American Horror Stories episode 6, “Feral”, ends with terrifying figures lurking in US national parks. American Horror Stories episode 6’s cast and characters, including Cody Fern and American Horror Stories’ “Rubber Woman” actor Aaron Tveit, work to create a compellingly eerie plot. Instead of demonic conjuring, serial killers, and ghosts, “Feral” gives a look at a common fear of every forest traveler and camper for centuries: Terrifying creatures living in the woods.

“Feral” follows the story of a young couple, Jay and Addy Gantz, and their young son Jacob, who go camping at Kern Canyon National Park (a spin on California’s Kern River State Park), only for Jacob to mysteriously disappear. After 10 years, Jay and Addy return to the national park when a hunter explains he knows where Jacob went and that he was taken by the forest’s drug dealers. When the Gantzes arrive, they discover through Park Ranger Stan Vogel that the US national parks have a deeply sinister history that goes beyond simple Bigfoot conspiracies.

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Following American Horror Stories “Ba’al”’s exciting demonic twists, “Feral” had high expectations that it miraculously lived up to. In a new course of horrific natural lore for Ryan Murphy, American Horror Stories episode 6 ends with several twists that make one question the real US government, trekking into the woods, and if Murphy will bring back such mythologies in future American Horror Story installations.

American Horror Stories’ Feral Nation Explained

The crux of the “Feral” episode is what lurks in the woods, which happens to be what Park Ranger Stan Vogel (Cody Fern) calls Feral Nation. Within the American Horror Stories lore, Feral Nation is what people have historically believed to be Sasquatch over the United States’ history. They’re a subpopulation of humans that have been living deep in the woods of America’s national parks for centuries, which American Horror Stories‘ character Stan suggests dates back to at least the Civil War. Over years of retreating to the woods, Feral Nation has turned from a typical human appearance to a terrifying look, which Stan explains is a product of genetic mutations and inbreeding over centuries.

Although movies like Harry and the Hendersons have made Sasquatch creatures out to be friendly and something people shouldn’t fear, American Horror Stories suggests the opposite. The Feral Nation in American Horror Stories episode 6 turns the Bigfoot myth on its head, explaining that while Bigfoot itself isn’t an accurate description, the government cover-up and subhuman denomination of the Ferals is real. Instead of creatures hiding from people with a tiny population, the so-called “wild men” have lost human morality and enjoy the taste of raw animals while also typically resorting to cannibalism.

Bob Birch’s Betrayal Twist Explained

The drama for “Feral” starts really coming into play when hunter Bob Birch finds Jay Gantz and tells him he knows what happened to his son. Bob Birch originally comes to Jay’s home, showing him a picture from the park’s camera of a young teenager boy who could easily be Jacob. Birch then tells Jay he believes Jacob was taken by a group of illegal pot farmers living in the woods who also dabble in human trafficking, explaining he’ll take Jay to their location for a price. After taking Jay and Addy to the American Horror Stories episode’s fictional Kern Canyon National Park, they come to a stop where they see a group of Feral people who appear to be dead, covered in blood and asleep.

Bob tells Jay and Addy that he never actually knew about Jacob’s disappearance, he simply faked the photo with his own nephew and bought Jay’s similar compass at a Salvation Army. The American Horror Stories character had originally made a deal with the Feral Nation, explaining he would bring the Gantzes out to the woods where they would “disappear” and Birch and the Ferals would make off with all their money. As Birch stands with a gun pointed to Jay and Addy in an effort to just take their money and run, one of the supposedly dead Ferals bites his neck, sending the Gantzes on a run from the forest’s zombie-like people.

Jacob’s Feral Nation King Twist Explained

Keeping up with American Horror Stories episode 5’s exciting final twist, “Feral” ends with Jay and Addy being brought by the Feral Nation to a young teenager sitting in the middle of the woods on a throne made of bones with a stick crown. They instantly spot the Boy Scout compass Jay had given Jacob at the beginning of American Horror Stories’ episode, deducing he is in fact their son. Over the past decade, Jacob has been raised by Feral Nation to become what is essentially their king, with a chair of skeletons to reinforce his dedication.

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Not only has Jacob Gantz been living as a leader within Feral Nation, he sees his parents and clearly recognizes them, saying “Boo” to Jay which picks up on the hide-and-seek game they played when hthe American Horror Stories character originally went missing. Just when Jay and Addy think they can finally bring their son home, he begins to speak to the Ferals in a foreign tongue. When one asks who they are, Jacob simply says, “Dinner,” allowing his parents to become American Horror Stories’ final feast. With Jay, Addy, Bob and Stan all killed by the Ferals, the US government can continue hiding them from the population as Jacob left no more eyewitnesses of his status.

Are There Feral People In US National Parks?

Concurrent with the American Horror Stories episode, TikTok has begun a major mystery theorizing that feral people actually do live in the United States’ national parks. One TikTok user posted a video after a trip to Big Bend National Park where they claim to have heard a family screaming for their lives, only for the park rangers to claim they have no idea what they’re talking about. As American Horror Stories “Feral” explains, thousands of people have gone missing in national parks with absolutely no explanation. While many of the claims of cannibalistic feral people in real-life national parks lack any sort of evidence to back it up, it’s obvious there are many dangers in the woods that the general population doesn’t know about, even if they’re not Ryan Murphy’s monsters. According to Drivin’ & Vibin’, plenty of purported eyewitnesses have come forth supporting the claims and National Park official suppression, but so far, there’s nothing to confirm the stories either way.

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Jordan Williams
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Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

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