S08.E10: Apocalypse Then

[PrincessPurrsALot]

More stuff will happen to many characters, some overly familiar, some we may barely remember from episodes that seem an eternity past.  If our dreams come true, in something less than 60 minutes, the story will come to a conclusion.  I, for one, will not be so foolish as to expect a satisfying conclusion to this season.  Let's see where this goes, shall we?

Original air date 2018.11.14

[100Proof]

Welp, they managed to wrap it up...with a caveat. This a setup for a sequel maybe.

The couple at the end were the two young lovers at the beginning? (can't remember through all the convolutions and time jumps, lol)

Maybe Michael knew he was destined not to make it and part of his job was to find the perfect DNA couple also knowing that they would meet and produce a child in the new, earth has been saved, timeline? (i don't even know if this even makes sense with what gone on this season, heh)

Edited November 15, 2018 by 100Proof

[Female83]

It was better than the previous episodes but I wish it was revealed who was wearing the rubber suit and what the point of Tim and Emily and their prefect DNA was.  Michael was not a good baddie and even the alt version of the archangel Michael from Supernatural makes a better villain.  Going back in also meant that Moira is still stuck in Murder House unless Mallory helped her before going to New Orleans. 

[AnswersWanted]

Okay...so...that happened.

I’d like to press the reset button on watching this season.

Another Ryan show that not only has jumped the shark but drove over it with an SUV 12 times. 

They did all of that to use a spell to send Mallory all the way back to any time and the grand plan ended up as: fuck it, I will just murder the goddamn AntiChrist with a car.

A car? No magic involved at all?

She never revealed anything that happened so no one could maybe think about what might happen next, like, oh say, the devil would just try again maybe being all kinds of powerful and evil incarnate and what not?

Sweet Satan’s armpit that was truly the worst. 

I knew they had written themselves into quite the hole but holy fuck beans, the hell?? Who green lit that ending?!

Edited November 15, 2018 by AnswersWanted

[ShadowHunter]

I think Kai was worse then Michael lol.

Too much with Coven and the flashback got annoying.

I didn't like Timothy or Emily so the ending sucked.

Constance had some great lines.

This season started really well but fell apart badly.

[100Proof]

2 minutes ago, AnswersWanted said:

murder the goddamn AntiChrist with a car?

A car? No magic involved at all? 

 

And how the hell did she know that was enough to kill him. Could've broke ever bone in his body but still lived

[sashayshante]

8/10

Have to admit, I teared up a bit when Michael was begging Constance to take him to the house.  That scene was brutal and unnecessarily graphic. The revisionist history surrounding Constance's sudden repulsion for Michael was weak. She knew who he was. She was positively giddy when she saw that he'd killed the nanny. To erase that ruins the character.

Thought they wrapped everything up nicely, for the most part.  Still annoyed that they gave Billie Lourd such an important role without building up her character at all.

So, Coco was basically an extraneous character with no real purpose other than to give Leslie Grossman a role?

Oh, and the Boring Twins giving birth to the new Antichrist? Stupid. Still doesn't explain why they were in The Outpost. Totally unnecessary inclusion of flat characters.

Edited November 15, 2018 by sashayshante

[AnswersWanted]

Just now, 100Proof said:

And how the hell did she know that was enough to kill him. Could've broke ever bone in his body but still lived

 

And technically he did, not the physical form but the soul sure as hell was regenerated, and yet no one thought that would be possible? 

He’s the son of Satan, it’s called being immortal you dumb knob nuts.

[Primal Slayer]

So the finale wasnt great and the battle against Michael was underwhelming but after 2 boring episodes it certainly made this episode feel much better. The first 15 minutes should've been wrapped up in episode 9.

The return of the one true Voodoo Queen had me screaming with joy even if her time with us was short.

Madison truly found her redemption in sacrificing herself in an attempt to keep Michael down while giving her sisters more time to get Mallory to the past.

Cordelia having to sacrifice herself so Mallory could rise as the Supreme was....underwhelming. Like it was a good scene between her and Michael but this entire time was wanting Mallory to be an Angel.

Mallory going to the past just to see Constance kick Michael out was also underwhelming. Sure it was GREAT to see Constance again but now she goes on to live a longer, better life after help raise the Anti-Christ. Mallory just runs Michael over which is enough to kill the spawn of Satan. She returns to the academy and gets street cred with the peeps in hell so they allow her to bring Nan/Misty Day back to the living but she leaves Madison in hell!

All of this just so the two pretty kids from the first 2 episodes can boink one another and for some reason give birth the the NEW anti-christ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? and end season

Go figure we get such a strong season (for like 5 episodes) and end on such a weak note. Classic AHS.

1 minute ago, AnswersWanted said:

 

And technically he did, not the physical form but the soul sure as hell was regenerated, and yet no one thought that would be possible? 

He’s the son of Satan, it’s called being immortal you dumb knob nuts.

While that is true, getting him back into the physical world shouldnt be that easy, especially two nobodies who havent been possessed or anything.

[WednesdayAddams]

That was some rushed crap.

Was Micheal killable, because his powers weren't strong like we saw in the Outpost?

As mentioned previously, what were the monster people in the beginning? What was the point of the DNA couple? A ploy to create an even better anti Christ? How was anyone anywhere using email? Who were the people they were trying to help populate the world? Other perfect DNA people, or Satan worshipers? If we stuck with the storyline that episode 1 and 2 were giving us, this season could have been great!

I knew I'd be let down with the finale, but damn.

[100Proof]

15 minutes ago, sashayshante said:

8/10

Have to admit, I teared up a bit when Michael was begging Constance to take him to the house.

 

So you're that person in horror movies who's responsible for watching over the serial killer who dismembered 200 people and who finally is caught and all tied up but then sweet talks you into freeing him. ;-D

Edited November 15, 2018 by 100Proof

[AnswersWanted]

5 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

 

I think Kai was worse then Michael lol.

 

 

No kidding, hell, his ghost daddy, Tate, was far more impressive and terrifying. 

With this ending what was the point of him even being the AntiChrist? 

I mean really, they had those two tech guys, why not then have just made Michael the true head of that company who sold his soul to the devil and was trying to bring about the end times of the world.

In return he was promised that he would be able to rule whatever was left of the earth and have all remaining human life under his control, boom.

He still gets be an all impressive big baddie and it doesn’t involve a woman being raped by a ghost or the antichrist angle at all, and yet you still could’ve ended up with the exact same premise and point of this season, because apparently the offspring of the devil can be run down like a dog in the street and left to die and that’ll do for about 3 years tops before the next birth can be planned for. 

[Bruinsfan]

5 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

She returns to the academy and gets street cred with the peeps in hell so they allow her to bring Nan/Misty Day back to the living but she leaves Madison in hell!

I got the impression that Nan wasn't so much back among the living as one of the peeps in hell who was returning Misty as a favor to Mallory.

[100Proof]

6 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Madison truly found her redemption in sacrificing herself in an attempt to keep Michael down while giving her sisters more time to get Mallory to the past.

She did???  What I saw was the dumb plot move of having her back turned just at the wrong moment. Its right up there with the person who winds up falling and twisting their ankle while being chased, lol

BTW, did Anton Levy die before or after they wrote this script? lol

[Stallion12]

Saw the spoilers so I knew what was  coming still dumb.  Loved the first two episodes,  this season had to many flashbacks and was pointless. 

[Primal Slayer]

Just now, 100Proof said:

She did???  What I saw was the dumb plot move of having her back turned just at the wrong moment. Its right up there with the person who winds up falling and twisting their ankle while being chased, lol

Her entire point of staying was to hold Michael off as much as she could, she knew there was chance she'd bite the dust.

[AnswersWanted]

13 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

While that is true, getting him back into the physical world shouldnt be that easy, especially two nobodies who havent been possessed or anything.

 

Actually I think the big blunder that was made, which you think the witches would’ve been aware of, is that technically those two little twerps died in the original future, so for a time they were wrangled into the underworld at a certain point and therefore compromised by death.

So I am going to guess, and I’m trying to be generous with them at this point, that is why they were then able to be used as vessels to bring forth the next antichrist.

Technically those two should’ve died in the future that existed before the time travel, Satan was able to compromise them, and then basically just set them up since he would be aware of the witches plan to kill Michael in the past at that point. 

Satan would not be affected by a time shift, he would have no reason to have forgotten their grand scheme or Michael’s untimely demise. 

I am 99% percent sure I am giving Ryan and his team about 100% too much credit for that to be the case, but that’s what I’m going to go with so that my head doesn’t hurt as bad.

 Otherwise it’s implied that two normal ass human beings could totally give birth to the antichrist just ‘cause and that goes against all other evidence of his conception and also the basic point of the last nine episodes. 

[Straycat80]

I wanted so badly to like this season since I couldn’t stand to watch Cult. Maybe I expected too much but...this was mediocre at best.

I figured once we learned the witches could time travel I was not surprised at the ending. I think at that time Michael did not know who he was and that’s why he didn’t know he had the power not to die. Could he have become a ghost in murder house because he didn’t have a soul? 

I hope the next season won’t be about the Antichrist 2.0. If that’s the case I’m out. 

[100Proof]

6 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Her entire point of staying was to hold Michael off as much as she could, she knew there was chance she'd bite the dust.

Just for arguments sake. She there with the machine gun in order to keep filling him up with holes and for a helluva (pardon pun) much longer time than she did.... and still could've make her own getaway on top of it. But no... hey look behind me.... kablooey!

Edited November 15, 2018 by 100Proof

[Primal Slayer]

Just now, 100Proof said:

Just for arguments sake. She there with the machine gun in order to keep filling him up with holes and for a helluva (pardon pun) much longer time than that.... and still make her own getaway

She offered to stay and in her words "try to hold him off as long as I can". Old Madison would not be risking her life. 

[100Proof]

3 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

She offered to stay and in her words "try to hold him off as long as I can". Old Madison would not be risking her life. 

In that respect of her putting others before her, that I agree.  However she still had a chance to escape as in, "I'll hold 'em off long enough for you to get away' thing.

Ok, I ran this through its course, lol

[AnswersWanted]

52 minutes ago, WednesdayAddams said:

That was some rushed crap.

Was Micheal killable, because his powers weren't strong like we saw in the Outpost?

As mentioned previously, what were the monster people in the beginning? What was the point of the DNA couple? A ploy to create an even better anti Christ? How was anyone anywhere using email? Who were the people they were trying to help populate the world? Other perfect DNA people, or Satan worshipers? If we stuck with the storyline that episode 1 and 2 were giving us, this season could have been great!

I knew I'd be let down with the finale, but damn.

 

 Here I was thinking that the worst of the worst would be that Mallory would travel back in time and go all alpha to Michael’s omega and have some sort of heavenly battle against the depths of hell or something, and now I’m left thinking that actually might’ve been interesting compared to what ended up happening. 

 I was promised a battle to end all battles or some hyperbolic shit, so what, was I supposed to be happy she didn’t run his ass down with a Prius?

Oh look at the bad ass time traveling witch who can use four wheel drive, watch out world, the antichrist has been put on ice...for three years, mission (hardly ) accomplished! 

Edited November 15, 2018 by AnswersWanted

[100Proof]

12 minutes ago, Straycat80 said:

I figured once we learned the witches could time travel I was not surprised at the ending.

I thought I saw Doc and Marty McFly in the background in one scene

[Quilty]

Is anyone else as completely confused as I am?

[WednesdayAddams]

So, what was going on in current time while Mallory was time traveling? Why couldn't Michael just rip her out of the tub and kill her? I don't think Francis' character (can't remember her name now) could hold him off. So what the hell? They just stood there waiting? 

[Carmelpug]

I screamed when Marie Laveau showed up. It was glorious ❤

[bobbyjoe]

I liked this season.  Was it perfect?  Not by a long shot.  But after the unwatchable Cult where pretty much every single character was some combination of irritating, repulsive, or tedious, a season that’s mostly fan service callbacks (like tonight’s “ohmigod, it’s Marie Laveau, awesome”) felt just like what the doctor ordered to get me back on board with AHS.  Tonight’s ending was entirely predictable even several episodes ago, but there was still a lot I really liked along the way while we got there, from Satanic potlucks with Sandra Bernhard to the opening scene tonight with Frances Conroy.  I give this season a good solid “B,” which is a whole lot better than last season’s “F-.”

[oompa]

Well, I can't say that I'm unhappy this season has come to a close. This season may have been one of the worst for actually having horror.

I did like the homage to both Alien (android head with white 'blood') and 2001: A Space Odyssey (singing Daisy like Hal).

[dvil]

2 hours ago, WednesdayAddams said:

So, what was going on in current time while Mallory was time traveling? Why couldn't Michael just rip her out of the tub and kill her? I don't think Francis' character (can't remember her name now) could hold him off. So what the hell? They just stood there waiting? 

What? As soon as Mallory went back in time, the post-apocalypse timeline ceased to exist.

[phoenix780]

I...liked all of it. My standards may be slipping, but I thought it was fairly cohesive and entertaining almost the whole way through. I wonder what happens to the ghosts in the house from season 1, the ones Madison helped get together. And the maid--is her spirit still at rest? 

I think my only complaint is that there was too much of the same actors in different roles in the same season for my taste. If I want to nitpick, I'd have liked more payoff for the calorie-counting witch. Other than that, I think this was my most satisfying season of the show. 

And, two minutes of Angela Bassett was everything. 

[dvil]

38 minutes ago, phoenix780 said:

And, two minutes of Angela Bassett was everything. 

I was also quite entertained by Kathy Bates' decapitated head.

[MrsWitter]

2 hours ago, dvil said:

I was also quite entertained by Kathy Bates' decapitated head.

Yes! This was the second season that ended with her decapitated. I don’t know if that was a purposeful throwback to Coven, but I’m going with it.

Edited November 15, 2018 by MrsWitter

[SimoneS]

11 hours ago, phoenix780 said:

I think my only complaint is that there was too much of the same actors in different roles in the same season for my taste.

That is my real one complaint about this season. I thought having the actors in so many different roles undermined the story.

Edited November 15, 2018 by SimoneS

[WednesdayAddams]

5 hours ago, dvil said:

What? As soon as Mallory went back in time, the post-apocalypse timeline ceased to exist.

It only ceases to exist if she killed Michael, right? In the time it took to actually go back, wait for him to come out of the house, grab a car, he could have pulled her out of the tub and killed her. The current time didn't cease to exist when she first went back in time, she came right back to Misty's shack. It only would have changed if she successfully saved Anastasia. I don't know anymore.... 

[Empress1]

7 hours ago, Carmelpug said:

I screamed when Marie Laveau showed up. It was glorious ❤

I said "ANGELA BASSETT!" Angela Bassett is one of those actors that I am always happy to see. Switching her twists and her hips. Excellent.

[kokapetl]

Son of satan dies from hit and run. What a crock. 

[TexasGal]

What happened to original recipe, pre-apocalypse Mallory after post-apocalypse Mallory came back and ran over Michael.  Are there 2 Mallorys?  It seemed like they must have merged together somehow because she knew everyone when she showed up at the Academy.  Apologies if this was explained, I was in a Benadryl haze; but I think the safe bet was it wasn't explained. 

[sashayshante]

9 minutes ago, TexasGal said:

What happened to original recipe, pre-apocalypse Mallory after post-apocalypse Mallory came back and ran over Michael.  Are there 2 Mallorys?  It seemed like they must have merged together somehow because she knew everyone when she showed up at the Academy.  Apologies if this was explained, I was in a Benadryl haze; but I think the safe bet was it wasn't explained. 

After killing Michael, Mallory stayed in the pre-apocalypse timeline, her memories of all thing post-apocalypse still intact.

And to think that if the writers hadn't written themselves into a corner by having Queenie get killed at The Cortez at the end of Hotel, this season could have been so much better. Now we're stuck with this cloud hanging over the series where everyone will be wondering about the other Antichrist. You just know we're going to get another season of this shit, only this time Michael will team up with the coven.

I can't figure out if Michael was bullshitting Constance with his "I'm just a kid" routine after he killed the priest. Did he really not know who he was? Because it sounded like he knew he was bullshitting Constance.

Ryan Murphy needs to learn that it's okay to create universes where women don't think all men are worthless pieces of shit and where male allies exist and contribute to helping good win over evil and don't die in the end.

The writers copped out so many times this season. I saw plenty of viable theories and options for how this season could have played out. Maybe they should start hiring commenters from Reddit to write this show.

I still can't get over that Coco existed to belittle Mallory so her powers would be surpressed and Brock existed to stab Mallory. The other reason Murder House and Asylum worked was how tightly the cast was written. Now it's just a fucking potluck surprise dinner where all of Ryan Murphy's friends are invited to join.

[Valny]

That finale was all kinds of crazy.

Jessica Lange for the win!   I was just mesmerized watching her act the hell out of her scene with Michael.  Man, he has pretty eyes and did a good job with the tears. Did you see he had a  wet spot from the tears on his shirt?

I thought Mallory should have squished his head with the car, but I guess she still took care of business. Whew, for a second I thought Constance was going to break down and bring Michael into the house like he pleaded for her to do...."Go to Hell."  You tell him Constance!

Great seeing Angela Bassett again! I wasn't spoiled so that was a nice surprise

Didn't care about the couple at the end.

 

I give this season 7/10  It really flew by pretty fast.

[darkestboy]

The episode had a lot to cover and I think it did a mostly good job of resolving everything.

Mallory mowing Michael down was one way to get rid of an Antichrist but looks like Venable was right trying to keep Timothy and Emily apart after all though. I'm guessing a possible sequel series down the line.

Madison went out like a badass and it's a shame she's stuck in hell though. Marie didn't last long either but at least Dinah got her comeuppance though for this one. 

Queenie, Zoe and Misty are all alive, Myrtle's dead, everyone else didn't die after all and only Mallory remembers the lot while Cordelia is still supreme for now. 

I've enjoyed this season a lot, but I can see maybe a more stripped back one next year, 8/10

[owenthurman]

I enjoyed it a lot, which came as a surprise. But I won't watch the season again unless someone releases an edited version, cutting down both the initial buildup at the compound and the tedious flashbacks. While the warlocks were entertaining, were they really needed for the story?

People have raised some issues on this thread.

Regarding Madison, 1: I think it was clearly a case of Madison sacrificing herself not a "turning her back when the enemy seems to be down." She hears him revive, realizes what it means, and instead of trying to save herself, she says "Oh fuck, I guess it's back to retail [hell]," then readies the gun. Though this was never addressed this season, in Coven Madison had chosen to become a villain before she died; so she has come a long way, offering her life to keep fighting the Antichrist.

Madison, 2: at the end, Mallory says, "I know where Madison is; I'll have to go to hell and bring her back. But she can sweat it out a little longer." So it's implied that Madison will be raised from the dead and rejoin the coven, with Queenie and Misty (and sadly no Myrtle). 

The genetically special couple from the beginning of the season: reading this thread, I think some people didn't realize that they were the same couple who met at the end of the episode and led to the next Antichrist's birth.

[Wicked]

This season had many many many flaws, but I still enjoyed it.  It didn't seem as mean spirited as some of the other seasons, I just had fun and went with it.  Unfortunate that they couldn't have tightened up the story lines and made it a better quality show, but I enjoyed enough of the actor's performances that I was able to mostly look past the plot holes.

[Rap541]

This was... anticlimactic. In fairness, an antichrist storyline can only end one way so....

But I will admit to liking that Michael died mundanely. 

Honestly I think the flaw here is the first three episodes. As much as I liked the end, the whole silly 18 months in the outpost with forced scrubbing and weird Victorian costumes and endless debate about who was worthy to go to the Sanctuary, with Billy Eichner wandering the Road Warrior wasteland to find Coco to kill her, and the carriages and magical apples and snakes and rubberman silliness.... there was literally no point to any of it. 

Also agree too many multiple roles. Venable could have been played by any actress. Gallant/Nerd One could have been played by different people than Evan Peters. For what little they did, I don't know why we needed the side plots of Violet/Tate and the Queenie/Tamissa the Witch standing around in the background, or the walk on, walk out Misty Day.

I will admit tho, Madison and Emma Roberts has grown on me... but I am also a weirdo who liked her in Freaks. 

I'd like to see Billie Lourdes actually play Mallory or a character with normal emotions and a non-weird appearance.

Coco was amusing and I liked that she was actually a good person.

Marie Laveau killing Adina Porter and her cold dead eyes had me cheering and I will tolerate a new season of Billy Lourdes, Leslie Grossman, and Emma Roberts in the zombie apocalypse humping Cody Fern for bites of human brains if it means Adina Porter is dropped from the rotation of actors. 

This season could have been a lot better than what it was and relied on "Oh look! Nan! Oh look! Marie Laveau!" way too much. But better than Roanoke :)

[100Proof]

44 minutes ago, owenthurman said:

Regarding Madison, 1: I think it was clearly a case of Madison sacrificing herself not a "turning her back when the enemy seems to be down." She hears him revive, realizes what it means, and instead of trying to save herself, she says "Oh fuck, I guess it's back to retail [hell]," then readies the gun. Though this was never addressed this season, in Coven Madison had chosen to become a villain before she died; so she has come a long way, offering her life to keep fighting the Antichrist.

Madison, 2: at the end, Mallory says, "I know where Madison is; I'll have to go to hell and bring her back. But she can sweat it out a little longer." So it's implied that Madison will be raised from the dead and rejoin the coven, with Queenie and Misty (and sadly no Myrtle). 

 

If so, this is where all this timeline jumping has just led to one huge ball of confusion. If I think what you're saying is what you're saying.... that the showdown with Michael is the actual event that sent Madison to hell in the first place and thus able to be then brought back in order to help defeat Michael where he in turn dispatches her to hell and thus able to return and defeat Michael where he in turn......??  Jezuuuuhz, lol

If that's the case, I take back my cheap plot ploy shot. But I'm not sure which is worse... cheap ploy or the above, lol

Edited November 15, 2018 by 100Proof

[TexasGal]

1 hour ago, sashayshante said:

After killing Michael, Mallory stayed in the pre-apocalypse timeline, her memories of all thing post-apocalypse still intact.

 

Got that part.  But there was already a Mallory pre-apocalypse, so if post-a Mallory stayed there should be 2.  Did she transport into the past directly into her pre-a body but with post-a memories?  

I know, way too nitpicky for AHS, but this kind of stuff always bothers me about time travel stories. 

[100Proof]

This time travel twist is a direct ripoff of Firesign Theater's, 'Nick Danger'.  "What's happening? Am I seeing double? There's two of everyone except me!"

[Rap541]

17 minutes ago, 100Proof said:

f I think what you're saying is what you're saying.... that the showdown with Michael is the actual event that sent Madison to hell in the first place and thus able to be then brought back in order to help defeat Michael where he in turn dispatches her to hell and thus able to return and defeat Michael where he in turn......??  Jezuuuuhz, lol

Not quite, but it is confusing.

Madison died at the end of Coven - Kyle killed her because she wouldn't resurrect Zoe and thats why she ended up in Hell. 

Michael brought her back from hell as a sort of extra credit "fuck you" to Cordelia when he was doing the 7 Wonders. 

In a world where Michael dies before meeting the warlocks, Madison would continue to be in hell with no real character development. The Madison that Mallory would save is not the Madison who learned to sacrifice herself for the greater good, which makes it kind of a mixed bag whether she should be brought back, to me anyway.

[100Proof]

25 minutes ago, Rap541 said:

Not quite, but it is confusing.

Madison died at the end of Coven - Kyle killed her because she wouldn't resurrect Zoe and thats why she ended up in Hell. 

Michael brought her back from hell as a sort of extra credit "fuck you" to Cordelia when he was doing the 7 Wonders. 

In a world where Michael dies before meeting the warlocks, Madison would continue to be in hell with no real character development. The Madison that Mallory would save is not the Madison who learned to sacrifice herself for the greater good, which makes it kind of a mixed bag whether she should be brought back, to me anyway.

'The Madison that Mallory would save'? You mean that by going back in time and averting the whole apocalypse thing, Madison never went through having to fight in the apocalypse thus growing as a person?

Honestly, 99 times out of a 100, I've forgotten what happened in whatever TV show or movie I watch almost immediately after viewing.... in one eyeball and out the other so to speak.  Hell, with so much time jumping, I totally forgot Mallory was the same person as the blonde snob's assistant with the glasses till this last episode. Remembering what happened in some past season is way too much, lol

Edited November 15, 2018 by 100Proof

[Rap541]

12 hours ago, 100Proof said:

BTW, did Anton Levy die before or after they wrote this script? lol

He's been dead since 1997. If he was alive in 2020 or 2023 - I wasn't sure of the flash forward times - he'd be 90 or 93.

[Rap541]

16 minutes ago, 100Proof said:

'The Madison that Mallory would save'? You mean that by going back in time and averting the whole apocalypse thing, Madison never went through having to fight in the apocalypse thus growing as a person?

Correct - Much like how Cordelia never resurrected Myrtle because there was no apocalypse necessitating it, Madison was never freed from Hell to fight the apocalypse either.