The AHS: Apocalypse Scene That Went Too Far
Ryan Murphy's FX series "American Horror Story" has been the height of the macabre and grotesque for the past decade. The show continues to push the envelope with visuals and subject matter. With this in mind, many seasons often become divisive, and sometimes it is due to content. Fans had a big problem with Richard Ramirez in "American Horror Story: 1984," with many viewers thinking that the use of the real-life serial killer was in poor taste.
Nevertheless, with each new season of "American Horror Story" comes new controversial storylines. Even the underwhelming season of "American Horror Story: Apocalypse" had some fans at odds. The eighth season of the anthology series brings back a coven of witches, and even besmirches the memory of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey (via The Wrap). While there are many aspects of horror that the show is not afraid to tread on, there is one scene that fans could not get behind.
Wilhemina Venable's appearance was too much
"American Horror Story: Apocalypse" attempts to accomplish several things, and one of its main selling points is the crossover of previous seasons "Murder House" and "Coven." With Sarah Paulson being in both seasons as different characters, this led fans to believe she would be reprising characters Billie Dean Howard and Cordelia Goode. But when Paulson showed up in the first episode as a different character named Wilhemina Venable, fans on Reddit had a problem.
"They've pulled off two characters in a single season before. And that was fine," posted u/ndrw17. "But Sarah playing THREE characters in one season seems a tad ridiculous to me. At that point, imo, it just seems obvious to cast someone else for a new character roll (Venable)." Venable makes her first appearance in Episode 1, "The End," as the caretaker of the apocalypse outpost. As she introduces the outpost to the new residents, she is vastly unlikeable, which is in stark contrast to the persona exemplified by Cordelia later in the season.
Redditor u/darealystncoco agreed that this casting choice is too much, stating, "I'm over Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters playing 20 different characters." Knowing that Cordelia and Billie will also be appearing later in the season takes away from Venable's first appearance as the caretaker. Had someone else been cast, it would likely be less jarring.