For years, Ryan Murphy has teased he would eventually do a Murder House/Coven crossover season of American Horror Story. He originally said it wouldn’t happen until season nine, but threw fans a surprise curveball in June: the crossover is happening in 2018.
The Coven/Murder House AHS crossover season won’t be happening next year…because it’s happening THIS YEAR. AHS #8 WITCHES RULE THIS SEPTEMBER
— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) June 14, 2018
But fans who turned into last night’s premiere expecting a grand reunion might be a little confused. American Horror Story: Apocalypse has featured only character from Murder House so far (the literal Antichrist, Michael Langdon, played by Cody Fern) and zero references to Coven. If this really is Ryan Murphy’s Infinity War, where are beloved characters like Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson), or Misty Day (Lily Rabe)? Did the coven survive nuclear winter, or will we see them only in flashbacks?
It seems the lesson for Apocalypse is one of patience. This isn’t an explicit crossover, but rather a season that will pepper in references when they’re vital to the story. And there’s no need to worry, since we know thanks to social media that the girls will be back eventually.
But the first episode of Apocalypse, “The End,” might have already teased the coven’s whereabouts. When Michael Langdon shows up at Outpost 3–one of several underground bunkers established by the mysterious Cooperative to withstand the nuclear missile strikes they ordered–he informs Sarah Paulson’s Venable three other outposts have been overtaken, and that only three remain.
“The good news is, there’s another facility,” Michael explains. “A sanctuary. This one is completely impregnable and stocked with enough supplies to last a decade.”
Who might be strong enough enough to create and protect a “sanctuary” in the fallout of nuclear annihilation? Perhaps a coven comprised of the last surviving American witches?
Michael goes on to tell Venable he’s arrived at Outpost 3 to test the abilities of the survivors who live there and see who’s worthy of moving to the better facility. Perhaps the witches from Coven will help with these tests. That certainly lines up with what we’ve seen in the trailers, with members of the coven engaging the women of Outpost 3 in some sort of ceremony.
We don’t know when, exactly, the coven will show up, but we can’t wait to see how they factor into Apocalypse.
Images: FX Networks