The body count dramatically increased in FX’s American Horror Story season six episode seven. Episode six promised that by the end of this adventure, there would only be one person left standing. Episode seven went a long way toward fulfilling that promise, with quite a few characters biting the dust in “Chapter 7” airing on October 26, 2016. The future doesn’t look bright for any of the surviving houseguests as all of the remaining characters are in dire straits by the end of the episode.
“Chapter 7” kicks off with Sidney (Cheyenne Jackson) in the production office watching all the action in the house on the multiple hidden cameras. He cheers on the fight between Dominic (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Matt (Andre Holland), knowing it will be a ratings grabber. He’s reminded no one has talked to Diana since she raced off the set, but Sidney’s not worried about her. (He should be as she was killed by the Pig Man.) One of the camera crew sees Rory (Evan Peters) being stabbed in the house, but Sidney missed the action on the monitors. As the camera man’s going off about Rory, Sidney’s assistant screams from outside the office which is set up in the woods not far from the house. Sidney and the camera man race outside to find the assistant bleeding to death. Sidney’s attacked next by Agnes Mary Winstead (Kathy Bates) in her full The Butcher costume, and the camera man also falls victim to The Butcher’s blade.
Audrey (Sarah Paulson) heads upstairs, calling out for Rory. She can’t find him and rejoins the rest of the group gathered around the wall with “MURDER” written in blood. Matt, Shelby (Lily Rabe), Dominic, Lee (Adina Porter), Audrey, and Monet (Angela Bassett) all head back upstairs to search for Rory, with Lee filming the action using her own camera so Sidney can’t control the editing. She wants to document everything for herself.
Dominic finds a large pool of blood where Rory fell, but Audrey now thinks this was all an elaborate setup because Rory got a role in a Brad Pitt movie. She thinks Sidney set this up to give them a good scare and to explain Rory’s absence.
Agnes paces in the cellar, complaining about being cast aside. She thinks Sidney deserves to roast for eternity, but it seems Agnes is having second thoughts about killing the assistant because she always liked her when they worked together on “My Roanoke Nightmare.” Agnes talks to directly to the camera, saying she was a fan favorite. The fans always wanted more of her. The lights go off in the cellar and she lights a match as chanting is heard. The flame comes back and Agnes is surrounded by hanging totems.
Shelby’s in the kitchen alone when Dominic confronts her. She tells him he shouldn’t have come back there and that she loves her husband. Dominic still has feelings for her but Shelby isn’t interested. Matt interrupts the moment and tells Dominic if he wants her, he can have her if he stays out of his way.
Dominic films his confessional, saying he deliberately set out to be the season’s bad guy. He does care about Shelby, but really he just wants to get under Matt’s skin. He’s there for ratings and he even has a special secret body camera given to him by Sidney to use while wrecking Matt and Shelby’s lives.
Shelby’s sobbing in her bedroom when she sees something on the bed. Agnes sneaks up behind her, muttering about the land belonging to her people. She advances on Shelby and starts crying because she wasn’t allowed to be on the show. She slips back into The Butcher role and slices Shelby down her back. Shelby films Agnes as she’s about to slice her again. Fortunately, Dominic runs to Shelby’s rescue, fights Agnes off, and then slams her to the floor. When he comes back to check on Shelby, Agnes has somehow disappeared.
Everyone comes to help poor Shelby who has a horrible, bloody wound down her back. Audrey once played a nurse so she oversees bandaging the wound. The phone lines are cut so Dominic speaks into the camera and tells Sidney to send an ambulance. In the confessional, Monet says it’s been an hour and no ambulance has come to help Shelby. Thankfully, Shelby is okay for now.
Matt suggests Dominic go to the production office which must be close by. Dominic doesn’t want to go, so Lee and Monet volunteer – and Lee has a gun. Audrey says she knows a secret way out of the house and leads Monet and Lee through the tunnels. They hear bizarre noises up ahead and see a figure that Audrey believes is Rory in his costume from “My Roanoke Nightmare.” It howls at them and they quickly figure out it’s not Rory. Lee shoots at the thing and the bullets don’t hurt it. The women run outside and Lee says it won’t follow them because it prefers the tunnel. Monet’s upset Lee didn’t warn them there was something down there, and Lee reminds them this is all real – not a made-up story for television. She wants to know if Audrey and Monet will finally believe her now.
Back inside, Matt watches over Shelby. He tells her he loved her and she says she ruined it in one drunken weekend, but Matt says the house ruined their marriage and that he hasn’t felt human in two years. He didn’t have a choice but to come back, and Shelby thinks they might be able to save their marriage.
Monet, Lee, and Audrey are having a hard time trying to find the production trailer. Audrey points out the blood moon has risen and Monet says they have to keep trying to find Sidney. They eventually stumble upon the trailer and the dead bodies of the camera man, assistant, and Sidney. They grab Sidney’s car keys and search for phones, but the car is completely dead so they’re stuck. Just then Agnes runs toward them, knife raised, and Lee shoots her. They decide to walk to town because they need help and just then in the woods they see The Butcher’s people with torches. Lee yells for Audrey and Monet to get off the road quickly. Audrey takes the time to tape a message for Rory, in case she’s murdered. Monet points out there’s blood on Audrey’s face and they look up and spot Rory’s body above them spread eagle in a tree. Audrey is now a complete emotional mess, and Monet thinks they’ve been spotted as lights approach. It’s not The Butcher’s people; it’s the hillbillies who live nearby. They taze Lee and Audrey but Monet tries to make a run for it. She doesn’t get far before she’s also caught.
Somehow Agnes made it back to the cellar and uses pliers to remove the bullet from her chest. She’s bloody, crying, and going off about the blood moon. She vows the house will be consumed by fire and only ashes will remain.
Matt and Shelby are asleep when Matt hears something. He doesn’t wake Shelby and instead sneaks downstairs. He looks like he’s sleepwalking and Dominic follows him into the basement. The witch (Lady Gaga) is there and Matt tells her he’s been waiting for her. Dominic heads back upstairs and wakes Shelby, telling her she needs to see what’s happening in the basement. She sees Matt and the Witch, screams at the woman to get off of him, and then hits her. Shelby tells Matt they should leave, but Matt says he’s in love with the witch and that’s why he came back. Shelby doesn’t take this well and beats Matt to death, completely obliterating his head with a crowbar.
The hillbillies have Lee tied up at their farm, and they’re filming everything. She offers them money but they’re not interested. Momma prepares Lee’s skin to be made into jerky, telling Lee to rub the oil into every inch of her thigh. She sprinkles on some seasoning and then stabs her in the leg.
Dominic tries to get the crowbar away from Shelby and she finally releases it. She’s in the middle of a complete nervous breakdown, saying, “He’s dead, he’s dead,” repeatedly. Dominic says they should wait for Audrey and the girls to come back, and then Shelby has to turn herself in. Shelby doesn’t want to do that, but Dominic reminds her there are cameras everywhere. He tells her she needs to confess and go quietly. Shelby says she loved Matt, but then Dominic hears a noise outside. It’s Agnes and she’s spreading gasoline on the exterior of the house.
Audrey and Monet are tied to a pole, with the hillbillies taunting them, telling them to smile for the camera. Momma arrives and makes her boys leave the girls alone. She gives them jerky to eat and they beg to be let go, promising never to say a word. They ask about Lee and momma tells them they must eat. Audrey’s tazed repeatedly until she gives in and eats.
Agnes is saying some sort of curse outside the house when The Butcher’s people emerge from the woods, torches in hand. Agnes claims the land and yells at the house, telling everyone inside they’ll feel the wrath of The Butcher. Agnes turns to face The Butcher’s people when she sees the actual Butcher among them. Agnes apologizes and The Butcher slices her head in two while Shelby and Dominic look on from an upstairs window.
