Season 3 Talk AHS: Coven

[David T. Cole]

Consider this an impassioned plea for more episodes of Kathy Bates playing an disembodied, talking head.

[nymusix]

I mean, at this point why even bother? Anybody who dies can be brought back, anyone who loses their eyesight can regain it... There are literally no stakes to this season.

[David T. Cole]

I guess I'm just along for the ride. This is the first season of AHS I've watched so the WFTness might be carrying me through?

Edited December 18, 2013 by David T. Cole
Testing

[TravisNelson76]

God.  This season.  It's such a jumbled mess.  And admittedly enjoyable jumbled mess.  But still.

Here's the fix I would make.  One thing that worked with the previous two seasons is that they were centered around a place [a murder house and an asylum].  Coven should have done the same thing and centered much more around the New Orleans Witch House.  There should have been more young witch-lings.  And more flashbacks to previous covens and leader witches and witches councils and the like.  Something to provide more focus.

[profreader]

In a weird way I think I prefer it being a jumbled mess - it's never predictable and I can never tell where it's going (as opposed to, say, Season 6 of Dexter which was just an interminable slog to a "reveal" that everyone in the world, including Kathy Bates' severed head, could see coming.) 

I think there are stakes - someone can get their eyesight back - but that means someone else gets the melon baller... granted, Ryan Murphy seems less willing to kill off characters than he was in Season One.

I'm curious where they'll go in the next season. Travis - I like that idea of centering each season around a place. I always was scratching my head this season wondering if they had classes or what exactly was going at this "school." It would have been nice with, say, seven young witches - let some of them be collateral damage.

I just wanted Patti LuPone to sing a little bit of "Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around..." with that pillow in hand...

[Ffiferoo]

I am a huge baby about scary things and have only read wikipedia articles about the previous two seasons, but this one does seem less structured.  I guess once it's done, maybe it will seem more cohesive, but they're jumping around a lot, and I've stopped being concerned about anyone dying.  I guess maybe Queenie didn't make it?  With Misty being able to pretty much instantly revive everyone and there being apparently no consequences to that, it just doesn't seem like a problem.

I did like a lot of this episode, but I was bothered by Myrtle deciding to just replace Cordelia's eyes without thinking about it affecting her visions.  It seemed pretty obvious that that would happen, so especially with the conversation they had earlier about who threw the acid, I almost thought she did it purposely to keep Cordelia from finding something out about her.  I get that it was also a vengeance thing, but she could have just replaced one eye, so maybe Cordelia could have both (plus the possibility of incorporating a sweet eye patch).

[David T. Cole]

She could have just replaced one eye

Witches need depth-perception too!

[TravisNelson76]

Question.  Do we know who specifically threw the acid yet?  I know it was ordered by the Witch Hunting Man's Group.  But did we get anything more specific?  20,000 things [minimum] happen each episode, and I'm wondering if I missed this.

[profreader]

I don't think they revealed specifically who did it, just that it was authorized by the Delphi Trust. Now, my question is: that was his father in the flashback, wasn't it? (We see the burn scar later.) Didn't his father have a southern accent in the flashback? Because he didn't seem to in the present day scene.

[Tara Ariano]

That was Hank's father (Truxton Spangler!). I didn't notice his accent.

The way this season's been going, it really could be ANYONE who blinded Cordelia, for any reason, but who's even left? The hot guy Truxton installed as his #2 over Hank seems too fancy to risk getting his hands dirty (as it were).

[TravisNelson76]

I've decided that the show will soon introduce time travel.  And it will turn out that Future Cordelia blinded herself.

[Kristen]

God.  This season.  It's such a jumbled mess.  And admittedly enjoyable jumbled mess.  But still.

Here's the fix I would make.  One thing that worked with the previous two seasons is that they were centered around a place [a murder house and an asylum].  Coven should have done the same thing and centered much more around the New Orleans Witch House.  There should have been more young witch-lings.  And more flashbacks to previous covens and leader witches and witches councils and the like.  Something to provide more focus.

I feel like too many witch-lings might have lead us down that Buffy season 7 path. Too many characters and too little time to develop them so we don't care and they all seem superfluous. More flashbacks to previous covens though? Yes!

[David T. Cole]

Fiona attempts to out the new supreme with a visit from Stevie Nicks; Cordelia learns the truth about Hank and the witch hunters; Madison tries to eliminate her competition for the supremacy.

Watched this last night:

• Someone mentions Souplantation!
• Lance Reddick is 51, made up to look scary and dirty and still is hot

[nymusix]

This show continues its descent into batshit insanity. I mean, it was already pretty batshit insane but it feels like it's approaching new levels all the time.

Also... Holy shit at Lance Reddick's nails.

[Ffiferoo]

Loved Lance Reddick!  I guess this also was common in past seasons (although I haven't watched them), but I'm getting a little tired of the constant deaths.  There's no impact because people keep coming back anyway, and it's starting to not even be interesting anymore.    In general I thought this episode was all over the place - I was watching from the DVR after being away for work during the week, and I kept thinking the act breaks were the end of the episode.  

[profreader]

Finally caught up with this one. I do like the batshit-crazy chaos of the show, but this was pushing it for me, only because things felt rushed. I feel like they wasted Patti LuPone - it seems like they went after her for a role, but once they got her, they didn't know what to do with her - just a few scenes and that's it. It also felt like the way that sequence was put together was choppy - similar to the Nan drowning - like I didn't know if it was "real" at first, because it was so choppily done. I don't know if that's because they are having to film so fast, or whether it's a bit of an homage to the choppy edits of bad horror movies (well, that's a stretch.)

Even so - love Angela Bassett and Jessica Lange together. And I loved that they just let Stevie Nicks sit down and play a couple of songs...

[Tara Ariano]

"DESPERATE SACRIFICE" INDEED OMG

[TravisNelson76]

CUE RANT:

I would like to nominate “Jessica Lange and the S/ax Jazz Guy” as the most pointless plotline of the TV season.  One episode of a S/ax Jazz Interlude?  Fine.  But LIKE EVERY EPISODE???

This show infuriates me.  What in the world are the witch rules?  Wasn’t it initially a thing that all witches but the supreme only got one power?  And now any ol’ witch can sprout extra skillz?  And why did they entirely drop the Madison Is a Hollywood Star plotline?  A TMZ sort of intrusion would have been delightful!

There are (of course) interesting ideas here.  Cordelia’s sight going from past-vision to future-vision.  The flashbacks to personal hells.  The old timey seven wonders intro.  But neither the plot nor the characters make any damn sense episode-to-episode (or even scene-to-scene).

END RANT.

[clemmyb]

All very good points, and I agree with you on nearly all of them.

I will say that I'm pretty sure the first episode covered the fact that witches could have more than one power, but only the Supreme would possess all of them.  But apart from that, this show is bonkers.

I can't stop watching, though.

[Ffiferoo]

I'm less bothered by continuity and world-building issues than I have been by some of the less solid plots in the past few weeks, but I really liked this episode.  It was just the right amount of creepy for me (so not very), while still being more "horror" than the last few weeks.  The Axman was still a waste of time, so that was the weak point for me, but Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett were fantastic together as usual (and Gabourey Sidibe and Kathy Bates, whose interactions I was missing), and I loved the way they left it with their intertwined hell.  

Interested to see where the end of the season goes, but at this point I think I'm more interested to hear more about what next season will be like with Jessica Lange practicing her German accent - magical Nazi hunters please!!

[evilandproud]

Obviously very late on this, but I just re-watched. 

I have always been a fan of Ryan Murphy's and I thought that the format of this series was a great solution to his greatest weakness, which is a lack of continuity and a general boredom that seems to set in for him with a show.The writing starts to get sloppy, details get dropped, random plot lines appear and disappear, etc. This episode illustrated that it is probably not a cureable issue. 

This has been my least favorite season so far. The actors were again brilliant this time out but they didn't have anything good to work with. The fact that the majority of the cast died and came back by the halfway point of the season was the thing that really irritated me. It was like they were trying make a more extreme red bull version of the previous two seasons. "Oh everyone died in season one and two? Well everyone is gonna die like THREE times this season! Boom!"

I will say that I didn't see Misty's final demise coming at ALL. That was really kind of heartbreaking.

[maraleia]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments of Coven including the witches of Miss Robichaux's Academy, voodoo priestess Marie, 19th-century slave killer Delphine, Stevie Nicks, and the rest of the residents of New Orleans.

[ShadowHunter]

I thought this was the worse season yet. Even if someone would die it did not matter because they would just be brought back until the show finally decided it was time for the character to really be gone. I feel Evan Peters who was great in the first 2 seasons was wasted in Coven. He did a good job with what he was given but in the end he was a love interest and nothing more.  I did not care who the Supreme was at all. I never felt any real friendship between the girls.

[WimminWinning]

Angela Bassett was the best part of this season and her scenes with Kathy Bates were epic! I usually love everything Jessica Lange does, but Ryan Murphy found a way to fuck up her scenes with horribly boring storylines...as usual.

[Mattipoo]

I think this season would have been a blast if they had dropped the entire "who's the new supreme?" storyline and just focused on the Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates characters, and New Orleans history with LaLaurie and Marie Laveau. The teen witches were a real bore and dragged the entire season down. I also wished they had not tried to cast as many of the actors from previous seasons as they can, as the talents of Dennis O'Hare, Evans Peters and Lily Rabe were completely wasted in their thankless, underdeveloped characters. Oh well, hope the next season will be better.

[Lucille]

Happy 40th Anniversary, wrap dress!  They really are fabulous, and will always make me think of Myrtle Snow.

 

[MissDMeaner]

When is the DVD for the Coven season going to be released? Usually it's right before the new season launches.

[MDKNIGHT]

Except for poor Misty's fate I loved this season but that did not mean I wasn't surprised as heck that the academy took the show seriously and nominated Lange, Basset, Bates and Paulson and especially that Bates and Lange WON.  I missed the actual ceremony as my recorder didn't record but I bet they were probably surprised themselves. 

[ShadowHunter]

Kathy was surprised she even said she thought she was going to lose. I am glad she won since it meant she beat out Julia Roberts lol.

[Aging Goth]

I actually loved the show.  I liked the many plot twists and watching it again, I began to see the many connections and the plot layout.  The teen witches were never supposed to be friends.  It was a contest between them on who would be supreme.  All had their individual issues and all showed a distinct personality. Madison reminded me of a bitchy Buffy the vampire slayer.

 

It broke my heart that Misty Day didn't make it.  I wanted the last two to be her and Madison.  I knew from the beginning of the season that Cordelia was the next supreme and that's mainly why Myrtle catered to her.  I loved the many sayings of Fiona and that she was scary and funny at the same time.  The Axe Man was the only match for the likes of Fiona and the ending was just delicious.  Her worst nightmare forever.

 

I really wish this was a series in itself.  There is so many ways it could go as we really delve into the School for Exceptional Young Ladies.  Like Hogwarts for witches.  There could be so many story lines they could have tackled and the blend of drama and comedy was just perfect to me.

 

Not to keen on the freakshow season coming.  Just cannot wrap my mind around it.  Much like I could not get into Season 2, Asylum.  I only liked the last episode.

 

These witches are far better than the idiot witches of east end.

[MDKNIGHT]

I agree that had this been a regular tv series and not AHS where each season is more like a miniseries that they could have continued with the story line.  It did actually have a Buffy vibe and there would have been other antagonists and hold over plot points.  I mean a ghost is raising a human baby girl for Christ's sake.  What the heck would happen there?  Could some witch get Misty Day OUT of hell?  Maybe the next year's senior class could have dared each other to do that knowing it would be dangerous but using it to compete to  be Queen of the school...the witch school equivalent of the drag race in Grease.  That's what I would have done. 

 

I admit I never saw the other seasons of AHS but I have to say that I have never laughed so much while watching a horror story than while watching Coven.  I will never forget dialogue like "Did we just marry Satan because I'm not sure I'm down with that!"  I prefer that to watching the torture porn that is a lot of horror today like the Hostel series of movies.  Mixing comedy and horror is probably one of the few things Ryan Murphy has gotten right in my opinion.  That and casting Lea Michele as Rachel Berry because that was perfect. 

[Mattipoo]

Coven wasn't my favorite although I enjoyed all the scenes with Angela Bassett, loved the location filming in New Orleans, and the flashbacks of LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) torturing her slaves made me squirm and cover my eyes in horror. Wish the Minotaur had been a bigger part of the season as he would have made an awesomely scary villain. And Papa Legba too.

[Xazeal]

I was a huge fan of Coven at first, but the show went way off the rails. Or just never even got on.

 

The acting and the dialogue was great, individual scenes were captivating, but halfway through the season I had no idea what the story was. There was a girl named Zoe? And she was at some magic school and oh, there's a new Supreme on the rise. Possibly. It didn't really get mentioned a lot. We did spend a lot of time with some voodoo people, and Kathy Bates playing a racist, and there was Frankenstein's monster, Patti LuPone being abusive, and Misty Day loves Stevie Nicks and there's an axe murderer and everyone's killing everyone and Frances Conroy is using a melon baller to scoop out eyeballs.

 

That's all a whole lot of fun. Not sure I see a story there. 90% of those things could've been cut right out so that the Supreme storyline, which was supposedly the main one, could've been fleshed out more. Or just existed at all. A bunch of characters making sporadic references to being the next Supreme without actually doing anything about it doesn't constitute a story. At least with Asylum, which had almost as many unrelated elements, there was a clear overarching story: get the hell out of there.

 

If I rewatch the season, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. It was immensely entertaining, I just wasn't emotionally invested in anything, because well, why should I? Nothing that happens matters because it's not relevant to anything, and any characters that die will just pop right back up. Still has more great moments than most other shows on TV, but I never really figured out why I should care, or what there even is to care about.

[Princess Sparkle]

I will say, while Asylum was my favorite overall season, I thought Coven had the strongest cast - Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates were fantastic additions ("The magic box liiiiiieeeeessss!" is probably my favorite line out of any season), and even the teen witches were all pretty great.  I just wish they hadn't sidelined Evan Peters so much.

[MDKNIGHT]

Given the approaching season I once again ponder that THE BEST Halloween prop EVER would be a plastic Kathy Bates head that says "LIESSSSS!!!" when you press a button.  Oh what might have been.

 

Since Coven is the only season I've seen I can't compare it but I did really love it except for the fate of Misty.  Take that out, have her just die and not go to hell and I would have loved the series forever.  I get the complaints. It was all scattered and didn't gel as a whole BUT it gave us so many moments of entertainment even when they were disjointed set pieces that I just can't bring myself to complain.  I mean besides the disembodied head of Kathy Bates we got Angela frikkin Bassett sitting on a throne of bones playing with her I-pod, teen witches being afraid of marrying Satan, Sidbe and Bates as a comedy duo (And really who saw THAT coming? They should make a reality show of the actresses going cross country.) , and Myrtle playing the Theremin and asking peope not to be "haters" and the list goes on.   So I'm in for the next round and will probably buy the other seasons to see them.  Look forward to laughing and commenting with you guys on this board.  RIP TWOP.

[DangerousMinds]

I will say, while Asylum was my favorite overall season, I thought Coven had the strongest cast - Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates were fantastic additions ("The magic box liiiiiieeeeessss!" is probably my favorite line out of any season), and even the teen witches were all pretty great.  I just wish they hadn't sidelined Evan Peters so much.

I feel like Evan Peters has been overused in this franchise. He was great in Murder House, but I don't need to see him in every single iteration of the show.

[rho]

I'm late to the game but with the impending return of this show, I rewatched the series and I have to say, this might be my favorite season simply because it was refreshing that Ryan Murphy didn't lean on pregnancy as a storyline. The baby bomb is a staple on every one of his other shows and there were the mystical pregnancies in the first two seasons so when Cordelia's infertility was introduced I was dreading the inevitable voodoo baby but it was nice to see a departure from that. Hope he keeps it up in the coming season.

[ladyrott]

Just finished up Coven this morning (I am late to the game after watching the first two seasons on Netflix). I really didn't like Asylum, LOVED Murder House and Coven was a close second.  Yes, it was balls to the wall crazy and scattered, and I admit DID get tired of the resurrection of everyone, but I loved the story.  I didn't see Cordelia coming as the new Supreme.  I was sure it was going to be Zoe...right up until she impaled herself.  I do wish they had explained how she managed that.  I thought it was going to be revealed that Madison somehow caused it.  Misty's death was really sad and I hate the thought of her trapped in hell forever.  I did like that Fiona got what was coming to her in the end.  I will admit, I teared up when they burned Myrtle at the stake (the second time). I thought Cordelia should have made the argument that Myrtle had already burned once for a crime she didn't commit so no need to do it again for the crime she DID commit.

[Lakewood27]

I also just finished up Coven last night! So far Murer House and Asylum are my favourite seasons. But Jessica Lange was my absolute favourite thing about Coven. Loved every minute she was onscreen.

[Mattipoo]

I generally like shows set in contemporary times, so Coven for me, despite its scattered and schizophrenic storylines, was enjoyable for me, along with Murder House. I particularly enjoyed the background scenery of New Orleans, the campiness, and Stevie Nicks songs. Least favorite parts: the slave torture (could have been toned down), the pointless neighbors, and the endless resurrections.

[Beezel]

I finally binged on this season,  and  while I went in not having high expectations, I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed the first half. Of course, about the time Axeman entered the scene, the story really started to go by the wayside. And by the end, I was rolling my eyes like crazy at nearly everything. Though, I did like the ending for Delphine and Marie, and as much as I LOATHED the Axeman storyline, Fiona's hell was also amusing and absolutely fitting. I was, however, deeply disturbed by the fates dished out to Misty Day and that poor stolen baby. (I really don't think I could handle finding out how she fares with Spalding as a parent.)  

 

I just wish they hadn't sidelined Evan Peters so much.

 

 

This is one thing that didn't work for me. I'm fine with EP playing a smaller role, but the Kyle stuff was a mess. The whole storyline about his sexual abuse went nowhere and was dropped so he could be Madison AND Zoe's sex toy. I found that very disturbing. For one thing, though they wanted me to buy the true love story between Kyle and Zoe (and part of me wanted to, since Taissa and Evan are a madly adorable on-screen couple),  it made their relationship hugely problematic. I also absolutely hated how during the seven wonders test, Zoe's response to Madison making Kyle kiss her was to do the exactly same thing in response. Because why would you control  someone you claim to be in love with like that?  It was gross. 

 

Probably the most surprising thing about the season was how much I genuinely enjoyed Emma Roberts and Gaby Sidibe. This season, Robert has had all the emotional range of a sea slug as Maggie, but  you could tell she was having a ton of fun playing Madison. Likewise, I thought Sidibe held her own in her scenes with the vet actors and her character was my favorite out of young witches. 

 

I had to fast forward through a lot of the witch hunter stuff because it was just that boring to me. 

 

Loved Misty, Stevie, and Myrtle the most.   

Edited January 13, 2015 by Beezel

[millennium]

Just finished this season.   Full disclosure: I think AHS is one of the most over-hyped shows on television and totally undeserving of the accolades it receives.   The first season was a chore to get through.   I gave up on the second season as soon as I saw James Cromwell, whom I can't stand.   Come to think of it, maybe my disdain for the first season was similarly exacerbated by Dylan McDermott.   Just when you think you don't have to listen to Bobby Donnell anymore ...

 

I gave Coven a shot because I really do love Jessica Lange and thought it would be nice to see her playing something other than the lunatics she portrayed in the previous seasons.   Love Sarah Paulson too, ever since American Gothic, so I figured okay, why not.

 

Once upon a time there was probably an interesting idea at the core of "Coven" but it was hopelessly lost beneath a blood tide of gratuitous gore, violence and cruelty.

 

The pluses:  Jessica Lange and Angela Bassett -- Angela Bassett, especially.   And Lily Rabe.   (Myrtle was a good character too, but I still hate the character that actress played in Six Feet Under, so there was some residual animosity.)

 

The minuses:  Well, just about everything else.   How did Taissa Farmiga ever manage to score a supporting role in a series this big?   She couldn't carry a school play.  

 

Kathy Bates.  Kathy Bates has made a fortune playing repellent characters -- or should I say character?   She plays the same character no matter what the role is.   It's old.  Go away.

 

The butler guy, Spalding -- that was just fucking stupid.

 

The not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper death of the girl who's murdered in the bathtub.    The "this-can't-really-be-the-end-of-Marie-Laveau-can-it" death of Marie Laveau.   The fuck-no death of Misty Day.    Mistakes, one and all.

 

The Ax-Man.  Gawd, that was unbearable.   His victims probably begged him to dismember him just so they didn't have to listen to that fake mint-julepy accent anymore

 

Is the blonde guy the showrunner's son because I can't come up with any other explanation of how he ever made it in front of a camera.   He and Taissa Farmiga must have the same agent.

 

Patty Lupone and her son.  What a throwaway plot development.

 

Stevie Nicks' hat.   It makes her look shorter and heavier. 

 

Oddly, the opening of the show, in black and white, with the strange figures all in black wearing pointed masks, and all the effects -- that was creepier than ANYTHING portrayed during the action of the show.

 

Jessica Lange deserves much better than this show, but I know it's nearly impossible for a woman her age, despite a lifetime of esteemed performances, to get good roles in the movies anymore

Edited February 10, 2015 by millennium

[wayne67]

It broke my heart that Misty Day didn't make it.  I wanted the last two to be her and Madison.  I knew from the beginning of the season that Cordelia was the next supreme and that's mainly why Myrtle catered to her.  I loved the many sayings of Fiona and that she was scary and funny at the same time.  The Axe Man was the only match for the likes of Fiona and the ending was just delicious.  Her worst nightmare forever.

 

I really wish this was a series in itself.  There is so many ways it could go as we really delve into the School for Exceptional Young Ladies.  Like Hogwarts for witches.  There could be so many story lines they could have tackled and the blend of drama and comedy was just perfect to me.

 

These witches are far better than the idiot witches of east end.

 

For an entertaining Hogwarts for Witches look into Worst Witch in School. I have distant memories of it being quite entertaining way before the Harry Potter franchise became so popular.

 

I did find it odd that Misty was the one that didn't come back from the netherworld since she had already did that the first time she appeared to Zoe. Self resurrection under much more strenuous conditions. It did seem like a last minute cop out. Too many contenders have to kill one off now... She could have failed any of the other tests and still stuck around till the end of the episode especially since it seems that it turned out everyone and their pet dog could resurrect by the end of the season anyway.

[Mattipoo]

This season is the worst one for me because the witch/supreme storyline was so unrealistic, annoying and not at all scary. They should've just cut out all the witch stuff and focused solely on Madame LaLaurie torturing slaves and Marie Laveau exacting voooo revenge on her in 1800s New Orleans. That would have made for a dark and haunting horror story instead of the cheesy teen-witch crap we got.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Mattipoo

[bloodworthy28]

On February 10, 2015 at 6:19 AM, millennium said:

Just finished this season.   Full disclosure: I think AHS is one of the most over-hyped shows on television and totally undeserving of the accolades it receives.   The first season was a chore to get through.   I gave up on the second season as soon as I saw James Cromwell, whom I can't stand.   Come to think of it, maybe my disdain for the first season was similarly exacerbated by Dylan McDermott.   Just when you think you don't have to listen to Bobby Donnell anymore ...

 

I gave Coven a shot because I really do love Jessica Lange and thought it would be nice to see her playing something other than the lunatics she portrayed in the previous seasons.   Love Sarah Paulson too, ever since American Gothic, so I figured okay, why not.

 

Once upon a time there was probably an interesting idea at the core of "Coven" but it was hopelessly lost beneath a blood tide of gratuitous gore, violence and cruelty.

 

The pluses:  Jessica Lange and Angela Bassett -- Angela Bassett, especially.   And Lily Rabe.   (Myrtle was a good character too, but I still hate the character that actress played in Six Feet Under, so there was some residual animosity.)

 

The minuses:  Well, just about everything else.   How did Taissa Farmiga ever manage to score a supporting role in a series this big?   She couldn't carry a school play.  

 

Kathy Bates.  Kathy Bates has made a fortune playing repellent characters -- or should I say character?   She plays the same character no matter what the role is.   It's old.  Go away.

 

The butler guy, Spalding -- that was just fucking stupid.

 

The not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper death of the girl who's murdered in the bathtub.    The "this-can't-really-be-the-end-of-Marie-Laveau-can-it" death of Marie Laveau.   The fuck-no death of Misty Day.    Mistakes, one and all.

 

The Ax-Man.  Gawd, that was unbearable.   His victims probably begged him to dismember him just so they didn't have to listen to that fake mint-julepy accent anymore

 

Is the blonde guy the showrunner's son because I can't come up with any other explanation of how he ever made it in front of a camera.   He and Taissa Farmiga must have the same agent.

 

Patty Lupone and her son.  What a throwaway plot development.

 

Stevie Nicks' hat.   It makes her look shorter and heavier. 

 

Oddly, the opening of the show, in black and white, with the strange figures all in black wearing pointed masks, and all the effects -- that was creepier than ANYTHING portrayed during the action of the show.

 

Jessica Lange deserves much better than this show, but I know it's nearly impossible for a woman her age, despite a lifetime of esteemed performances, to get good roles in the movies anymore

I respect your opinion - AHS isn't for everyone. But I feel the need to engage in some debate...

1. Taissa Farming may not be most seasoned actress on the show, but she pulls off the characters she is assigned. She is supposed to be the "doe-eyed" girl next door type. 

2. Kathy Bates is an amazing actress who most definitely isn't type-casted. I mean especially in a show like this where she played a racist psychopath who is granted immortality and then in Freak Show a more quiet type bearded-lady with a moral compass. In Hotel she's Iris, a charismatic mommy with attachment issues. Not to mention her appearances in comedies (Tammy, The Office, Bad Santa 2) and even kid's movies. She portrayed Madame Laveau wonderfully and not to mention was scary AND hilarious.

3. Spalding was a much needed male presence...even if he dressed up like a doll. Plus his relationship with Fiona helped emphasize how powerful her character was.

4. The Ax-Man is typical American Horror Story, and I mean that in a good way. He was based off a real American horror story, and the actor played it well. Even his chemistry with Jessica Lange was great, and his voice was PERFECT to parallel his jazz-loving soul. Plus he brought out Fiona's human side a little.

5. The "blonde guy" is Evan Peters and he is a fantastic actor. I won't argue that Kyle was kind of a boring character, but you can't deny that the witch fights over him weren't entertaining. I mean come on.

6.Stevie Nick's Hat - Wow low blow.

I agree with you that Coven definitely borderlines dramatic comedy rather than a horror show and that the slave torturing was definitely the scariest part. It wasn't my favorite season...but it did its job for me and that was it entertained me. I think Coven was very well written and while the Stevie Nick's interludes may have dragged a bit, overall a great installment of the show. Very "Ryan Murphy." 

[Fable]

I also hated Coven, but I thought the actors were fine in the roles they were given.  Nonetheless, the story was weak.  I did, though, find Emma Roberts a bit of bore and somewhat wooden, but I have never seen her in anything else, so it could be that I just found the character unappealing.  

[Princess Sparkle]

I can't stand Emma Roberts (I find her to be a horrendous actress), but I will admit, "We get it bitch; you're clairvoyant!" is still one of my favorite lines from any season.

[FanOfDorks]

On 26/07/2016 at 4:03 PM, Princess Sparkle said:

I can't stand Emma Roberts (I find her to be a horrendous actress), but I will admit, "We get it bitch; you're clairvoyant!" is still one of my favorite lines from any season.

Snap.  I find everything I've watched that she has been in she always seems to play the part of spoilt little rich kid.

[Aja]

I'm currently binging through AHS and just finished Coven. It was my favorite of the first three seasons. By far. And the thing is, I don't disagree with anything anyone has said about the 94785603 plot lines. What is wrong with me? I normally agree with you guys! Anyway, I've given it a lot of thought, and I think what it boils down to is Angela Bassett in her voodoo queen outfits, and how much I now wish to marry her.

ETA: Also, Frances Conroy playing the theremin is one of the best things I've ever seen on TV EVER. 

Edited October 31, 2016 by Aja

[qtpye]

I loved beautiful awesome Jessica Lange being pitted against beautiful awesome Angela Basset.  Anyone who thinks only women thirty and under are hot (looking at you Donald Trump) should seriously look at these two fine actresses.