American Horror Story: Apocalyse (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Previous threads:
American Horror Story [Murder House]
American Horror Story: Asylum
American Horror Story: Coven
American Horror Story: Freak Show
American Horror Story: Hotel
American Horror Story: Roanoke

If they had played it straight the way the early episodes of the first season played it straight, this would be a strong contender for the scariest premise yet. But between Billy Eichner's fate, and having Joan Collins basically playing Joan Collins, the camp factor robs it of a lot of its unnerving qualities.

The big hook this season (aside from the end of the world) is that it's supposed to be a major crossover between the Murder House season and the Coven season. But in the premiere we only get one character from either show: Michael Langdon, the baby that resulted from Tate's ghost raping Vivian, and prophesied to be the anti-Christ who would bring about the End of Days, has somehow aged into a grown adult between being born in 2012, and when he appears in 2020 or 2021.

 

[JohnMor]

Yeah, I’m waiting to see how the Michael Langdon age thing is explained (if it ever is. The series has always been pretty strict about identifying the years things were taking place before.

This was my favorite debut episode so far. Loved it. I enjoyed the humor as I had expected it to be nonstop deadly dreariness and death. And I’m loving Sarah’s character this year. Nice to see her get a villian for a change. I also liked all the echos of the Coven premier: the taking away of Timothy from his family, being brought to the former boys school, etc. Even the nod to Asylum with the one song playing over and over in the music room, a la Dominique.

 

[Luluden]

My soul was crushed when I saw Sarah Paulson's name in the opening credits. She's got a major role, too. Dammit.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

My soul was crushed when I saw Sarah Paulson's name in the opening credits. She's got a major role, too. Dammit.

She reminds me a lot of Meryl Streep, where everybody raves about how great of an actress she is, but when I'm watching her I can never seem to forget that I'm watching an actress giving a performance.

 

[Luluden]

She reminds me a lot of Meryl Streep, where everybody raves about how great of an actress she is, but when I'm watching her I can never seem to forget that I'm watching an actress giving a performance.

Meryl Streep is the kind of famous person whose reputation proceeds them, so I automatically sign the petition to love her no matter what. Then I watched her films and wondered what the fuss is all about. Meryl Streep doesn't get on my nerves, though. Sarah Paulson irritates me. The way she screams and cries. Just the way she talks irks me.

 

[TonyD]

This ep started great. Then when everything went to hell in a hand basket and everyone was in the bunker it became a bore.

I hope the r est of the season isn’t like this ep.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Even the nod to Asylum with the one song playing over and over in the music room, a la Dominique.

Wasn't that song from "Murder House"?

 

[JohnMor]

Wasn't that song from "Murder House"?

No, Asylum.

 

[Malcolm R]

Wasn't that song from "Murder House"?

No, Asylum.

"Dominique" was the song from Asylum. I think Kevin is referring to "Tonight You Belong to Me," which was also used in Murder House.

 

[JohnMor]

Ah. I was confused because that song and it’s usage had nothing to do with my post he quoted.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

"Dominique" was the song from Asylum. I think Kevin is referring to "Tonight You Belong to Me," which was also used in Murder House.

Wasn't that the song you were referring to, John, "a song that played over and over like 'Dominique'"?

 

[Clinton McClure]

This ep started great. Then when everything went to hell in a hand basket and everyone was in the bunker it became a bore.

I hope the r est of the season isn’t like this ep.

The beginning of Episode 1 felt very rushed then we get what seemed like an hour and a half of the bunker. What a drag. I’ve already lost interest in this season and am skipping the remainder. At least I won’t have to listen to Sarah Paulson’s irritating voice anymore.

 

[JohnMor]

Wasn't that the song you were referring to, John, "a song that played over and over like 'Dominique'"?

No. I was comparing the use of “Dominique” being played repeatedly non-stop to a captive audience in the common room of Briarcliff in Asylum with the Carpenters’ song “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” (and later Maureen McGovern’s “The Morning After”) playing repeatedly non-stop to a captive audience in the music room of Outpost 3.

“Tonight You Belong to Me” had nothing to do with Asylum and was never played over and over repeatedly in Murder House.

 

[Luluden]

I have episode 2 waiting to be watched on my DVR, and I just don't even want to bother. The excitement of seasons 1-4 has never returned. I couldn't watch hotel all the way through. I don't care what happened in Roanoke. I couldn't tolerate Cult for many reasons, but mainly because of Paulson's silly ass.

I just want to see what's going on in the world outside the bunker grounds. Are we going to see mutants that actually look scary and not cheesy? Hmmmm....

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I found the second episode boring as hell. If they don't get out of the bunker soon, I'm bailing.

 

[JohnMor]

Loved the second episode. Best season they’ve had since Freak Show. Although I’ve fallen in love with Roanoke, which I didn’t care for when it first aired.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I really liked Murder House and Hotel. The rest was pretty dull and uninteresting to me.

Even without watching any more episodes of this season, my guess is that in the season finale, they’ll pull an M. Night. Shyamalan and reveal there isn’t actually an apolocypse and the world is still normal.

 

[TonyD]

Pretty sure they’ve shown us what it looks like outside and it seemed desolate.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Even without watching any more episodes of this season, my guess is that in the season finale, they’ll pull an M. Night. Shyamalan and reveal there isn’t actually an apolocypse and the world is still normal.

Given that Michael Langdon was born in 2011, and Cody Fern is 30, they could have set this in the year 2031 and built in 13 years between "now" and the apocalypse to tell future stories in. I'm guessing the reason they went with 2020 instead is because Ryan Murphy wanted to bring the Coven witches back, and it wouldn't have made sense to have them be 18 years older when the actresses are only five years older.

Given what we've seen, it seems pretty clear that some nukes have dropped. But I wouldn't be surprised if the desolation was revealed to be less extensive than presented in the bunker. Alternatively, I wouldn't be surprised if witchcraft was involved to go back in time and avert the apocalypse. But given Ryan Murphy's track record, it's also possible that the series ends with the complete damnation of the surviving humanity, and extinction of all life on Earth, and then future seasons just ignore this one entirely.

 

[Luluden]

Ah-ha! They're aliens!