Tonight’s episode of American Horror Story: Coven, appropriately called “Burn, Witch. Burn!” once again had me on the edge of my seat. This is shaping up to be my favorite season of American Horror Story so far. They certainly don’t hold back on their willingness to shock and awe.
Last week we left off with Madame LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) facing a zombie hoard led by her undead daughters and with Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) taking a glass of acid to the face by a mysterious cloaked figure assumed to have been sent by Marie Leveau (Angela Bassett).
This week, Cordelia suffers severe burns from the acid but it is not without benefit. For one, Fiona (Jessica Lange) learns what it means to be a mother, and while Cordelia may have trouble seeing, she is not all together without sight.
Madame LaLaurie is left home with Nan (Jamie Brewer), Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) and Zoe (Taissa Farmiga) to fend against the zombie hoard sent by Marie Leveau. Put up against her zombie daughters, LaLaurie is forced to face her past and repent.
The religious neighbor, Luke (Alexander Dreymon) throws himself into the mix in an attempt to save the girls from the hoard. Unbeknownst to him, the girls are more equipped to protect him than he is to protect them. We aren’t just talking powers here. Zoe finds a chainsaw….
The Council comes to exact punishment for all of the negative things that have been happening to the coven since Fiona’s return including Cordelia’s burns, the zombie attack and the disappearance of Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts). Someone does pay for the crimes, but it may not be who you expect.
A new Supreme comes to light, showing their expanding powers when the coven needs them the most. Their powers become so strong that they are felt in the Voodoo world.
I think my favorite thing about tonight’s episode is that the zombies are not typical zombies. They kept the modern day touches of flesh eating but they returned the reason back to the days of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) with somnambulism, where they are under the control of one person leading them in their cause.
I also enjoy how we get to see Madame LaLaurie’s dark and horrid past little by little each episode. I started out the season hoping that she was going to be like Trinity from Dexter but I find myself very happy they took this route with her story. We get to see her evil as she pays for her sins instead of following the timeline perfectly.
For those who have been skeptical about watching American Horror Story or, in the past, have been turned off by the ghosts of season one or mental institution/alien abduction/serial killer story of season two, tune in and let Coven cast its spell on you.
