Five minutes in, and I was already stressed. The premiere of American Horror Story: Apocalypse began with chaos. But can we really expect anything less?
It was the long-awaited merging of previous seasons’ storylines – a crossover of Murder House and Coven. Unfortunately, we are yet to see any recurring characters. It seems as though viewers may have to wait a couple episodes until Madison Montgomery reappears, delivering her iconic line: “I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me.”
With the newest season, viewers jump in mid-apocalypse. Sirens blaring, and in true millennial fashion, urgent alerts buzz from every cellular device scattered across the area. The country is under attack by missile strikes. The situation presents an assortment of fears, and perhaps the most frightening of them all, that this may not be too far off.
All about the recurring characters
The series regular, Evan Peters, graces the screen as Mr. Gallant, the first of two characters he is expected to play. Sarah Paulson makes a haunting entrance as the villain of this season, Wilhemina Venable. She provides shelter from the apocalypse, though it’s all very sketch. Paulson will also be reprising her role as Cordelia Foxx and Billie Dean Howard. Kathy Bates’ character, Ms. Miriam Meed, serves as Venable’s right-hand. Billie Lourd is a new addition to the cast and even Parks and Recreation’s Billy Eichner finds himself randomly mixed among the madness.
Where does this season fit in?
There has yet to be any identifiable connection between seasons one and three. However, the title sequence does not disappoint. As always, disturbing images flicker quickly across the screen. Amid satanic-like creatures, skulls, candles and snakes, there is a brief familiarity. The opening credits feature some of the very same images from Murder House and Coven – a nice homage, depending on how you look at it.
Another detail to pay attention to is the masked man that arrives to the bunker. His identification badge reads: “Michael Langdon.” If you think you’ve heard it before, it’s because you have. Flashback to season one: Remember Tate and Vivien’s son in the season finale?
Promotional teasers let the imagination run wild and aroused excitement of the unknown. Despite hints toward what Apocalypse had to offer, viewers were still uncertain of how exactly this season would start off. After watching the first episode, I am left with even more questions than I had before. As any seasoned viewer knows, though, anything can happen.