TV Review: American Horror Story My Roanoke Nightmare (Season 6, Episode 4)

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

EPISODE: CHAPTER 4

THE SCOOP: Dr. Cunningham shows up to offer help to the Millers in finding Flora. Meanwhile, Cricket finds answers when transported back to the time of The Lost Colony.

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW. IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THIS EPISODE YET, STOP READING HERE!

THE SKINNY: Say now, what'd you all think of the fourth frame of My Roanoke Nightmare? As always, the action picks up almost immediately where we left it, and this time we're caught in the domestic quarrel between Matt and Shelby over that possessed orgy the former partook in last week. A spiritual wedge of sorts has been driven between the two, yet right when Shelby can sense Matt is telling the truth about not being able to remember what happened or who the girl he was, a pair of tall Pig Men suddenly appear in the house, axes in tow, and they begin to accost our two principals. Yet, soon our old pal Dr. Cunningham (Denis O'Hare) pops up, presumably from the basement where he claimed to be dwelling, and dispatches one of the Pig Men by lunging a blade through his back. He makes the other disappear with the chant of "Croatoan." He then sits the Millers down and explains to them he used to be the owner of the house, but only lived in it for six months. He also divulges that "Croatoan" is a powerful word used in the realm of the dark arts and black magic. He cites a whole hell of a lot wrong with the history of the house!

In fact, we're given a flashback to a Korean family, the Chens, who moved to the ill-fated Roanoke home years before, and how futile even their brand of ancestral ritual was no match for the Croatoan. No, upon offerings given, Thomasin the Butcher shows up and launches a meat cleaver plum through the heart of the paterfamilias. Not good enough? How about a pair of maniacal sisters who knew no exemption from the Butcher, as one of the "evil whores" as Thomasin called her was tied with her arms stretched out, pulled far apart until both upper extremities were ripped from limb to limb. Pools of gore glistening. Three more hunters who stayed in the house, we're told, also turned their rifles on themselves mysteriously. In short, Cunningham knows how sinister the address is, and looks to help the Millers survive. Yet they don't quite trust his shady demeanor. Not even when he brings up The Dying Grass Moon – what the natives dubbed six blood drenched days of sacrifice during the final lunar cycle of October. All death is permitted during this time. And guess what…the lunar cycle just so happens to be upon us nigh!

But the Millers don't want to leave without Flora. So, Cunningham takes them out to visit Priscilla, but instead of finding the two little girls, the trio wander into a golden field of strange purgatorial bedfellows…the three shot hunters, the Chens, the deceased Pig Men, all roaming around together in the strangest manner. We even see a filthy, deer-horned female (Lady Gaga) who most certainly was the beast Matt was boning in the woods that night. Odder yet, just when you thought it was safe to trust Cunningham and expect more of O'Hare…whap whap whap…dude catches three arrows straight to the chest. Blood spittle drips from his lips. Racing back home, the Millers find good old Cricket Marlow (Leslie Jordan) ready to rekindle the seances. A full blood moon is erect. Marlow enters the woods and is transformed back centuries to The Lost Colony of Roanoke, which settled and forver haunted the abode in question. We see Thomaisn bow to the Deer-God Woman, going so far as to gorily waylay every mofo in sight, including her own son Ambrose (Bentley), whose chest she impales with a meat clever. Then, giving herself to the hands of Deer Woman, has her own throat brutally slit. Marlow makes it out, only to spot Flora running across the street on the way back to his hotel.

For me though, the best part of this episode, aside from the exorbitant gore, came at the conclusion. After we see Matt once again seduced by Deer Woman, he pries himself off of her to attend Shelby's beck and call. When he arrives back at the house, Thomasin and her underlings have shown up with Marlow in hand. Teaching them a lesson, the Butcher then fully disembowels Marlow on the spot…gooey-gory entrails stretched out five feet in multi-directions. It's easily the nasty bit of graphic carnage we've seen from Roanoke thus far. Not mad at that! I also really dug the Dying Grass Moon  backstory, particularly as recited by Denis O'Hare, who is always one of the standouts on the show. I really hope he isn't done for this season. However, what I am a little put off by is the constant flashbacks. In fact, save for Kathy Bates wrecking shop, I sort of dislike the whole 18th century subplot to begin with. I think the series is far at its best when simply cross-cutting between Shelby and Matt the people, and Shelby and Matt the actors…and all the corresponding horror from the present time line. That stuff is strong enough on its own without the need for what feels like a disjointed period-piece sub-thread meant to accommodate as many recurring actors as possible. I simply want more of the present, less of the past. Let's hope moving forward, My Roanoke Nightmare is time well spent!

KILL OF THE WEEK: Has to be that show-stopper of Marlow getting slowly and savagely disemboweled. Hell, there were more feet of intestines in that little dude than his official height. Shite looked like a goddamn Bava movie…stretched entrails popping and pussing as they disentangle. Nasty stuff!

BLOOD & GORE:

• An axe-blade plunged through a Pig Man's back
• Meat cleaver thrown through chest of Mr. Chen
• Head bashed on counter-top
• Girl's arms ripped off by ropes, entirely from body in one fell swoop
• Mutilated faces of shot hunters, disfigurement
• Meat cleaver through Ambrose's chest
• Thomasin's throat slashed brutally, blood sprays
• Marlow gets gutted like a pig, entrails spill
• Neck stabbed, Deer Woman wears the blood on her bosom

WTF CHARACTER MOMENT: Has to be Matt going back into the basement to pound the insatiable Deer Woman. Gaga looks repulsive covered in soot and that unbecoming uni-brow. How Matt, how?

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: A lot to choose from this week, but to me the most bizarre scene had to be the one in which Cunningham got arrowed to death. So many wandering souls, some dead, some alive. Too surreal to even comprehend what the hell was going on there. That should have been in last week's episode directed by Lynch's daughter, Jennifer.