The forth episode of American Horror Story: Roanoke is quite a short one, but they sure pack a lot in. It’s fast-paced, overflowing with gore, and you don’t want to miss it.
Marlowe Cricket (LESLIE JORDAN) explains the history of the Butcher (KATHY BATES) and the spirits haunting the house to the Millers, following his meeting with the Witch of the Wood (LADY GAGA). The prolonged flashback scenes to the bloody history keep the shocks coming as the creators find new, horrifying ways to torture, maim and murder people. The only off-putting thing in the flashbacks is the “old-timey” colonist accents from the Butcher and her son Ambrose (WES BENTLEY), which sound half Scottish… and half shit.
Back at the house, we learn about a period of days when the blood magic on the land allows the spirits to interact fully with humans, and in turn kill them… Cricket makes a deal with the witch in order to learn more about the spiritual mystery, but as he prepares to fight these evil spirits, a distraction takes him out of play. Shelby (SARAH PAULSON) and Matt (CUBA GOODING JR) now alone at the house, are confronted by the Butcher and her brigade in what seems like hopeless circumstances.
The episode keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout; there’s plenty of action and frights almost immediately, and the pace stays fast with the cuts in and out of flashbacks through the bloody history. We’re given not just one horrible history, but many murderous incidents, and as the blood moon rises Matt and Shelby meet this damned gang face-to-face. Cricket is a welcome addition, bringing some sass and a lighter tone to the dark show, to balance out the very serious and tense main characters. The cutaways to the real-life Matt and Shelby seem less intrusive in this episode, and I actually found them more likable in these interviews as well. Previous I found Shelby (LILY RABE) a little dead-eyed and a bit false, but her human side came out far more in this episode and she felt much less wooden. Perhaps without Lee (ANGELA BASSETT and ADINA PORTER) in this episode, the focus was able to be solely on the house and its spiritual residents. The story is strong enough to hold the whole episode alone, and the house itself becomes almost another character, a looming presence using the spirits as antibodies to flush the threat out.
Overall this is a great episode, and gives a real insight into the darker characters in the show, such as the Witch of the Woods and the Butcher. We see on numerous occasions just how dangerous these people can be, and comprehend the level of danger the Millers are now in. The last 5 minutes of the episode will leave you with chills but unable to look away. It’s everything you love about American Horror Story, and will leave you counting down the days until the next episode.
Verdict
AMERICAN HORROR STORY AIRS IN THE UK, FRIDAYS AT 10PM ON FOX
