AMERICAN HORROR STORY: APOCALYPSE (S8E3) “The Forbidden Fruit”: The Coven Arrives With A Few Twists

What an episode! While the first two episodes have been slow-burners chock-full of crossover teasers and apocalyptic intel, “Forbidden Fruit” was a real shocker! While I had originally believed this episode would surround the fallout of the dissentient young lovers at the end of “The Morning After”, the literal meaning of episode titles stopped there, with episode 3 reaching into biblical interpretations.

Interview with a Witch… or two?

There was a swift resolution to both Mr. Gallant (Evan Peters) killing his grandmother (Joan Collins), as well as the young lovers insolence from the final moments of the previous episode. They are neither punished, nor reprimanded; Langdon (Cody Fern) reassuring their behaviors were dismissible and understandable. I was shocked at how quickly each of these events had been discarded, yet it was not the events that were the important aspect to begin with. It was what each action implied, the ability to sway someone to disregard and break the rules, to draw out the evil within them.

What was most important, however, was the acknowledgement between Langdon and Dinah Stevens (Adina Porter). While never explicitly stated, they both reference each other’s true nature, Langdon asking Dinah if there is going to be a problem. Immediately, this character who had lacked much attention by the camera and storyline, became a potential key to the Coven arrival.

Yet, as for the possibility that Dinah was a witch, it was Mallory (Billie Lourd) who proved to be the most intriguing of the interviews. As Langdon worked to pull the evil up from within her, Mallory fought back, struggling to keep herself under control. Yet, it is not until he prevents her from leaving, attempting to pull her back, that the true Mallory shines through for the first time. Throwing him back and erupting high rising flames from the fireplace, Mallory displays her natural affinity for magic, leaving viewers to easily realize she is a witch – and a very powerful one at that. Langdon seems clearly unnerved and shocked, lunging towards her, matching her accidental reveal with one of his own, a demonic face raging towards her. Setting the back of the room ablaze with rage, Mallory runs from Langdon – and herself.

“Not just eat the forbidden fruit, but cut the f*cking tree down and burn it for firewood.”

As Venable’s (Sarah Paulson) suspicions and distaste for Langdon grows, so does her disregard for the inhabitants of the outpost. Revealing she would not be one of the selected to escape to the sanctuary, Venable conspires with Miriam Mead (Kathy Bates), crafting a plan to eliminate her competition and master – claiming the sanctuary for herself. Murder is the only clear option to ensure the right people are allowed to survive.

Mysteriously arriving at the outpost, a horse-drawn carriage brings a sealed case of succulent and perfectly preserved apples. For a moment, fear keeps Venable and Mead from biting into the red flesh of the fruit that has been offered to them – though not for long. As Venable enjoys the sweetness, a devilish idea springs to mind. In order to successfully wipe out the Outpost, it must all be done at the same time, the apples providing the perfect irresistible temptation to all. Utilizing the snakes seen in “The Morning After”, Venable and Mead carry out their plan.

While the previous two episodes have been literal statements of what we would see, “The Forbidden Fruit” was the first to be a representation – and not a lighthearted one at that. Drawing back to the Old Testament, specifically the Book of Genesis, the third installment of this season strongly referenced Adam and Eve’s temptation by the devil and their subsequent exile from the Garden of Eden. Symbolically, Venable is Eve, leading the others to bite from the “forbidden fruit”. She has been tempted by the sin of jealousy and envy as she was denied entry to the sanctuary. Her distrust in Langdon and pride lead to the demise of Outpost 3 and its inhabitants. She offers the apples to the group, much as Eve did for Adam, effectively exiling them all out of the sanctuary (i.e. The Garden of Eden) – and potentially sealing the fate of humanity.

“Find Our Sisters”

Coven fans rejoice! The moment we have all been waiting for has arrived – and it did not disappoint. There had been many rumblings throughout the internet of viewers becoming inpatient for the witch’s arrival. Keen eyes at the beginning of “The Forbidden Fruit” will have noticed Frances Conroy listed as a special guest star – the immediate question being as whom?

Having forgotten that little detail from the beginning, and due to the shock from the climatic events within Outpost 3, I found myself wondering where she had made her appearance and how I had missed it as the episode appeared to be coming to an end. Cue the excitement as the camera flashes to the nuclear winter outside and we see Cordelia (Sarah Paulson), Madison (Emma Roberts) and Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy) arrive at the Outpost looking for their fallen sisters – Madison greeting one of the sisters with her unmistakable “Surprise Bitch! I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me” (though I am not sure if that was more for Mallory, or the audience).

Yet, as the excitement of the witches’ arrival ebbed, questions began flooding in. How does Mallory know Madison? It is plausible that Mallory had previously been Madison’s assistant during her time as a movie star. Are they sisters? There is an eerie similarity between the two that seems like a definite possibility. Mallory’s last name has not yet been revealed, indicating that she has a MUCH bigger part to play in this season.

Mallory is not the only character my rampant questions were spinning around. How did Madison Montgomery survive? This is one of my biggest questions, though one that has been on my mind since the release of promo photos for the upcoming season. Remember, at the conclusion of Coven, Madison was strangled to death by the Frankenstein creation Kyle (Evan Peters). Realizing what he had done, Spaldings’ (Denis O’Hare) ghost appeared, informing Kyle that the witch’s behavior would be a plausible explanation for her disappearance, making it easy to bury the body. Did the Supreme discover her and bring her back to life? Or did Madison, who possessed the ability to bring individuals back from the dead, resurrect herself as fellow witch Misty (Lily Rabe) had done after being burned by the stake?

How did the witches survive the fallout and know where to find their fallen sisters? And where is Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga)? Coco (Leslie Grossman)? Really? Basically, my questions are endless!

Where do we go from here?

Beyond the biblical interpretations during this episode, I was also driven to think back to Snow White. We have all heard the fairy tale of the young princess who was offered a poisonous apple by a witch in disguise. Taking a bite, Snow White is plunged into an eternal sleep, only to be woken by true love’s first kiss. The thought of Snow White came during the Halloween party, and became more grounded as Cordelia brought back to life the three sisters. Not true love’s first kiss per se, but very close.

Well, if it was questioning the future of American Horror Story after destroying the world, I am now questioning the continuation of this season. I am intrigued and I feel as though I have just watched a Hitchc*ck film – specifically Psycho. For two episodes, viewers have connected with these characters, choosing who they would emotionally support and who they would like to see killed off next. The entire episode, I was in disbelief that Venable’s plan would be carried out, yet as each member of Outpost 3 bit into their apples I was floored that Murphy would kill off almost his entire cast in episode 3!

While some were brought back, the sisters of the coven, it is a wonder if the rest will be as well, and if a face-off between the witches and Langdon is an inevitability. Remember in the beginning, as Langdon commenced his Satanic ritual, he was stating he thought he had killed them all, but one survived. The question is, which one? Now that we know there were at least three in the compound, and more that have survived the nuclear blast, who was he talking about?

With our first view of the world outside the compound as well as within “The Forbidden Fruit”, it will leave many wondering if we will be seeing more of the destruction left in the wake of the bomb – and how will it bring us closer to the Murder House.

What are your thoughts on the latest episode of American Horror Story: Apocalypse?