Forbidden Fruit (American Horror Story)

Last updated
"Forbidden Fruit"
American Horror Story episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 3
Directed by Loni Peristere
Written by Manny Coto
Featured music
Production code8ATS03
Original air dateSeptember 26, 2018 (2018-09-26)
Running time42 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Morning After"
Next 
"Could It Be... Satan?"
American Horror Story: Apocalypse
List of episodes

"Forbidden Fruit" is the third episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story . It aired on September 26, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Manny Coto, and directed by Loni Peristere. [1]

Contents

Plot

Langdon unveils his true demonic form to Mallory, and she makes flames shoot from a fireplace. Venable confides to Mead that she has not been selected to move on to the Sanctuary and Mead suggests they kill everyone.

Brock navigates a nuclear wasteland and guns down a cannibalistic tribe. He sees a horse-drawn carriage pass by. The carriage delivers apples to Outpost 3, and Venable decides to inject them with venom. Brock infiltrates Outpost 3 and attends Venable's Halloween masquerade ball. Coco, presuming Brock to be Langdon in costume, seduces him back to her bedroom. Brock then reveals himself to Coco and stabs her in the forehead.

The Outpost 3 guests bob for poisonous apples. Venable instructs everyone to wait to eat simultaneously. The guests comply and concurrently succumb to the poison. Venable and Mead confront Langdon, and Venable proclaims that they will be making the selections. Mead attempts to shoot Langdon but finds herself turning the gun on Venable against her will and shooting her, under the order of Langdon. Langdon reveals that he created Mead and that she was modeled after a caregiver from his childhood, which consoles her. Later, Cordelia Goode, Madison Montgomery, and Myrtle Snow descend upon Outpost 3 and Cordelia resurrects Mallory, Dinah, and Coco.

Reception

"Forbidden Fruit" was watched by 1.95 million people during its original broadcast, and gained a 0.9 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. [2]

The episode has been critically acclaimed, with most of the critics praising the cliffhanger. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Forbidden Fruit" holds a 100% approval rating, based on 18 reviews with an average rating of 8.10/10. The critical consensus reads, ""Forbidden Fruit" pushes Apocalypse forward, delivering on the gore, the glee, and most importantly, the girls." [3]

Ron Hogan of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4.5/5, saying, "So far, aside from a mention of genetic perfection, there hasn't been much of a tie-in to the world of the witches (or to the ghosts, for the matter, aside from Michael Langdon's presence). However, that connection was made more openly this week, after a solid episode which featured some very impressive visual trickery from director Loni Peristere. From the cold opening to the surprise at the end, 'Forbidden Fruit' is one of the most impressive editorial feats of the entire series, let alone this season." [4]

Kat Rosenfield from Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a B+. She particularly praised the ball scenes, saying that they are "a serious mashup of various fairytale tropes: poisoned apples, a masquerade ball, and even a Cinderella figure yearning for greater things in the background", and also appreciated all the different twists of the episode. Finally, she enjoyed the cliffhanger with the Coven witches. [5] Vulture 's Ziwe Fumudoh gave the episode a 5 out of 5, with a positive review. Much like Rosenfield, she particularly praised the death scene of all Outpost 3 inhabitants, commenting that "I have never been so disgusted and so entertained in my life", and also liked the revelation about Mead's and Langdon's relationship. Finally, she really enjoyed the arrival of the witches, and the cliffhanger of the episode. [6]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a 6.8 out of 10, with a mixed to positive review. He said, "Once the music switched from Bread to Rolling Stones, and the Coven ladies majestically swooped in, things felt infused with more energy. There was a welcome supernatural lightness in those final moments that seemed to coat all the previous ugliness and stuffiness with a silver sheen. That's not to say the season's about to get exponentially better, but it was a very welcome shift from the Lazy Susan of aggravation these past few weeks have offered up." [7]

Related Research Articles

"The Axeman Cometh" is the sixth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 13, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"Fearful Pranks Ensue" is the fourth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 30, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"Burn, Witch. Burn!" is the fifth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 6, 2013, on the cable network FX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Brewer</span> American actress and model

Jamie Brewer is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles in the FX horror anthology television series American Horror Story. In its first season, Murder House, she portrayed Adelaide "Addie" Langdon; in the third season, Coven, she portrayed Nan, an enigmatic and clairvoyant witch; in the fourth season Freak Show, she portrayed Chester Creb's vision of his doll, Marjorie; in the seventh season Cult, she portrayed Hedda, a member of the 'SCUM' crew, led by feminist Valerie Solanas; and she also returned to her role as Nan in the eighth season, Apocalypse.

"The Dead" is the seventh episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 20, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"The Sacred Taking" is the eighth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on December 4, 2013, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

"Head" is the ninth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on December 11, 2013, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Tim Minear and directed by Howard Deutch.

"Protect the Coven" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 15, 2014, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Jennifer Salt and directed by Bradley Buecker.

<i>American Horror Story: Apocalypse</i> Eighth season of the horror anthology television series

The eighth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Apocalypse, features the witches from the New Orleans coven as they battle the Antichrist and attempt to prevent the world from ending. The season is presented as a crossover between Murder House, Coven, and Hotel. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Cody Fern, Emma Roberts, Cheyenne Jackson and Kathy Bates, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomer Fern.

"The End" is the first episode and season premiere of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on September 12, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk, and directed by Bradley Buecker.

"The Morning After" is the second episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on September 19, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by James Wong, and directed by Jennifer Lynch.

"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.

"Boy Wonder" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 10, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by John J. Gray, and directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton.

"Traitor" is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 24, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Adam Penn, and directed by Jennifer Lynch.

"Return to Murder House" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. Written by Crystal Liu and directed by Sarah Paulson, it aired on October 17, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode saw a return to the setting used for season one, Murder House, as well as the reappearance of original cast members Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, and Jessica Lange. "Return to Murder House" received critical acclaim from reviewers, who praised Paulson's direction, Lange's return, and the performances and chemistry of Emma Roberts and Billy Porter. For her performance in the episode, Lange was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

"Sojourn" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 31, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Josh Green, and directed by Bradley Buecker.

"Fire and Reign" is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on November 7, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Asha Michelle Wilson, and directed by Jennifer Arnold.

"Apocalypse Then" is the tenth and final episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on November 14, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk, and directed by Bradley Buecker.

Ziwerekoru "Ziwe" Fumudoh is an American comedian and writer known for her satirical commentary on politics, race relations, and young adulthood.

"Episode 100" is the sixth episode of the ninth season and the 100th episode overall of the anthology television series American Horror Story. Written by series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and directed by Loni Peristere, it aired on October 23, 2019, on the cable network FX.

References

  1. "(#803) "Forbidden Fruit"". The Futon Critic . Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  2. Metcalf, Mitch (September 27, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.26.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  3. "American Horror Story: Apocalypse - "Forbidden Fruit"". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  4. Hogan, Ron (September 27, 2018). "American Horror Story Season 8 Episode 3 Review: Forbidden Fruit". Den of Geek . Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  5. Rosenfield, Kat (September 26, 2018). "'American Horror Story: Apocalypse' recap: Surprise, witch!". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  6. Fumudoh, Ziwe (September 27, 2018). "American Horror Story: Apocalypse Recap: Surprise B!". Vulture.com . Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  7. Fowler, Matt (September 26, 2017). "American Horror Story: Apocalypse - "Forbidden Fruit" Review". IGN . Retrieved September 26, 2017.