Evan Peters is back! The one all long-time fans of American Horror Story have been waiting half a series for, and as ever he plays a completely different character from anything before. All I can hope is now we’ve finally been introduced in this series, he’ll keep appearing with more prominence in the remainder of season 6.
Episode 4 opens with the house first being built, and its owner Edward Phillipe Mott’s (EVAN PETERS) life there. We learn about the first unusual events that took place with his staff, before the Butcher (KATHY BATES) appears in her spiritual form to claim her first blood sacrifice.
Shelby (SARAH PAULSON), Matt (CUBA GOODING JR) and Flora (SANIYYA SIDNEY) face an onslaight of threats as the house’s previous inhabitants take advantage of the special moon and appear within the house to terrorise the family. The Butcher waits for her minions to drive them out the building to her in order to exact her bloody vengeance, but she is unaware that a friend is inside and prepared to help them avoid her clutches… for now at least.
The trios luck has only turned momentarily though, as the local hillbillies find the family, and based on the fate of another familiar face at their hands, things do not bode well.
This episode is fantastic. Fantastically violent, gory, shocking… pretty much all the things you look for in American Horror Story. I audibly gasped numerous times throughout, jumping in my seat and unable to tear my eyes away. Whilst horrifying, you are completely hooked and every scene has some form of shocking incident. This episode focused less on the supernatural and psychological scares and more heavily of gruesome, shocking violence. The mix of both types of horror between episodes is effective and keeps you in the dark as to the direction they’ll take you.
The documentary style is utilised yet again in new ways, with testimonies from new people, and a touch more real-crime elements with a ‘real-life’ recording from a 911 call Matt placed. The show has a completely different feel to the other 5 series, and for the most part, I like it.
The way the episode ends, and based on the fact we’re only halfway through, I’m expecting a big twist to come next week. American Horror Story likes to build up 1 character as the primary villain, only to find out there’s someone worse or a different route for the story. I’m hedging my bets that Lady Gaga’s Witch of the Woods is going to be making a far more substantial appearance in the second half of the series, and an injury Flora received at the hands of a ghostly apparition is likely to come back into play.
Anyone not yet watching this series, should start immediately. By the time you get to this episode, you’ll seriously thank me. I’m really excited to see what the rest of the American Horror Story: Roanoke has in store, and fingers crossed Evan Peters will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
Verdict
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ROANOKE AIRS IN THE UK, FRIDAYS AT 10PM ON FOX
