Michael talks about the closest person he ever had to a mother.
Years ago, the real Miriam serves a meal after she finds Michael, and sits down in front of a shrine to Satan. When Michael starts to Eat, Miriam reminds him to say grace to Satan for their meal. He eats and Miriam casually says that she poisoned her first husband. Michael asks her if she really killed her first husband, and Miriam says that she killed her first husbands and it's best to cut the cord if something isn't working. Laughing, Miriam says that she's a devil mama.
Michael tells Miriam that he needs someone to help him with the monumental task of remaking the world. Miriam points out that Michael's jacket is stained with blood. Michael says that there's another coat in the dresser. Once Miriam puts it on, she hails Satan and says that for the first time she knows her place in the world: by Michael's side. Michael looks up, sensing a powerful presence, and says that not everyone is dead anymore.
In the main room, Madison tells Mallory that she's back from the dead. Cordelia tells her to breathe deeply and get her breathings, and Myrtle says that Mallory was released from an Identity spell in the same moment she was resurrected. Coco complains that Brock drove a knife into her forehead, and Madison points out that she's the weakest among them but is taking her resurrect the best. Myrtle suggests that they have a spicy Andaluz to speed up the recovery process.
Cordelia tells Mallory that they placed Identity spells on Mallory and Coco to protect them from knowing their true selves. She says that she needs them all, and Dinah tells them that she's not there to defeat anyone. Michael and Miriam come in and Michael says that he's already won. Cordelia tells him that they can all save the world. Coco isn't interested and tells Michael not to let her die again. Michael says that when he's done, they'll all wish that they were dead.
Three Years Before the Bomb
At the Hawthorne Boy's School that the Outpost once was, the students practice their magic. A young Michael arrives late for his class and the teacher Behold reprimands him. Behold telekinetically pulls a book across the room into Michael's hands and tells him to demonstrate what he's learned. The students transform shards of glass into a ball, and Behold congratulates them. Another teacher, Baldwin, comes in and says that they've been summoned.
The two teachers meet with John Henry Moore and Grand Chancellor Ariel. Ariel shows them a video from the LAPD with Detective Monroe questioning a boy who supposedly murdered someone. The suspect insists that he didn't touch the knives, and Monroe beats him. Something levitates Monroe against the ceiling and breaks his limbs, and Monroe begs for someone to save him before his head explodes. Moore says that the boy isn't a warlock, but Ariel disagrees and says that the boy has wild energy. Despite that, Moore warns that the boy's magic is volatile and they should leave him alone. The Grand Chancellor insists that the school can harness the boy's magic, and reminds them of the prophecy of the warlock who becomes the Alpha passing the test of the seven wonders and supplant their Supreme. if that happens, it would allow the warlocks to take their place at the top of the hierarchy. One of the other warlocks, Behold, says that Ariel should meet with the boy.
Ariel goes to LA and visits Michael's cell. He says that he can help Michael if he lets him, and says that he saw the video of the interview with the detective. Ariel tells Michael that he's a warlock and thinks that Michael is as well. He explains that Michael lashed out the detective the only way that he could, and he ended up in jail after he defended the only person who never betrayed him.
At a butcher counter, the clerk refuses to give Miriam a goat head. She says that he's discriminating against her religious beliefs and goes to find the manager. When the butcher tells Michael to fuck Michael and Miriam, Michael telekinetically throws five knives into the butcher.
Michael insists that he never wanted to hurt anyone. Ariel tells him that it's time to go and opens the cell door. When an officer objects, Ariel slams him against his wall and says that he'll be released when they're gone. As they go, Michael secretly breaks the officer's neck. Outside, Miriam stands nearby and yells to Michael that she'll always be there for him.
Ariel takes Michael to a large sculpture in the middle of nowhere and explains that a building stood there once. Others could see in, and after Cordelia outed them locals burned their school down. They go inside and find themselves in the school, and Ariel introduces Michael to the other students. The Grand Chancellor says that they're going to show Michael that he has found his true form, and the students greet Michael. Moore watches from the back.
After a month, Michael has settled in and studied magic, Ariel calls him in and says that it's time to assess him. The teachers are all Level 3s, and a Level 4 would be the one known as the Alpha. Moore says that there's never been a Level 4 Warlock, and they start with Scrying. Michael knows where it is and pulls it out of a mirror. Moore says that it's impressive and troubling. He points out that Michael disobeyed instructions.
Next, they test Michael's ability to teleport. Xxx throws knives at him, and Michael teleports away from them. As a final test, they have Michael change the water molecules in the room into snow. Michael concentrates and causes snow to form, falling around him. He then summons a wind, dropping the temperature, and the warlocks find it hard to breathe. Ariel tells Michael to stop and he does so, his nose bleeding. Michael apologizes, saying that he didn't know that it was inside of him, and Ariel says that once he's in control of his powers he'll soar.
Later, the warlocks discuss Michael's performance and agree that Michael is the most powerful warlock that they've ever seen. Moore disagrees, saying that they can't corral the darkness. Ariel says that they can't be afraid to do nothing, and they have an obligation to see if Michael can lead them to their rightful place. He offers a toast and says that it's the moment when everything changes.
In New Orleans, Zoe Benson gives a class on transforming the color of roses. Cordelia watches as Zoe transforms the rose from white to red and says that nothing is immutable. Zoe has the students perform the spell, and points out one girl to Cordelia saying that she's special. The girl, Mallory, transforms the flower to blue and then the petals fall off. Mallory transforms the petals into butterflies ad they fly into the air, and then transform into white petals. Myrtle comes in and says that the Hawthorne school has called an emergency meeting and they're obliged to attend.
The three witches arrive at the Hawthorne School, and Ariel and his assistant Behold greet them. They go inside and the entire council meets. Ariel thanks the witches for coming and says that they recently took Michael in and discovered that his abilities rise to the level of Supreme. The women don't believe it, and Cordelia points out that no man is equal to women when it comes to magical ability. Myrtle insists that there's nothing to hear and no man will become a Supreme, and Ariel says that they should administer the test of the Seven Wonders.
Cordelia refuses, saying that she condemned Misty Day to death by testing her too soon. Ariel points out that she abandoned Queenie, and Cordelia says that Queenie traveled to LA ad never came back. Her life force just vanished, and Cordelia discovered that she was trapped I the Hotel Cortez.
Cordelia walks the halls of the Cortez and finds March teaching Queenie cards. Queenie runs to hug Cordelia, and March tells Queenie that she can never leave. The two women walk out only for Queenie to be teleported back to March's room. They keep walking out for only Queenie to be brought back.
In the present, Cordelia says that all of her spells and incantations were useless in the hotel. She was there for days until March got bored and left them alone.
Queenie tells Cordelia that she should go back to the coven because there's no way to escape.
Cordelia says that her greatest failure as Supreme was her inability to rescue Queenie. She refuses to throw Michael's life away on a useless endeavor, and Ariel tells her that she's a scared bigot afraid of the Alpha. Cordelia says that the council is over and her decision is final.
In his room, Michael draws the Cortez in his book.
At the Cortez, Queenie beats March in gin for the 56,433rd time. Michael comes in and March is intrigued by one so alive yet intimate the death. Queenie wonders why Michael is there, and he offers his hand and says that he's there to do what Cordelia couldn't. March tells Queenie to take it, and warns her that she doesn't have a choice. Queenie takes Michael's hand and goes with him, and March prepares for a game of solitaire.
Michael takes Queenie to the lobby and this time she stays there. Her rescuer says that there's one person yet to get.
In a department story, is working the customer service desk. A customer gives her a crock pot filled with maggots, and the customer yells for the manager. Another customer recognizes Madison as a singer, but mistake her for Lindsey Lohan. They wonder why she's working there and dismiss her as a nobody, and Madison dismisses them as day players in her personal hell. The manager arrives and jabs Madison with a cattle prod, and tells her to refold the towels as the customers laugh.
Madison goes to the endless shelves of towels and refolds them. Michael arrives, greets her by name, and she realizes that he doesn't belong there. He's impressed that she can tell, and says that he's going to get her out of Hell. Madison doesn't believe him, and offers to give him a blowjob when they get out. Queenie steps out and says that she's a ho, and Madison tries to hug her until Queenie shrugs her off. The witch says that she was trapped in a haunted hotel and Madison freed her, and they came to rescue Madison. Michael says that there's work to do and he needs them both to prove his point. Madison agrees to do anything for him and will be good, and Michael wonders why she'd want to do something silly like that.
At the school, Cordelia feels a presence. Myrtle and Zoe come to get her, and they walk to the entrance. The warlocks stare at them, and once they go outside they find Madison, Queenie, and Michael waiting for them. Cordelia faints in shock at the sight, and Queenie runs to her while Michael smiles.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 4, 2018