American Horror Story: Roanoke is two episodes in, and already Ryan Murphy is making big promises about big things down the line. According to the showrunner and his partner Brad Falchuk in an interview with EW, fans can expect a big twist coming at them around episode 6:
Murphy: You’ll see starting in episode 6, the show has a huge turn and the thing that you think you’re watching is not what you’re watching.
Falchuk: Even though the subject matter has gotten out, it’s irrelevant because nobody gets what we’re doing. No matter what you think it is, it’s not that. Then, episode 6 comes and you’re like, ‘Wait! What happened?’
Murphy: It’s a hat on a hat on a hat on a hat that we’ve had to protect.
According to Murphy, the season is two distinct halves, but Falchuk chimed in saying:
It’s like [episodes] 1-5, 6-9, and 10 is its own thing.
OK, nice try guys, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't count as a twist if you point it out ahead of time. Historically, one of the biggest problems with Ryan Murphy shows is that they reveal all the details ahead of time, which is something they pointedly avoided this season. Until now, I guess.
And to be honest, the finale episode being completely different from the rest of the season isn't particularly unusual for the show. Typically, the main conflict is over an episode or two (or three) before the actual finale, leaving the show to spin its wheels until the conclusion. I'm still on the hook for this season, but this development has me feeling a little cynical. I hope the Ace in their sleeves is something truly spectacular, because this season has been interesting but a little low key so far.
Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Denis O’Hare, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Finn Wittrock, Wes Bentley, Cheyenne Jackson, Leslie Jordan, Jacob Artist, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lily Rabe, Chaz Bono, Evan Peters, and Matt Bomer also star in American Horror Story: ?6, which airs on FX Wednesdays at 10PM.