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"Return to Murder House" is the sixth episode of Apocalypse. It premiered on October 17, 2018.[1]

Sypnosis[]

Behold and Madison are sent on a mission to Murder House to uncover the truth about Michael Langdon's past. Although revelations about their next Supreme paint a bleak picture - there may be room to set some things right.[2]

Plot[]

Madison and Behold arrive at the Murder House after successfully purchasing the house as a regular straight couple named Mr. and Mrs. James. Upon entering, the pair performs a spell to force the ghosts out of hiding. After it is complete, the ghost of Gladys walks past the doorway, confirming that it did in fact work. They also witness a pair of young girls, who appear to be on fire, running down the stairs.

Downstairs, Tate Langdon vents to Ben Harmon about their therapy sessions and how he needs his help to get Violet to talk to him, as she constantly ignores him. Ben reminds Tate of his past mistakes and how they're valid enough to make Violet choose to ignore him. Behold and Madison interrupt the session much to the shock of Ben and Tate, as the ghosts cannot be seen unless they choose to be. Madison explains that they came to the house to ask the residents questions concerning Michael. Tate warns the witches that they've made a mistake coming to the house.

A red ball rolls down the stairs and after Madison picks it up, she is attacked by Beauregard Langdon who wants to play. As Behold is about to use magic to save her, he is stopped by Billie Dean Howard who manages to distract Beau by throwing his ball. She explains that she's a friend of the house and its residents. A voice can be heard coming down the stairs which is revealed to be Constance Langdon.

Madison and Behold tell Constance that they have come to Murder House to learn about Michael. Constance makes a deal with them: if they get rid of Moira, she'll tell them all about Michael. Madison has Behold tear down the gazebo to dig up Moira's bones. While digging, Behold hits the skull of Hayden and gives it to Madison, who states that the skull couldn't be Moira's because it has a different aura. Later, they take the collection of limbs to Moira and she hugs Madison in gratitude. Moira wants to be buried at the same cemetery that her mother Molly is buried in. Madison and Behold fulfill her wish. Moira reunites with her mother's ghost and confesses to her that she killed her, asking for forgiveness but Molly thanks her daughter for putting an end to her agony. They both state that they have finally found peace and move on together.

The two witches sit with Constance in the kitchen as she recounts her story. She starts from the beginning. After Vivien gave birth, Constance took Michael from the house and raised him as her own son, believing she had been given a new chance at being a mother after the death of her four children. Shortly, however, she began noticing violent psychopathic tendencies in Michael, beginning with the killing of small animals to eventually murdering his nanny at the age of three. One day, she entered Michael's bedroom to discover he had aged ten years overnight and now had the appearance of a teenager. When Michael tried to strangle Constance in her sleep, she consulted the help of a priest, only for him to be murdered by Michael. With her dreams of motherhood shattered, Constance returned to the Murder House and committed suicide by overdose. With that said, Constance stands and walks away with her daughter, Rose.

Behold and Madison approach Ben, who no longer speaks to his wife Vivien and frequently spends his time masturbating while crying. Ben tells the two that after Michael discovered that Constance had killed herself to be free from him, he attended therapy sessions with Ben. A father-son relationship developed between the two. However, Michael slowly grew more and more dark after meeting and being rejected by Tate. Ben witnessed Michael mutilating the ghost of Elizabeth Short, as well as not only murdering two new residents, but permanently expelling their spirits from existence. Ben, realizing Michael's capacity for evil, ended their sessions.

The ghost of Vivien Harmon appears and reconciles with Ben, explaining that she could not forgive him for connecting with Michael, realizing now that he didn't have a choice. She reveals to Behold and Madison Michael's true nature, reciting a passage from the Book of Revelation about the Beast from the Sea.

One night, as Vivien explains, a group of Satanists arrived at the house, consisting of Miriam Mead and another cardinal (Naomi Grossman) and headed by Church of Satan founder, Anton LaVey, who had faked his death in order to meet Michael. The Satanists kidnapped a young woman from a bus stop and brought her to the house where they performed a Black Mass, with LaVey removing the girl's heart for Michael to consume. A demonic shadow appeared and Michael announced that he is one with his "Father". After a rain of blood and hail descended, Vivien attempted to murder Michael but suddenly caught on fire. Before he could destroy her, she was saved by Tate, allowing Michael to leave the house. Vivien tells Behold and Madison that Michael Langdon is not a warlock but the Antichrist, the prophesied abomination that will bring about the Apocalypse.

Madison and Behold pack up. Madison must tell the council what they've learned. Behold says that he never would've backed Michael if he knew what he truly was. As they leave, Madison spots Violet crying in the hallway. She talks to Violet about Tate and reveals to her that Tate saved Vivien. After she leaves, Violet calls for Tate and they embrace. Outside, Behold calls Madison a softy. She says at least someone got a happy ending. Behold claims that there won't be one unless they find a way to stop Michael.

They get into a black car and, as they leave, Madison telekinetically closes the iron gate.

Featured Characters[]

Rose Langdon[]

Rose Langdon is a character in Apocalypse portrayed by Raina Matheson.

While Constance was disclosing Michael's story to Behold and Madison, Rose came into the kitchen and reminded her mother that it was almost tea time. Constance softly apologized for being forgetful and walked away with her daughter.

Notes[]

  • It is possible that Rose was either born without eyes or had them gouged out via unknown means at some point, resulting in her death from blood loss and/or infection. Given that Constance stated in Murder House that all of her children with the exception of Tate were born with maladies, it is plausible that Rose never had eyes to begin with and may have died as a result of this deformity.

Grace[]

Grace is a character in Apocalypse portrayed by Stacy Highsmith.

In a flashback narrated by Ben, it is shown that Elizabeth and her wife Grace were the new owners of the Murder House, however, not long after moving in, Michael Langdon stabbed them in a fit of rage, binding their souls to the house. He then incinerated the women's souls and made them cease to exist. This was later reversed when Mallory went back in time and killed Michael before he met Grace and Elizabeth.

Notes[]

  • Grace is the second character to be named 'Grace' and the first one being Grace from Asylum.


Elizabeth[]

Elizabeth is a character in Apocalypse portrayed by Jennifer Jalene.

In a flashback narrated by Ben, it is shown that Elizabeth and her wife Grace were the new owners of the Murder House, however, not long after moving in, Michael Langdon stabbed them in a fit of rage, binding their souls to the house. He then incinerated the women's souls and made them cease to exist. This was later reversed when Mallory went back in time and killed Michael before he met Grace and Elizabeth.

Notes[]

  • Elizabeth is the second character to be named 'Elizabeth' and the first one being Elizabeth from Hotel.


Samantha Crowe[]

Samantha Crowe is a character in Apocalypse portrayed by Naomi Grossman.

Samantha Crowe was with Anton and Miriam when they met Michael on a stormy night. Samantha later stabs an innocent girl during a human sacrifice. Samantha was presumably killed during the nuclear holocaust but was brought back by Mallory using Tempus Infinituum. Later on, Samantha is seen with Miriam and Anton at Emily and Timothy's house looking at their new savior, Devan Campbell.

Notes[]

  • Samantha is the second character portrayed by Naomi Grossman. For a complete list of her characters, see Cast.

Anton LaVey[]


Anton LaVey is a character in Apocalypse portrayed by Carlo Rota. He is the Black Pope and the founder of the Church of Satan.

Despite having apparently died in 1997, Anton is revealed to have faked his death in order to be able to witness the coming of the Antichrist. He is first seen with Miriam and Samantha at the Murder House. They have a human sacrifice in honor of Michael. Later on, when Michael is in the forest he has a vision of Anton. Anton presumably died during the nuclear holocaust but was brought back by Mallory using Tempus Infinituum. Anton is last seen with Miriam and Samantha looking at their new savior, Devan Campbell. 

Notes[]

  • The portrayal of Anton LaVey received criticism from the Church of Satan, who saw it as an inaccurate portrayal of the real life LaVey, as well as a biased representation of LaVeyan Satanism, who do not worship or believe in a literal Satan unlike how it was portrayed in this episode.
  • LaVey’s official title in the Church was not actually Black Pope. “Black Pope” was a moniker given by the media back in the 1960s.[4]


Quotes[]

  • Constance Langdon (to Madison and Behold)
    Now who do you think you are, coming in here, swanning around, spewing vulgarities?
    Madison Montgomery
    We're the new owners, who are you?
    Constance
    I'm Constance Langdon. And this... is my fucking house.



  • Madison (to Constance)
    What do you want?
    Constance
    To remove that insufferable cloudy-eyed ginger from these premises, permanently.
    Madison
    You want us to fire the help?
    Constance
    Well, if you really do have witchcraft at your disposal, then why don't you just abracadabra that goddamn bitch out of my afterlife, huh? Bless me with some peace and quiet.


  • Madison (to Billie)
    Who the hell are you?
    Billie Dean Howard
    A friend of the house and its residents. They don't take kindly to strangers.
    Behold
    You ain't dead?
    Billie Dean
    Oh, honey, I'm one of the few live ones they let come and go.


  • Billie Dean to Constance (about Madison and Behold): "They're witches, Constance. It's magic, not marriage that connects them."
  • Behold Chablis (to Madison): "I never would have fought for Michael to be Supreme if I had any idea about who he truly is. We just wanted a leader. But he is clearly not that."
  • Madison (to Violet Harmon about Tate Langdon): "This house used him as a vessel to create something way, way worse. My guess: any evil inside Tate left with Michael."

Notes[]

  • This episode marks the return of many former cast members reprising their roles from the first season after years of absence: Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon, Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott as Vivien and Ben Harmon, Sam Kinsey as Beauregard LangdonMena Suvari as Elizabeth Short and Celia Finkelstein as Gladys.
  • Denis O'Hare, who played Larry Harvey, is the only member of the main cast of Murder House season to not reprise his original role.
  • This episode marks Sarah Paulson's first directorial debut. This makes her the second member of the Cast Repertory to direct an episode, with the first being Angela Bassett.
  • Billie Dean refers to the Montgomery family, who were former residents of the house, during her first encounter with Madison and Behold. It's a subtle nod to the popular theory that Madison is related to Charles and Nora Montgomery
  • This episode reveals Rose Langdon as Constance's fourth child, who was mentioned throughout the Murder House season but was never seen until this episode.
  • Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman and Cheyenne Jackson are credited but do not appear.
  • It is revealed that Billie Dean Howard can not only detect ghosts and vampires, but also witches, and states that she can sense that Madison and Behold are connected by magic.
    • Billie Dean is stated to be a famous medium amongst celebrities at this time, which coincides with her last appearance in the series prior to this episode, when she arrived at the Hotel Cortez to interview the ghost of the Ten Commandments Killer in 2022.
  • The Murder House is revealed to be sentient to some degree and is resistant to magical powers, cancelling out abilities such as telekinesis. Behold alleges that he is powerless in its depths and Tate Langdon states that even people protected by magic are not safe in the house, although stronger spells can still work in it, as displayed by the spell he and Madison used to reveal the house's ghosts, and abilities as divination as well.
    • It is also revealed that, like the Hotel Cortez, the Murder House exists atop a "portal to Hell", thus explaining that all of the murderous rage felt by both the living and deceased in the home was the influence of the Devil.
    • The Devil shows up for the first time in the Murder House in the form of a demonic shadow, standing behind Michael when he consumes a young woman's heart sacrificed in his honor by Satanists.
  • Constance Langdon comments that it is hard to find good help - a statement she made in the episode "Piggy Piggy" from the first season.
  • It is definitively confirmed that Michael Langdon is not a warlock, and that Vivien is aware of his true nature as The Anti-Christ.
  • Behold mentions the burning of sage, in order to deal with ghosts in the Murder House — something that Constance suggests Vivien to do then in the pilot episode, after giving her a packet of it as a present. 
  • This episode marks the second occasion in which Sarah Paulson portrays three different characters within the same season, as she has portrayed Wilhemina Venable, Cordelia Goode and Billie Dean Howard.
    • She also played three different characters in Roanoke, making her the only member of the cast to get this feat. Though, in that case, one of her characters was portraying another character, in-universe, as oppose to three completely different characters in the same universe.
  • Madison states that she is thought being expendable by The Witches' Council. It may be a reference for the fact that she was not called during Cordelia's visions in the previous episode.
  • This episode earned Jessica Lange a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
  • This is the highest rated episode of any season yet. This episode has a 9.3 rating as of February 2022.

Raised Questions[]

Cultural References[]

  • Heidi Klum and Seal - mentioned by Madison while criticizing herself and Behold as an unbelievable couple.
  • Amityville - Madison said that the Murder House is an "Amityville reject".
  • Miss Cleo - Madison asked Billie Dean if she's a "shitty Miss Cleo".
  • Paramount, Stage 7 - Madison wants to be buried there to haunt the place where she was sexually harassed by a producer.
  • Ted Bundy - Constance mentioned the serial killer and rapist while describing Michael's behavior.
  • Jeffrey Dahmer - Constance mentioned the serial killer and rapist while describing Michael's behavior. A fictional Dahmer appeared in the fifth season, Hotel, during the Devil's Night.
  • Book of Revelation - Vivien quoted verses from the apocalypse. Specifically, 13: 1 and 13: 8. Anton LaVey cited verses 16:12-13.
  • The Omen - During the virgin sacrifice scene, one of the Satanists screams "It's all for you, Michael!". This is a reference to the movie, which also detailed the violent influences of the Devil's son.
  • Church of Satan - An in-universe representation of the congregation and its founder, Anton LaVey. The depiction is, however, purely fictional and in line with the Hollywood idea of Satanism rather than actual beliefs.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

References[]

  1. SpoilerTV.com - American Horror Story - Apocalypse (806) "Return to Murder House"
  2. FX Networks, American Horror Story - Apocalypse
  3. Constance stated that Hugo "left her" with four children in 1983. Constance left the Murder House in 1984. Rose must have died in the house due to her status as a Ghost.
  4. Owen, Phil (November 14, 2018). ‘AHS: Apocalypse': Anton LaVey, the ‘Black Pope’ of the Church of Satan, Was a Real Person. The Wrap.
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