American Horror Story: Apocalypse is less than a week away, and the first full-length trailer for the upcoming Murder House/Coven crossover gave us plenty to think about.
The eighth season of popular FX horror anthology series American Horror Story is set to start with a bang (possibly quite literally) on Wednesday, Sept. 12, and while few breadcrumbs have been dropped regarding the upcoming season, the trailer gave plenty away. Among brief glimpses of beloved characters, some of whom are back from the dead, and chilling words by a new character portrayed by Sarah Paulson, the wheels of our theory-prone minds began turning.
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Keep scrolling to see all of our theories and takeaway from the AHS: Apocalypse trailer, and jump into the comments to tell us your own!
Outpost 3 is the Murder House
There are a number of places where the Outpost 3 bunker could be built, but there are also a number of clues leading towards that location being the Murder House.
Although the trailer did not give any concrete clues as to the bunker’s exact location, given that season eight is a crossover of Murder House and Coven and the ghosts residing in the Murder House cannot leave, if they do show up at Outpost 3, it would likely mean the Los Angeles home was the grounds of the bunker. Perhaps the bunker is built beneath it?
Adding to the theory is the fact that the Murder House is Michael Langdon’s place of birth, and it is possible that the Anti-Christ would choose his place of birth as his post-apocalypse headquarters.
If we are pulling clues directly from the trailer, then the appearance of the Rubber Man is a glaringly obvious indication that Outpost 3 is a Murder House-turned-bunker, unless it is just another character donning the Rubber Man suit.
It will be split between pre- and post-apocalypse and feature flashbacks
Apocalypse will reportedly start with a “cataclysmic event” that results in the end of the world, but the trailer is suggesting that season eight may be split between the pre-apocalyptic world and the post-apocalyptic world, and possibly even feature flashbacks. What exactly clues us in to this?
For starters, Anti-Christ Michael Langdon is rocking two different manes in the trailer, both equally as luscious and envy-evoking, but one much longer. Unless the Anti-Christ has some superpower to grow hair at a superhuman rate, it’s a sure bet that there is some form of time jumping going on.
As for flashbacks, well, that clue is purely speculation. Could fans possibly see flashbacks to Michael’s childhood, of him growing up in the Murder House? Jessica Lange is set to make her return as Constance Langdon in episode six, the woman who took custody of Michael following Ben Harmon’s death, though there are rumors that she will only survive a single episode. A potential flashback could show Constance falling victim to Michael’s evil doings.
The Murder House Spirits Will be Revived
Admittedly, this suspicion is not drawn directly from anything contained within the trailer, but rather the absence of literally every Murder House character, sans Michael, from all promotional material aside from behind-the-scenes photos, leading to the suspicion that they will have major roles or there will be a major change.
With Lily Rabe’s Misty Day alive and back from the dead, along with the rest of the coven, it is possible that she could use her gift of resurgence to bring back to life the various souls trapped within the Murder House. Afterall, a lot of their bones are buried on the property, as evidenced in a behind-the-scenes photo of Emma Roberts on the Murder House set. However, what state they would be in without any flesh to their bones remains to be seen.
Being brought back to life would allow the characters to travel further than the Murder House should Outpost 3 be set in a different location.
Cordelia vs. Michael (Good vs. Evil)
It is not a longshot suspicion that a heavy element of Apocalypse will be good vs. evil in the form of Cordelia and the coven vs. Anti-Christ Michael Langdon, but the trailer gave more credence to the theory and a more fleshed-out vision.
At the 1-minute mark in the trailer, a group of raspers (a term here applied to zombie-like creatures in the apocalypse, though the term was initially used in Asylum to describe Dr. Arden’s mutants created by his barbaric experiments) is seen feasting on what appears to be Supreme Cordelia Foxx (likewise, it could be Billie Dean Howard). In the next flash, Michael Langdon is seen looking on. Although the quick scene could be reality (RIP Cordelia or Billie Dean), it could also be one of Cordelia’s visions.
This scene, should it be a vision, can serve two purposes. First, it could warn Cordelia of the coming destruction of the world and the threat that Michael Langdon poses. Second, it could serve as the motivation that final bring the two sides of the fight face-to-face.
The Coven will be brought to Los Angeles long before the Apocalypse
It is already a well-known fact that the coven of Salem descendants from season three are involved in season eight, and an early on-set picture released by creator Ryan Murphy matches the interior of Outpost 3, meaning they eventually make it to the fallout shelter. But when and where and why?
At the end of Coven, new Supreme Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson) decided to go public with the existence of witches to inform other witches of the safe haven she had created. A young Michael Langdon struggling with his powers could reach out to them seeking help.
It is also equally as possible that the coven will learn of Michael via Cordelia’s visions (one vision in the trailer shows her being eaten by zombies as the Anti-Christ looks on), potentially prompting them to head to Los Angeles to confront the Anti-Christ and prevent the apocalypse.
The Outpost Shelters are Connected to Witches
Fans learn in the trailer that Outpost 3 is run by Venable, a mysterious and foreboding character portrayed by Sarah Paulson, but is there a possibility that Outpost 3 (does that mean there’s an Outpost 1 and Outpost 2?) could be run or at least connected to witches?
The meat of this theory lies in the fact that at one point in the trailer, say around the 1:03 mark, Michael Langdon is seen demonstrating his powers in front of what appears to be a council (like the Witches Council from Coven) of four men, the Anti-Christ making it snow within the bunker.
Prior to that, at the 52-second mark, Cordelia, Myrtle, and Madison are seen within an Outpost performing what appears to be the Seven Wonders on three fellow women.
Although it is not known why these groups are exercising their powers within the Outpost(s), it lends to suspicion that the Outpost or Outposts are somehow deeply rooted in witchcraft, possibly even run by witches. It also leads to suspicion that perhaps there are multiple Outposts run by different covens, say a mostly female Outpost 3 featuring Venable and a second warlock-run Outpost by Michael.
It’s not just a Murder House/Coven Crossover
While it has long been known that season eight will be a crossover of season one’s Murder House and season three’s Coven, is it possible that it could potentially crossover with more seasons? According to the trailer, possibly, maybe, vaguely.
While it’s not likely that fans will see the faces of Kai Anderson or Agnes Mary Winstead gracing their screens, it seems alarmingly likely that they can expect to see something similar to the story of Cult, albeit subtler. Whatever survival group is being led by Venable seems very cultish, though thankfully the members are sans the creepy clown masks.
Adding even more oomph to the theory is Venable herself, the leader of Outpost 3, which seems to be a largely female (at least female-led) cult. It may be a bit of a stretch, but is this really Ally Mayfair-Richards? Sarah Paulson’s Cult character had ended the season by being elected to Senate seat while also rising to become the leader of her own green-cloak wearing, high on distorted feminism cult.
Rubber Man will serve an important role in Outpost 3
Outpost 3 follows a strict set of rules that come with extreme punishment should they be broken, including the rule that there is to be “no unauthorized copulation.” However, that does not stop two young survivors from kissing beneath a staircase.
At that same Outpost, and with those same characters, Rubber Man, the entity first introduced in Murder House and a persona later taken on by Tate Langdon that led to the birth of Michael, is scene writhing on the ceiling just overhead.
How Rubber Man will potentially be linked to the “no unauthorized copulation” remains to be theorized, but he could possibly serve as punishment or temptation, or even be the root of what caused the strict rule to ever be enacted within the bunker.
