‘American Horror Story’ Season 8: Everything we know

We are one week away from the end of the world. Well, the AHS world that is.

On September 12, American Horror Story: Apocalypse will premiere on FX and if the trailer is any indication the fallout will have near-biblical proportions.

We already know the AHS universe has a guaranteed 10 seasons, but with only seven days until the Apocalypse premiere… we can’t get too ahead of ourselves. So let’s try theorizing with what we’ve got.

Here’s everything we do and don’t know about the impending doom of Apocalypse.

The end of the world hits October 2019 (and other timeline details)

Back in April, creator Ryan Murphy teased Season 8’s timeframe during an Emmy FYC panel saying it took place “18 months from today.” That puts our apocalyptic end sometime during October of next year. (Yes, this contradicts Murphy’s earlier statement that Apocalypse would take place 10 to 20 years in the future.)

Season 8’s first episode is fittingly titled “The End,” meaning our story, in the words of EP Alexis Martin, “begins with the end of the world and then our world begins.” That being said, AHS will likely explore the lead-up to the disaster as well. 

Seriously, flashbacks are almost as big an AHS staple as surprising sex scenes.

Season 8 is the long awaited Murder House/Coven crossover

The promise of the Harmons and the witches of Miss Robichaux’s Academy pairing up for a season of chaos has been rumored for awhile… but Murphy didn’t officially confirm the connection until June. 

Since then, Murphy has posted shots of the Murder House and Coven casts on familiar sets. Viviene and Ben Harmon are seen here in what looks a lot like the Los Angeles Murder House.

And here we’ve got the coven posing on a mod-staircase fit for their New Orleans home.

It’s unclear how AHS plans to bring these geographically different stories into the same arena. Personally, I’m hoping for a Zombieland style, post-apocalyptic search for Twinkies, but that may not be possible given the radiation levels…

That evil baby/Antichrist from Murder House is back

That explains all the scary fetus promos.

In July, Murphy announced that American Crime Story alumnus Cody Fern would be assuming the role of grown-up Michael Langdon — son of Viviene Harmon and Tate Langdon. Which is great news considering Fern’s evident acting chops… but also presents a confusing timeline.

If Apocalypse is set in 2019 and Michael was born in 2012, then this little Beelzebub baby is growing up super fast. Or we’re looking at a dash of demonic 13 Going on 30.

We got our first glimpse of the age-defying world-ender in AHS’s first teaser trailer and he looked a lot like Edward Mordrake of Freak Show. I would say it was just a coincidence, but… is anything in AHS ever a coincidence?

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Stevie Nicks (among others) will return

Sadly, powerhouse Angela Bassett won’t be returning for this season of American Horror Story. However, the equally legendary Kathy Bates and Stevie Nicks will make appearances. 

The long awaited return of early series star Jessica Lange as Murder House‘s Constance Langdon has also been confirmed.

As if that wasn’t enough (c’mon, I’d pay anything to see that three-woman show), plenty of other series’ alumni — including Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, Connie Britton, Billy Eichner and many, many more — will return for Season 8. 

Yes, even Rubber Man… in whatever form that takes.

Some actors will be doubling-up

No, not in a Bette and Dot kinda way—though Sarah Paulson will be plenty busy. Given the collision of anthologies set to unfold, a number of performers will reprise old roles as well as new ones. 

Sarah Paulson is set to portray the still Supreme Cordelia Foxx of Coven and Craigslist medium Billie Dean Howard of Murder House—alongside her new Apocalypse character, Venable, first introduced through the clip below.

Evan Peters will similarly bring back the weirdly hunky Tate of Murder House and venture into new territory with an Apocalypse original character Murphy said was a “comedic hairstylist.”

Taissa Farmiga, also a Coven and Murder House veteran, will rock both her roles as Zoe Benson and Violet Harmon. I’m not sure how much the young witch can do for us in the end of days, but I’m pretty stoked the Antichrist’s half-sister is around… something tells me we’re gonna need her thoughts.   

Other crossover castings are possible, but not yet confirmed.

Joan Collins is joining the cast

If this isn’t resonating with you as a big deal, that’s okay. Take a mere 200-ish hours to watch all of the 1980’s soap opera Dynasty. Don’t worry, I will wait for you. This is important.

All done? Perfect. Joan Collins is (as you now know) a delightful, devilish legend. Her addition to the AHS universe is a gift and we need to treat it as such.

Outside of Collins playing Evan Peters’ grandmother, very little is known about her role. 

However, we do know how she got it. Turns out Collins met Ryan Murphy at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, mentioned the show, and two weeks later got an offer. Could this woman and her career be anymore supremely glamorous? (Get it? Supreme? Seriously, there is no way this woman is not a coven leader… right?)

And Billy Porter

Yep. The Pose icon is shuffling over to the dark and twisted parts of the Murphy-verse.

Very little is know about Porter’s character, though set photos imply he is Coven related.

“All I can say is dreams do come true,” Porter said of the opportunity. “They may not come when you want them, but it’s all right on time. Keep on fighting, keep on showing up for your life. Keep on pushing. I’m a living witness that dreams come true. You change the world when you change your mind, and we all can make a difference in this world.”

The glamor is gonna get weird 

With Evan Peters and Joan Collins’ stylish castings plus the fabulous gowns in the trailer taken into account, the gorey but glamorous promos AHS has been rolling out make a bit more sense. 

This “haircut” clip is almost as chic as the new dark, pixie Kathy Bates is rocking for her role as Ms. Meade.

And the whole sucking the life out of someone feels very Fiona Goode of Coven. 

Overall, we can probably expect more of the sleek style and finesse we saw in Coven—even if it’s the end of the world. (Rapture or no rapture, that dark lipstick on Sarah Paulson could kill anyone. Goodness gracious.)

Expect something crazy to go down in Episode 5

What could be more intense than the apparent nuclear apocalypse of the trailer? Personally, I don’t know, but there is allegedly a “huge thing that happens in Episode 5.” In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Murphy alluded to the big midseason development, calling it the season’s “hook.” 

Notably, Episode 6 has a Murder House-heavy cast lined up with Sarah Paulson in the director’s chair. Not sure what that means for the preceding episode, but we could be looking at a flashback.

“Hail, Satan.”

Okay, so you heard Kathy Bates say that at the end of the trailer too? 

Clearly, the Satanic overtones of Apocalypse are not going to be subtle, Sarah Paulson is going to be far from sweet, and that bunker is going to be Hell on Earth.

Do we have a 10 Cloverfield Lane situation on our hands? A Handmaid’s Tale situation on our hands? Just tell me. What do we have on our hands?!

Looks like only time will tell. One more week, horror fans.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse premieres Wednesday, September 12 at 9pm on FX.