Why this week’s episode of AHS Apocalypse was one of the series best yet
By Aedan Juvet
AHS: Apocalypse provides one of the series strongest episodes yet with familiar faces, major character growth and the truth about the spawn of Satan.
Every week it seems like AHS: Apocalypse keeps getting better, with the sixth chapter bringing back the fan-favorite Murder House. In the episode, we saw the marvelous return of Jessica Lange as Constance and some major progression for resident witch/actress Madison.
The episode was a longer run time than every episode of the season, and for good reason – so it feels necessary to point out some of the moments that made the episode a perfect chapter in the AHS narrative.
Madison proves herself as an AHS icon
I’ve constantly stated my appreciation for the misunderstood witch, and this episode thoroughly explored a side that viewers hadn’t seen before. Madison played a big role in the crossover as she is sent with Chablis to investigate Michael. She doesn’t plan on being impacted by the spirits she encounters and we discover she has a big heart that she’s hidden thus far.
To start, she frees Moira to be with her mother (something I’ve longed to see) and then shows compassion towards Constance and the Harmon family. This act even bridges the gap between Tate and Violet, and assisted the reveal that Tate was influenced by evil but isn’t the person he was pre-Michael.
The episode goes on to suggest her persona could stem from the abuse she faced in the film industry, making her attitude more sensible. And there’s even some slight confirmation that she is a descendant of the Montgomery’s who built the Murder House. With Madison playing the role of powerful witch and thawing her cold demeanor, it’s solidified that Madison is easily one of the most iconic AHS characters to date.
Constance comes full circle
Constance was a morally questionable character in the series first season and bringing her back to explain Michael’s life was necessary and completely fulfilling. From her initial scene telling the witch and warlock who she is, to her staking her claim over the house, she’s an all-around AHS juggernaut.
Her undying love for her family became very clear, and after Michael’s attempted murder she decided to take her fate into her own hands. Constance committing suicide in the Murder House was surprisingly fitting for her character given her cruel acts in life and there’s not a chance she would have willingly faced a higher power to acknowledge her wrongdoings.
Seeing her choose her children over the antichrist and finally flourish as a mother after a life of turmoil was a surprisingly emotional moment for the series complex character. With her characters path and Lange’s remarkable portrayal of Constance, it was a beautiful return for the woman who has helped the series blossom into critically acclaim status.
Vivian Harmon has been seriously missed
Vivian was a personal favorite from the first season, and the end of the first season brought her back together with Ben despite everything he put her through. The return showed that she isn’t completely on speaking terms with her deceased husband any longer and for good reason. While Ben tried to connect with Michael, Vivian senses the danger he could bring and strayed as far as possible from the bringer of death.
Once Vivian became clear of his actual power and potential, she attempted to murder him and was almost erased entirely (which we recently learned was possible) but thankfully Tate was the reason Vivian’s spirit lives on. Even if just for an episode, having the Harmon matriarch back once more was a gift that AHS viewers could truly appreciate as another wonderful addition to a strong season.
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An explanation of the evil
Something important happened in this recent chapter of AHS and that was the dive into the evil within the AHS lore. We’ve witnessed Michael murdering already, but we received our first look the satanic cult that empowered his desires for evil.
More importantly, we learned via the witches that the darkness we knew from Tate wasn’t completely from the angsty teen, but he was heavily influenced by other forces to play a part in the birth of Michael. That plot alone gave an opportunity to showcase a different Tate than we knew before and it provided us with answers about Murder House that was left ambiguous up until this point. It doesn’t indicate how much of a part he played in his actions, but in a horror series, it’s practical to find out there was more than meets the eye.
What were your thoughts on the sixth episode of AHS Apocalypse? Share in the comments below.
American Horror Story: Apocalypse continues on Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.