Return to Murder House
"Return to Murder House" | |
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American Horror Story episode | |
Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 6 |
Directed by | Sarah Paulson |
Written by | Crystal Liu |
Featured music |
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Production code | 8ATS06 |
Original air date | October 17, 2018 |
Running time | 55 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Return to Murder House" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. Written by Crystal Liu and directed by Sarah Paulson, it aired on October 17, 2018, on the cable network FX.[1] The episode saw a return to the setting used for season one, Murder House, as well as the reappearance of original cast members Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, and Jessica Lange. "Return to Murder House" received critical acclaim from reviewers, who praised Paulson's direction, Lange's return, and the performances and chemistry of Emma Roberts and Billy Porter. For her performance in the episode, Lange was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.[2]
Plot
![]() | This episode's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (October 2018) |
Madison Montgomery and Behold Chablis purchase the Murder House in Los Angeles, which has been abandoned for several years. Arriving at the house, the two perform a spell which will allow them to see the ghosts, who can otherwise hide themselves from the living.
In the living room, the ghosts of Tate Langdon and Dr. Ben Harmon are talking about Tate's frustration at being ignored by Ben's daughter, Violet. They are interrupted by Madison and Behold, who announce that they have come to learn about Michael Langdon's origins, but both refuse to speak. Madison is then attacked by the deformed boy, Beauregard Langdon, but medium Billie Dean Howard arrives and subdues Beauregard. Constance Langdon, Tate and Beauregard's mother, appears and states that she is the true owner of the house.
Behold and Madison express their desire to talk about Michael. Constance says that she will talk only if they rid her rival Moira's spirit from the house. They unearth Moira's remains from the backyard and buries them with Moira's mother. Her spirit is released from her earthly hold and greeted by the spirit of her mother. The two pass peacefully into the afterlife.
Constance tells the story of Michael Langdon to Madison and Behold, revealing that his father is her son Tate. After Vivien Harmon gave birth, Constance took Michael from the house and raised him as her own son, believing she had been given a new chance at being a mother. However, Michael quickly becomes violent, first killing small animals and eventually murdering his nanny at the age of three. Soon after, Michael aged ten years overnight and appeared as a teenager. Michael attacked Constance, then murdered a priest from whom she sought help. With her dreams of motherhood shattered, Constance returned to the Murder House and committed suicide by overdose.
Behold and Madison approach Ben, who is estranged from Vivien. He tells the two that a father-son relationship developed between the two, much to Vivien's disappointment. However, Michael learned that Tate is his father and grew darker after being rejected by him. Ben witnessed Michael mutilating the ghost of Elizabeth Short, as well as murdering and permanently expelling the spirits of two new residents from existence. Afterwards, Ben ended their sessions. At this point, Vivien appears and reconciles with Ben.
Vivien tells the story of a group of Satanists who arrived at the house, consisting of Miriam Mead, Samantha Crowe and Church of Satan founder, Anton LaVey. The Satanists kidnapped a young woman and brought her to the house to perform a Black Mass. Vivien failed in her attempt to murder Michael, and narrowly escapes the destruction of her own spirit through the intervention of Tate. Vivien tells Behold and Madison that Michael Langdon is not a warlock but the Antichrist.
Before leaving, Madison meets Violet. Violet tells Madison that Tate is a monster, but Madison believes that Tate was a vessel used by the house to conceive Michael and tells Violet that Tate is not the true evil. Madison uses her magic to prove it to Violet, leading to their reconciliation. Madison locks the gates as she and Behold depart the house.
Reception
Ratings
"Return to Murder House" was watched by 2.01 million people during its original broadcast, and gained a 0.9 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.[3]
Reviews
The episode has received widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Return to Murder House" holds a 100% approval rating, based on 17 reviews with an average rating of 9.17/10. The critical consensus reads, "Deftly directed by Sarah Paulson and featuring the triumphant return of the one and only Jessica Lange, 'Return to Murder House' is peak fan service—in the best possible way."[4]
Ron Hogan, of Den of Geek, gave the episode a 4/5, saying, "'Return to Murder House' is more than just a return to a location, or revisiting characters. It feels like something of a return to form. The season has been very impressive, and a lot of fun to boot. The shorter episode order seems to be beneficial to the pace of the show, and the merged seasons has given Apocalypse the best parts of both Murder House and Coven, with horror, weirdness, and wit in equal measure."[5]
Kat Rosenfield from Entertainment Weekly gave the episode an A. She praised the return of multiple Murder House characters, especially Vivien's (Britton) and Constance's (Lange). She also enjoyed the latter's flashbacks with Michael, calling them "an illuminating history for Michael as well as an epic monologue for Jessica Lange". Finally, she was a big fan of the dynamics between Billy Porter and Emma Roberts, commenting that it was the "greatest thing about this season" after Lange's return.[6]
Vulture's Ziwe Fumudoh gave the episode a 5 out of 5, with a positive review. She commented that "this episode was everything I dreamed of", calling it "the most ambitious crossover event in history". Much like Rosenfield, she praised the dynamics between Porter and Roberts, and was a huge fan of Jessica Lange's performance. Moreover, she enjoyed the reunion between Moira and her mother, saying that the scene was "a touching moment". Finally, she praised the writing and direction of the episode.[7]
Reaction from individuals involved
The Church of Satan criticized the episode for its inaccurate portrayal of Anton LaVey and of Satanists in general, pointing out that LaVey did not believe in the Antichrist or practice ritual sacrifice. Further comments described the episode as "unimpressive and boring", and dismissed the "lazy writers" who "appropriated his name and image for their Devil worship drivel".[8]
References
- ^ "(#806) "Return to Murder House"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ "71st Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 18, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.17.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ "American Horror Story: Apocalypse - "Return to Murder House"". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ Hogan, Ron (October 18, 2018). "American Horror Story Season 8 Episode 6 Review: Return to Murder House". Den of Geek. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ Rosenfield, Kat (October 17, 2018). "'American Horror Story: Apocalypse' recap: Ain't no house party like a Murder House party". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ Fumudoh, Ziwe (October 18, 2018). "American Horror Story: Apocalypse Recap: The Crossover Event of the Century". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ Church of Satan [@churchofsatan] (October 18, 2018). ""For those asking yes we are aware of being referenced in #AHSApcalypse. Anton LaVey didn't believe in Christ or an Anti-Christ and sacrifice plays no role in Satanism. Lazy writers appropriated his name and image for their Devil worship drivel is unimpressive and boring. #AHS8"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.