‘American Horror Story’ Season 5 Clues: Neil Patrick Harris' Character Connected To New Theories

Did we just get another Season 5 clue? With every passing episode of “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” fans of the hit FX miniseries inch one step closer toward finding out what co-creator Ryan Murphy has up his sleeve for the next season. And this time, fans spotted a rather interesting detail from episode 11.

A spoiler-ridden Instagram account, which posts “AHS” teasers weekly, revealed that Neil Patrick Harris’ character Chester Creb was seen with a very important Season 5 clue in “Magical Thinking”: a “Common Sense” traveler’s expense book, a ledger to record all his expenses.

When Chester was introduced in “Freak Show,” he described himself as a chameleon-selling salesman who dreamed of one day performing magic tricks professionally. But Elsa (Jessica Lange) had no use for Chester’s act in her show. He understood but begged her to reconsider, insisting that he could also perform a ventriloquist act or sell his lizards during the show.

Elsa scoffed at the idea until Chester broke out his expense book, proving that not only could he sell a scaly creature but that he was also financially savvy. That is what drove Elsa to sell the show to Chester (which we believe she later regretted after learning how mentally unstable Chester was).

So, what’s so special about an expense book? And what could it possibly have to do with Season 5? Well, here are three theories we’ve cooked up based on Chester’s financial log:

1. 1952

The year written on the date portion of the book reveals that it was 1952 when Chester was a traveling salesman -- that’s one year before Operation Top Hat took place. It was speculated, due to a previous top hat clue, that perhaps Season 5 might have something to do with the “local field exercise” that was conducted by the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in Alabama in 1953 in which humans were used as unwitting test subjects in chemical warfare. Could this clue have just verified this plot line?

2. Detroit, Michigan

The Beach Publishing Co. that provided “Common Sense” traveler expense books was formerly located in Detroit. Now what exactly does this piece of information mean for Season 5? We have no idea. But what we do know is that the minor tidbit can correlate with Season, "Coven."

Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) was a witch from one of the only African-American lines of Salem witches, who resided in Detroit before enrolling in Miss Robichaux’s Academy for girls in New Orleans. We would have written off this connection had not Murphy revealed that all the “AHS” seasons are linked somehow.

3. Transaction

After Chester’s breakdown at the camp over a missing Marjorie, we have a feeling that Elsa may be reconsidering the magician’s role in the “Freak Show," which is where the expense book comes in to play. But what can she do? She wants to leave her little monsters in the hands of someone capable but also has the desire to make it in Hollywood.

And because episode 10 revealed Pepper’s (Namoi Grossman) heartbreaking future, fans know that Elsa does find a way to make it big and on the cover of Time magazine, which means she does sell the freak show. But to whom? Whoever it is, it’s safe to say they might have something to do with Season 5. We’ve theorized that Chester will be pulling out his expense book once again to re-sell the show to someone more fitting for the job – like, say, the freaks themselves.

Sound off in the comments section below how you think Chester’s “Common Sense” traveler’s expense book ties in to Season 5.