I realize half this country isn’t in the best of moods, and probably can do without additional negativity, but I’d be remiss to talk about how god awful this season of “American Horror Story” has become.
Weirdly, the sixth season of “American Horror Story”, dubbed “Roanoke”, started off with a whimper. But what it had going for it was the mystery behind it; it was captivating enough to keep this writer tuning in week after week. Co-creator Ryan Murphy then promised a major twist, which actually paid off quite a bit; when it was revealed that the first five episodes were a documentary, it changed how those episodes were perceived, giving them instant value. It was an earth-shattering move that would also up the ante for the following episodes, allowing the filmmakers to get their hands really dirty. Unfortunately, this is when the show fell apart and never recovered.
The season is only 10 episodes long, thankfully, which is why I’m toughing through this. I was hoping that it would eventually come together, but ultimately it’s a disaster that’s worse than any of the previous season finales (they’re all disappointing). I think that one thing is clear now: Ryan Murphy and his team of writers are not horror fans, and don’t understand the genre at all. “Roanoke” started as a typical “American Horror Story” drama, which is why it worked, but once they entered “our” territory, well, that’s when they dug themselves a hole they could never climb out of.
The second half of “Roanoke” is nothing short of mean-spirited trash, void of any social commentary or meaning. It’s bleak, cold, soulless garbage that aims to hurt the audience for the sake of shock value instead of telling a story. The past two episodes were a complete mess, dropping any effort to entertain by forcing audiences to watch nearly two-hours of people screaming, yelling and being tortured for absolutely no reason whatsoever. While the show seemingly delivers on its promise, it’s sloppy filmmaking at best that comes from a place of horror imitation instead of from those who love our genre (see: “American Horror Story: Roanoke” Paid Tribute To Cannibal Holocaust Last Night).
This may be harsh but I hate, no, no, scathe this season of “American Horror Story” and don’t wish it upon anyone. I think it’s time for Murphy and FX to hang it up, but unfortunately they’re now talking about mixing seasons into a super season that will, and I guarantee this, leave us all disappointed (again).
Here’s a look at the season finale boasting yet another unprecedented twist that will surely drop the ball…