Jessica Lange is returning as Constance Langdon in American Horror Story: Apocalypse

Four years after Jessica Lange departed from American Horror Story, she is making her grand return in the eighth season as Constance Langdon.

The moment I heard that the title for American Horror Story‘s upcoming season would be Apocalypse, I knew it was only a matter of time before Jessica Lange announced her own return as Constance Langdon. Starring in the first four seasons, Lange earned an Emmy nomination for each one and won two for Murder House and Coven. She left the show without explaining why only stating that it felt “natural” at the time. However, her hiatus is now over, much to the excitement of both fans and critics alike.

In the eighth season of the series, American Horror Story: Apocalypse will be a crossover between Murder House and Coven, pairing together the ghosts and associates of Murder House with the witches of Miss Robichaux’s Academy. In the first season of AHS, a family of three unsuspectingly moves into a haunted house filled with more ghosts than any house should be allowed to have. One of the more homicidal ghosts is Tate Langdon, a teenage boy who shot up his school and was shot dead by the police. Lange played Constance Langdon, his hateful but sometimes loving mother.

Murder House ended with the birth of the Antichrist, Michael Langdon, after Tate raped and impregnated a living woman. In the season finale, Michael is taken by his grandmother who believes that it’s her destiny to be apart of something great. Turns out that greatness is an evil, or as she calls it, “a remarkable boy destined for greatness, in need of a remarkable mother.”

Michael Langdon has been confirmed by Ryan Murphy to appear in the season. Now a teenager, he will be played by Cody Fern, and from the picture Murphy released he apparently hasn’t change a bit since we last saw him, not even his shirt or his haircut.

Each season of American Horror Story, though separate, connects to one another. Some characters have crossed over into other seasons before, such as Queenie staying in the Hotel Cortez, the Countess having an attempted abortion by Dr. Montgomery, Lana Winters interviewing characters on both Cult and Roanoke, and the builder of the Roanoke House being the ancestor of Dandy Mott from Freak Show. It’s all been subtle and small-scale until now, and this one’s been laying in wait since the beginning.

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The news of Lange’s return was broken by Sarah Paulson at the American Horror Story panel at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. “I do have the great pleasure of letting you all know that, yes, she will be back. Jessica will be returning as Constance in an episode that I’m going to direct.”

It was also announced that the series has been renewed for a 10th season, which kind of breaks the Nine Gates of Hell theory. It might still work though because in Dante’s poem, “Inferno”, after the nine gates, he goes down further into the Center of Hell where the Devil lives. Technically the Center of Hell is part of the Ninth ring but for the sake of keeping alive one of the best fan theories I’ve ever heard, let’s say they’re separate.

All that is known about Lange’s return  is that she’ll be returning as Constance, but what she’ll be doing in the show or for how long is still unknown. Michael is still a teenager which means he’s probably still in her care, so if Cody Fern is given a starring role instead of a supporting one, than perhaps we’ll see quite a big of Lange for season eight.

Along side Lange, Sarah Paulson is also returning as both Cordelia and Billie Dean, and Emma Roberts is coming back as Madison Montgomery. Murphy announced on Twitter that “all witches are being asked back”, hinting the return of more than just Madison. Death doesn’t mean the end for a series like this, and if Madison is coming back then maybe Lily Rabe might return as Misty Day as well (fingers crossed). Evan Peters, Tarissa Farmiga, Billie Lourd, Billy Eichner, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter and Leslie Grossman are also scheduled to make an appearance.

Who knows if Tate will appear and reunite with his son, but at least we know for certain that Jessica Lange will. She’s finally coming back and all it took was the Apocalypse!

American Horror Story: Apocalypse will air on September 12 at 10 p.m. on FX