Note: This story contains spoilers from “American Horror Story: 13” Episodes 9-10.
“American Horror Story: 13” isn’t too worried about a continuous plot connecting all the gagworthy moments from the season so far — but we still got some interesting answers as we come closer to the end.
After successfully bringing together the head witches Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) and Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) to stop Satan from rising, Thursday’s batch of episodes saw both sides in the war learning a little more about what brought them to this moment in the first place.
On one side is Mr. Nas (Paul Anthony Kelly), aka Satan, his faithful servant Constance Langdon (Lange) and nurse Ben (Joey Pollari), establishing an even stronger bond for the battle ahead. The other houses the witches, who must learn about events from a previous season that could unlock the key to stopping this new apocalypse. Who will rise to defeat these forces once again? Look below for highlights from Episodes 9-10 of “AHS: 13.”
Episode 9: “The Devil Is in the Details”
This episode took us back from Miss Robichaux’s in New Orleans to the action at the Apollyon in New York City. Constance and Mr. Nas are having a two-person gala full of dancing, monologues and blank stares.
Constance is over her benefactor’s fake appearance as an old man and demands he show his real, handsome face. She expresses her frustrations about constantly being forced to be on the side of weaker men — including Satan himself — despite being the smartest and most cunning of all.
She shares some demands: No nuclear weapons and destruction involved in his plans, a woman president in the White House and employment for her children, ‘Something to keep them busy and feel necessary.” He accepts the demands, before sharing some truths of his own.
He calls Constance’s bluff on her believing she’s always been a good person, and continually blaming men for her bad actions. When she asks why he chose her to be his emissary in his evil plans, he pulls out a gigantic list of evil deeds she has done across “Murder House” and the past, including stealing babyxn Michael Langdon. He tells Constance that she was born bad, but not to be so upset about it. “The devil made you do it.”
To cheer her up, he changes the look of the penthouse and dresses her in a beautiful red gown; a callback to her days as a party girl in her youth. As they dance, Constance offers to make things official by offering herself to be his mistress or wife. But Nas said he can’t for a darker, more depraved reason: He is her father!
The reveal stops her in her tracks. Just in time to get back to Ben (Joey Pollari) and his fellow plane crash survivor friend Ashley (Elle Chapman). He is investigating the “616” branding that popped up on his back, until it triggers memories of Satanic rituals in his youth — which kicked off his fear of the number 13.
He wakes up to an AI giving him some answers to the mystery. 616 is a reference to the passage in the Book of Revelations talking about the Beast. Ben then remembers that he was raised by a band of Satanists and Nas was there. Back at Nas’ penthouse, Ben runs into Mr. Phibes (John Waters) with hopes to look at his chart. After the doctor resists, Ben asks the mysterious AI for answers about his old patient. Seems like he’s finally connecting the dots about him being the devil.
Meanwhile, a disgruntled Constance is surprised by Ashley, who tells her she thinks Ben might be onto her being involved in their scheme against him. At the same time, Ben sneaks into Nas’ bedroom as he sleeps, seemingly intending to kill him with a spiked drink. He forces him to drink it and it seems to have sedated him, but as Ben marks the star of David on the old man’s heart, the real Nas appears and he is ready to tell him the truth.
Episode 10: “The Prodigal Son”
The action picks back up in The Vatican in 1939, as a nun delivers a mysterious package to the Pope. He prays before touching it. Must be something important!
Back in New Orleans, the witches gather with Papa Legba (Orlando Jones) to debrief on the best way to defeat the devil. This involves an elaborate ritual led by Papa and Marie Laveau, which creates a powerful barrier for them to speak freely without demonic ears. Through his magic, Papa reveals that 1939 set off the beginning of the tragedy with the box from the beginning of the episode.
In it was a truth passed down from past popes about God and the devil making a bet, that if the devil could live as a human for 100 consecutive years, then all of the Earth, Heaven and Hell would be his. At the time, the Pope thought that devil was Hitler. He performed an exorcism set to stop the dictator from rising — but he was wrong. The devil was already living among us in America.
We then go back to Ben in New York, now at the mercy of Nas as he explained his side of the story. Nas admits to being present in Ben’s childhood as Satanists wreaked havoc in the world to do his bidding, Ben tries to kill him but is unsuccessful. Nas tells him Ben is also his son, and he has to listen to what he has to say. Nas, 96, is Satan in human form, and if he makes it to 100 he gets control of the world. He is determined to win the bet to finally shove a win back in God’s face.
In New Orleans, Papa revealed that Nas had 13 years to go left, and the soul sacrifices of 13 women allows him to age further faster. The witches, a coven of 13, are the final sacrifice to get the devil his wish — and they’re target out of revenge, because one of them killed their Anti-Christ.
That’s right! This is the moment when Mallory (Billie Lourd) admits to reversing the events of “Apocalypse” and turning back time and killing Michael Langdon to save the world. But she was wrong, it only replaced it with Satan’s new plan. Cordelia realizes that is why she could never read Mallory’s thoughts like she could others — and Fiona says that’s because Mallory is to be the next Supreme.
So how can the witches stop Satan’s rise? He says that when the devil wins the bet against God, he himself must return to hell and leave his only living son on the Earth’s throne. They must find that boy and stop him from claiming his father, because if he does, all hope will be lost.
That moment is pretty much happening already in New York. Nas pitches Ben on being his demon side and all the glory, pleasure and happiness that awaits him. He’s intrigued by the offer, as long as he can do good things if he wants. Nas tells him he’s not good at all and he’ll be corrupted by absolute power. “The prodigal son returns,” Nas said, seemingly claiming victory before Ben fully agrees.
In New Orleans, Cordelia commends Mallory for saving the world before and armed with the hope they’ll be able to do it again. Madison (Emma Roberts) is impatient about getting into battle, before their peace is disturbed by the arrival of another threat. It’s Ben!
“I believe that you’re looking for me,” he said as the episode ends. Time to fight!
“American Horror Story: 13” airs new episodes Thursdays on FX and streams the next day on Hulu.
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