Who Is Edward Mott On 'AHS: Roanoke'? He Built The House

Evan Peters finally made his very first appearance on Season 6 of American Horror Story and his role ended up being something of a surprise; he was neither a producer on My Roanoke Nightmare nor the Piggy Man, as many had speculated. Instead, Peters appeared as an 18th century dandy named Edward Philippe Mott who bought the land upon which the Roanoke Colony lived and died. He was responsible for the construction of the house that Shelby and Matt now live in. But who is Edward Mott on AHS: Roanoke?

Edward is an ancestor of Dandy Mott, the psychotic rich boy who tormented the characters of AHS: Freak Show, and he fits right in with the rest of the family tree. He's demonstrates every key Mott family characteristic in just ten short minutes: Edward is vain, selfish, rich, cruel, and petulant. He surrounds himself with other people who he can control while isolating himself in his luxe home, abandoning his family in Philadelphia so he can live just how he likes on his own in North Carolina. That would be fine if Edward wasn't also a horrible person; when things begin to go wrong in the house thanks to the ghosts, he blames his servants and has them locked naked in a cellar to starve to death.

Solitude seems to be very important to Edward, because he purchases the land with the intention of living there alone – but with a bevy of servants, of course. While living there he's open about his relationship with his male servant Guinness (or...slave? Edward refers to him as a servant but it's not entirely clear), though Edward's cruelty begins to drive a wedge between them. (There's also the skeevy power dynamics at play, too.) However, before Edward can get too settled in his new home, the colonist ghosts drag him from his bed in the middle of the night, impale him on a spike, and then burn him alive. The Butcher is really serious about keeping outsiders off her land.

Edward's story is relayed by a historian who makes sure to mention the madness that's present in the Mott family. She also specifically references Dandy's death in Florida in the 50s, citing him as the last in the family line. It's a neat, if small, connection between seasons, something AHS has been doing more and more of as time goes on.

While Edward's story appears to start and end very quickly, it doesn't mean he's gone for good just because he's dead. As a ghost in the house, he's sure to reappear – and because Peters is technically an actor playing Edward Mott in a reenactment, the chances of him showing up again are even higher.