S08.E08: Soujourn

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

TBD

Original air date 2018.10.31 

[100Proof]

Whatsamatta, not enough actors to go around?

[Bama]

Okay, I'm typically a showrunner's dream - I'm easy to please and even episodes/seasons that usually aren't well liked, I'm all "Eh, not their best but I still love it and let me list the things I do like".

I say all that because for ME to say, out loud, as the credits rolled on this episode, "THAT WAS TERRIBLE!  THEY WASTED 1/3rd OF THEIR LAST THREE HOURS OF STORYTELLING FOR THAT GARBAGE???" - then I know everyone else is going to rage about this episode.

They wasted an entire episode for what could have easily been condensed into the cold open!

All to let Sarah Paulson get another turn as a bitch for no reason and to let Evan and Billy (both two of my favorites) play a poor man's Dumb and Dumber, albeit the coked up, horndog, Silicon Valley iteration?

Seriously, this episode sucked major ass.

[AnswersWanted]

Finally an episode I could chuckle about, too bad it’s coming so late in the season.

Ryan waited too long to show his hand this time around though, I feel, this season needed to be longer, there’s a lot of promise that just won’t have time to be fleshed out now. 

But I did like this episode, Cody is a good little actor, he plays a very believably confused, emotionally damaged, morally conflicted, childish and bratty AntiChrist.

That choir was splendid, I adore that song so much. 

Something tells me the Satanists are really going to have a bone to pick about this episode though, heh. 

Cordelia, dear, here’s a helpful hint for next time you try and sway a potential overlord of all darkness, if you want to draw him over to your side try and do that before torching and scorching the one and only being on earth he feels loves and understands him, just a suggestion mind you. 

Evan’s wig was so gloriously hideous it’s nearly a piece of art. 

I think Ryan would really love to have Ryan Renyolds make a cameo at some point. He would be a pretty perfect casting choice, imo, he embodies so many of Ryan’s favorite themes in life. 

Satan hail, Satan hail. 

[Stallion12]

I liked it, but I feel like they spent to much time in the past. I'd have the witches lose, then season 9 deals with fixing it.

[WednesdayAddams]

Did I miss why Michael was limping in the beginning? He limped away from Cordelia, in the woods, and then in the city. Felt like I missed something there.

So now we know why Ms. Venable hates men so much.

And like I said last week. What did Cordelia think would happen by angering him so much? 

Ryan Reynolds. Enough said. 

[sashayshante]

Hey, so, that was stupid. Another filler episode that did very little to advance the plot. As usual, this series went off the fucking rails after episode 5. Now, after crawling at a snail's pace, the main storyline is going to jammed into two episodes. Oh, and Marie Levau is returning? Thank god. I was worried they wouldn't jam anymore useless characters into this season.

Seriously, without Cody Fern this season would be Roanoke level awful.

 

ETA: The AntiChrist jetting down the California highway in a convertible is just...wow. This season lost momentum after Boy Wonder.

Edited November 1, 2018 by sashayshante

[AgentRXS]

Possibly the worst ep of AHS I've ever watched (I skipped Roanoake). The Satanists were so embarassingly cheesy as was the temptation of God in the woods. How sad that it is one of the last 3 episodes.

What a waste of an hour and Cody Ferns talent. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by AgentRXS

[Stuffy]

I feel like this episode could've taken place in 15 minutes. Cordelia scene = five minutes, Satanists = five minutes, new robot mama/stoners = five minutes.  I was so incredibly bored.

I know people love the character, but I struggle paying attention during the Michael scenes. The antichrist is supposed to be charismatic. The character is doing nothing for me because I just see a whiny entitled brat. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Stuffy

[Straycat80]

Blech, that was bad. A filler episode. I couldn’t look at Evan and Billy’s wigs without thinking about the movie Dumb and Dumber. I hope the next episodes get back to the witch and Apocalypse storyline. 

[sashayshante]

Just now, AgentRXS said:

What a waste of an hour and Cody Ferns talent. 

Honestly, without Fern, this episode would have been unwatchable. Talent-wise, he's on a level Sarah Paulson dreams she could reach. This seaaon would have flailed after episode 1 without him.

[BingeyKohan]

Agree. Waste. Dumb. (Speaking of dumb were Billy Eichner’s and Evan Peters’ bunker characters created by Venable to punish them for being these dolts? They have to be the same people, right? Since we heard the ‘got to be a morning after’ song?)

Also did anyone else look for the newscaster from the season premiere in the Satanic church congregation? The woman who fed Michael mentioned the things ‘we’ were doing to purposefully bring about the end times made me think back to him saying ‘we finally did it.’

Edited November 1, 2018 by BingeyKohan

[AnswersWanted]

After almost 20 years of watching his varying shows, I feel as if I am now just used to Ryan’s pattern of having great ideas but often shit execution of them. 

I wish there was someone who could help him unpack his thoughts in a more organized way, this show would be so much better for it.

 For me Cody is the diamond in the rough that has kept me watching, but barely. Well he and KB. 

But how on earth did they think 10 episodes would be enough? For subject matter like this? That was incredibly stupid. 

[WednesdayAddams]

14 minutes ago, Stuffy said:

The antichrist is supposed to be charismatic. The character is doing nothing for me because I just see a whiny entitled brat. 

I feel like he's charismatic when we first meet him. Intoxicating, really. I wonder how he got to that point, assuming it isn't just him trying to catch up with aging over night. 

7 minutes ago, BingeyKohan said:

Agree. Waste. Dumb. (Speaking of dumb were Billy Eichner’s and Evan Peters’ bunker characters created by Venable to punish them for being these dolts? They have to be the same people, right? Since we heard the ‘got to be a morning after’ song?)

Also did anyone else look for the newscaster from the season premiere in the Satanic church congregation? The woman who fed Michael mentioned the things ‘we’ were doing to purposefully bring about the end times made me think back to him saying ‘we finally did it.’

I was wondering about that song playing. And yes, I looked for that damn news anchor because everything means something in these shows. Maybe we've just been watching too much and are paranoid. 

[Stallion12]

Quote

So now we know why Ms. Venable hates men so much

Wait missed that, how come?

[willco]

Was this suppose to be a comedy tonight, because it came off that way to me. Aside from a couple of good moments, it just seemed like a SNL skit. Yes, Michael was still serious in all of his stuff, but everyone else seemed to be playing for laughs. I had it built up in my head that, hey, the show falls on Halloween night-- this is going to be off the hook good ! Pretty disappointing is more like it.

[Cigale]

I thought it was bonkers and all over the place!

Loved it!

[Megan]

1 hour ago, Straycat80 said:

Blech, that was bad. A filler episode. I couldn’t look at Evan and Billy’s wigs without thinking about the movie Dumb and Dumber. I hope the next episodes get back to the witch and Apocalypse storyline. 

The hair just made me think Marc Davis. And how he is continuing the Davis Family work (as of the early  90's) - making my beloved, local for NOW, NFL team as terrible as possible.

And I know as a NFL follower even when a team is successful I'm on the losing, take my money end, but those haircuts! It was probably more intended towards a 1970s cult vibe and only I am relating it to the horrible season.

 

I wish Michael instead of "look at my 666 thingy" was much more powerful, and it annoyed me that he incinerated the one chick that recognized his power immediately. Why kill a believer?

[Valny]

2 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Blech, that was bad. A filler episode. I couldn’t look at Evan and Billy’s wigs without thinking about the movie Dumb and Dumber.

Oh man, THAT's who they reminded me of!

Glad I am not alone in not liking this ep much. For me, it was just TOO MUCH MICHAEL!   The kid's a good actor but I just don't care much about the character, so it was hard to endure a whole hour about him.  I think I was most entertained by Sandra Bernhard's first monologue/speech to the Satanists..   Wonder if she'll join Murphy's stable of AHS actors in minor roles in the future. I could see it.
Hope next week is better.  It has to be....right?  RIght?!

[theschnauzers]

20 hours ago, sisterspoon said:

I thought it was bonkers and all over the place!

Loved it!

That’s how I feel about the episode. It bridges the story arc closer to the time of the opening scenes of the season and explained how Ms. Mead 2.0 came to be. Just let this roll with the flow, there was humor and satire all over the episode. As I pointed out weeks ago, likely the only regular cast member this season playing one role is Cody Fern, and he really is bringing his A game to this. All the regulars are. The send up of the Satanist service to uh, their opposite, is a gas, to use slang from the 70s. 

No doubt the origin of the Collective is next week.

Edited November 2, 2018 by theschnauzers
typos

[Cigale]

33 minutes ago, theschnauzers said:

That’s how I feel about the episode. It bridges the story arc closer to the time of the opening scenes of the season and explained how Ms. Mead 2.0 came to be. Just let this roll with the flow, there was humor and satire all over the episode.

Exactly!

Plus humor and satire!  Didn’t take themselves too seriously this time.

Breath of fresh air!

[LoveLeigh]

Eh, why reference Doctors Without Borders and slit that doc's throat? It was just sick. Even for this show, they pushed the envelope too far with the "humor and satire" to the point that crossed a line and I just grimaced and rolled my eyes. Subtle humor can work too. I realize that they are laughing at themselves and not taking it all too seriously but that reference just turned me off. And trust me, I am not a snowflake. 

For me, this episode stunk like the the stray mouse that got into my car two years ago and died. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by DakotaLavender

[JenE4]

6 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

 

For me, this episode stunk like the the stray mouse that got into my car two years ago and died. 

 

I think pretty much every single one of my posts this season started off with “So, I fell asleep...” but then I make 2-4 more attempts to get through the rest of episode without dozing off before coming into the thread so I’m not spoiled. Last night I made it on and off through the episode—awake for 2 minutes, asleep for 2 minutes... I felt like I probably saw enough that I could just read the commentary here to fill in the blanks and not torture myself trying to get through it again. But, is it odd that since the consensus is that it was SO BAD—some say the worst episode ever—but LAUGHABLY bad—that I kind of want to go back and watch it? DakotaLavender’s post right here is goddamned poetic. How can I pass up this episode with a simile like that to describe it?!?!

Edited November 1, 2018 by JenE4

[DFWGina]

9 hours ago, Stuffy said:

I feel like this episode could've taken place in 15 minutes. Cordelia scene = five minutes, Satanists = five minutes, new robot mama/stoners = five minutes.  I was so incredibly bored.

Yeah... this was pretty boring especially for an AHS that halls on Halloween.    I'm still loving the season but did not love the episode.

[kokapetl]

I thought the worst wig was Sarah Paulson’s. What the fuck was up with that hair line?

Evan Peters as a huge drug abuser seems like a good fit. 

Michael’s “adolescent” look reminds me of the kid in Death in Venice.

Sandra Bernhard really should decline jobs if she’s going to phone in her performances. 

[darkestboy]

Basically a filler episode and not the greatest one either. At this stage in the season, we didn't need this one.

Michael spent most of the time brooding, met cliched Satanists, awful Silicon Valley morons but at least we got Robot Meade's origin story and I did like Madeline as a guest character, so there's that.

Nice to see Paulson playing both Cordelia and Venable in brief scenes. It's a shame neither character got to meet the other though.

Pretty boy male angel was a highlight but eh, this episode wasn't needed, 6/10

[Wicked]

This episode was very hit or miss.  The satanists were a joke.  I do think Cody Fern is doing a good job as Michael.  I enjoy his scenes.

[WednesdayAddams]

10 hours ago, Stallion12 said:

Wait missed that, how come?

She's the assistant in purple to Evan and Billy bowl cut bros. They're misogynistic and treat women like trash (she's no better though). She's apparently always in purple according to the boys, which is why she made everyone wear purple in the bunker. 

[NaughtyKitty]

I thought Gabby Sidibe was the worst actor in this show until last night.  Sandra Bernhardt was AWFUL!  Sidenote -- yelling is not acting!

I did like seeing a familiar shooting location though.  The computer lab office is Park Place in Irvine, CA

[ShadowHunter]

10 hours ago, Stuffy said:

I feel like this episode could've taken place in 15 minutes. Cordelia scene = five minutes, Satanists = five minutes, new robot mama/stoners = five minutes.  I was so incredibly bored.

I know people love the character, but I struggle paying attention during the Michael scenes. The antichrist is supposed to be charismatic. The character is doing nothing for me because I just see a whiny entitled brat. 

I agree about Michael. 

Evan and Billy are funny together that was it.

Shame Sarah never gets to be the bad one really. She spent most the season being Cordelia.

This season dragged on. Next week again more flashbacks. We never saw much of the Apocalypse. 

Seeing Evan covered in Cocaine did amuse me because he just got the lead in the bio film I am Woman about Helen Reddy and Jeff Wald. Jeff Wald had a really bad Cocaine addiction. So he is already getting practice for his next gig. 

[LoveLeigh]

2 hours ago, JenE4 said:

 DakotaLavender’s post right here is goddamned poetic. How can I pass up this episode with a simile like that to describe it?!?!

I am enjoying this season in a very sporadic way. I liked the idea of the crossovers. But, parts of this season seem so amateurish. And it seems like the actors are in some "inside joke," sort of enjoying the over the top humor (for instance when Sandra Bernhard called the president a "douchnozzle"). Why does Ryan Murphy have to keep inserting his own politics (even climate change) into the past two seasons? I may (or may not) agree with him, but it just is poor form. 

And killing that doctor who was with "Doctors Without Borders" belonged as some reference within a joke said by some comic at an open mic night in a comedy club and in this scene seemed cheap.  

As I said, I like some of the episodes of this season, but overall it is just too tongue in cheek for me. Is this season supposed to be a comedy? Some parts look like they were filmed as parodies for SNL. "The Name Game" in Asylum was funny but just seemed more sophisticated? (If that is the right word) and it fit in and was perfect. 

The show runners should have decided what it wanted to be a few seasons ago and not switched tracks, which I think it did as far back as "Hotel." 

[100Proof]

8 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

Eh, why reference Doctors Without Borders and slit that doc's throat? It was just sick. Even for this show, they pushed the envelope too far with the "humor and satire" to the point that crossed a line and I just grimaced and rolled my eyes. Subtle humor can work too. I realize that they are laughing at themselves and not taking it all too seriously but that reference just turned me off. And trust me, I am not a snowflake. 

For me, this episode stunk like the the stray mouse that got into my car two years ago and died. 

 

I suppose they had to have people who represented good in the world and had to come up with representations.

What didn't make much sense to me was that the satanist congregation, except for that woman who took to michael, seemed to be all dilettantes and would've ran in horror at the human sacrifice.

 

19 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

sort of enjoying the over the top humor (for instance when Sandra Bernhard called the president a "douchnozzle").

Now that made no sense either,  when he is on their side, doing their work, lol

Edited November 1, 2018 by 100Proof

[Lady Iris]

I guess we know where The Corporation sprung from now. Always good to hear, "There's Got To Be a Morning After" which reminds me of one of my favorite movies, The Poseidon Adventure.

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, DakotaLavender said:

Why does Ryan Murphy have to keep inserting his own politics (even climate change) into the past two seasons? I may (or may not) agree with him, but it just is poor form.

Because he knows what appeals to Emmy voters?

[Anela]

I don't mind the politics, and he pokes fun at Liberals too. Last season, it felt like he was going after them more, which surprised me. 

I haven't watched the latest episode yet. I'm just not into it this year, and it sounds like I didn't miss much last night. 

[WednesdayAddams]

Do the writers write an episode the day before filming? I love everything this season could be. But we've been at it for 8 years, you would think they'd figure out how to completely finish a story each season by now. We still have a million questions, there's still so much that could be done, but with 2 episodes left, I think we'll be left with more questions. Why introduce so many people that have nothing to do with the story? Why have filler episodes when there are crucial things to get to the bottom of?

[sashayshante]

Does anyone know if they write the entire season before shooting or if they write the first few, start shooting, then write the rest?

I only ask because just a few weeks ago Angela Bassett was being interviewed and said she was disappointed she wasn't asked to come back for the Coven cross over. Then, last week, they announced she'll be in the finale. Same thing with Jamie Brewer (Nan). Someone asked her on Twitter if she was coming back and she said No. Fandom went nuts when she she didn't appear in first few Coven-related episodes, suddenly she's in the 7th episode for a brief appearance.

I know it's possible Bassett and Brewer were being coy, but the timing seems a little suspect.

 

ETA: Wednesday Adams - Right? This season feels so disjointed and choppy, like they're going by what the audience reaction is and then re-writing stuff.

ETA Part Deux:  I think Cody Fern is fantastic, but what is with all the crying in every episode?? We get it. You're super sensitive.

Edited November 1, 2018 by sashayshante

[Rap541]

Honestly I am just kinda bored at this point because I don't like Michael enough to want him to turn over the standard convention of the AntiChrist story (Spoiler - Like Agent Dana Scully always said, God never lets the Devil steal the show) and everyone who sides with him seems like a gross idiot, but I am also unpleased with the idea of this wrapping up with "and then something gross happens but it all works out tra la la time travel tra la la witchcraft tra la la vaguely happy ending".

There's been way too many characters and plots thrown and no one seems to want to decide whether it's a funny season or a serious season. (I'm actually fine with either - Coven was a fave of mine because it was darkly humerous, and Hotel/Cult as well, while I think Asylum and Murder House were more serious and more scary) and thats just not working.

The same actors playing different characters is distracting, not clever.

I still think this ends with Meade 2.0 killing Michael because she's learned how to love and developed a real soul. A guess? She's the one who goes back in time to kill baby Michael. Prove me wrong, show.

[littlemommy]

The secondhand embarrassment while watching this episode was pretty unbearable. Why didn't they hire any of the thousands of desperate, hopeful actors/actresses hanging out Hollywood to play Chief Angry Satanist instead of Sandra Bernhard? She was terrible! What the hell has happened to American Horror Story? Is this an "Emperor's New Clothes" sort of situation, and no one is brave enough to tell the "brilliant" showrunner that the season makes no sense ?

[theschnauzers]

Michael Langdon during these last two or three episodes is ten years younger than he looks emotionally. So the hissy fits make perfect sense in the context of the flashback story arcs. When we get back to Michael in the timeframe of the Outpost in the second-third episodes, he’ll be five years older than the episode last night, and at least that much older emotionally.

I have no issue whatsoever with how Cody Fern is playing that mix in the character.  far as I can tell, he IS nailing it, scene by scene.

Edited November 2, 2018 by theschnauzers
spaces

[iMonrey]

This season started out as a story about a select group of apocalypse survivors in an underground bunker, and then Michael arrived and killed them all. And then the witches showed up and revived just three of them. And everything since then has been a flashback. Was there any point in spending the first three episodes in the bunker? Especially if the actors would end up playing totally different characters in the flashbacks? I just don't understand the narrative here. They could have begun the story with Episode 4 and then moved forward in a normal, linear fashion. Then we wouldn't be spending the whole season waiting for them to get back to "present day." As it stands there's no way they're going to wrap this thing up in just two more episodes in a satisfying manner. I don't know at this point if they'll ever even return to the "present" timelines.

There was speculation early on that this story would continue for another season or two, but won't it feel really frustrating and unsatisfying if the season finale just ends with a "to be continued?"

Quote

And yes, I looked for that damn news anchor because everything means something in these shows.

What makes you think that? Ryan Murphy throws all kinds of crap into his shows just because it amuses him. Not everything means something beyond "Ryan Murphy was distracted by this shiny object."

Quote

Sandra Bernhard really should decline jobs if she’s going to phone in her performances.

Sandra Bernhard plays essentially some iteration of Sandra Bernhard no matter what role she's playing. Whether it's a movie role like The King of Comedy or a long-running guest role on Roseanne or whether she's doing stand-up cabaret, she is always some version of herself. 

[ClareWalks]

My husband wandered by during the woods scene and was like "grape Fanta? What the fuck?" and all I could say was "don't ask me, I have no clue."

[Lady Iris]

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

My husband wandered by during the woods scene and was like "grape Fanta? What the fuck?" and all I could say was "don't ask me, I have no clue."

Agreed. In a show of oddities seeing an old fashioned can of grape fanta was especially odd and made me want one really really really bad. 

[WednesdayAddams]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What makes you think that? Ryan Murphy throws all kinds of crap into his shows just because it amuses him. Not everything means something beyond "Ryan Murphy was distracted by this shiny object."

 

Usually every song means something. Little side characters that you get a quick glimpse of, show up with a bigger plot. So I question everything with this series.

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

My husband wandered by during the woods scene and was like "grape Fanta? What the fuck?" and all I could say was "don't ask me, I have no clue."

And why was it a retro can of soda?

[DangerousMinds]

20 hours ago, Bama said:

Okay, I'm typically a showrunner's dream - I'm easy to please and even episodes/seasons that usually aren't well liked, I'm all "Eh, not their best but I still love it and let me list the things I do like".

I say all that because for ME to say, out loud, as the credits rolled on this episode, "THAT WAS TERRIBLE!  THEY WASTED 1/3rd OF THEIR LAST THREE HOURS OF STORYTELLING FOR THAT GARBAGE???" - then I know everyone else is going to rage about this episode.

They wasted an entire episode for what could have easily been condensed into the cold open!

All to let Sarah Paulson get another turn as a bitch for no reason and to let Evan and Billy (both two of my favorites) play a poor man's Dumb and Dumber, albeit the coked up, horndog, Silicon Valley iteration?

Seriously, this episode sucked major ass.

And it was only 38 minutes of content, sans commercials. Sad.

[DangerousMinds]

6 hours ago, WednesdayAddams said:

Do the writers write an episode the day before filming? I love everything this season could be. But we've been at it for 8 years, you would think they'd figure out how to completely finish a story each season by now. We still have a million questions, there's still so much that could be done, but with 2 episodes left, I think we'll be left with more questions. Why introduce so many people that have nothing to do with the story? Why have filler episodes when there are crucial things to get to the bottom of?

The first 2-3 episodes were completely detached from the rest of the story, really. Completely pointless.

Grape Fanta is absolutely still out there.

[Joan van Snark]

Isn't this show usually 12 episodes long since the beginning 7 or 8 seasons ago?  Why the sudden change?

And the last season of this show that held my attention at all was Hotel.  I enjoyed the broody atmosphere and the music and most of the characters (especially Liz Taylor, although I hated the cop).  

The last 3 seasons have been really bad.  This season has devolved into utter garbage!

[theschnauzers]

36 minutes ago, Joan van Snark said:

Isn't this show usually 12 episodes long since the beginning 7 or 8 seasons ago?  Why the sudden change?

Past seasons have varied from 10 to 13 episodes. According to the Futon Critic, season 8 is ten episodes.

[DrSparkles]

What was that whole robotics crap?

[Female83]

2 hours ago, DrSparkles said:

What was that whole robotics crap?

To show how Robot Meade was created.