American Horror Story Review: Chapter 5 (Season 6 Episode 5)
American Horror Story Season 6 Episode 5, “Chapter 5,” delivers its scariest, most suspenseful, and most thrilling episode yet. It feels more like a finale, rather than an event in the middle of the season.
The Miller family has been through hell. I would say “hell and back,” but the Millers stay in hell for almost the entire episode.
I, along with most of the audience, am completely dumbfounded at the fact that everyone had a deal with the Butcher. The Polks, Pigman, the Chen’s, the three hunters, AND the police.
The only one who stayed far away from The Butcher? Edward Mott, a.k.a. Evan Peters!
After Edward Mott had been name dropped in a previous episode, I figured that would be the character Peters would be playing, but my theory was that he was also going to be Pigman.
So, my theory is half right. I can live with that.
Mott had an even better introduction than I could’ve imagined.
Who doesn’t like seeing a half-naked Evan Peters? I’m sure not objecting.
I do think they did us dirty by making us wait halfway through the season to see Peters, only to kill him within the first 10 minutes. Thank goodness we get to see him again, this time helping Matt, Shelby, and Flora escape from The Butchers clutches.
My only thoughts on him while leading the Millers to safety: what’s up with his face? It reminds me of The Ring or The Grudge. The Millers being safe lasts about ten seconds before they get captured by the Polks, finally introducing Frances Conroy.
Frances’ introduction is dark, twisted, and enjoyable. I only say enjoyable because it’s Conroy gracing our screen. It most certainly is not pleasant for Elias, who has a leg and one of his arms chopped off.
I guess that proves my theory of him being a ghost wrong. However, my theory of him not being dead is true if you look past the ghost part. Let me have this small win, okay.
Elias is only kept alive for the fear factor, and nothing more. There is no other reason to keep him alive other than to show him being tortured, only to end his life by bashing his skull. Elias deserved better than this, dammit.
Speaking of people who deserved better: Shelby. Why in the world is she the one who has to have her ankle broken? Matt earned that. No if, and, or buts about it.
Ambrose being the one to turn on his mother honestly doesn’t shock me. He betrayed her when they were still alive, and after being tricked into suicide to be a slave to his mother for all eternity, she had it coming.
I’m upset that we never got any backstory on Pigman, especially because he’s a big part of this season so far. I do, however, like that Lee was the one to run him over before he could slaughter Flora.
Like I said, this episode looks and feels like a finale. It seems to conclude the Millers’ time at the Big Shaker Mansion, aka Murde House, as they check into a hotel after coming back from the hospital.
Overall, the conclusion to this part of the season is pretty magnificent. American Horror Story, supposedly, finished out ‘My Roanoke Nightmare’ with Shelby voicing, “I’m just grateful that I will never have to see that god-awful place again.”
Now for the big twist in Episode 6.
Other thoughts:
- Is The Butcher dead? We know that with the blood moon they can physically kill people, but can they, themselves, be killed since, technically, they are already dead?
- Will any of this even matter anymore? Ryan Murphy explained how the episodes are split up between 1-5, 6-9, and 10. If the Millers have escaped the clutches of The Butcher with it only being Episode 5, then we know that is not the main story to this season.
- Will we finally get an introduction next week? ‘My Roanoke Nightmare’ was nowhere in the promo – which is a first. Everything has been centered around ‘My Roanoke Nightmare’ – for Episode 6.
What did you think of this episode of American Horror Story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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American Horror Story airs Wednesday at 10/9c on FX.
Cade Taylor
Cade Taylor is a television and film critic living in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV. His love for television developed at a young age, with a concentration on queer stories, sitcoms, teen dramas, and science fiction thrillers. In addition, he works full-time as a news producer, telling the stories of Missourians and helming "Produced in the Bi-State," a segment spotlighting actors, musicians, and entertainers from the St. Louis area. He can be reached by email at cade@telltaletv.com.