My obsession with American Horror Story is probably to the unhealthy level. Since I began watching AHS, it has crept into my select few all-time favorite shows. I have all of the cast songs from the various seasons on my phone, and don't even get me started on my idea of a Jessica Lange cover album. Despite my immense love for the eery storylines of AHS, this past season, however, has fallen quite flat. My Roanoke Nightmare was actually a nightmare for several reasons.
SPOILER WARNING: DO NOT read on if you haven't finished the season.
It left too many questions to be a good predecessor to the other storylines.
Ryan Murphy has mentioned the fact that Lady Gaga's character was the first supreme. This is a very intriguing aspect of the story that was never explored. We got a glimpse of her history when she was sleeping with Matt in the reenactment of the main couple's storyline, but too many questions were left unanswered--especially regarding the witch. How was the first supreme still even living? Or was she another spirit?
Murphy has confirmed that the witch will be explored more in upcoming seasons, so we'll just have to wait and see if these questions ever get answered.
Also, Evan Peters's first character in Roanoke, Edward Mott, was Dandy's ancestor (season 4). This character was only mentioned in passing mostly, with only one main episode featuring him. Edward Mott was under-appreciated this season, since his family line seems to be majorly messed up.
They killed the good characters.
"R is for Rory" was one of the most traumatic moments of the season. Also, Cricket's actor ("Gay for pay," just to jog your memory) was brutally disemboweled. However, the saddest moment of the whole series was when Lee made it out alive instead of Audrey.
Granted, Lee did eventually die, but the sole survivor--Flora--wasn't a good character either. In fact, the whole storyline seems to revolve around Flora's terrible judgement to become friends with a ghost in the first place.
Was there a protagonist?
None of the characters seemed to have enough good qualities to outweigh the bad ones to make them a protagonist. Shelby: self-centered and whiney. Matt: cheater with no backbone. Dominic: fame hungry. The list goes on and on. The characters that had the most potential of being a protagonist in which we could root for died too quickly to reach this potential.
The filmography was subpar--and seen before.
The filmography lacked the "American Horror Story" feel. It seemed like something right out of Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity. Plus, there was fallacy in having the characters "film" with their iPhones that had a never ending battery.
Where the heck is Jessica Lange though?
This goes for last season too. Still in mourning over our AHS queen's disappearance from the show.
There was no music.
All of the seasons seem to be tied to music. Jessica Lange had her covers in season 2 and 4. Dominique was practically always on loop during season 2. Season 3 had some Stevie Nicks as well as the Lala Lala song by James S Levine. Hotel California played in season 5 along with several other backing songs. Heck, even Evan Peters sang in season 4. The theme song was even missing from Roanoke. Music makes AHS unique, and season 6's lack of music was a great disappointment.
It was full of plot holes.
If the ghosts of those who died in the house can appear during the blood moon, where was Rory, Dominic, Matt, and the rest of those who died at the house? The real Mason even showed his crispy face, so where was everyone else? Also, what was the deal with the heart that the witch gave Lee? And why did Priscilla need protecting from the butcher, if she has made it this far unprotected?
This season left too many questions without answers, confusing viewers even more. The idea of the multiple TV shows obstructed from the main storyline--which was extremely interesting on its own. However, jaded by the "media" and multiple shows within the season, the plot couldn't reach its full potential. The only pro to this style of film was that we got a little glimpse of Lana Winters in the present day.
Despite the fact that Roanoke fell short of expectations, American Horror Story fans are already anticipating the next season. We are loyal and are waiting. We're not going to just stop watching because one season wasn't our favorite. The great part about the show is that though the seasons connect, each season has it's own unique story. Here's hoping that next season's story will be better.
