‘American Horror Story’ Summons Familiar ‘Coven’ Face on ‘Apocalypse’

[This story contains spoilers from the seventh episode of FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse, “Traitor.”]

After a much-anticipated trip back to Murder House last week, American Horror Story set itself back on course for the impending Apocalypse on Wednesday. But the seventh episode kept the crossovers coming by summoning a familiar villain in order to return the final Coven witch to season eight.

“Cordelia, long time no see, bitch,” Nan (Jamie Brewer) told Supreme witch Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson) while making her return to the human world from her eternal home in hell, courtesy of the Voodoo Devil Papa Legba.

Papa Legba (Lance Reddick) made his debut as the Gatekeeper of the Spirit World in the third season of the FX horror anthology. Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) sold her soul to Papa Legba in exchange for immortality — but it came with a price. The Voodoo Queen would have to sacrifice one innocent soul up to Papa Legba each year.

Before meeting her ultimate demise (Bassett has confirmed that her character is not involved in season eight), Marie conspired with Cordelia’s mother, Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), and sacrificed Coven witch Nan in order to keep up her end of the bargain, sending the clairvoyant witch off with Papa Legba to hell at the end of season three.

In Apocalypse, it was the next generation of Supreme and Voodoo Queen who summoned the gatekeeper when Cordelia and talk show host Dinah Stevens (Adina Porter), the successor of Marie, summoned Papa Legba.

Nan’s Wednesday visit marked the return of all of the Coven witches to season eight. Cordelia summoned the Voodoo Devil in hopes that he could help with their war against Michael Langdon (Cody Fern), who was officially revealed to be the Antichrist, the bringer of the end of days, during the Murder House crossover episode. Papa Legba’s requirement, however, was too big: He agreed to help Cordelia only if she traded him the souls of her entire coven. 

Joan Collins also made her return. Playing her second character of the season, the high-profile guest star made her debut as Bubbles McGee, a witch who has the power to listen to the soul of another and an actress who left the coven years ago. Thanks to her mind-reading prowess, Bubbles was able to discern the malicious intents of the warlocks who have united behind Langdon, the Antichrist who is now on the loose.

Meanwhile, the mysterious Mallory (Billie Lourd) revealed more of her game-changing powers to the coven and as she did, Cordelia’s health continued to deteriorate. Though Cordelia has assumed her demise was due to Michael’s emerging powers, Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga) informed Cordelia of Mallory’s potential. Mallory passed the final test of the Seven Wonders to reveal herself as the potential new Supreme, bringing John Henry Moore (Cheyenne Jackson) back to life after he was murdered by Ms. Mead (Kathy Bates), the foster mother to Langdon.

Two years before the Apocalypse, it was revealed that Cordelia performed a spell to bring Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy) back from the dead, explaining how the redheaded Coven witch was again among the living for season eight. “I knew I had to do everything in my power to prepare you girls for what was coming. And now that we are united and ready, it’s time to fire the first shot,” Cordelia tells her growing coven, which includes Myrtle, Mallory, Zoe, Bubbles, Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) and Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt (Leslie Grossman).

Mobilizing her band of witches, Cordelia outsourced Coco to capture Ms. Mead. Baldwin Pennypacker (BD Wong), meanwhile, developed a deadly powder that can only kill witches, a recipe he had stolen from a witch and switched around the genders. “Those bitches love to go on about how a warlock will never equal one of them. I wonder what they’d say now once they saw what you’d done,” the warlock Grand Chancellor Ariel Agustus (Jon Jon Briones) said all-too soon. Cordelia and her crew outsmarted them, ultimately burning Mead, Ariel and Baldwin at the stake.

Langdon was absent entirely from the episode, though scenes for next week put the spawn of Satan front and center as he faces off once again with Cordelia. The women, however, seem to be one step ahead after dwindling Langdon’s army in spades.

Bookmark THR.com/AHS for weekly show coverage as American Horror Story: Apocalypse airs Wednesdays on FX. Watch the teaser for next week, below.