American Horror Story: Coven arrives with the signature Murphy-Falchuck blood, gore, and smart dialogue in the third installment of their FX horror series. Check out the full recap below!
Pull up a chair, keep the lights on, and grab a pillow, folks. The third installment of American Horror Story introduces familiar Salem witch trial lessons of fifth grade mingled with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck’s twisted storytelling. Who better to bring the Southern witches of New Orleans to life than Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange?
The episode’s overarching themes are two fold: The desire to preserve power and the internal struggle to control that power. Unlike the previous seasons of American Horror Story, Coven’s storyline appears set for most characters by the conclusion of episode one. The episode serves as an introduction, not only the history of the witches and the city, but also to an extraordinary cast only American Horror Story could bring together. The incredible ensemble of strong female leads dominates the story arch thus far, leaving two mysterious men lurking on the outskirts.
Ripe with gore, traumatic sexual abuse, and intertwining time periods, American Horror Story: Coven wraps the details in the context of the struggle to control one’s power or die trying to gain it. The episode infuses more comedy than past seasons, but it does not take away from the dark situations and imagery.
To set the scene, check out the opening credits that preface each episode this season:
New Orleans, 1834: The opening sequence, featuring Kathy Bates as Madame LaLaurie coating her face with the blood of her slaves, is enough to give anyone nightmares. The shocking images of the brutally mutilated slaves locked away in her attic include torn faces and sewn eyes. Her current victim is punished as she instructs a young boy to place a hollowed out bull’s head on a chained man to create her own Minotaur. The stories of vengeful Greek gods were her favorites as a child. No surprise there!
Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Girls: Flash forward to modern times, Zoe Benson attempts to lose her virginity, but unintentionally kills her boyfriend during the act. His death is ruled as a brain aneurism, however the bleeding from his eyes, nose, and ears remains a mystery. Zoe’s mother introduces her to the family lineage of witches seconds before she is taken by the head of the witches council, Myrtle Snow. The pair arrives at Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Girls in New Orleans.
The almost blinding white interior of the academy is set off by any presence lurking around. A bit of hazing ensues as Zoe is thrown atop a table and faces three bird masks threatening to take her life. The masks are tossed aside and the few boarders introduce themselves.
First up, movie star Madison Montgomery, whose powers are by far the strongest, but equally out of control. Clairvoyant Nan keeps spilling everyone’s secrets, while Queenie is a walking human voodoo doll. The girls, aside from Madison, all seek to keep their abilities under wraps by order of the headmistress Cordelia Foxx.
Paging the Supreme: As the chills from Bates’ appearance begin to fade, a familiar black high-heel steps out of a limo and under the cover of an umbrella. Jessica Lange returns to AHS as Fiona Goode, the Supreme of the current living witches descendent from the Salem trials. Her story mirrors LaLaurie in the 21st century where she searches for the answer to eternal youth, thus ensuring her status as Supreme indefinitely.
The threat of Salem arrives in New Orleans with the burning of Misty Day, a woman with the power of resurrection. Fiona makes it her mission to take the girls of academy away from her daughter Cordelia’s Hogwarts-style education and meet the people waiting for them to expose their powers. With Twitter and Facebook, one must be careful or things could go viral. If the girls are not prepared to fight, they will burn.
The Supreme, embodying all powers witches are able to, arrives on point as Zoe realizes she is in over her head. At a local frat party, Madison attempts to get a drink, only to find herself at the control of drug armed frat boys who later date rape her. Zoe enlists the help of a nicer brother from the same fraternity to find Madison. Enter, Evan Peters, back for round three. Upon discovering the gruesome act, Kyle (Peters) chases the brothers out of the house and back into their party bus. Madison marches down the street and flips the bus causing it to explode. Fiona is going to have a sparing partner trying to keep this fireball under control. All but two boys die in the accident; Kyle is one of the victims.
An Archeological Field Trip: The next day, Fiona takes the ladies into town where Nan is drawn to the historically preserved home of LaLaurie. The story of her run in with the local voodoo practitioner, Marie Laveau echoes through the house as the ladies are taken to the slave attic. Laveau poisons LaLaurie for taking her lover and turning him into a mutant man. After the tour guide reveals that the location of the socialite’s body is unknown, Nan hears the “lady of the house” in the courtyard. Fiona hires two henchmen to do some heavy lifting and resurrects the still very much alive body of LaLaurie.
Fiona’s greets her, “Come on, Mary Todd Lincoln. I’ll buy you a drink.” The Bates/Lange partnership is born! These two incredibly strong female leads are sure to steal the show this season as they battle the equally fierce Angela Bassett.
Check out the preview for what is still to come this season right here:
B*tch Moments:
•Fiona’s drug trip in a hotel room while she dances around in long black curtains.
•Cordiela informing Fiona that the academey, ironically, does not own a broom!
•Myrtle Snow touching the curtains and exclaiming she is, “Mad for tartan.”
•Spaulding the mute butler! His back story should prove to be quite interesting.
•”I was just on a wonderful spiritual retreat with Shirley MacLaine in Sedona” -Fiona