Attention: This post contains
spoilers for "AHS: Apocalypse" episode 8, “Sojourn.”
Before this week’s episode turned into a budget version of "Westworld," Michael found his place as the savior in a Satanic church. It was so
creepy with its evil agenda, human sacrifice, and choirs of sinners. Thankfully that’s
not real, right? Yes and no.
For hundreds of years the idea of Satan worshipers
being a “thing” was fake fodder for religious hysteria. However, in 1966 an actual Satanic church was formed in America.
Unlike in the show, the official Church of Satan claims not
to harm children or animals. The Guardian sent a reporter to check out a
meeting earlier this year, after which he proclaimed it “cool;" the church welcomes philosophically rebellious
individuals with an emphasis on indulgence, gratification and vengeance. It was not the nightmare fuel I was
expecting and a little boring, TBH.
Another similar organization, The Satanic Temple, actually
made news this week when they threatened to sue Netflix for copyright
infringement over the likeness of one of their statues in "Sabrina the Teenage
Witch." Satanists – they’re just like us and will *sue you over intellectual
property!
*[Insert tired "lawyers are the real devil" joke here.]
One thing that jumped out from the Church of Satan’s website
is how they support the “Development and production of artificial human
companions.”
Timeout!
You mean the part of this week’s episode that is true is when
Satan’s son goes to a robot factory and hangs out with a couple of guys with bowl
cuts? That’s probably the weirdest and least likely thing I was expecting from
the Satanists, and that’s saying a lot.
TL;DR: Satan worshipers are real, they don't appear to be all that spooky,
and apparently they like robots.
Burning questions: If Miriam Mead was some sort of High
Ranking Priestess with a Satanic Church, why didn’t she take Michael to this
other church and introduce him around or make his presence known to the wider
movement? How did Miss Venable not recognize Michael when he shows up at the Outpost
for the first time? Are they making this up as they go along?
Next week: Michael finally begins to realize his destiny. Cordelia
is unwell, possibly hiding at Misty Day’s swamp house.