• About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Clarence Moye
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
  • Home
  • Oscar Predictions
    • Best Picture
    • Best Actor
    • Best Actress
  • Good As Gold
  • Forum
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • FYC Gallery
  • Interviews
  • All News
  • Home
  • Oscar Predictions
    • Best Picture
    • Best Actor
    • Best Actress
  • Good As Gold
  • Forum
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • FYC Gallery
  • Interviews
  • All News
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
No Result
View All Result

‘Apocalypse:’ The Stew Is Stu!

by Clarence Moye
September 17, 2018
in ADTV, Recaps/Reviews
0
‘Apocalypse:’ The Stew Is Stu!

(Photo CR: Kurt Iswarienko/FX)

American Horror Story attempts its first major crossover event with the Murder House and Coven worlds crashing together in Apocalypse.

It took me a day or so to fully form an opinion on FX’s latest American Horror Story entry, Apocalypse. This is the one many have begged for and dreaded with equal measure. For some reason, FX maintained an intense level of security around the property, opting not to submit screeners in advance of last night’s premiere. Usually, that’s a hallmark of a bad product, but after watching and considering last night’s pilot, it’s hardly the kind of disaster you’d hide. Nor does it hold the kind of secrets you desperately want to protect.

Instead, American Horror Story: Apocalypse appears to be a fairly standard beginning in the anthology series. It hasn’t shown much of its Coven or Murder House cards yet. Instead, it takes a depressingly realistic concept and executes it in a typical AHS manner, dressed and art directed to the nine’s.

While Donald Trump is only mentioned once in the pilot, the current political angst, depression, or fear (take your pick depending on how medicated you are) looms large over the first hour. Initiated by unknown forces, a series of nuclear missiles have been launched at hot spots across the world, including Los Angeles. There are several scenes of genuine and surprising emotional depth as many realize they’ve reached the end of the world. These scenes, of course, are punctuated with the typical Ryan Murphy bitchiness.

For example, Leslie Grossman’s Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt (nearly the same character she played in Cult) calls her husband Brock (Billy Eichner) immediately following the missile warning sirens. She begs him to flee to the Santa Monica airport where she has a private jet chartered to fly them to safety. Stuck in traffic, Brock isn’t able to make it. As Coco’s plane flies overhead, Brock yells at the sky “Don’t you leave me in Santa Monica you bitch!”

Typical Ryan Murphy stuff, right?

The rest of the episode explores an underground outpost managed by Sarah Paulson’s Wilhemina Venable and Kathy Bates’s Miriam Mead. In the weeks following the nuclear blast, Venable and Mead have assembled genetically superior subjects to repopulate the world under the order of the Cooperative. The assembled cast, including Joan Collins, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, and Billie Lourd, lounge around both bored and anxious for fresh food. Only a mysterious gelatinous vitamin cube is served. That is until someone misbehaves – or punished for reasons unknown – and is made into food.

That gruesome discovery brings about one of the most hilarious, joyous, awful, crazy, wonderful lines of dialogue ever produced in American Horror Story.

“The stew is stu!”

So, is Apocalypse any good? Well, the pilot is absolutely fine. I particularly loved the design and lighting of the bunker community. The costumes, as expected, also work well to define the characters in a very Handmaid’s Tale feeling. But do I think it will eventually go off rails? Almost assuredly. Even thematically coherent seasons like last year’s Cult fall prey to a too-long season. Apocalypse seems poised to cater to Mr. Murphy’s worst instincts, throwing plots and characters into the proverbial blender just to employ his favorite actors. Will I be excited to see Jessica Lange return to her Emmy-winning role as Constance? Absolutely. Do I think any of this will make sense? Absolutely not.

Prove me wrong though. I’d love the chance.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse airs Wednesday nights on FX at 10pm ET. 

Tags: American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Clarence Moye

Clarence Moye

Clarence Moye is an editor at Awards Daily.

Next Post
Matt Smith On Presenting History Again and Passing the Torch

Seven Upsets To Look Out for at the 70th Annual Primetime Emmys

Sign up for Awards Daily's Breaking News

* indicates required

2021 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

2021 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

(Photo: Focus Features)

by Clarence Moye
January 26, 2021
1

Sound of Metal Director/Writer Darius Marder Talks Ableism in Filmmaking, Turning Down Robert Duvall

darius marder

SOUND OF METAL Courtesy of Amazon Studios

by Megan McLachlan
January 26, 2021
0

The Caucus Awards for Producers, Writers & Directors to Honor Aaron Sorkin, Among Others

The Caucus Awards for Producers, Writers & Directors to Honor Aaron Sorkin, Among Others
by Sasha Stone
January 26, 2021
0

Directors Lang, Snaddon On Their Animated Short ‘Snail and the Whale’

Directors Lang, Snaddon On Their Animated Short ‘Snail and the Whale’
by Ben Morris
January 26, 2021
0

ACE Awards Adds New Variety Talk/Sketch TV Category

ACE Awards Adds New Variety Talk/Sketch TV Category
by Clarence Moye
January 26, 2021
0

Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross on Documenting Human Rights Activist Nasrin Sotoudeh and the beauty of Iranian Culture for ‘Nasrin’

Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross on Documenting Human Rights Activist Nasrin Sotoudeh and the beauty of Iranian Culture for ‘Nasrin’

Human rights activist and lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh participates in a protest. Photo curtesy of Jeff Kaufman

by Shadan Larki
January 25, 2021
0

It’s Our 2021 Golden Globe Preview – Film Edition!

2021 Golden Globe

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (L to R) SACHA BARON COHEN as Abbie Hoffman, JEREMY STRONG as Jerry Rubin in THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7. Cr. NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX © 2020

by Clarence Moye
January 25, 2021
0

Independent Spirit Awards Preview

New York Film Critic Circle 2020 Award Winners
by Clarence Moye
January 25, 2021
3

National Board of Review Preview

Predictions Friday – The National Board of Review is Coming
by Sasha Stone
January 25, 2021
11

AFI’s Top Films of 2020

Exclusive: HIFF’s ‘A Conversation With…” Featuring Leslie Odom Jr.

Leslie Odom Jr. stars in ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI Photo: Patti Perret/Amazon Studios

by Sasha Stone
January 25, 2021
85

Lauren Ambrose On Dorothy Taking Charge in the Nastiest Way for Apple TV+’s ‘Servant’

Lauren Ambrose On Dorothy Taking Charge in the Nastiest Way for Apple TV+’s ‘Servant’

(Photo: AppleTV+)

by Joey Moser
January 25, 2021
0

Orion Lee On What King-Lu is Thinking in His Last Scene with Cookie in ‘First Cow’

Orion Lee On What King-Lu is Thinking in His Last Scene with Cookie in ‘First Cow’

(Photo: Allyson Riggs/A24)

by Joey Moser
January 25, 2021
0

Michael O’Connor On The Specific Colors for the Love Story of ‘Ammonite’

Michael O’Connor On The Specific Colors for the Love Story of ‘Ammonite’

(Photo: Neon)

by Joey Moser
January 25, 2021
0

Join us Facebook

AwardsDaily Crew

  • About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Clarence Moye
  • Contact Us

ADTV Crew

  • ADTV Home
  • Megan McLachlan, Co-Editor
  • Clarence Moye, Co-Editor
  • Jalal Haddad, Senior Contributor
  • Joey Moser, Senior Contributor
  • Kevin Dillon
  • Shadan Larki
  • Ben Morris
  • David Phillips

Follow on Twitter

ADTV Twitter

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertising on Awards Daily

© 1999-2021 AwardsDaily.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Oscar Predictions
    • Best Picture
    • Best Actor
    • Best Actress
  • Good As Gold
  • Forum
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • FYC Gallery
  • Interviews
  • All News

© 1999-2021 AwardsDaily.com