Already have an account?
Get back to the

American Horror Story’s Five WTF Moments: Evan Peters’ Rouged Nipples, ‘Freak Show,’ More!

Hellooooo, Edward! American Horror Story fans have been waiting all season long to catch a glimpse of series veteran Evan Peters, and this week they finally got their wish. The sexy star of the FX series made his big debut in chapter 5 of AHS: Roanoke — wearing a powdered wig and making out with a guy in a bathtub, no less! And that was just one of the big, wild moments to mark the latest installment of everyone’s favorite horror show. Read on for the top five things that made us go hmmm (or HNNNNGH) this week.

Related: PHOTOS: TV's 10 Most Shocking Deaths of the 2015-2016 Season

Rouged nipples and amazing cameos

This week’s episode introduced us to an exciting new ghostly resident of the haunted Roanoke House: Edward Philippe Mott (Peters), a Revolution-era Philadelphia aristocrat who loved art, nipple rouging and bathtub sex with his male valet — in that order. The most shocking thing about Mott’s introduction? It was narrated by Doris Kearns Goodwin, the award-winning historian and biographer, who actually showed up to play herself. Think she’s a fan?!

Related: PHOTOS: 10 Once-Great TV Shows That Went Downhill

A “Freak Show” connection!

Nothing is more thrilling to American Horror Story fans than seeing the continuity between each of the show’s discrete seasons, and this week’s episode unveiled a fabulous “Freak Show” connection: Edward Philippe Mott shares a last name — and a bloodline, presumably — with the spoiled, acquisitive Dandy Mott who wreaked murderous havoc on Elsa Mars’ beloved family of human oddities in season 4. 

Related: PHOTOS: 10 Big TV Stars Without an Emmy Nomination

It’s not clear exactly how these two are related — although we’re guessing that Dandy isn’t a direct descendant of Edward, who was far too gay (and shortly thereafter, far too dead) to produce any heirs. But regardless, it’s always nice to see that there’s method to Ryan Murphy‘s madness!

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrity Sex Confessions

The scariest ghost in six seasons

American Horror Story tends to skew campy more than creepy, but this episode included one of the most effective jump scares in the show’s history: a crawly, creaky ghost done up in the style of traditional J-horror (think The Grudge or The Ring), who looked like a poorly assembled jigsaw puzzle.

“Mama took my leg!”

In the immortal parlance of Saturday Night Live‘s Stefon, this episode of American Horror Story had everything. New ghosts, familiar Piggy Men, sledgehammer attacks, mythology reveals and — most exciting of all — hillbilly cannibalism. Poor Elias (Denis O’Hare), who was impaled by arrows in last week’s installment, survived his ordeal only to be turned into a living barbecue buffet by the Polk family, a.k.a. the band of creepy rednecks lurking in the Roanoke woods. 

However, we’re definitely sure he’s dead now: In her big onscreen debut, Mama Polk (Frances Conroy) discovered that Elias’ flesh had turned gangrenous and smushed the poor man’s head into a pancake without so much as a parting shout of “BALENCIAGA!”

Related: PHOTOS: Stars — They're Just Like Us!

The plot thickens

The Roanoke Nightmare of Matt (André Holland and Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Shelby (Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson) seemingly came to an end this week, as a dramatic reenactment depicted the Butcher (Kathy Bates) being thwarted in her revenge and set ablaze by her son (Wes Bentley), who sacrificed his own ghost life in the bargain. None of which makes any sense (how can a ghost die twice?!) until you realize that the door is now open for the *real* story — about whatever’s happening on the set of the My Roanoke Nightmare docuseries — to begin.

Tell Us: How does Evan Peters’ role compare to his previous ones?

American Horror Story: Roanoke airs on FX Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. 

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!