If fans hoped the finale of “American Horror Story: Roanoke” would even out an unbalanced season, they were sorely mistaken. Starting out with a familiar premise of a young couple and a house with a sinister history, the show’s sixth installment nostalgically took fans back to the first season, “AHS: Murder House.” The inter-season connections were not overt but were enough to remind fans why the show was so attractive and interesting at first. As “Roanoke” progressed however, the overarching narrative slipped away, and the episodes fell into a disorderly bloodbath.
The season opened with a different approach than previous seasons, presenting a mockumentary-style storyline with characters retelling their experiences to the camera, while other cast members played them in reenacted scenes. This style allowed viewers to feel safe, knowing despite what might transpire in the horrific reenactments, the main characters would all make it out alive. The typical levels of blood and gore lessened considerably in these early episodes, although the show continued to explore deeply sinister storylines.
For fans bored with this set-up however, producer Ryan Murphy warned viewers about a mid-season twist. This surprising narrative switch woke viewers up and gave the cast a chance to do what they do best: exhibit their varied acting skills in an all-new, reimagined setting. The mockumentary ended and the fictional producers aimed to create a more exciting end to the season. The ‘real’ people from the mockumentary were left alone in the haunted house with cameras installed to capture all the drama. The producers hoped to create an even more dramatic reality TV scenario to top off their famous mockumentary season, but as might be expected, this went terribly awry.
After a mid-season PSA warning viewers about the deaths of all but one of the mockumentary cast members, the episodes devolved into absolute chaos. Lacking any sort of concrete narrative, murders occurred one after another, with cast members killing themselves and each other. The generally clever writing and storyline of “American Horror Story,” though upheld in the first half of the season, declines drastically. The second half is painful to watch, and the continued inclusion of a rural cannibalistic family in the nearby woods adds a level of grotesque drama the season could do without.
Rather than wrap up a messy season, the finale of “Roanoke” leaves viewers wondering what they just watched, jumping back and forth from past to present in multiple storylines. It remains to be seen whether the promising first half of the season was enough to make up for the disorganized second, and whether fans will return for the next season.
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