The blood moon is upon us. Who made it out of AHS: Roanoke “Chapter 7” alive?
Will “the blood moon made me do it” hold up in court? AHS: Roanoke takes everyone to the brink of a breakdown in “Chapter 7.” Most of them go over the edge. The others die before they get to the precipice.
The most shocking element of Roanoke is the sheer amount of bloodshed. Deaths are deaths. No one is coming back once they die. That’s something to hold onto as the season unfolds, I guess.
But after years of hoping the show would take things one step further in regards to story, I’m a bit let down.
Can I sit back and take in the horror for horror’s sake? No. I do not think I can. The main reason being that, after each episode, I stare at a blank screen and must put into words what about AHS moved me.
What made me question a person’s motives? What about the setting or the characters connects this season to the larger AHS universe?
The first few episodes of the sixth installment held some hidden gems. Contemplating what exactly the formatting meant, for example, supplied a platform to build upon. Even with the bait and switch, I’d argue that last week’s episode is the best of the season thus far. Twisting the lens, almost literally, made the series restart and recenter.
But now, Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell packs in the blood and, well, not much else. I do not care if anyone survives or dies. I am not interested in watching people make awkward eye contact with an iPhone for a half hour.
Instead of caring about anyone dying, examining the camera angles provided a chore to tackle during the episode. Maybe there, I could find something to write about. But aside from a few odd camera positions that may not line up to hidden video feeds, nothing exceptional makes itself known.
With one very notable exception, I do not feel the same level of investment from the actors in their characters this season.
Kathy Bates, bless her soul, is giving the performance of her AHS tenure. She is living and breathing every moment of Agnes’ psychotic breakdown. Bates fluctuates so fluidly between Agnes and the Butcher you never know if she is coming with a cleaver or repentance.
“I was the fan favorite… they only booked me for three episodes, but I got five,” Agnes deadpans to the camera. Unfortunately, since death means something in Roanoke, we do not expect to see her again this season.
A few characters are creeping back into the picture from beyond the grave. Since the roles were double cast, the spirits and the Polks make their true debut in “Chapter 7.” The faces are new and that’s about it.
The butcher and the settlers still carry torches and kill people on their land. The Polks are cannibals living in squalor. Been there, done that, bought the Roanoke t-shirt.
The only detail that appears to spark some interest is Dominic Banks’ motivation for being in the house. Money, maybe. More time in the public eye, probably. But I suspect something bigger is going on with him. If I had to put money on who will survive this season, he is the front runner. Everyone else feels like they are trying too hard.
Dominic Banks may be over the top and self-absorbed, but he is the realest person on the show. If it turns out that everyone is working against Dominic, I’d forgive a lot of this episode’s shortcomings.
Am I alone in this fight? Does everyone else love this season? Let me know and give me something to look forward to for the next few weeks!
‘Chapter 7’ Death Tally
- Rory: died last week at the hands of the nurses
- Sidney and two members of the production crew: died at the hands of Agnes
- Matt: died at the hands of Shelby and the end of a crowbar
- Agnes: died, in honor, at the hands of the Butcher
Watch AHS: Roanoke, “Chapter 8,” Wednesday, November 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET on FX.