5 Ways the Apocalypse Could Play Out on American Horror Story
Hear ye, hear ye! FX has revealed the title of American Horror Story's eighth season, and it really packs a punch. The next installment, previously confirmed as a Coven/Murder House crossover, will be called Apocalypse, and we can already feel the nightmares creeping up on us thanks to the first promotional images. Anyway, now that we know the end of times are on the horizon, we're doing what we do best: theorizing.
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We've already speculated at length about AHS's resident Antichrist Michael Langdon. There seems to be a lot of mounting evidence that Michael will play a key role in the new season. Given the fact that he's so clearly evil at the end of season one, the most obvious scenario makes him the villain of season eight. Michael will have grown into a devilish young man, and as his powers manifest, he'll threaten the entire world.
As for the witches (who have been brought into the fold by the confirmation of the the Coven/Murder House crossover)? Well, they'll have to join forces with Michael or fight against him. We can see it going either way.
If you didn't know, the "Antichrist" is actually a biblical reference to the Book of Revelation. It's the last book of the Bible, and it describes to Apocalypse. Religious imagery has pervaded quite a few seasons of American Horror Story. Obviously, all the Antichrist talk happens in Murder House, but Asylum is saturated in religion, and there are breadcrumbs in other seasons as well. This is why it may be interesting to use the Book of Revelation as potential inspiration for AHS: Apocalypse.
In this book, the Antichrist is described, at times, as a seven-headed Beast. There's a full PDF version of the book courtesy of the Geneva Bible online. Prepare yourself, it's pretty dense stuff.
"I saw a beast rise out of the sea, having seven heads, and ten horns, and upon his horns were ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, but his deadly wound as healed, and all the world wondered and followed the beast."
I'm not saying AHS will literally create a seven-headed beast — don't rule it out, though! — but there is clearly fodder for some nightmarish imagery. There are also lots of other interesting aspects to incorporate: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Whore of Babylon, and more. I could imagine a gripping season in which Murphy finds modern-day ways to depict these ancient images.
If the show opts not to do the whole religious apocalypse thing, perhaps we can look to the rumors of a "Radioactive" theme for intel. Given the fact that our world in reality is dangerously close to all-out nuclear war, I wouldn't be surprised to see it play out like this in the show.
Of course, we'd still have to contend with the Coven and Murder House connections, but I'm envisioning it like this: the season starts with a cataclysmic nuclear event. Then, in the aftermath, we see the destruction of the human race as we know it. Maybe the witches will take advantage of the chaos to seize control once and for all.
Given the fact that the American Horror Story timeline stretches all the way back to the 1500s, I wouldn't be surprised if this Apocalypse collided with something from even further in the past. With Scáthach emerging as the first-ever Supreme, I can't help but wonder if we'll see another familiar old-world figure: Lilith.
In the mythological sense, Lilith is known as the first wife of Adam, who was exiled from Eden. She became a monstrous demon, known for stealing babies in the night. In some iterations, she's the mother of all monsters. If you think this sounds familiar, it's because Lilith has popped up in quite a few pop culture spaces. She manifests as a powerful demon on Supernatural. She appears as the messiah of all vampires on True Blood. She even pops up in an episode of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. So, you can imagine why Murphy might offer his own take on the entity.
Lilith is the perfect ultimate antagonist for the end of the world. Perhaps Michael Langdon will unite with the world's witches to fight against her. Or perhaps all the evil will unite to decimate humanity.
Listen, maybe we're overcomplicating things! Maybe we don't need to add all these crazy nuclear, occult, or religious plotlines to make the Apocalypse a tried and true spectacle! (Though, knowing Ryan Murphy, he'll try to do all of the above and more. All tea, all shade.) Really, though, I can imagine a scenario where the witches of the world rise up and duke it out in one massive battle. I mean, it's clear there are already good and evil witches. What happens when a revolution begins?
One thing's for sure: I've never been so excited to see the world end. American Horror Story: Apocalypse premieres Sept. 12.