American Horror Story: Coven Didn't Put A Spell On Me

During a Q&A session with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan Murphy -creator of American Horror Story- revealed that a future season of the show will be a Murder House, Coven crossover. WHAT!? Murder House, which was season 1 of the long running show, is one of my favorite seasons of AHS. Coven (season 3), not so much. I enjoyed Coven but was also vexed by it. Now that the crossover season has been announced I can't help but wonder how the two seasons will meet. With the highs of Murder House and lows of Coven, will the crossover season be a dud or rousing success? The announcement reminded me of a venting session... I mean blog post I wrote about AHS: Coven and I decided to share it again. Re-Posted below

OK, I may end up being burned at the proverbial stake for what I'm about to say but it has to be done. American Horror Story: Coven didn't, in this witch's opinion, live up to the hype. I've been holding my tongue and keeping my opinions to myself until the entire season aired. I had high hopes for Coven. Since AHS season one scared the crap out of me and AHS season 2 twisted my brain into a knot (and scared the crap out of me), I was sure that season three would be the best season of the show to date. Plus, c'mon, the season was based on witches so obviously I was going to watch and dissect every frame of the show. Initially when I heard what direction the creators were taking with this season I cringed but was also excited. I cringed because we all know just how terrible witches have been (and continue to be in some cases) portrayed in television and film. We usually end up with a vicious, monster under the bed, I'll get you my pretty type of character with a one track, black magick mind. I was excited because I knew the characters would be much more than that. I knew they would have depth accompanied with great storytelling and I was excited to see what tricks Ryan Murphy and his band of crazy creatives would come up with.

I have to admit, after the first few episodes I was hooked. The idea of a modern day witch school is something every person that's ever wielded a wand, shuffled a tarot deck or celebrated a sabbat has dreamed of at some point in their magickal lives. Zoe finding out she was a witch and being sent away to the academy was a great opener and a great way to draw the viewer into the mystery of the school. The dynamic between Zoe and Madison was great writing. Seeing them on screen was like watching the physical manifestation of the spectrum of light and dark with Nan as the voice of reason, meeting them in the middle. Their relationship was filled with butting heads, short shorts and inappropriate zombie sex. Zoe and Madison were like the bickering sisters in a family that are constantly at each others throats. They will murder each other over the boy they both like but will also defend and have compassion for each other (sometimes). There is no light without the dark and vice versa just like there would be no Zoe without Madison and vice versa.

Fierce!!

Jessica Lange as the power hungry, devil-may-care Supreme was, obviously, superb. Jessica Lange could play a nonverbal, motionless puddle of mud and still manage to draw you into the character. The same could also be said for Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy and Sarah Paulson. The characters were intriguing, the actors chosen for each role were perfect and the stories told in the first half of the season, leading up to the holiday break, were amazing. It was reminiscent of American Horror Story: Murder House (Season 1) in my opinion. When the show went on hiatus I was annoyed and couldn't wait for it to return. I wanted to know where the stories were taking the characters and the coven. The first half of the season set up a beautiful house of cards that was inevitably going to fall into place when the show returned.... right?
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. The second half of the season was a confused jumble of stories that ended suddenly and awkwardly with no tangible resolution. There was so much going on during this season that the 13 episodes the show was given just wasn't enough to end every story line properly (or maybe it was and they just didn't do it right). There were too many minor story lines and pointless sidetracking that took time away from the big picture of Coven. For example:

Luke Ramsey and his crazy, bible thumping, murderous mother Joan. What purpose did they serve in the grand scheme of the show?
Kyle and his pedophile mother. This was unnecessary on so many levels and did nothing to enhance the story.
Cordelia and her witch hunter husband trying to conceive a baby. What was the trouble? Was he doing something to keep her from conceiving? Was that ever answered because if it was I missed it. The sole purpose of that scenario was to put a little sex magick on the TV.
Madame LaLaurie vs. Marie Laveau.... This was pretty pointless and I'm still trying to understand why LaLaurie was there to begin with. Kathy Bates played the character beautifully but if she was never there to begin with the story wouldn't have suffered. With the amount of venom between these two women the final outcome should have been explained better and garnered more screen time. Hmmm.... Maybe Madame LaLaurie could have discovered that Marie Laveau also gave her some of her magick when she made her immortal. Madam LaLaurie begins learning magick while with the coven. BOOM, fight to the death.
The Sacred Taking...
Ummm... why did Nan have to die and why was her death pointless and anti climatic?? I would have loved to see her participate in the 7 wonders and kick a little witchy ass.
Marie Laveau serving up fresh baby once a year to Papa Legba was completely uncalled for.

What would I have liked to see in season 3 of AHS: Coven??

How about a little more school? It's an academy for witches after all. I would've loved to see those girls sitting in a classroom with Cordelia standing at a chalkboard. **It's leviOsa, not leviosA** Wrong story but you see where I'm going with this.
More flashbacks to what the academy was like when there were wall to wall young witches.
I would've loved to see more background/flashbacks of the girls in the academy. What were their families like? What magickal mischief did they get into before the academy besides killing with sex and burning people that demanded fried chicken??
Who was Cordelia's father?!?!? Flashbacks and some back story for that train wreck of a relationship would have been better time spent than some of the other extraneous parts of the show.
No, really, why is Nan dead?
The battle between the witches and hunters could have been handled better and told with more depth.
Why exactly does Zoe kill every man she has sex with and how, if at all, is she able to overcome or control that ability?
Why was Cordelia affected so deeply by her grandmothers' jewelry?
The portrayal of voodoo, Marie Laveau and Papa Legba made me a little sick if I'm being honest. Most people will know why and if you don't, maybe there will be a separate blog post about that at some point in the future.
I would've appreciated seeing them give a little more time to Queenie and her feelings about being the only person of color in the coven. My reasons for that are mostly personal and selfish. I've been where Queenie was so many times in my life, beginning with school and well into adulthood and seeing that explored a bit more would have made me happy.
The ending and Cordelia becoming the next Supreme was way to obvious. Someone should have come in at the last minute and thrown their hat into the ring for the role of Supreme. Umm.... I don't know... someone like Nan! Misty could have found Nan in hell, resurrected her and sent her back to the coven.

I really want that house!

Both of the above lists could go on and on and on but I think I've made my point. There were so many things that could have been left out altogether and so many subplots that could have been expanded upon. Not to mention the things that made absolutely no sense. For example, how was Kyle able to kill Madison? She's a bad-ass witch that holds 5 or 6 of the 7 wonders so how was he able to kill her? And if the Supreme is suppose to be completely healthy (Madison was out until returning from the dead without her heart murmur and Nan couldn't be Supreme either) how was Cordelia able to ascend the throne? She was infertile (we think) and had plucked her eyes out of her head. The show wandered and meandered about, never fully tying up loose ends or telling a complete and satisfying story. If I can be blunt (and down right crass) for a moment, the show left me and most viewers with a stinging pair of blue balls. AHS: Coven came to a deafening crescendo by mid-season but failed to deliver the rest of the way. Was I disappointed with AHS: Coven? Yes. Have I given up on the series? Absolutely not. Highs and lows are inevitable and after two seasons of highs, the American Horror Story franchise has found itself at a low point. The opportunity to regain their status as best show ever is completely possible. The show is already slated for a 4th and 5th season so Ryan Murphy and his team have a chance to redeem themselves.

I didn't hate this season. There were things about it I loved tremendously. The characters, the funny moments, the house etc. I especially loved the way the show ended. Cordelia stepping into her power and getting closure with her mother was fulfilling after watching Fiona grind her under her heel the entire season. Cordelia kicking down the broom closet door and announcing to the world that 'we're here, we're witches, get used to it' was a moment that gave me chills. Seeing the line of young women outside waiting to come inside and learn the craft was an inspiring moment. If nothing else, this season of AHS is an example of how far magick and witchcraft has come. The current wave of witches in pop culture is continuing to grow and Coven has certainly helped it along. This season of American Horror Story left much to be desired but I still love, support and will continue to watch the show. If nothing else, it entertained me on boring Wednesday nights and brought witchcraft further into the mainstream where it belongs.