Fans of the hit FX show know all too well how intense a season of "American Horror Story " can get. As the show began its top-secret sixth season, fans quickly realized that this season was going to be one of the show’s best. As per usual, every season of "AHS" has a different theme that the season is centered around but this sixth installment was different: the theme wasn’t revealed until the show began in the fall. All the fans had to hold them over until the premiere were several teasers about the theme. But on premiere night, all secrets were revealed as "American Horror Story: My Roanoke Nightmare " began.
For those unfamiliar with "AHS," it is a horror anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. In its five-season run, the cast members have faced off against ghosts, mentally insane patients, witches, freaks and vampires. And now with "My Roanoke Nightmare ," they’re facing off against ghosts of descendants of the long lost Roanoke colony. The season began as a real-life ghost show like "Paranormal Witness " where the afflicted people tell their terrifying stories and actors recreate the scenes of their ordeal. This went on for the first five episodes until the MAJOR plot twist came in episode six. The following contains major spoilers and should be read at your own risk.
Episode six, titled "Chapter 6," began with executive producer of "My Roanoke Nightmare ," Sidney James (played by Cheyenne Jackson), talking to his network executives about the success of the show. Everything changed when he said he planned to follow up the show with its sequel, My Roanoke Nightmare: Three Days in Hell . This new installment would have the entire cast stay in the original house of horrors for three days. Doesn’t sound so bad until we find out that all the “ghosts,” (like Kathy Bates’ The Butcher and her mob), were part of the reenactment team of actors. This means that we haven’t seen any of the actual ghosts that have been attacking couple Matt and Shelby for the first half of the season.
Once both the real people and the actors that portray them returned to the house, things started to go downhill fast. What started off as the follow-up to the popular show turned into a true nightmare as we are told that everything we will be seeing until the finale is essentially found footage taken by the cast. And the nightmare doesn’t end there; one or more of the people in the house will die every episode until there is only one left. Chapter 6 saw the loss of reenactment actor Rory Monahan, played by fan favorite Evan Peters, but as seen in Chapter 7, this season is only going to get even crazier. The episode suffered the loss of the show’s executive producer Sidney James (Cheyenne Jackson), plus two production members. Reenactment actress Agnes Mary Winstead’s “The Butcher” got the axe too — literally.
Both themes of this season have been breathing the life back into the series after total letdown Season 4, "Freakshow," lackluster Season 5, "Hotel," and the departure of fan favorite Jessica Lange left fans disappointed in the show. But this new format of a mockumentary and now found footage seem to have fans hooked. Chapter 6 is currently the highest rated "AHS" episode on IMDb ever, with a score of 9.1/10. Episodes three, four and five are in the top 10 highest rated as well, with Chapter 5 as the second highest rated episode (IMDb).
With only three episodes left, there’s no telling what kinds of madness could happen between now and the final episode, but as AHS fans know all too well, it will definitely be intense. Catch " American Horror Story" Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.
