In entertainment there is a time-honored tradition that an effective and
efficient methodology for relating a scary story is the anthology. Whether it
takes the form of a printed collection of short stories of the infamous comic
books of the fifties and sixties such as ‘Tales from the Crypt’. Such pulp
comics typically featured three independent stories of horror. It was only
natural that this format would carry over to television. It proliferated great
in the early days of TV creating some of the best examples of the genre in any
form of presentation. A few years ago, the horror anthology was resurrected in
spectacular fashion. The proven team of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk put their
collective creative genius together and crafted a series that would explode in
the zeitgeist of the public ‘American Horror story’. It just began its seventh
year with each of the six seasons thus far exploring several of the varied
aspects of horror in all their wonderful nuances. After plunging into such
perennial favorites as the haunted house, a freak how, witch’s coven and insane
asylum. Each venue for the specific story is carefully selected and expertly
crafted to elicit the maximum amount of terror and excitement. One of the most
coveted pieces of entertainment news has been what theme ‘AHS’ will tackle next.
The producers fully exploited this ground swell of curiosity by releasing a
series of six different teaser trailers implying only one was
accurate.\Naturally, social media exploded with frame by frame dissections of
the abbreviated content and a plethora of fan theories. The publicity department
at the F/X division of 20th Century Fox had an easy time promoting
this leading series. The showrunners provided the enigmatic videos and a few
well placed ‘leaks’ on YouTube did the rest. Typically, the casting decisions
are greatly debated by fans but a peculiar twist resulting from the form adds a
new dimension as each new season approaches. Creator Brad Falchuk and his
long-time partner, Ryan Murphy have chosen to retain a core of exceptional
performers present in most if not all seasons, added to this are several new
members to the troupe as well as a sprinkling of season specific guest stars.
This robust combination has proven to be wildly successful.
The horrifying trope scrutinized in this season’s story is the cursed
location. Many legends include a certain spot, a parcel of land or a structure
built on such an inherently evil place that continues to inflict pain and
suffering to any that dare to ignore the taboo. This essentially differs from
the haunted ‘Murder House’ depicted in the freshman season in several crucial
aspects. The house was specifically cursed, a result of the accumulation of evil
events over time. The Hotel of the previous season was intentionally constructed
as a place of unimaginable acts of cruelty, death and serve as the nest for
creatures of pure evil. In this sixth season the location was based on a piece
of American history that has persisted throughout the centuries, Roanoke. This
was one of the earliest colonies established by English Puritans it was
established in 1585 on Roanoke Island in what is today's Dare County, North
Carolina. It is part of the historical account that the colony completely
vanished in a very brief amount of time. Subsequent settlers found only one
clue, the word ‘Croatoan’, carved in a tree. One element when, infused into a
tale of supernatural horror always enhances its efficacy, to base the story on
what is accepted as historical fact. This is especially potent when the period
is sufficiently long ago that many facts have become inexorably entangled with
the accumulation of mythos and local legends. This fact serves as the foundation
for a unique approach to the traditional ghost story. This technique affords a
foundation strongly tied to reality. Even the most pragmatic person watching is
prone to a nagging feeling that the supernatural might exist making the
frightening events and terrifying imagery potentially real. The precise
execution of the story utilized here.
This season is unique in that it eschews the traditional uninterrupted
narrative for a tale of terror told in three parts. Opening the suite examines a
young couple reaching for the American dream, owning their own home. Shelby
(Lily Rabe) and Matt (André Holland) Miller had survived a brutal experience. He
was badly beaten by a gang leaving him in a coma. He recovered, albeit with a
serve physical deficient while Shelby had a miscarriage. To escape the lingering
memories, they decided to make a fresh start by purchasing a home in North
Carolina, near where Matt grew up. They located a sizable vintage house they
could afford thanks to a government auction. The only other interested party was
a family of Hillbillies, the Polk family. No sooner than the Millers move in
then the Polk’s begin to harass them. As it turned out many of the strange and
frightening occurrences had a supernatural origin. The threatening atmosphere
spirals beyond Shelby’s ability to withstand. Matt calls for his sister, Lee
Harris (Adina Porter), to keep her company. Lee is very conservative and opposes
Shelby’s liberal attitude towards life. Lee has a daughter, Emily by her
ex-husband, Mason Harris (Mason Harris). When the little girl is befriended by a
child in a bonnet reality turns in on itself. The little girl is a ghost, one of
the lost colony now trapped in a limbo of revenge extracted on anyone trying to
live on the land.
The Miller’s story is related to the audience both through their direct
account via television interviews, and re-enactments for a reality based show
that features actors portraying the principle characters. Shelby is portrayed by
Audrey Tindall (Sarah Paulson), Matt by Dominic Banks (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and
Lee played by Monet Tumusiime (). The series was a success so the producers
decided to reunite the original participants and the actors in a follow-up show,
‘Return to Roanoke’. The supernatural ordeal was harshly visited on the actors
making it a painfully difficulty decision to return to such a terribly
frightening place. The third point of view for the story was provided by means
of flashbacks recounting the fate of the doomed original colony. The principle
antagonists are introduced through these flashbacks continuing to the modern
times both as ghostly forms and re-enactors. Chief among the supernatural evil
is Thomasin White (Susan Berger), portrayed on television by Agnes Mary Winstead
(Kathy Bates). The method actress delved so deeply into her character she was
overwhelmed by the powerful evil that pervaded the actual woman. In life Goody
White was the wife of the governor and the de facto leader of the colony.
White was better known throughout history as ‘The Butcher’. She set upon a
dark path when her husband and other men of the colony never returned from
searching for much needed supplies. She was ostracized by the townsfolk only to
survive the wilderness by striking a deal with a powerful witch, Scáthach (Lady
Gaga). White’s nom de voyage was well earned by performing animal and human
sacrifices in the name of the witch and other pagan deities. A pack made between
White and Scáthach condemned the colonist to an eternity of terrorizing the
living.
One aspect of the series is that all the season stories take place in the
same fictional universe. Events occurring in a season are referenced or
otherwise affect the current story. In this season Sarah Paulson also reprises
her role from Season 2, ‘The Asylum’. She is a journalist investigating
supernatural occurrences. The series is host to many direct references as this
but what is far more entertaining are the subtle refences and connections. This
season ties to season 3, ‘The Coven’. Modern witches are tasked with selecting
the next paramount witch, ‘The Supreme’. This witch must be able to manifest
what is referred to as ‘The Seven Wonders’, a set of seven exceptionally potent
magical abilities. It is revealed that Scáthach was the original Supreme. While
the fragmentation of the story disrupts the flow of the overall narrative the
season dies deliver. The reality quotient provided by the connection to the real
lost colony is expertly enhanced using the familiar reality television show
format. While not the strongest season it remains a critical portion of the
ongoing story.