diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9d70d2d..eb5ae81 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ callers).
   with intermediate values implied. Fixture
   `shitty/archer_multi_episode/` updated from anti-regression-of-bug
   to anti-regression-of-fix.
+- **Apostrophes in titles no longer push the release through the AI
+  fallback.** `Honey.Don't.2025.2160p.WEBRip.DSNP.DV.HDR.x265-Amen`
+  previously parsed with `parse_path="ai"` and everything UNKNOWN
+  because `'` is in the forbidden-chars list. Apostrophes are now
+  pre-stripped before the well-formed check, so the parse completes
+  normally (`title=Honey.Dont, year=2025, quality=2160p, ...`); only
+  the title text loses its apostrophe. `parse_path` becomes
+  `sanitized` to surface the cleanup. Side win: PoP fixture
+  `the_prodigy_full_chaos/` also moves from total failure to a
+  partially-correct parse (year, source, codec extracted).
 - **Season-range markers (`Sxx-yy`) are now recognized as
   `tv_complete`.** `Der.Tatortreiniger.S01-06.GERMAN...` previously
   parsed as `media_type=movie` with `S01-06` glued onto the title.
diff --git a/alfred/domain/release/services.py b/alfred/domain/release/services.py
index d8ba8e3..a13b989 100644
--- a/alfred/domain/release/services.py
+++ b/alfred/domain/release/services.py
@@ -46,7 +46,16 @@ def parse_release(
     """
     parse_path = ParsePath.DIRECT.value
 
-    clean, site_tag = _v2.strip_site_tag(name)
+    # Apostrophes inside titles ("Don't", "L'avare") are common and should
+    # not push the release through the AI fallback. Strip them up front so
+    # both strip_site_tag and tokenize see "Dont" / "Lavare", which is good
+    # enough for token-level matching. The raw name is preserved on the VO.
+    working_name = name
+    if "'" in working_name:
+        working_name = working_name.replace("'", "")
+        parse_path = ParsePath.SANITIZED.value
+
+    clean, site_tag = _v2.strip_site_tag(working_name)
     if site_tag is not None:
         parse_path = ParsePath.SANITIZED.value
 
@@ -77,7 +86,7 @@ def parse_release(
         )
         return parsed, report
 
-    tokens, v2_tag = _v2.tokenize(name, kb)
+    tokens, v2_tag = _v2.tokenize(working_name, kb)
     annotated = _v2.annotate(tokens, kb)
     fields = _v2.assemble(annotated, v2_tag, name, kb)
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/releases/path_of_pain/the_prodigy_full_chaos/expected.yaml b/tests/fixtures/releases/path_of_pain/the_prodigy_full_chaos/expected.yaml
index 091e757..c943d90 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/releases/path_of_pain/the_prodigy_full_chaos/expected.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/releases/path_of_pain/the_prodigy_full_chaos/expected.yaml
@@ -1,28 +1,26 @@
 release_name: "The Prodigy World's on Fire 2011 Blu-ray Remux 1080i AVC DTS-HD MA 5.1 - KRaLiMaRKo.mkv"
 
-# Apocalypse case combining every horror:
-# - Unescaped apostrophe ("World's") → forces parse_path="ai" fallback
-# - Spaces AND dashes used as separators inconsistently
-# - "Blu-ray" with a dash (vs. canonical BluRay)
-# - "1080i" interlaced flag (not 1080p)
-# - "DTS-HD MA 5.1" multi-word audio codec
-# - " - GROUP.mkv" trailing format (space-dash-space before group)
+# Apocalypse case combining every horror — partially tamed by the
+# apostrophe fix. Remaining gaps (still PoP-worthy):
+# - "1080i" interlaced flag (not in quality KB)
+# - "Blu-ray" with a dash (vs. canonical BluRay) — recognized as source
+#   but with the dash form
+# - "DTS-HD MA 5.1" multi-word audio codec — the trailing "HD" leaks
+#   into the group
 # - Trailing .mkv extension survives in title
-# Result: total degeneration — UNKNOWN across the board, title=raw input.
-# Once the apostrophe + multi-word-audio + 1080i are handled this fixture
-# should be revisited. For now: anti-regression of the failure shape.
+# - " - GROUP" trailing format (space-dash-space before group)
 parsed:
-  title: "The Prodigy World's on Fire 2011 Blu-ray Remux 1080i AVC DTS-HD MA 5.1 - KRaLiMaRKo.mkv"
-  year: null
+  title: "The.Prodigy.Worlds.on.Fire"
+  year: 2011
   season: null
   episode: null
   quality: null
-  source: null
-  codec: null
-  group: "UNKNOWN"
-  tech_string: ""
-  media_type: "unknown"
-  parse_path: "ai"
+  source: "Blu-ray"
+  codec: "AVC"
+  group: "HD"
+  tech_string: "Blu-ray.AVC"
+  media_type: "movie"
+  parse_path: "sanitized"
   is_season_pack: false
 
 tree:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/releases/shitty/honey_uhd_hdr/expected.yaml b/tests/fixtures/releases/shitty/honey_uhd_hdr/expected.yaml
index ff6f975..1b73c7c 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/releases/shitty/honey_uhd_hdr/expected.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/releases/shitty/honey_uhd_hdr/expected.yaml
@@ -1,21 +1,22 @@
 release_name: "Honey.Don't.2025.2160p.WEBRip.DSNP.DV.HDR.x265.EAC3.5.1-Amen"
 
-# Tech debt: the unescaped apostrophe in "Don't" pushes the whole release
-# through the AI fallback path (parse_path="ai") and the parse degenerates to
-# UNKNOWN across the board. Anti-regression here — once the tokenizer learns
-# to handle apostrophes, this fixture should be revisited.
+# Apostrophes inside titles ("Don't", "L'avare") used to push the release
+# through the AI fallback (parse_path="ai", everything UNKNOWN). They are
+# now pre-stripped before well-formed check and tokenize, so the parse
+# completes normally — only the title text loses its apostrophe
+# ("Honey.Dont").
 parsed:
-  title: "Honey.Don't.2025.2160p.WEBRip.DSNP.DV.HDR.x265.EAC3.5.1-Amen"
-  year: null
+  title: "Honey.Dont"
+  year: 2025
   season: null
   episode: null
-  quality: null
-  source: null
-  codec: null
-  group: "UNKNOWN"
-  tech_string: ""
-  media_type: "unknown"
-  parse_path: "ai"
+  quality: "2160p"
+  source: "WEBRip"
+  codec: "x265"
+  group: "Amen"
+  tech_string: "2160p.WEBRip.x265"
+  media_type: "movie"
+  parse_path: "sanitized"
   is_season_pack: false
 
 tree: