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‘American Horror Story’ Season 6 Premiere: ‘My Roanoke Nightmare’ Proves Simple Can Be Scary

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 02:04 PST, Sep 16, 2016

There are mixed reviews over the American Horror Story Season 6 premiere. My Roanoke Nightmare took a very different approach. However, one thing that it did prove is that simple can be scary.

When American Horror Story first premiered with Murder House, nobody knew what to expect. There was a sense of eeriness, as the show told the story of a family moving into a house with an extremely dark and supernatural past. It focused on the horror basics, something that Seasons 2 and 3 tried to follow.

American Horror Story Season 4 was arguably one of the best seasons of the whole show. It allowed for a larger story to be told but still included some creepiness that can only be gained from simple horror tricks. Last season’s hotel storyline went too far. It was a huge plot with twists and turns that didn’t always make sense. It wasn’t until the last few episodes that things seemed to fit together, and even then some of the plots were just too involved to keep fans interested.

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With all the mystery surrounding American Horror Story Season 6, fans were admittedly worried. Would the season be another one filled with multiple storylines that were confusing to follow? Would the producers work too hard to create something scary?

The good news is My Roanoke Nightmare pulled the flash and gore back. It has gone back to the beginning with simple storytelling, proving that simple really can be scary.

Yes, there were certainly fans who didn’t quite get the episode. It was one of the first premieres where some wanted to turn the channel — only sitting through it because they have seen the program year after year and wanted to remain loyal to it. However, there are also many others who have admitted that it was so much better than last season, and some have even said it has been intriguing and creepy.

The Atlantic agrees that American Horror Story Season 6 has proven that simple is scary. It even goes on to say that having great actors can be done without adding lots of overly complicated characters. It managed this through the use of the horror documentary style, something that AHS has never done before. Both Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson got plenty of screen time but played the same character: Lily as the “real” person telling the story and Sarah as the “actor” for the “re-enactment.”

So far, there are only three main characters to worry about, which allowed fans to learn more about them and become connected to them. Fans got to find out the reason for Shelby and Lee’s tense relationship and Lee’s backstory, which clearly plays a part in future episodes. Fans learned all about Shelby and Matt’s backstory without getting bogged down too much with facts. The first episode was a chance to explore, learn, and develop.

There were also plenty of memorable moments that link back to the first season, whether it was the hailstorm of teeth or the rolling empty wine bottle. Many of these moments send shivers down the spine with the anticipation of what will come next.

Whether American Horror Story: My Roanoke Nightmare will continue this process is another story. The show does have a habit of introducing more characters and complicating stories further, but hopefully, the producers haven’t complicated things too much. Right now, the show works with the small cast, and Season 6 has proven that simple can be scary.

[Featured Image by FX]

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