BWW Recap: R is For Rory on Twisty AMERICAN HORROR STORY

All is finally revealed on the sixth episode of AMERICAN HORROR STORY Season 6; and it's safe to say, most of us aren't surprised. The big twist that creator Ryan Murphy is finally out and while it isn't completely surprising, elements of it certainly are while the show finally delivered on what we've been wanting and became the horror and suspense drama it promises to be. We find out immediately, just as many predicted, that the sixth episode would turn the docu-drama series that was My Roanoke Nightmare on its head; integrating both the subjects and the actors portraying them in the reenactments. In what was a brilliantly directed episode by Angela Bassett, making her behind the camera debut, Episode 6 really brought a new flavor, feel, and urgency to the series that elevated it above what we've seen the rest of the season, turning in on itself to make commentary on the industry and culture AMERICAN HORROR STORY itself is so ingrained in while upping the STAKES for the story.

Producer of the orig inal series Sydney Aaron James (Cheyenne Jackson) ferverously pitches his ultimate idea to a group of network execs that he believes will top the first season of the show which had rave reviews and ratings. His plan is to turn the cameras around and gather the real life figures with their reenactment counterparts Big Bother style and have them stay in the Roanoke house during the three days of the Blood Moon; appropriately titling it Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell. At first he's faced with some hesitance from the cast, namely the real life Lee, Shelby, and Matt who had actually gone through an incredibly traumatizing time in that house, but due to the effects the first series had on them and their reputation, they want to go on the show to clear their name and set the record straight. The original series put a lot of strain on the original cast; strain that surfaced in their personal lives.

Shelby (Lily Rabe) and Matt (André Holland) were struggling and in a moment that was avidly consumed by the media and gossip sites, Shelby had a fling with Dominic Banks (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who portrayed Matt in the reenactments; and that's not even the biggest story to come out of the series. Lee (Adina Porter) has undergone a great deal of attacks in the media and online from people who believe that she actually murdered her ex-husband, Mason Harris. Shelby believes that doing the show is her once chance to reconnect with Matt and repair their relationship. Lee wants to set right her reputation, believing she was unjustly portrayed.

The reenactment actors faced their share of life changing developments as a result of working on the series as well. British actress Audrey Tindle (Sarah Paulson) found love on Roanoke in the form of Rory Monahan (Evan Peters), as we see their love blossoming in the form of an outtake from the original shoot eventually leading to their wedding. The same cannot be said for Monet (Angela Bassett) who has been in and out of treatment facilities ever since the series aired for alcohol addiction that she claims to have been spurred on by living inside Lee's head for so long. Agnes Mary Winstead (Kathy Bates) has it even worse, as she was literally driven mad by her commitment to portraying the Butcher. From her horrifying empathy and care for such a depraved character, she delved far deeper than just finding a perspective as an actor to reach your character from. In a brilliant on camera interview that resembles a great deal of the fluff interviews actors often do for promo, claiming their role to be the role of a lifetime, the tone quickly shifts from satire to horror as we begin to see that Agnes isn't just enthusiastic about her character; she believes she is her. In an episode before being admitted to a treatment facility, Agnes ran down Hollywood Boulevard dressed as the Butcher, brandishing a cleaver and assaulting random passer-bys. She had also tried to kill Audrey once, as we hear her distressed police call, simply for winning the Saturn Award over her. Sydney serves her with a restraining order, accusing her of planting fetal pigs in a circular formation on the property that they had found as they were prepping for shooting, forbidding her to go anywhere near the house or the taping, all the while knowing full well this will only encourage her. He lives for the drama, completely unaware of the safety and wellbeing of those around him.

Things immediately do not sit right, as there's a mysterious accident on set where a crew member chainsawed his own head off, immediately feeling like the famous making-of documentaries for The Exorcist, a horror film claimed to be plagued with its own fair share of horrors and "accidents" on set.

Sydney, being the detached producer he is, worried only about the product, decides not to halt production in the wake of the accident, sparking a fight between him and his producing partner, Dee, who intelligently quits the production due to his insensitivity and the horrors already surfacing on set. She doesn't get far, however, as she runs into a ghost girl resembling Pricilla in the road, but even creepier. Smartly, deciding not to stop, she drives on pressing on to just get out of there, all the while recording a video diary of her side of the story on leaving set, when a pig man appears in the back of her car and attacks. Her footage was found three months later, but her body was never recovered.

It is here we get the surprising twist of the episode and the moment that turned the exciting gimmick that could easily wear off on its heels. Every cast member of the show, save for one, died during those three days. What we are watching is assembled found footage, from both cameras planted around the house and phones the cast were given, that was never aired. Thus, bringing a brilliant element of suspense and also mystery to the whole story. We know everyone except one person will die. We know that the house is actually haunted. This dramatic irony, paired with the mystery of who will be the lone survivor, completely engages the audience in the story in the way the previous episodes couldn't, and brings a true sense of much needed urgency to the show.

The actors are there for the gimmick, believing that there was no actual haunting in the house, claiming that because they shot there for months and didn't see anything, it was all fake. However, Matt rightly informs them that the reason they didn't see anything was because they weren't there during the blood moon, but they are now.

The tension between the housemates is already palpable, with Lee attacking Shelby for what she did to both her and Matt, while the reenactment cast watches on shocked, embarrassed, and entertained. Audrey's teasing grimace is a thing of great beauty as they are caught in between Lee and Shelby's shouting match.

The tensions continue to rise, everyone tiptoeing around each other, things start to take a turn for the (even) worse. After some outdoor hot tub sex, Audrey goes up to shower, leaving Rory behind. Separating is never good, especially in vulnerable places like a hot tub or a shower. Meanwhile, Shelby goes downstairs to where Matt is staying and tries to talk with him, the two actually getting somewhere, when the doorbell rings. Who is it but Dominic, who Sydney promised Shelby wouldn't show up. In a fit of rage, Matt starts punching Dominic, beating him up until Rory, who heard the ruckus, runs over to break it up.

In one of the most GIFable moments of the night, Shelby goes over to a camera and flips it off, shouting "f you Sydney!" At the same time, Audrey gets out of the shower and, in true horror movie fashion, wipes the mirror to find that she is not alone in there. Someone is behind her, or rather something. She screams, running downstairs into Rory's arms and claiming that Sydney planted someone there to scare her.

Rory goes upstairs, angry and ready for confrontation, while Shelby hugs and greets Dominic, the two clearly sharing a close bond after filming as he was also an attendee at her wedding. Rory goes upstairs and finds nothing, but something finds him. The two nurses appear, a million times creepier than they were before, and kill him immediately.

Everyone else is gathered downstairs, unbeknownst to them what just happened upstairs, while Matt walks around the house. He finds "MURDER" written on the wall in blood, the game finally complete, as he announces to the rest of the cast, "R is for Rory."

Angela Bassett should be commended for her directorial debut, bringing a breath of much needed fresh air and perspective to AMERICAN HORROR STORY and these new confines and revelations will make the latter half of the season an exciting whirlwind rather than a prospective slug. Who will be the lone survivor? Will it just be ghosts who are doing THE KILLING or will Agnes show up? Will she finally get to meet her ghostly idol?

Watch a sneak peek for next week's episode below:

Photo Credit: FX

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