American Horror Story: Apocalypse review: Basking in witchy magic

American Horror Story: Apocalypse episode 7, “Traitor,” brings back even more of our favorite elements of witches and covens, and we are so excited.

This episode opens with something that has been missing from this season’s Coven connection: the witches from the voodoo tradition. The opening of this episode was pretty gory, and, to be honest, we’ve been missing some of that aspect of horror from this season.

We see Dinah perform voodoo on an unknown woman as she rips the woman’s heart out of her chest. Seeing Dinah and her client, a wronged-wife, force feed the cheating husband a smoothie of the heart and some toenails is definitely something. Dinah says, “Tell all of your friends. The voodoo queen can fix any problem.” We are honestly here for it.

Cordelia meets up with Dinah, and we learn that she is now the Queen of Voodoo after the death of Marie Laveau. While we wish we could see Angela Bassett again, it is good to see the character of Dinah getting more of a backstory. Cordelia asks Dinah for help so she can meet Papa Legba. Maybe not the best call, but Cordelia is clearly desperate for any help with stopping Michael Langdon.

This episode also brings back Joan Collins, playing Bubbles now, which is great since it seemed a shame to not make use of her again this season. In this scene, she is on the set of a film, playing a grandmother who kills her husband on Christmas Eve. All of this husband killing in the first few minutes of the show is definitely…something to say the least. It is nice to see the show embracing its camp factor a little more.

Madison Montgomery goes to ask for Bubbles for help, and, while not surprising, we are glad to see Joan Collins playing a witch. The coven is gathering all of the witches they can, and all of this power is leaving a tingle up our spine.

While this season has done a great job of delivering what it promised fans, bringing Coven and Murder House together and many returning favorite characters, it’s an interesting choice to have so much of the season take place in the past. Considering we already know the outcome and that the apocalypse happens, it’s a strange approach. However, it’s definitely fun to be along for the ride.

Cordelia asks Papa Legba for his help with Langdon, no surprise, and he asks Cordelia for the souls of all of her girls in exchange for his help. Cordelia refuses, which maybe was the right call. It seems sometimes that she struggles to make the hard decisions that have to be made, but there also is something admirable about her commitment to her coven and her girls.

Also, oh my god, Nan is back! Finally, all of the main witches from the Coven are back together, and we are so here for it. Thankfully, it sounds like Nan has really been enjoying hell, and we are glad they didn’t leave her out of this season.

Coco’s new power is revealed to be counting calories. AHS definitely does a lot of campy things, but sometimes the humor seems distracting. However, it was fun to see some of the witches having a brief moment of fun and laughter. Alas, it doesn’t last as Coco chokes on a treat and dies. This gives Mallory a chance to reveal more of her powers. Is she actually the new Supreme? Is she really why Cordelia’s powers are waning? Or is she something equal in power to Langdon like an angel? Even Zoe thinks that Mallory is the next Supreme.

Next, Myrtle and Bubbles offer Ariel and Baldwin to share a meal in good faith. But, since Bubbles can read minds, she learns that the warlocks have no intention of working with them. Instead, they are planning to kill them. It looks like it really will be a showdown between the witches and the warlocks.

Cordelia hosts a dinner, noting that this dinner might be the last that they all share together. Aw, maybe this has us feeling a little emotional. After two seasons, it’s hard not to be more attached to the Coven characters than any of the others in the series.

Cordelia reveals that she brought Myrtle back from the dead, even though she had sworn not to. So, that is one mystery that has been solved. Cordelia gathers her girls together to make the first move against Langdon and the warlocks.

The witches are back with their black clothes and power struts, and we can’t get enough. This time we see Cordelia, Mallory, Zoe, Myrtle, and Coco together as they return to the gas station were John Henry was killed. (There are so many characters in this season it can sure be difficult to remember all of their names.)

Cordelia asks Coco for her help, and Coco is used to aid in the coven’s capture of Langdon’s adopted mother, played by Kathy Bates. Ariel reveals a poisonous powder that he plans to use to kill all of the witches, but they are too slow on the uptake as Cordelia is there with her witches to put a stop to their plans. We know maybe we shouldn’t enjoy all of this too much, but we are definitely rooting for the witches in this one. The warlocks are supporting the Antichrist, after all.

This episode ends with a reversal on witch burnings as Ariel and Baldwin (along with Kathy Bates’ Miriam Mead) are burned at the stake, with John Henry lighting the fires.

This episode had some spot-on aesthetic moments that we’ve been craving from this season and a few surprises. We are excited to see Cordelia face off with Michael Langdon again soon and look forward to that next week.