Documentary Theories For 'AHS: Roanoke' May Reveal The Big Twist

A big twist is coming in American Horror Story, hitting the sixth episode of the sixth season like a tornado blowing through town. While the twist is technically a secret, series creator Ryan Murphy had no qualms about announcing it ahead of time and making some ominous promises about the turn the season will take. Apparently this twist is going to turn the show on its head and shock audiences, making everyone watching realize that the show they thought they had tuned in to was actually something very different. Whether knowing that this is coming builds anticipation or kills it, many are still scratching their heads about what this twist might be. These documentary theories for AHS: Roanoke might reveal some possibilities.

There have been a few popular theories about Season 6 since it premiered with such an uncharacteristic format. The fact that the series switched gears late in the game was unusual in and of itself; deciding to depart from conventional storytelling to turn the show into a faux documentary wasn't what anyone saw coming. However, now that audiences have been able to get used to the change, a few potential twists on the format seem obvious. Others are less expected.

It's Billie Dean Howard's Show

One theory is that My Roanoke Nightmare is actually Billie Dean Howard's show, and she even stepped in to play Shelby for it. Billie Dean's show, as seen in AHS: Hotel, is usually about her communing with ghosts in incredibly haunted places, so that part of things makes sense, but it does seem weird for her to take on the role of one of the homeowners. Still, audiences do know that Billie Dean had an interest in Roanoke; way back in Season 1, she was the first person to bring up the lost colony and say the word "Croatoan," both of which are major features of Season 6.

The Interviewees Are Actors

When Season 6 started, everyone assumed that the Shelby and Matt narrating the story via interview segments were the real Shelby and Matt; the characters depicting the haunting were merely actors performing reenactments of real events. But what if it that's not the case? Perhaps the real Shelby and Matt are dead (or sunning themselves on a beach somewhere, refusing to get involved with the convoluted retelling of their lives) and the people being interviewed are also actors. Everyone's an actor!

Everyone Is Ghosts

Or everyone is a ghost. Some have wondered if Shelby and Matt died but somehow found a way to help out the documentary from beyond the grave. To be honest, the idea that a bunch of ghosts are being interviewed for a documentary is a little absurd even for AHS.

Evan Peters Is A Producer On My Roanoke Nightmare

Though he's been credited on several episodes so far, fans haven't caught a glimpse of Evan Peters onscreen. This has led some to speculate that he's part of the crew of My Roanoke Nightmare, working as either a producer or cameraman. He's the one asking the questions offscreen and he may take on greater prominence as the season develops.

The Documentary Crew Will Be Haunted

This is one of the more popular Season 6 theories. Some fans think that the people shooting My Roanoke Actors (both crew and reenactment actors) are doing so at the real house where the hauntings took place. As they begin to uncover more about the house, the ghosts will begin tormenting them and the documentary will end up breaking the fourth wall as they attempt to deal with it. It's a solid theory, but is it too obvious?

The Documentary Crew Are Hiding Something

It's possible that the unseen documentary crew aren't as innocent as they appear. The most viewers have heard from them is when the crew pressed Lee about her first child, a daughter who went missing years earlier. They could have just been pushing for a more dramatic story, but what if the crew doesn't have Lee, Shelby, or Matt's best interests at heart? Maybe they're trying to use their subjects in some cruel way that's still unrevealed. They could be a Roanoke-obsessed group looking for victims.

The Episode 6 twist isn't something fans are supposed to see coming, which could mean that all of these theories are wrong. If it's as shocking as it's supposed to be, then no one would be able to guess it too easily.