Last week finally brought American Horror Story back to audiences, and with it came the long-anticipated reveal of the season's focus, which appears to be a paranormal reality series called My Roanoke Nightmare. But some fans (like myself) are convinced there's more to the ghostly tale that we've been led to believe, and star Cuba Gooding Jr. recently dropped a couple of hints that could mean we might not know what we think we know about American Horror Story: Roanoke. Here's how he put it.
The first season to me, if you watch those 13 episodes---it's like what The Twilight Zone did with one episode. This season, remember I said that. When you see this season, you'll realize how to interpret that Twilight Zone idea to an entire other level. When your head goes 'boom' and you've got brains all over the wall, you're going to be like, 'Motherfucking Cuba Gooding Jr.' I wish I could tell you when it happens, but I can't.
A nod to The Twilight Zone can refer to many things, of course, from the sharp writing to the surreal stories to the presence of Rod Serling, though the latter is something American Horror Story probably won't try to recreate. (But maybe.) But we really know that Cuba Gooding Jr. is referring to how so many of the stories were layered and led to last-second twists or reveals that often gave the episodes a new perspective. (In fact, Ryan Murphy and others have made similar connections to The Twilight Zone in the past.) But exactly how will FX's ratings monster pay respects to the irony-laced TV classic in Season 6 in a way that makes us curse Gooding Jr.'s name?
When the various teasers were floating around before it was revealed the marketing was a sham, some American Horror Story fans speculated that this year would feature multiple themes and narratives, changing up its anthology nature to something episodic instead of seasonal. But Episode 2 is definitely all in on American Horror Story: Roanoke, so maybe the structural breakdown will happen within the context of this meta-leaning story, which was first referred to back in the Murder House season. There are far many ways for this story to branch out to guess at here, but I'm betting it involves jumping around in time. (Cheap guess, I know.)
For Cuba Gooding Jr.'s interview with Vanity Fair, it was also made clear that something isn't quite on the up and up when it comes to the dual sets of actors playing the same character. Here's what the Oscar-winner said when asked about working with actor André Holland and whether they got to meet or not.
I'm just trying to phrase this so I can keep myself safe. Because I don't want anybody get mad at me. Because they never give you information. When I go, 'Who's playing the real Matt?' They go, 'André' and I go 'from The Knick? Oh my god, I love that guy, I can't wait to see him.' . . . Well, I can't continue this line of talking. If I continue this line of talking, I might give something away.
Now that's just weird, right? If Cuba Gooding Jr. is wary about even mentioning whether or not he met one of his co-stars, it hints at something quite bizarre. The two obviously wouldn't spend any time together on screen, given they're playing the same guy, but nothing says Ryan Murphy's Twilight Zone like a dimensional breach that allows people to connect with the fictionally dramatized version of themselves.
This season, American Horror Story: Roanoke is set to somehow incorporate all of the past seasons, which will obviously also play into the WTF-ness of it all. All I'm saying is, if we don't get to see Sarah Paulson rocking all of her characters on screen at the same time, Orphan Black style, then what is the point of life?
American Horror Story: Roanoke And All That Other Stuff airs Wednesday nights on FX at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see when all your other favorite shows are going to pull the wool from over your eyes, check out our fall premiere schedule.
