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![]() Fiction. In previous weeks I wondered who or what was airing “Return to Roanoke,” considering it was an extended snuff film. It turns out to be the dullest answer possible: it aired on the same network as “My Roanoke Nightmare,” and wound up garnering even bigger ratings than its predecessor. Apparently there was some controversy at first about whether or not it was real, but that’s passed. Everyone knows that the footage was real and that people actually died. Yes, we are spared a scene of the greedy, moustache- twirling network executives deciding to air the documentary, but it’s just so lazy in its cynicism. ![]() Of course a network in the world of “AHS: Ronaoke” would air this footage. That’s just the fame- obsessed kind of world they’ve been portraying all season with all the subtlety of a jackhammer.“Chapter 1. Lee’s journey since “Return” ended. There’s a hokey Paley Fest panel featuring the full cast in happier times, a celebrity expose type show called “Crack’d,” detailing how Lee managed to be acquitted for all the murders she committed, a news interview segment with Lana Winters (the heroine of “Asylum,” marking Sarah Paulson’s third role this season), and finally a “Ghost Hunters”- type show set at the Roanoke house, where all the newcomers are once again summarily killed by the ghosts. That segment in particular feels like a desperate bid to fill time in an episode that has but one point to make, over and over: Lee did all these things so she could be with Flora. FXLee Is The Worst. So yes, Lee is a mother who will do anything, ANYTHING, to remain with her child. Such actions include: Kidnapping her daughter at the first sign that her ex- husband might sue for full custody. Murdering that same ex- husband when he comes looking for his daughter. Insinuating that her daughter is crazy during her much- publicized trial in order to be acquitted of said murder. Returning to an extremely haunted house in order to convince the world (and most importantly her litigious in- laws) that she is not guilty of the murder she’s 1. Becoming a contract killer for an ancient evil so that she will survive the return visit to the aforementioned haunted house. Eventually offering to die in her daughter’s place so that her daughter’s ghost friend has some company. These actions do not a sympathetic protagonist make, but at least the show doesn’t seem to be completely on her side. ![]() When Lee is being interviewed by Lana Winters she mentions their similar circumstances, but Lana resists the comparison. She killed her murderous son in self- defense, while Lee (from Lana’s perspective) committed several murders in a drug- induced post- traumatic haze, so there’s not really a lot of common ground there. Still, Lana eventually admits that she and Lee share a dogged determination. It’s just that Lee’s dogged determination led to innocent teenagers getting impaled on stakes and burned alive. Lee just tells Flora that she’s sorry for killing her dad, and that she’s made a lot of mistakes. Watch full episodes and get the latest updates and information from your favorite FX shows.New pictures from filming for the Christmas special seem to confirm previous reports that the upcoming final episode of Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat. Ryan Murphy and the "American Horror Story" team have made plenty of references to creepy flicks. Being a parent is imagining an ideal and being unable to live up to it. Except most parents don’t commit multiple homicides, but whatever. Lee’s always come off like a psychopath, and Flora’s a sketch of a character who hasn’t been seen since “Chapter 5” (and that was an actress pretending to be Flora, not the real deal). Lee’s eventual sacrifice to look after Priscilla in Flora’s stead so that Flora can live a full life earns nothing but a shrug. Sure, be a ghost. That’s what most characters on “American Horror Story” end up doing. If it’s meant to be a redemption, it’s a hollow one. And hey, the episode concludes with the cops taking Flora into custody, while unknowingly being surrounded by the settlers, so Lee’s sacrifice may have been completely in vain. Nothing like a final nihilistic twist! I should mention that despite the weakness of her character, Adina Porter’s portrayal of Lee has been strong all season. She simply has the bad luck to be cast in extremely unlikeable roles. But no amount of fine acting could have saved “Roanoke,” whose first half was such a startling bore. Even when the second half showed signs of life, it eventually came apart at the seams, like the weakest “American Horror Story” entries (“Freak Show” certainly comes to mind; at least “Roanoke” wasn’t that bad). Still, the back half of “Roanoke” was uniquely frustrating, as it hinted at interesting themes like how televised narratives can be only be crafted by those who control the footage, but ultimately argued that no, with these people, what you see is what you get. The surface is all there is, there are no hidden depths. And then the final episode was about a relationship that wasn’t prominent since the first half. I admire the effort in trying to do something different with the format; it just turned out to be a huge misfire. Other Loose Ends. Lee seems to be firmly in her right mind this episode, even when she returns to the house, so apparently becoming Witchy Gaga’s servant is only a temporary thing if you’re alive. Remember how much time we spent in the “My Roanoke Nightmare” half learning the ponderous origin stories of all the house’s various spooks? Shame how in “Return” the ghosts just appeared, stabbed someone, and vanished. Didn’t the survivors only escape the first time when the settlers rebelled against the Butcher? What happened with any of that? The less said about that one Polk coming to kill Lee, the better. Pointless. Glad we got to see Leslie Jordan again, this time playing Ashley, the actor who played Cricket. Of course he’s perfunctorily murdered soon after he appears, but it was still nice to hear his accent again. At least that Uber drive got out alive. Grade: C- Stay on top of the latest TV news! Sign up for our TV email newsletter here. Movies Every 'American Horror Story' Fan Should Watch. Ryan Murphy and the “American Horror Story” team have made plenty of references to creepy flicks. FX. One could easily get a crash course on the history of genre cinema just by studying the references that Ryan Murphy and his team have pulled from countless films. Here are the films that have had the most influence on . Halfway through the series, we learn that Vivien Harmon is pregnant with two children, each with a different father. One of these children is destined to be the Antichrist, and Vivien's demonic pregnancy leads to her eating various organs - - including a brain, to feed her hellspawn. Paramount. The film: Both the pregnancy and the . Similar to Vivien, Rosemary gains a craving for raw chicken meat and innards. According to her autobiography, . The Harmons move into a house in Los Angeles that has been the site of multiple murders over the years, and the horrors of the past come back to threaten their lives in multiple ways. MGMThe film: As any horror film buff can point out, this premise comes directly from . Tate is introduced with a whistle theme that makes it clear which movie his character is based on. The film: That tune comes from . Soon thereafter, axes are meeting human flesh. The film got renewed interest in 2. Tate in . The Harmons eventually learn that they have been killed and cannot leave the house. They then decide they will spend eternity scaring away future tenants to prevent them from suffering the same fate. Dimension Films. The film: This is similar to the ending of . Though they won't be sharing the house with murderous ghosts like the Harmons, Grace tells the kids that they are going to make sure that anyone living who buys the house knows that they were there first. FXThe reference: In . Lana Winters and Kit Walker are subjected to brutal Ludovico techniques, and one doctor tries to cure Lana of her homosexuality by using drugs to induce vomiting while presenting her with pornographic images. Warner Bros. The film: The brainwashing scenes come from two very famous '7. Kit's treatment is lifted directly from Alex's treatment in Stanley Kubrick's . This is a clear reference to one of the most popular villains in horror movie history. Universal. The film: That villain is Leatherface, the killer in . One recent film about teen witches makes its presence felt early on in the series, when one of the young witches takes revenge on a fraternity that gang raped a member of the Coven, but also kills the leader of the fraternity who tried to put a stop to it. Columbia. The film: The concept of teen witches using their powers to get revenge at a price is most prominent in . This includes a spell that makes a jerk jock fall in love with one of the witches, but like the spell cast against the frat in . Though she lost her sight, her blindness gave her the power to see the future. Medusa Distribuzione The film: The image of a woman with marble- like eyes comes from . That may have also inspired the Seven Wonders ritual in . The test is explained in a silent film that references one of the oldest known movies about witches. TCMThe film: That movie is . It's known for its lavish dramatizations of witch trials and occult rituals that has earned it an unintended legacy as a horror classic. FXThe reference: The fourth season, . One is Stanley, a con artist who planned to kill the freaks for money, but was discovered by the freaks' leader, Elsa, who was on to him thanks to a controversial horror movie. TCMThe film: Elsa claims to have a copy of . Though the film was banned in several states, Elsa said she had a copy of it. Like the con artist in . This serious case of affluenza comes from a far more recent film than . This accusation was particularly made when it came to one of the most famous hotel horror flick of all- time. Warner Bros. The film: From the carpets of the Hotel Cortez to bedrooms filled with evil spirits, every episode of . The film's finale, based on the sin of Wrath, is one of the most powerful scenes Fincher has ever directed.
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