Four episodes of American Horror Story: Roanoke have aired, and the only thing fans are sure of is Evan Peters' glaring absence. A weekly post-episode survey of Twitter is all it takes to see just how passionate AHS: Roanoke fans are about figuring out where Peters is and who he is playing this season. The AHS: Roanoke theories about Evan Peters are nothing if not creative. The most popular theories are that his character is a descendant of the troubled Mott family, is the menacing pig man, or is the producer lurking just off camera. Well, if your favorite theory is that Peters is the man behind the documentary camera, Ryan Murphy himself has just debunked this rumor for good.
In a new Tweet, Murphy did two things: he confirmed Peters will finally appear in Episode 5, and he is definitely not the producer. Sorry, guys, it was a good theory, but this is AHS, nothing is ever simple with this show. In fact, I would not be surprised if every single Peters theory out there is wrong, and his character turns out to be someone else entirely. That is just how Murphy rolls.
Note, Murphy says Peters is making his Roanoke debut in Episode 5, which also rules out the pig man. It would not be a debut if the actor had been running around the house scaring Shelby and Matt this whole time. And, while I personally love the Mott theory, if it's guessable, it's probably wrong too. However, since the mysterious Mott descendant who built the house hasn't appeared onscreen yet, that's one theory that cannot be ruled out just yet.
Knowing Peters is not the producer is at least a step in the right direction. At this point, it wouldn't have been very exciting for Peters to be revealed as the man questioning and coaching Shelby, Matt, and Lee through their interviews. If AHS ever loses the ability to shock, it might also lose some of its charm, so I'm happy to know at least one of the most popular theories is wrong.
Honestly, having Peters be the producer would have just been an wasted opportunity to put him in cool period clothes anyway. He has played integral roles across the AHS franchise, and, even though he's appearing later in the season than expected, his Roanoke role is sure to be a memorable one as well. Whether he is once again playing a dead man haunting a house as he did in Season 1, or he's about to take on a completely new role, Peters is always an asset to the franchise.
For now, forget all your theories and just be thankful you will be meeting Peters' Roanoke character sooner rather than later.
