Tamal Kundu
In ‘American Horror Stories’ episode 6, titled ‘Feral,’ creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk revisit the familiar cannibalism trope. In the original ‘American Horror Story,’ the trope prominently appears in ‘Roanoke,’ incidentally the sixth season of that show. ‘Feral’ revolves around young couple Jay (Aaron Tveit) and Addy Gantz (Tiffany Dupont). During a camping trip in the woods, their three-year-old son Jacob disappears. Now, 10 years after the incident, a hunter and guide named Bob Birch (Blake Shields) shows up on Jay’s doorstep and claims that he has information on Jacob’s whereabouts. Here is everything you need to know about ‘American Horror Stories’ episode 6 ending. SPOILERS AHEAD.
American Horror Stories Episode 6 Recap
In episode 6, high-flying lawyer Jay and teacher Addy visit the Kern Canyon National Park with their son for a camping trip. Their jobs are quite stressful, so Jay wants to use this time to relax and forget about all their worries. He even sets up their camp away from the other visitors. The following morning, Jay gives Jacob his boys scouts compass and takes him fishing.
As they make their way to the nearest stream, Jacob plays hide-and-seek with his father, hiding behind bushes and trees and then coming out to shout, “Boo.” Suddenly, Jay can’t find Jacob. Meanwhile, Addy comes across a deer carcass and runs toward Jay. Together, they search for their son, but it seems that Jacob has vanished into thin air. Authorities are then called in, and search parties are arranged, but no trace of Jacob can be found.
Jay spends the next 10 years looking for his son and ruins himself financially in the process. He consults psychics and detectives, but nothing seems to work. His relationship with Addy deteriorates. Jay holds himself responsible for Jacob’s disappearance and wants Addy to do the same. But Addy doesn’t, knowing that grief and the sense of guilt have consumed Jay. They ultimately get a divorce, which only happens because Jay asks for it, believing that he doesn’t deserve any form of happiness.
So, when Birch arrives and claims that he knows where Jacob is, Jay initially doesn’t believe him. But then, Birch shows him a weathered compass and a blurry photograph of a boy of the same age as Jacob should be now. According to Birch, Jacob was abducted by pot farmers associated with the cartel. In return for finding Jacob, he just wants his expenses paid. However, he warns Jay that the farmers will ask for $10,000. Jay doesn’t have that much money — not anymore. So, he reaches out to Addy, who reluctantly agrees to help.
They arrive at the park and make their way toward the hills known as the Malvados. They run into a ranger, Stan (Cody Fern), who recognizes Jay and Addy from the news. After learning that Birch is leading them to the Malvados, Stan implores them to go back, claiming that there are things in those hills that are a “million times worse” than the pot farmers. But he is not particularly forthcoming with the information. He says that he saw what took Jacob before adding that he legally can’t say what he saw. This frustrates Jay and Addy, and they leave with Birch.
American Horror Stories Episode 6 Ending: What Happened to Jacob? Who Took Him?
Jay and Addy soon discover that their initial instinct about Birch was correct all along and that Stan was telling the truth. They come to a clearing where they find the bodies of the farmers. Birch panics and reveals that he has been working together with the pot farmers to rob and kill the grieving parents. He purchased the compass from a Salvation Army store and dirtied it up. The boy in the photo is actually his nephew. Suddenly, one of the corpses seems to come alive and bites into Birch’s neck. He shoots Jay, but Addy manages to take Jay and Birch’s gun and escape. After they get to Stan’s post, they force the ranger to tell them the complete story at gunpoint.
According to Stan, these things are a cannibalistic subpopulation of humans. He calls them Feral Nation. Their monstrous appearance is due to generations of inbreeding. The government is aware of them, and the National Park System was set up to keep the Feral Nation away from the regular people. There are several theories about their origin. Some believe that they are the descendants of the Vikings that landed on the continent about a thousand years ago, while Stan thinks they are progenies of the old mountain men who never came down from the mountains. They are the source of the Bigfoot legend.
They abduct both children and adults, and when that happens, the government launches operations to cull the numbers of the Feral Nation. Jay recalls that after Jacob went missing, a unit of Army Rangers arrived. Stan reveals to him and Addy that they were not there to look for Jacob but to hunt down as many Ferals as they can. 10 years ago, one of these Ferals took Jacob, and Stan saw both the boy and the subhuman creature carrying him.
Do Jay and Addy Find Jacob? Does Jacob Recognize His Parents? Are Jay and Addy Dead?
Yes, Jay and Addy find Jacob. The Ferals break into the Ranger’s post, attack Stan, and start eating him alive. Addy and Jay try to run and find themselves in a clearing. The Ferals surround them and are seemingly waiting for a command. There is a throne made of human bones in the middle of the clearing. A teenage boy sits on it. Jay and Addy see the compass he is wearing around his neck and realize that it’s Jacob.
Yes, Jacob recognizes his parents. He says, “Boo,” which is what he was saying to his father when he went missing 10 years ago. But that ultimately proves to be immaterial. He has apparently become the king of the Feral Nation and likely has the power to save their lives. But then again, he was abducted when he was 3 years old and has become a Feral himself after spending so much time with them. When One of the Ferals asks him who Jay and Addy are, he responds that they are “dinner.”
The boy that Addy and Jay came looking for is long gone. What they see in front of them is no less a monster than any other Feral. Hence, it is evident that Jay and Addy are dead. The moment Jacob declares them as dinner, the Ferals attack them. Like Stan, Jay and Addy are eaten alive. Although their deaths aren’t explicitly shown as too many Ferals crowd over them, we can safely assume no one can escape that feeding frenzy.
Read More: Where Is American Horror Stories Filmed?
