That’s it, another series over and a long wait until the next (sigh). But hey ho, at least what we’ve been treated to this year was, in my opinion, one of the best series of AHS to date. The teaser trailers had me anticipating something to do with the occult. I was completely wrong but in this instance I was happy to be wrong because what we got instead was a dark reality-based corker of a show which I have loved from start to (almost) finish. Yeah, about the almost…
The final episode in the latest season ties up its loose ends but left me with a feeling of slight disappointment. I didn’t know what to expect after we saw all but one of the cast wiped out in the penultimate instalment, but I had high hopes for the big finale. For a season so unique in that it stepped away from the usual template for which every other season has been based on, and one where it constantly upped the ante by introducing us to not one but two reality-style shows, not to mention its genius way of getting the most out of the actors by having them portray two characters, I expected an explosive and thought provoking finish. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, but it seemed like a bit of an anti-climax after we had invested so much in it.
Lee is the sole survivor of Return to Roanoke. She has been on trial for both the murders of Mason and of many of the cast of the second series and has been acquitted of all charges by the jury who sympathised with her traumatic experience at the hands of the Polks. However, she did lose Flora who not only testified against her by telling the court she saw her mum kill her dad, but who then told her she wanted nothing to do with her. Having lost her daughter Lee agrees to be interviewed by the intrepid talk show host Lana Winters to tell her side of the story. Lana Winters. Name ring a bell? It should. Sarah Paulson takes on her third character in this season as we see the return of Lana who we first met in Asylum. It was a fantastic touch to bring back a character from a previous series; a series that was wholly fictional and not the reality based offering that we have most recently been served up. Even so, it took nothing away from either Asylum or Roanoke. I loved it.
Lana gets straight into the tough questions and when she asks Lee where Flora is Lee is visibly shocked. She had no idea her daughter was missing. When Lot Polk forces his way onto the set with the intent of killing Lee in revenge for murdering his brother, Lana bravely tries to talk him down. Having none of it he knocks her out but before he gets chance to kill Lee he is gunned down by police. I thought this segment was unnecessary. It added nothing to the story-line and lasted only a minute or two before he was killed. I can only assume they needed filler.
And so comes the fourth reality-based show we have seen this series (including the naïve social media glory hunters from the last episode). Here we see a run-of-the-mill, OTT paranormal group break into the house to document the happenings over the blood moon. As you do. Of course they have all the latest technology at their disposal and of course it does nothing to help them. They invite Ashley Gilbert who played Cricket Marlowe in earlier episodes to join them. Whether he is a non-believer or just angry that he wasn’t invited to take part in the return, he goes along willingly. Things turn a bit strange when he starts channelling his inner Cricket and talking about sensing things.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Lee - who is there to find Flora - arrives and tells them all they deserve to die for being so stupid and returning on the blood moon. Although extreme, I have to agree. Are ratings really worth more than their lives or have they just not seen what happened to everyone else who has been at the farmhouse recently? One by one the crew of the paranormal show fall victim to the Chens and the pigman and the remaining members flee the house only to fall foul of the butcher and her flock.
Refusing to leave without Flora, Lee stays put. When she finds her Flora will not leave the house. She tells Lee she wants Priscilla to help her be like her so she can keep the dead girl safe from the butcher. In a final act of love and devotion Lee talks Flora into letting her stay with Priscilla instead so she can protect her from the evil of the land. Promising she can visit them when the blood moon is over Flora agrees and walks out of the house into the arms of the waiting police. We see Lee helping Priscilla hold her gun to shoot her in the chest before a gas explosion engulfs the entire house.
Flora waves goodbye to her dead mum and friend before being driven away by the police. In the distance the ominous flicker of the clans’ torches shine through the trees as they look on.
As I said, it wasn’t a bad ending. I just didn’t see the need for this one when they could have fitted the trial and Lees’ subsequent loss of Flora into last week’s episode. I found the addition of another set of ghost hunting reality stars slightly tedious and silly. I did, however, like the fact that no-one survived in the end. A lot of programmes shy away from that for fear of backlash but not AHS.
All in all season 6 is my favourite series so far (bar the final episode) followed closely by Hotel and Murder House and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for fans next year!
The final episode in the latest season ties up its loose ends but left me with a feeling of slight disappointment. I didn’t know what to expect after we saw all but one of the cast wiped out in the penultimate instalment, but I had high hopes for the big finale. For a season so unique in that it stepped away from the usual template for which every other season has been based on, and one where it constantly upped the ante by introducing us to not one but two reality-style shows, not to mention its genius way of getting the most out of the actors by having them portray two characters, I expected an explosive and thought provoking finish. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, but it seemed like a bit of an anti-climax after we had invested so much in it.
Lee is the sole survivor of Return to Roanoke. She has been on trial for both the murders of Mason and of many of the cast of the second series and has been acquitted of all charges by the jury who sympathised with her traumatic experience at the hands of the Polks. However, she did lose Flora who not only testified against her by telling the court she saw her mum kill her dad, but who then told her she wanted nothing to do with her. Having lost her daughter Lee agrees to be interviewed by the intrepid talk show host Lana Winters to tell her side of the story. Lana Winters. Name ring a bell? It should. Sarah Paulson takes on her third character in this season as we see the return of Lana who we first met in Asylum. It was a fantastic touch to bring back a character from a previous series; a series that was wholly fictional and not the reality based offering that we have most recently been served up. Even so, it took nothing away from either Asylum or Roanoke. I loved it.
Lana gets straight into the tough questions and when she asks Lee where Flora is Lee is visibly shocked. She had no idea her daughter was missing. When Lot Polk forces his way onto the set with the intent of killing Lee in revenge for murdering his brother, Lana bravely tries to talk him down. Having none of it he knocks her out but before he gets chance to kill Lee he is gunned down by police. I thought this segment was unnecessary. It added nothing to the story-line and lasted only a minute or two before he was killed. I can only assume they needed filler.
And so comes the fourth reality-based show we have seen this series (including the naïve social media glory hunters from the last episode). Here we see a run-of-the-mill, OTT paranormal group break into the house to document the happenings over the blood moon. As you do. Of course they have all the latest technology at their disposal and of course it does nothing to help them. They invite Ashley Gilbert who played Cricket Marlowe in earlier episodes to join them. Whether he is a non-believer or just angry that he wasn’t invited to take part in the return, he goes along willingly. Things turn a bit strange when he starts channelling his inner Cricket and talking about sensing things.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Lee - who is there to find Flora - arrives and tells them all they deserve to die for being so stupid and returning on the blood moon. Although extreme, I have to agree. Are ratings really worth more than their lives or have they just not seen what happened to everyone else who has been at the farmhouse recently? One by one the crew of the paranormal show fall victim to the Chens and the pigman and the remaining members flee the house only to fall foul of the butcher and her flock.
Refusing to leave without Flora, Lee stays put. When she finds her Flora will not leave the house. She tells Lee she wants Priscilla to help her be like her so she can keep the dead girl safe from the butcher. In a final act of love and devotion Lee talks Flora into letting her stay with Priscilla instead so she can protect her from the evil of the land. Promising she can visit them when the blood moon is over Flora agrees and walks out of the house into the arms of the waiting police. We see Lee helping Priscilla hold her gun to shoot her in the chest before a gas explosion engulfs the entire house.
Flora waves goodbye to her dead mum and friend before being driven away by the police. In the distance the ominous flicker of the clans’ torches shine through the trees as they look on.
As I said, it wasn’t a bad ending. I just didn’t see the need for this one when they could have fitted the trial and Lees’ subsequent loss of Flora into last week’s episode. I found the addition of another set of ghost hunting reality stars slightly tedious and silly. I did, however, like the fact that no-one survived in the end. A lot of programmes shy away from that for fear of backlash but not AHS.
All in all season 6 is my favourite series so far (bar the final episode) followed closely by Hotel and Murder House and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for fans next year!