC's Big Daddy, his presence leads the sick and drugged Theo to see an ethereal group of men he once photographed appear out of nowhere from the beach. After the antlered men tell Theo that he’ll “be remembered,” they carry him away into a bright white light, suggesting Theo is now dead.
Does Theo Die From AIDS In American Horror Story: NYC?
Although “AIDS” hasn’t been said yet on American Horror Story: NYC, the Ryan Murphy TV show implies that this is the mysterious virus affecting season 11’s gay characters. Theo was exhibiting the same symptoms as Billie Lourd’s AHS: NYC character Hannah, which suggests they’re both suffering from a similar AIDS-related illness. Although Theo’s death was ambiguous enough that Sam drugging and murdering him is a possibility, it seems more logical within American Horror Story: NYC’s story that AIDS killed Theo.
Why Does Theo See Big Daddy Before His Death In AHS: NYC?
Theo’s death in American Horror Story season 11, episode 8 gives the biggest clue about the truth behind Big Daddy’s mysterious presence. Rather than Adam's belief that he's a malevolent serial killer terrorizing the gay community, Big Daddy may actually be a spiritual entity that appears when a character is dying from AHS: NYC’s virus, which seems to be AIDS. Big Daddy appears to symbolize AIDS killing American Horror Story season 11’s characters, so while he’s not a serial murderer in the same vein as Whitely/the Mai Tai Killer, he does represent the virus as a significant threat to the gay community.
This would also explain why Sam told Theo that Big Daddy was dead, as he could be one of the spirits of the gay men Theo photographed that also presumably died from AIDS-related illnesses. So far, Big Daddy has been seen stalking gay characters like Adam, Hannah, Gino, Patrick, and Theo, all of whom are implied to have American Horror Story season 11’s mysterious virus. Since Big Daddy appeared to murder Patrick’s wife Barbara, her death seems to indicate that Patrick gave her the virus and this was the cause of her fate. Big Daddy also notably stalked Gino on Fire Island in American Horror Story: NYC episode 8, suggesting he could be the virus’s next victim.