AMERICAN HORROR STORY: APOCALYPSE (S8E6) “Return to Murder House”: A Dose Of AHS Styled Nostalgia

Episode 6 was the episode we have all been waiting for – the “Return to Murder House”! So many of the original spirits from season 1 reappeared to thrill audiences who have stuck with the show since the first episode premiered 8 years ago. From the moment Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts) and Behold Chablis (Billy Porter) remove the spirit’s power to only be seen at will, viewers are thrust back into an exciting thrill ride of nostalgia that is AHS (starting with a brief appearance by the stabbed nurse – so creepy).

Though, is there anyone else who is as disappointed as I am that Zachary Quinto and Kate Mara did not make even the slightest appearance?

A Home for the Coven and the Return of Jessica Lange

Purchasing Murder House with Coven money under the guise of a married couple, Madison and Behold secure not only the time they need to obtain intel on Michael Langdon (Cody Fern), but also secure the house from any outsiders, ensuring that the home no longer claims souls for its collection. After a brief assessment of the exterior of “The Amityville Reject”, Madison and Behold quickly set to work, forcing the veil between the living and the spirit world to be lifted. Immediately, they begin to encounter the spirits of the house, starting with Tate Langdon (Evan Peters) and Dr. Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott) – who have been apparently continuing their sessions after all these years.

Shocked that the the living are able to see them, they are terrified as the witches question them for information on Michael Langdon. Fear and unwillingness to cooperate ends their run-in quickly, Dr. Harmon leaving to cry out a window and wack off and Langdon storming off as his problems had yet to be recognized and solved. Nothing much has changed within Murder House over the years.

Well, almost nothing, as the witches are greeted by the Maître d’ herself, Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange), who boldly proclaims “This is my f*cking house.” To say I was not giddy at the commanding introduction that was lended to Jessica Lange for her return would be a lie. To see her back in form so many years after her departure was breathtaking, and the writers and Ryan Murphy gave her a grand stage to enter on.

A Child Born Unto the Devil

Yet, Constance is not so eager to speak of the boy she once raised and the decisions that have left her trapped within the walls of Murder House – that is, not without something in return. The nostalgia surrounding her eternal bickering with Moira (Frances Conroy) was a heightened and hilarious element of the episode – as well as further proof that not much has changed since we left our ill-fated characters years ago. In exchange for all she knows on Michael, Madison and Behold must forever remove Moira from the home so as to give Constance eternal peace herself. Obliging, the two witches find that in Constance they have not only found the answers, but also an ill-fated future.

Constance fondly recalls bringing the child home with her – she was always made to be a mother. What starts off as a warm and comforting tale of rekindled motherhood, quickly descends into madness. As Michael grew, he began to exhibit “behaviors” that would eventually lead Constance to believe that she was brought into this world not only to be a mother, but to be the mother of evil. Starting with small animals, Michael would indulge in murder and mutilation, escalating into the now infamous moment when Constance comes home to find he had slit the Nanny’s throat. Each of these, with the exception of the Nanny, Constance would bury in the backyard, marked by a single rose bush – a flower she no longer finds any affinity for. Where there is death, there must be life.

Reaching a moment of clarity, Constance realized that Michael would one day kill her, the moment of realization coming after the murder of a local Cardinal and Langdon’s attempt on her own life one night. He was becoming a monster. Unwilling to let someone else decide her death, she made the decision to take her own life, in the home where spirits cannot leave. In Constance Langdon fashion, she went out on her own terms, retaining motherhood for all eternity with her children.

That left Langdon alone, abandoned, a psychosis that would inevitably draw him to the “dark side”. Yet, not without a final attempt from Dr. Harmon – who saw and treated him as his own son. Yet, as Langdon grew older, he began to pull further and further away, the darkness within him consuming from the inside out. While his feelings of abandonment and darkness drove him to his destiny, it was the arrival of three high council Satanist worshippers who solidified his fate. By ritual and understanding, Langdon becomes the child born of the devil, with a loving and devoted High Council member to stay by his side – Miriam Mead (Kathy Bates).

The Omen and antichrist references run more obviously rampant this week. As the ritual to confirm Langdon’s place at the right hand of hell commences, one of the high council members calls out, “It’s all for you Michael, it’s all for you.” 666 is later revealed to be etched into his skin behind his ear as well. The seven signs of the apocalypse are also recalled as having occurred: the Blood Moon, hail storms and stars falling from the sky. Everything is escalating to what we already know is going to happen – the atomic bomb and the end of the world – but now we know how we got there.

The End of Murder House?

While the episode felt as though we were saying goodbye to the Murder House chapter of AHS, it might not be. Maybe we will revisit the haunted premise by the end of the season – maybe it will end where it all began. Personally, I do not think we are done with Murder House. While much of the episode did feel as though we were putting Murder House away – there were still many ghosts within its walls that did not get their final conclusion. What about the others? Did we really just say goodbye? Whether this season or in the future, we cannot be done with Murder House.

Madison was able to use her witchcraft on Violet, allowing her to see Tate for who he truly was, the evil having left him with Michael. Also, Madison was able to bring Moira O’Hara the peace she so desperately craved, finally joining her mother in the afterlife. Honestly, I don’t think Madison is done with Murder House herself. While there are still more spirits who haunt the residence with no chance for peace, there are two ghosts in particular who may be of some importance to Madison.

Billie Jean (Sarah Paulson) recognized both strangers as witches the moment she saw them, but Madison Montgomery was the only one she acknowledged by name. “I have known a lot of Montgomerys in my time.” Seeing as Dr. Charles and Nora Montgomery were the first to own and still haunt the home, and Bille Jean is welcome in the house by its supernatural inhabitants, it is possible that Madison Montgomery has a familial tie that Billie Jean is very aware of.

Conclusion

Directed by Sarah Paulson, this was an awesome nostalgic episode. I do wish it had had a bit more of a kick, but it was a perfectly satisfying return to where it all began. Though the nostalgia was not only reserved for Murder House (i.e. characters, settings, and even the return of “You Belong to Me” by Patience Prudence), but also for the season itself. We now have come full circle with Miriam Mead’s role in Langdon’s life, and her eternal image within a robot. Also, the radio playing incessantly in Outpost 3 appeared in this episode as the Miriam Mead kidnapped the victim for Michael’s ritual into darkness.

With Murder House in our rearview mirrors, we push forward, inching closer to the end of the world we saw in episode one. With next week’s episode titled “Traitor”, it seems as though there are still plenty of surprises packed for viewers in the episodes ahead.