And just like that, the world ended.
It’s time now to discuss possibly the last great season of American Horror Story, Apocalypse. This is the second time I’ve seen this season, but I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum. Though I will say that, of all the seasons, this one rates highest in re-watchability. It might be better the second time. It’s also the first season that I think you need to have watched the previous seasons to appreciate.
Let’s dive into the story because there’s a lot to cover in this first episode.
We start in a hair salon where our main character, Coco, is getting her hair done. Suddenly, everything goes to hell. And I mean that quite literally. Air raid sirens start going off. Cell phones start ringing. Coco gets a call from her father, telling her that it’s the end of the world, and a car is on its way to get her. She’s going to an underground bunker where she’ll be safe.
Things go from zero to 11 real fast. Coco thankfully gets moving. She grabs her assistant, Mallory, and runs. When the rest of her family doesn’t make it, Coco gives their seats to her hairdresser, Mr. Gallant, and his grandma.
We go then to a suburban family home. We meet Tim, waiting with his mother and brother. Tim’s expecting an acceptance letter from UCLA, hoping that his dad will get home in time to celebrate with the family.
His dad arrives, in a panic. He’s heard the news, that WWIII has begun. A moment later, two people in suits arrive and say that Tim has to come with them. He has been chosen to survive because of his superior DNA.
All of this happened at a dizzying pace. If you blinked, you missed it all. And this feels realistic. You can feel the panic of everyone, the rush to survive, or the realization that there is no way to survive.
Weeks later, Tim and his new friend Emily arrive at Outpost 3. It’s like taking a step back in time, complete with class distinction. They meet Ms. Venable, who is in charge of the outpost. She explains that they are Purples, the elite who were chosen to survive. Other Purples are Coco and Gallant. Mallory though is a Gray. A servant, which she’s not thrilled about.
Rather than this being an oasis of safety in a world that is no longer survivable, Outpost 3 is a hellhole. Ms. Venable is a madwoman, who falsely accuses a man of being infected by gamma rays so she can kill him. Just for fun. There’s also a rule that no one can have sex, under the penalty of death.
Worse, they only have enough food for eighteen months.
We then cut to eighteen months later. Everyone’s on edge, trapped in the outpost and slowly running out of food. Then, a visitor arrives that changes everything. His name is Langdon, and he’s there to decide who will be taken to the last safe place in the world.
Funny, the music that played the first time we saw Langdon was familiar.
Where have I heard that song before?
(5 / 5)
