Historians will perhaps define the FX anthology series "American Horror Story" as part of this generation's culture. From the brilliant characters and plots that tap into our guilty pleasure of horror, "AHS" is a "Cult" classic, no pun intended.
Last season tapped into our fears in the aftermath of the 2016 election, with Evan Peters portraying a hyper-sociopathic white nationalist leader who builds power and tyranny in a Michigan suburb. Some, rightfully so, thought that this was a step in the wrong direction, with many finding cable TV a resort from the turmoil we see in the real world.
Then comes "AHS: Apocalypse", which taps into the fear, and maybe the desire, that maybe--just maybe--it will all come crashing down.
The season, which premiered on September 12, 2018, opens after word just got out than a nuclear bomb was hurtling towards Los Angeles, and a group of Los Angelites (Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Joan Collins, Leslie Grossman, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Emma Roberts), and two middle-class teenagers (Ashley Santos and Kyle Allen), eventually find themselves part of a secret organization known as The Cooperative. The group is hoarded in an underground facility maintained by the Cooperative, headed by Wilhelmina Venable (Sarah Paulson) and Miriam Mead (Kathy Bates). After hearing that their food supply is limited for only about six months, the group soon finds themselves living a monotonous lifestyle that leads to an immense debate in the group as to what they should do next.
This is only the tip of the iceberg as to what the season premiere actually entails. But what the biggest bombshell of this episode is that we finally see some of the crossover elements of seasons 1 and 3 ("Murder House" and "Coven", respectively) come out in this season: the introduction of Michael Langdon (Cody Fern), the Antichrist son of Tate Langdon, as the head of this mystery group known as the Cooperative.
Past seasons of "AHS" have been seen as lackluster to fans of the show, whether it be "Hotel" for its alleged overkill of sexual situations or "Freak Show" for its alleged dragging on of the plot. I partially agree with some of these arguments, mainly explaining why I was never a devout fan of recent seasons like "Roanoke" and "Cult". But with "Apocalypse" promising to resurrect some characters from beloved seasons, this year's edition of "AHS" looks promising, especially with a cliffhanger that will make you plead for more.
"Apocalypse" also raises questions of whether or not "AHS"'s days are now numbered. But given Ryan Murphy's ability to make brilliant plot twists, this seems more off the table compared to other anxieties such as the fate of shows like "Shameless".
In short, if you've taken a break from "American Horror Story", give "Apocalypse" a try. While previous seasons may not have lived up to the hype of its predecessors, "Apocalypse" has an it-factor, both in plot and horror, that gives it the worth to watch.
New episodes of "American Horror Story: Apocalypse" premiere Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.
