When they told us the second section of American Horror Story: Roanoke would see the deaths of everybody but one, I got excited. Chapter 7, however, was a big surprise because the bloodshed started right away a never let up, leaving me to wonder if they were going to kill everyone this episode. They didn’t, but they sure did try.
Following Roy’s quick slashing, the rest of the house fell victim to Agnes (the fake Butcher) and her desperate plea to be on the show. Completely immersed in her “Butcher”persona, Agnes went on a hacking spree with a meat clever. First, she gored Sidney and his crew in the production trailer and then she snuck into the house and nearly decapitated Shelby before Dominic (a.k.a. fake Matt, a.k.a. Cuba Gooding Jr.) fought her off. If you thought Kathy Bates was masterful in her portrayal of the vengeful colony leader, her as a psycho schizophrenic trying to be The Butcher is even better. In fact, Agnes may be the best AHS character across all seasons. Her mix of violent slaughters and desperate stalking is truly eerie.
After Shelby’s near miss with death, Audrey (fake Shelby), Lee, and Monet (fake Lee) went out into the woods to get help and search for Sydney. They find him and his crew, along with Roy, completely gutted and proceed to freak out, as anyone would. On their way back to the house they get picked up by some of the creepiest people imaginable, real four-toothed, gun-toting, inbred hillbillies. The worst part? They’re also cannibals and proceeded to oil and season up Lee and feed her to the others. Sure, it wasn’t the most creative story but visually it was exciting. In general, this episode didn’t offer up the most compelling story but it sure was fun to watch.
Back at the house, Matt snuck down to the basement to have his way Lady Gaga’s character (or most likely the other way around) and in return, Shelby bashed his head in with a crowbar. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s at least six deaths so far. This scene capped off all the craziness that was Chapter 7. Because I abandoned the idea that season 6 would be the historical adaptation I hoped for, I was able to really enjoy this episode. At times, it felt like a Blair Witch Project knockoff (if that’s possible), but the absurd amount of gore and violence made up for it.
In general, these characters don’t offer us much anymore. They are selfish and cocky. They’re stupid for even going back to the house and they don’t even care for each other anymore. The sympathy card they may have once had is completely gone and now we welcome every brutal death coming. When you have no emotional attachment to anything going on it becomes a lot more fun to watch. And don’t forget, there is still a mystery around who will be the one to survive. In all honesty, death might be the better option in this story.
Score: 8/10
