‘American Horror Story: Apocalypse’ Will Only Have 10 Episodes

American Horror Story: Apocalypse will be tied with Roanoke for shortest season of the FX anthology series with 10 episodes of post-rapture goodness.

The season, which is set as the buzzworthy crossover installment of season one’s Murder House and Coven, will premiere Wednesday night and kickstart one of the shortest installments of the show, The Wrap first reported. Though that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Fans will remember Roanoke, which also aired only 10 episodes, as the show’s mind-bending installment which was very well received by critics for its format-breaking story.

With 10 episodes, the season — which at first followed the paranormal documentary My Roanoke Nightmare about the haunting of a couple, re-enacted by actors, only to then be twisted into a found-footage second half of the season featuring the actors and real subjects of the documentary meeting their fates as they tried to film a second season — proved to be one of the series’ most ambitious installments.

Murder House captivated audiences with 12 episodes back in the series’ first season. Asylum, Coven and Freak Show were all given 13 episode orders. Hotel then went back to 12 and the latest season, Cult, capped off at 11.

With the power that Murphy has over creative control of American Horror Story at FX, it’s safe to say he envisioned Apocalypse as a shorter season, likely due to cast availability and what would make sense to tell the story.

In Apocalypse, the story kickstarts about 18 months in the future right at the “end of the world,” likely caused by nuclear warfare. The season will see the returns of beloved characters from both season one and season three of the series, though it will also have its own arc and new cast of characters led by Sarah Paulson’s mysterious Wilhemina Venable.

The season is expected to see the returns of Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, Billy Eichner, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Adina Porter, Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Gabourey Sidibe, Lily Rabe, Cheyenne Jackson and Stevie Nicks.

Along with her new character, Paulson is set to reprise her roles as Supreme Cordelia Foxx, and medium Billie Dean Howard. She will also be stepping into the director’s chair this season, in a special episode that will feature the highly-awaited return of Jessica Lange to the series, reprising her season one role of Constance Langdon.

As to what will bring the characters together? Our money is on the fight to defeat Michael Langdon (Cody Fern),the Antichrist born out of the rape of Vivien Harmon (Britton) by Tate Langdon (Peters) back in season one.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.