Could It Be... Satan?

"Could It Be... Satan?" is the fourth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 3, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Tim Minear, and directed by Sheree Folkson.[1]

"Could It Be... Satan?"
American Horror Story episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 4
Directed bySheree Folkson
Written byTim Minear
Featured music
Production code8ATS04
Original air dateOctober 3, 2018 (2018-10-03)
Running time42 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

Plot

In 2021

Michael Langdon reminisces about his earlier life with a caretaker, Miriam Mead, a Satan-worshipper that had poisoned her last three husbands. Langdon says Mead made him feel happy and protected and tells the robot Mead that he asked for her to have his caretaker's memories in order to guide him.

Elsewhere in the Outpost, Myrtle Snow and Madison Montgomery explain to a resurrected Mallory and Coco that they had identity spells placed on them to protect them, blocking their memories of who they were. Cordelia Goode tells Mallory that she is special and that the witches need her to defeat Langdon. Langdon appears before the witches and gloats that he has already won.

In 2017

Students at the Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men (that would later become Outpost 3) study magic with their instructor, Behold Chablis. Baldwin Pennypacker, John Henry Moore, and Ariel Augustus, the Grand Chancellor, await Behold with a video featuring a young Langdon's execution of a Los Angeles Police detective during an interrogation. Ariel believes that Langdon is a warlock, while Moore thinks it is a case of demonic possession. They consider a prophecy of an "Alpha Warlock" who could supplant the Supreme Witch, Cordelia. Ariel visits and frees Langdon and they leave for the school.

One month later, the instructors evaluate Langdon's power level. They hope he will rate as a "level four", putting him on par with the Supreme Witch. Langdon exceeds expectations on the first test by not only locating a book hidden within a mirror, but retrieving it as well. Most are impressed, but Moore is troubled that Langdon did not follow instructions. He similarly aces the second examination by effortlessly teleporting throughout the room. Langdon then passes the third test by producing falling snow inside the room, but he nearly kills the examination board by freezing the room.

At Miss Robichaux's Academy in New Orleans, Zoe Benson teaches students to change the color of a rose. Cordelia observes Mallory change the rose color to blue, then making the petals fall off and transform into butterflies. Myrtle enters, shaken, and announces that the Hawthorne School has called an emergency council session. Cordelia, Zoe and Myrtle travel to the Hawthorne School.

At the meeting, Ariel explains that they wish Langdon to challenge Cordelia for Supremacy. While the women scoff at the idea of a male Supreme, Ariel insists that Cordelia administer the Seven Wonders to test Langdon. Cordelia refuses, saying that it would surely condemn the boy to death, as it did to witch Misty Day. Behold chastises her for abandoning coven member Queenie after her disappearance in Los Angeles, but Cordelia responds that she found Queenie's ghost in the Hotel Cortez, playing cards with the ghost of the hotel's founder James Patrick March. Unable to extract Queenie past the doors of the hotel, Cordelia realized that the Hotel Cortez was a demonic portal that she was unable to overcome. Meanwhile, Langdon has a scrying vision of the Hotel Cortez. He travels to Los Angeles and successfully emerges from the hotel with Queenie.

In the underworld, Madison experiences her own personal hell — processing endless returns and complaints from a never-ending line of customers at a department store. Langdon arrives and is surprised to see that Madison is self-aware of her afterlife existence. Queenie appears and explains to Madison that Langdon has travelled to the underworld to retrieve Madison. Langdon says he needs the two to prove a point. At the Hawthorne School, as Cordelia and the trio make plans to return to New Orleans, Cordelia experiences a strange feeling. As the witches go outside, Langdon greets them with Queenie and Madison. Upon seeing the returned witches, Cordelia faints.

Reception

"Could It Be... Satan?" was watched by 2.02 million people during its original broadcast, and gained a 1.0 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.[2]

The episode received positive reviews from critics, with Emma Roberts’ performance being highlighted. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Could It Be... Satan?" holds an 88% approval rating, based on 16 reviews with an average rating of 7.53/10. The critical consensus reads, "Cast chemistry and just the right amount of self-effacing humor drive "Could it Be... Satan?" as worlds collide and fan dreams come true."[3]

Ron Hogan of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4/5, saying, "Coven was not my favorite series of American Horror Story, but it was one of the show's better ones and from the first bitchy comment flying out of Madison Montgomery's mouth, I am reminded why Coven is a fan favorite. The appearance of the witches immediately injects life into the series, and even when the show follows a group of warlocks that we've never known, there's immediate tension and chemistry between the group that betters anything we got with the mismatched group of survivors pre-Halloween."[4]

Kat Rosenfield from Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a B+. She was not impressed by the warlocks in general except by the council members, calling them "an all-star cast of Ryan Murphy faves". However, she appreciated the scenes with Queenie and Madison, but also the ending of the episode. Finally, she wondered what was the point of the episode title, as "Langdon is very clearly Satan or at least Satan-adjacent by a maximum of one degree".[5] Vulture's Ziwe Fumudoh gave the episode a 2 out of 5, with a mixed review. Much like Rosenfield, she was not a big fan of the all-boys warlocks group, calling them a "circle-jerk of warlocks making paperweights", but admitted that their council members were "remarkably cast". She also criticized the gender binary between witches and warlocks, established by the episode. However, she still enjoyed Madison's personal hell scene.[6]

References
  1. "(#804) "Could It Be... Satan?"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  2. Metcalf, Mitch (October 4, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.3.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  3. "American Horror Story: Apocalypse - "Could It Be... Satan?"". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  4. Hogan, Ron (October 4, 2018). "American Horror Story Season 8 Episode 4 Review: Could It Be... Satan?". Den of Geek. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  5. Rosenfield, Kat (October 4, 2018). "'American Horror Story: Apocalypse' recap: Not your mother's Hogwarts". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  6. Fumudoh, Ziwe (October 4, 2018). "American Horror Story: Apocalypse Recap: Surprise B!". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
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