American Horror Story: Roanoke – Chapter 9

By: Kelly Kearney

Going Viral

On this week’s episode of “American Horror Story,” fan favorite Taissa Farmiga is back as fangirl Sophia along with her two fanboy friends Todd (Jacob Artist) and Milo (Jon Bass) who are on a search for the Roanoke house. Sophia has a fan site for the first season of “My Roanoke Nightmare” and the three are live streaming their adventure while hoping whatever they find goes viral. During the search, the three young fans run into a hurt woman whom they follow to an overturned car only to see that same woman dead inside. Was this a ghost? The police aren’t buying their story and assume they are just looking for some internet fame. They say they have proof on their video recordings, but the police tell them to go back home or they will be arrested.

Over at the Roanoke house, Audrey (Sarah Paulson) and Lee (Adina Porter) are trying to convince Dylan (Wes Bentley), who played the Butcher’s son in the first season, that everyone is dead and this is not special effects for the show. After he sees the bodies of Dominic (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Shelby (Lily Rabe), they all decide to leave but not before Lee reminds them of the Blood Moon. If they go, they risk their lives so maybe they should go to the Polk’s and grab that very incriminating tape? Dylan, a war veteran, is not afraid of a few armed inbreeds so they all head off to the Polk’s hoping they find that tape, some weapons and working vehicle. As the three approach the Polk farm, Lee thinks it’s best if Dylan starts to hotwire the car while she and Audrey go find the tape and maybe even Monet (Angela Bassett), if she’s still alive. Splitting up was the wrong idea because Dylan is quickly killed at the car as Audrey searches the Polk’s pot barn for the tape. The actress uncovers more than the tape when she finds a very alive Monet and a volatile Ishmael Polk (Frank Collison). Audrey grabs a shotgun, shoots Ishmael and flees with Monet only to find no Lee, Dylan or a car to escape in!

Recording the Horrors

Without a car, Audrey and Monet have no other choice but to head back to the Roanoke house. Filming her experience for future evidence, Audrey rants into the camera that she believes Lee is dead just like her beloved Rory (Evan Peters). Monet asks why they went back to the freak farm and Audrey tells her about Lee’s insistence to get that tape. When the two become curious as to what’s on it, they are in complete shock to find Lee’s murder confession. As the actresses try and process that surprising confession, Lee is in the woods eating an offering from the Butcher.

Outside in the woods, Sophia, Milo and Todd are disobeying orders to stay away from the house. These three have watched way too many episodes of “Ghost Hunters” because Blood Moon be damned, they want Twitter fame! With their head lamps on and their cameras ready, the three run into Lee who appears to be in trance. Todd recognizes her as the real-life victim from their show and is about to tell her what a huge fan he is when Lee slices his throat and kills him! I guess there was more in that Butcher’s snack than we know! The remaining two teens take off and come across more and more bodies until they find the show’s control room trailer. They barricade themselves inside and are shocked to see the body of Shelby, as well as a very much alive Audrey and Monet. Milo wants to find a way out but once Sophia sees Lee approaching the house she goes full fangirl hero mode and tells Milo they need to stop Lee and help the ladies.

And Then There Was One

Inside the house, Monet hears a noise only to find a dazed Lee standing outside the bedroom near the staircase bannister. Since they know she is already a murderer, Monet threatens to out her but Lee is more concerned that they’re “trespassing and don’t belong here…and the ground must be cleansed.” Before Monet gets a chance to tell Lee off, she pushes the actress over the bannister and Monet goes crashing down to her death. Audrey freaks and the two share blows until the actress gets the upper hand and takes off out of the house. Eventually, Lee catches up to her while trying to crawl down a mine shaft to hide. Lee stabs her, throws her down the shaft and closes the metal hatch.

With the camera still rolling, Sophia and Milo find the house but unfortunately for them they don’t get far. The missing Roanoke hoard led by Lee grabs the teens, disembowels one and places them both on a stake to set them on fire. As the teens burn, the streaming continues and the fans witness everything. Of course, people call the police and the episode ends with footage recovered from Sophia’s iCloud account.

The police swarm the house and search through the bodies until they find Lee who is babbling and screaming for them to get her out of this hell. As the officer is placing her in the police car, he hears another cry out in the woods where he finds a battered but alive Audrey. Audrey is thankful and before she gets to the car, Lee calls out her name. Audrey loses it and yells murderer! She grabs the cops gun and aims it at Lee, forcing the police to open fire on the British actress. They kill her, instantly leaving Lee the lone survivor from the Roanoke nightmare.