My Roanoke Nightmare was the television success story of 2015.
With minimal promotion, the show garnered 23 million viewers by its finale, topping that week's airing of Sunday Night Football, Empire, and The Walking Dead.
Eager to capitalize on its success, the network asked the producer to create a follow-up series
Producer Sidney Aaron James tells his crew to keep the cameras rolling no matter what, and then meets with the network president Frank. They go into a conference room and Sidney explains that the executives are going to be part of his next big hit. He's going to film everything because people are interested in the process, and they have millions of people waiting to see the next iteration of his show. Sidney explain that he's going to do Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell, putting the real characters and the actors together in the house during the Blood Moon, with hidden cameras recording everything. He tells the executives that the drama is real and it's like Big Brother with scares. Sidney admits that it's "fake," but insists that the reactions will be real and reality is what they make of it.
Frank warns that their research department has come up with some concerns about the ending of the first season. Most of the audience was dissatisfied that Mason's murder was never solved, and they think that the person who did it, Lee, suffered no consequences. Sidney assures them that he's got it under control, and he bought the house.
After the meeting, Sidney meets with his assistant Diana Cross, who was stuck in traffic. He says that he got 15 episodes on the air, and Diana tells him that Shelby doesn't want anything to do with the new season.
Sidney and Diana go to Shelby's shop and she says that she's only doing the interview to set the record straight. People have been leaving death threats and hatchets, and she and Matt separated. The couple thought that doing the show would be a healing experience, but they just ended up reliving it all. Sidney asks if that's what led to Matt's reenactment actor, Dominic Banks.
Paparazzi record actor Dominic with Shelby.
Shelby says that she can't do it, and Sidney apologizes for bringing up the affair. She insists that it wasn't an affair, and she was lonely because Matt wasn't talking to her. Shelby settled for the cheap imitation, and Matt hasn't talked to her since. She figures that Matt can't avoid her if they're locked in the house together, and Sidney assures her that the fans want the couple to have a happy ending. However, Shelby insists that she won't do it if Dominic is involved, and Sidney assures her that Dominic is out. Out in the SUV, Diana tells Sidney that they've got Dominic on the show.
Two weeks later, Sidney and Diana check out the house and make sure the workers are placing the cameras out of sight. Their special effects man, Mack, shows off how he's rigged the pipes to vibrate and water to explode out of the garbage disposal. The living room windows are set back to explode, and the drawers shoot out on command. They go to the living room and Mack plays a recreation he made of Elias' video.
Diana talks to Sidney privately and points out that the show was popular because it seemed real. Sidney insists that he wants to use horror to find justice, and he'll get Lee to admit what she did. Diana warns that they don't know Lee killed her husband, and Sidney points out that after the pressure they apply, someone will slip up. He sees the production trailers outside and tells Diana to get them away from the house because the cast can't see them and lose the illusion of realism.
A PA, Alisha, runs up and says that Sidney sees to see something. She takes him behind a tree and Sidney has the cameraman film a circle of fetal pigs. He insists that it's not the Polks because they disappeared.
Later, Sidney interviews Agnes Mary Winstead, the actress who played Thomasin. She insists that she felt a connection to Thomasin since the auditions, and she was nominated for a Saturn Award because of her performance. Agnes insist that Thomasin was a real human being, not a villain, and it was a privilege to bring the historical figure to life. She admits that the part took a toll on her, and Sidney asks if they can talk about Hollywood.
Agnes walks down the street dressed as the Butcher, hysterically screaming that it's her land and swinging her cleaver.
Sidney points out that Agnes was sentenced to six months in a mental health facility, and asks what happened that day. Agnes says that it was a one-time thing and she's much better now, but Sidney points out that she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Agnes stole props from the show and moved her life to North Carolina a few miles away from the house. The actress admits that she dove too deep into the part, but she's on her meds and she's perfectly fine. Sidney shows her a photo of the fetal pig circle, and Agnes insists that she didn't it. The producer doesn't believe it, and calls the officer in to serve her with a restraining order. Agnes isn't allowed within 500 feet of the production, and Sidney tells her that she'll never be on the show. He says that he only wants real people, and tells Agnes to stay away from the set or he'll have her arrested.
As Sidney and Diana go, Agnes follows them screaming in the Butcher's voice. Sidney tells Diana to just walk away, and hopes that Agnes will come to the house despite the order.
Lee Harris meets with talk show host Kristin Dos Santos and confirms that there will be a new season of My Roanoke Nightmare and she'll be on it. She signed on because she wants to be there to defend herself, and says that Mason's mother is suing her to get custody of flora. Lee insists that she's just a single mother trying to raise her family.
Sidney reviews the interview and checks with Legal, and he assures him that they're covered. He warns them that the actress who played Lee, Monet Tumusiime, has a drinking problem and they can't knowingly serve alcohol to her. However, he figures that as an alcoholic she'll find a drink no matter what. Diana gets a call from the set and tells Sidney that they have a major problem.
When Sidney and his crew arrive at the house, an ambulance is parked out front. Alissa shows them a video that Mack made that in the background has a worker, Greg, dying when he cuts himself with his own saw. The union rep says that they want to give the crew a day or so to recover but it's Sidney's call. Diane tells him that the cast gets there in four hours, and Sidney says that they're going to keep going. Furious, Diana says that something terrifying is going on. Sidney says that he's upset, too, but they've gone too far to end it before it starts. Diana says that she's done and drives off.
As she drives off, Diana makes a video recording of what happened to capture her side of the story. She insists that too much creepy shit has been happening for her to dismiss it as coincidence. Diana suddenly brakes to a halt and turns the camera on a woman standing ahead of her on the road. She backs up and Piggy Man appears in her back seat and grabs her.
Footage from Diana Crosses' camera was found three months later by police officers. Her body has not been found.
Reenactment actress Audrey Tindall records her first confessional. She explains that she was the reenactor who played the role of Shelby, and people are surprised by her English accent.
As the film crew film the couples' underground escape from the house, Audrey trips and curses in her normal voice. The actor playing Edward, Rory Monahan, invites her to dinner.
Rory busts into the confessional booth and announces that they're getting married, and the happy couple kiss. Once he leaves, Audrey admits that it's surprising that an older woman like herself was able to land a young stud.
Audrey and Rory film their outdoor wedding and recite their vows..
Audrey and Rory arrive at the house and take the master bedroom. Rory gets a call and then tells Audrey that they want him back in LA for a screen test. Audrey warns him that he's contracted to be there for the duration, but he leaves anyway. In the confessional, Audrey says that they trust each other implicitly and she isn't concerned that they'll be apart for six months.
As they go downstairs, Rory films Audrey as she suggests that he talk to Sidney before he goes. Someone passes before a window and Rory sees it through his viewfinder. When they go over, Agnes smashes the window. They run to the door and find Sidney and the others there. He insist that Agnes isn't there. Sidney talks with Shelby and Money, and insists that Agnes is insane.
Audrey calls 911 when Agnes comes to hear house with a large knife, trying to take Audrey's Saturn Award.
Sidney comes in and assures Audrey that Agnes isn't there and they'll get the police involved if she shows up again. Shelby offers her congratulations to Audrey and Rory, and she lost a husband but Audrey gained one. When she says that it's never too late for love, Audrey takes offense and Shelby insists that she was talking about herself. Matt comes in and he and Shelby stare at each other.
Sidney takes everyone's phones and gives them new phones that have been disabled. Only the camera works, and he wants them to put themselves in the audience's point of view. The producer tells them to be themselves, and capture any spooky occurrences, and says that Matt will be staying with Shelby. Matt says that won't work, and Sidney says that he can sleep in the basement if he wants. Shelby suggests that they talk about it, and Lee says that Matt has been fine without Shelby. She calls Shelby a weak self-involved girl who destroyed Matt, and now everyone thinks she's a murderer. Shelby refuses to be punished anymore for being human and swears to Matt that it was only one time with Dominic. Lee and Matt walk out, and Shelby grabs her luggage and heads to the master bedroom.
In the kitchen, Monet tells Audrey and Rory that it looked like the Millers weren't playing for the camera. Audrey thinks that they were acting, and all three actors figure that the Millers made it all up. When Rory says that they were in the house for eight weeks, Matt comes in and points out that they didn’t film the first season during the Blood Moon. He tells them to look out the window and warns that the Blood Moon is coming.
Over the next three days during the Blood Moon, every participant in this series died under mysterious circumstances. Except for one.
The show planned by producers never aired. This is the assembled found footage.
Matt goes to the basement. Upstairs, Shelby goes to the master bedroom. Monet goes to her room and pours herself a drink. Lee walks down the hall, unware that Mason's bloody ghost is behind her.
Out at the hot tub, Audrey and Rory are relaxing in the hot tub. She goes in to take a shower, and Rory says that he'll be there in a minute.
Lee is making a sandwich in the kitchen. Shelby is outside, hears her, and goes down to the basement. She invites him to come upstairs and talk to her, and goes over to where he's sitting on the bed. Matt says that they shouldn't have come back, but Shelby figures that Sidney won't let them get hurt. He figure that it will happen again, and doesn't think they'll survive a second time.
Money comes to the kitchen to get something to eat. Lee says that she can smell the booze and understands, and Monet says that she's a drunk because of Lee. She had to live in her head for months and knows how she thinks, and wonders how Lee lives with herself. Lee says that the people who yell "murderer" at her see the person that Monet chose to put on the screen.
As Shelby tells Matt that they can just walk out, someone knocks on the front door. He Millers answer the door and finds Dominic there. Matt attacks him and Rory hears the commotion. He comes inside as the others come down and separate Matt and Dominic. Realizing that Sidney played her, Shelby screams at him via the camera.
Audrey is showering when she hears the bathroom door open.
In the kitchen, Lee checks Matt's wounds.
Audrey finishes her shower and cleans the steam off of the mirror, and sees Piggy Man in the window behind her. She screams and runs down the stairs, and Audrey tells Rory that Sidney put someone outside of her window. Rory runs to the bathroom and searches first the bathroom and then the bedroom. When he finds no one. The two ghost nurses appear and stab him to death.
Matt goes to the library and finds the word "MURDER" written on the wall.
In the kitchen, the others gather and Audrey insists that none of the supernatural events are real. A shell-shocked Matt comes in and says that R is for "Rory."
Written by Gadfly on Oct 20, 2016