Episode 6 of season 6 of AMERICAN HORROR STORY has shaken everything up, and will make you look at the entire first half of the series in a new light. The fresh dynamic is really exciting, completely different from any other series at the moment and utterly captivating. It would be impossible to review the latest episode without giving away a few spoilers, so read on with caution!
The producer of My Roanoke Nightmare, Sidney James (CHEYENNE JACKSON) is preparing for a sequel to his smash-hit documentary, entitled Return to Roanoke, in which he will bring both the real-life Shelby (LILY RABE), Matt (ANDRE HOLLAND) and Lee (ADINA PORTER) together with the actors who portrayed them in the house where their nightmares began. Sidney tells his camera crew “The camera never stops, no matter what anyone says…”, increasing the tension as people behind-the-scenes suddenly have no escape from the camera lens.
We learn that since the show aired, the lives of all the people involved have dramatically changed, and due to various personal circumstances, all agree to take part in the new show where they live in the farmhouse (rigged with cameras and a few fake scares) for 3 days during the notorious ‘blood moon’ that allows spirits to walk the earth. Sidney’s manipulative ways are leading towards a very destructive path, promising that the second half of the series is going to have some cataclysmic events. As the crew prepares the house for the impending arrival of the guests, a few nasty ‘accidents’ begin occurring, and we learn about a very unbalanced Agnes Mary Winstead (KATHY BATES) who played the Butcher, and seems to have connected a little too well to the cannibal. As you can see from the photo above, there are definitely a few surprises in store here…
The acting in the episode is great all round; actors such as Kathy Bates, CUBA GOODING JNR, SARAH PAULSON and EVAN PETERS are playing actors on-screen who are very different from their original characters, and must jump back and forth between them. Again the flaw would probably lie in the not completely convincing accents (this time from Sarah Paulson), but the behind-the-scenes style allows the actors to show new, more subtle, realistic acting as they are caught off-guard by the drama-hunting Sidney. In fact, moments such as ‘outtakes’ make the style so different to other shows and keep you from knowing what we’re going to see next, plus a few catty remarks between the actors and ‘real-life’ people add a little light relief. The producers’ concerns about how to provoke the cast while avoiding libel gives us an intriguing insight into what happens when putting a show together, and adds a whole new dynamic.
The handheld cameras, dash-cams and camera-phone footage adds to the suspense as we see people alone, in “real-life” and often this medium allows us to see horrifying moments approaching before the person on camera realises what’s going on. I screamed in shock and horror at least 3 times during the episode, and even when you know a disastrous moment is about to happen, you’re still taken aback. Several familiar evil spirits begin to appear, but of course there’s something a little different as these are no longer the re-enactments filmed for the ‘My Roanoke Nightmare’ TV show. The on-screen text forebodes a high death-count in the next few days, but it doesn’t take anywhere near that long for the blood to begin to shed.
American Horror Story has worked some real dark magic with this series, creating something unlike anything else they’ve done before. The documentary style with a focus on hyper-realism and catching the people on camera without their knowledge heightens the tension and impending doom. It’s scary, jumpy, unexpected and the next few episodes already have a strong set-up for a big, bloody climax that is bound to send shivers down your spine. This series is a must-see.
Verdict
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ROANOKE AIRS IN THE UK, FRIDAYS AT 10PM ON FOX
