AHS 8.4 – Apocalypse Episode 4 Recap

Things are heating up between Michael Langdon and the witches in episode 4 of American Horror Story Apocalypse. Join us for the recap and discussion.

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*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

American Horror Story Apocalypse Episode 4 Recap

“Could it be… Satan?” is a very interesting title for this episode because so far it’s been pretty clear that Michael Langdon is NOT Satan. But I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg … tip of the volcano? … when it comes to Michael.

The episode opens with a younger Michael having breakfast with Ms. Mead – and we assume this was the real Ms. Mead, not the robot. We hear Michael’s voiceover saying, “She was the closest I ever had to a mother. To this day I don’t know how she found me.”

Um, what about Constance???

So then they say a prayer to the Dark Lord. There’s a pentagram on the wall behind Ms. Mead and the whole scene plays out like Michael is a kid that has to be reminded to say Grace before his meal – like it’s totally normal to pray to the Dark Lord. He just quickly recites the prayer and digs into his food. I’m really curious how the ended up together – and even Michael said he doesn’t know how she found him.

Next we see Coco, Mallory and Dinah after being brought back to life. Mallory is thoroughly confused and Cordelia explains that she and Coco had identity spells placed on them because it was too dangerous for them to know who they really were.

But Dinah did not have a spell on her – she’s not a witch. She says she’s “not here to defeat anyone” and Madison says, “Who cares? As if you could defeat anyone with that backwards voodoo shit.” So we now know that Dinah is involved in voodoo and not witchcraft.

Cordelia says they have to work together to win – and Michael appears at the top of the stairs and says, “I already won.”

Michael Langdon’s Backstory

It’s three years before the bomb and we see a warlock school. This is the male equivalent of “Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies.” The school’s leaders are debating whether or not to invite Michael to the school after seeing his powers demonstrated in a violent way with a prison guard.

The school’s headmaster, Ariel, springs Michael out of jail. As they leave, Ariel pins the guard against the wall and says he’ll be fine after they leave. But Michael snaps his neck (unbeknownst to Ariel)… is he just playing at being innocent at this point? We think Michael has a plan. An evil plan.

After a month at Warlock school, they test Michael as a level 1 warlock. He exceeds all their tests. But he doesn’t have a ton of control over his “magic” and at least one of the warlocks is concerned about the “malevolence in his magic.” This is starting to look a lot like Anakin and Voldemort. They talk of a prophecy. The one who will be their “savior” and finally replace the female Supreme as Alpha.

We then get a little backstory on the witches. Zoe is a teacher at Cordelia’s school, and Mallory is one of the best students. We still haven’t seen Coco.

The witches are summoned to the boys school where the warlocks ask Cordelia to administer the test of the seven wonders to Michael. She refuses. They do a lot of men-bashing and scoffing about the idea of a warlock ever being stronger than a wtich. “Testosterone is a known inhibitor to the etheral realm.”

Michael decides to take matters into his own hands and goes to the Hotel Cortez to prove his power and get Queenie out. She’s been there for years playing cards with James March.

When Michael sets Queenie free from the Hotel, March sighs sadly, “Solitaire it is.”

Michael says there’s one person left to get. He visits Madison Montgomery in her personal hell as a Walmart employee.

Michael says he needs them both to prove a point. Madison promises to be good and he says, “Now why would you want to do something silly like that.”

Cordelia can feel that something’s happening, but she just wants to get back home and away from the warlocks. Cordelia, Zoe, and Myrtle strut out of the warlock school with their noses high in the air just as Michael struts in with Queenie and Madison. Cordelia faints.

What did you think of this week’s episode?

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