After two rather subtle episodes, AHS: Apocalypse upped the stakes with its latest episode, titled Forbidden Fruit. Opening with Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) further conducting his interviews for the selection of the lucky few who would earn a transfer to the Sanctuary, it was revealed that some of the residents of Outpost 3 are hiding a certain power within them. From the start, the episode established that it would be action-packed, and, quite literally, it was.
Screencap from the episode.
The episode, directed by Loni Peristere, made use of the “shaky camera,” a filming technique in which the camera moves with the intensity of the actors, used for motion-heavy scenes; the technique was used for two scenes where the characters found themselves in dire situations. It was surprising to see it being used in American Horror Story, a show known for its unorthodox cinematography, but one that always remained stable even when intense scenes arrived.
Story-wise, Forbidden Fruit moved the plot forward in a way that further confirmed that Outpost 3 was only meant as a mean to introduce the crossover aspect of the season. The episode’s highlight, much like in the first episode, came towards the end, as Outpost 3 suffered an internal attack and ended with Coven witches Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson), Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), and Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy) finally arriving to the scene to save certain residents.
Miss Venable (Paulson) addressing the residents.
As a huge fan of Coven, I must admit that the arrival of the witches made me emotional, to the point where tears formed in my eyes. Given what was presented in the preview for next week’s episode, we can infer that the season’s story will kick into full gear. I would like for the season to further dive into the religious concepts of the apocalypse, as they have been alluded to throughout the episodes but have yet to be elaborated on. It’s hard to pinpoint where the season is heading, but it’s proving that it’s going somewhere.