Thursday, October 24, 2013

American Horror Story: Coven - 3x03 The Replacements

By s. Thursday, October 24, 2013
Another week, another trip to the fucked up world of American Horror Story. The latest episode pushed the boundaries and definitely took as further into just how sick the things can get. Incest, bestiality, jar with jizz, animal sacrifice. Fun!

We open with Fiona being restless and getting up to have a drink. We then see the flashback to 1971 when Fiona was a young girl attending the Academy. She kills the supreme by slitting her throat and becomes the new one. This is yet another murder we see Fiona commit. The mute butler, Spalding, witnesses the act and just stands there, clearly willing to help Fiona
Back in present day, the Academy has new neighbors. It's a deeply religious woman (Patti Lupone) and her son. Nan and Madison come over to say hello - Nan brings cake, Madison brings slutiness. The guy is clearly interested in Nan and ignores Madison. His mother yells at the girls and on their way back Madison throws a knife next to her head and sets curtains on fire.

The woman comes over to the Academy to complain about the girls to Fiona who clearly doesn't give a shit until she hears about the fire. In the flashback we find out that the Supreme possesses several gifts and when Fiona hears that Madison not only moves things but can ignite them as well, she starts suspecting that she is the new Supreme.
In this season's romance arc, Zoe visits Kyle's mother to tell her how sorry she is about his death. His mother is clearly a suicidal mess and a white trash junkie but Zoe still feels bad for her.

Meanwhile, over at weirdo swamp, Misty is taking care of Kyle, lying next to him on a bed and singing. Zoe comes over and takes Kyle with her and Misty goes into psychotic rage, clearly not wanting to be on her own. Then she starts dancing and spinning to the music. Yeah, nothing good will come from that.
I really want to like Zoe but I'm suspecting she is a little bit retarded. After she decides it's a great idea to have a meltdown in front of the cops, bring back a guy whom she knew for 5 minutes from the dead and leave him with bizarre chick in the swamps she figures - hey, let' s bring him to his junkie mother.

So Zoe brings Kyle there and there the creepshow starts. Mommy starts kissing him and touching his junk. Yes, incest. Are we in Westeros?
Several scenes later Zoe gets a call from the freaked out mom and comes over but Kyle has already bashed her face in and killed her. Gee, who would have thought this can go wrong?

Meanwhile, Cordelia is still trying to get pregnant in the season's most boring storyline. Her doctor informs her that it can't be done so Cordelia figures the only thing that is left for her to do is the other kind of magic. She goes to see Marie Laveau in her hair salon - get this - Conrow City.
Bassett is the absolute sensation this season. Jessica Lange is leaving the show after season 4 and I really think Murphy should throw money at Bassett because she would be able to carry this thing. She showed up for maybe 5 minutes and it was incredible. She was sitting on her throne, all badass, playing solitaire on her ipad.

Cordelia wants her to perform fertility ritual. After teasing her a little Laveau starts laughing telling Cordelia that since she is the daughter of her enemy, she won't do the ritual.
Even so, she went into detail of what the ritual would entail and we got to see that. Cordelia in the middle of the weird ceremony, wearing red dress. Jar of sperm. Poor goat. Goat's blood. You get the picture.

I kinda have a problem with the whole sworn enemy thing - Does Laveau know Fiona let LaLaurie out? Fiona didn't state it, yet Laveau sent the Minotaur to search for her. I think Murphy should spend a little less time giving spoilers in interviews and a little more thinking over exactly who knows what in this show.
Ah, yes. Madame LaLaurie had really shitty time in this episode. First she is watching TV and she realizes a black guy is president. Then Fiona orders her to be the new maid. Then she is forced to serve Queenie. And then things get even worse.

At one point LaLaurie and Queenie are alone when suddenly Delphine hears something. She goes to the window and yes, there it is. The Minotaur or as she calls him "her house boy". Queenie tells her to hide, gets some of Delphine's blood on the cloth and goes out.
And then things got super weird. I mean even for American Horror Story standards that was some weird shit, yo. Queenie lures the Minotaur to the secluded place and starts saying stuff like 'we're special' and then she starts masturbating. Assuming her Voodoo doll power extents to stuff like that it apparently worked on The Minotaur and he grabbed her. Seeing how she has something stuck in her va-jay-jay in next episode's promo I'm gonna go ahead and say it was a bad idea. You can't unsee this shit. I was expecting for Mo'nique to appear and start throwing TV sets any moment there.

Meanwhile, Madison and Fiona are bonding. Fiona takes her to lunch and then to the bar where they both play pool. I really enjoyed those scenes as Madison is a lot like young Fiona and these two don't mess around so it's nicer to have such lively characters on screen than half-dead Cordelia (Paulson is so bad this season, what a step down).
Anyways, Fiona and Madison get back home. Fiona starts explaining to Madison how she believes she is the new Supreme and how she is gaining power, which in effect is killing Fiona. Fiona takes out the blade she used to kill the old Supreme and tells Madison to kill her. In the middle of the fight Fiona goes psycho and slits Madison's throat, killing her.

Spalding appears again - with a smile on his face, like a deranged fanboy and hands Fiona a tissue to wipe her hands. Larry from season 1 would be proud. Fiona explains to him that the coven doesn't need a new Supreme - just a new rug, seeing how Madison's blood stained it.

Obviously they will bring Madison back somehow. Judging from the next week preview and the way Spalding is touching the rug with Madison's body in it I assume some more sick, sexual shit is going to happen. Also so far it looks Nan may be the new Supreme, seeing how the guy was taken with her and she says guys find her hot.

Murphy said next week's episode has one of the toughest scenes Paulson had to shoot so I'm wondering what is going to happen there. Next week's episode is also part one of Halloween episodes, which we get every year.
PREVIOUS RECAPS:

10 comments:

  1. Man this episode was batshit. They went a little too far. I really hope Madison isn't dead. After the big 3, she's my favourite.
    Kathy Bates in the beginning made me nearly cry with laughter. Almost as much as Laveau saying "baby gravy". I really want the show just to focus on her, Lange (who is so awesome) and Basset (who's perhaps awesomer and must become the AHS queen bee).
    The others are all kind of iffy so far. Why isn't Zoe taking Misty back to the school though?

    I can't imagine what Murphy is going to make Paulson do next. She's already been raped, had weird sex with snakes around her and now this goat blood thing.

    This is my least episode so far mostly because of the way it was shot. It was a bit painful, like season 1.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think she is dead, but I don't think she is gone :)

      I really hope Bassett stays on for the future seasons!

      I think Misty is a bit too odd and introvert for that, but I'd love for them to address that issue in the show - it seams pretty obvious Zoe should at least propose that option to Misty.

      Delete
  2. I have just watched it and I must say, this ending was breathtaking, I was with my mouth opened. And then the MARVELOUS ending line 'This coven doesn't need a new supreme, it needs a new rug'. Yep, even if I really disliked this series because of the weird stuff that happens, I would still watch it, merely because of the endings.
    Oh and as far as Cordelia's storyline, Sarah P. said that she doesn't do anything until the middle of the season. I hope that's true because I really want to see her talent, even if that means I have to wait.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They really leave you wanting more, don't they?

      Yeah she is so good and her story this season is a real slow burner.

      Delete
  3. "And then things got super weird."

    I've never seen a minute of this show, but that cracked me up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was shocked. I was sitting in front of my computer, sipping my coffee at 10 am and bestiality happened.

      Way too early for that.

      Delete
  4. I agree Zoe's decision was a bit rash,but it was the incest/abuse thing that seemed to push kyle off the edge...and i don't think anyone could have seen that coming at first. I know i didn't. And as for bringing Misty to the school,that didn't really occur to me. It does seem like she has issues giving other people there space tho. Don't know if she would really fit in at the school

    And i felt kind of bad for Cordelia in her scene with Marie.Felt like she ended up screwed over because of Fiona. To me anyways

    And i think Marie at the very least figures Fiona has something she wants, but yes it is a bit unclear what exactly Marie knows. And as for the Queenie thing...ughhhh. I forgot about the voodoo thing in that scene. Now that i've been reminded,that scene is even worse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But you know - bringing a guy who is supposedly dead back to his mom and to the place where he could be easily seen seems a bit silly :)

      Yeah, I felt bad too. I wonder where this thing will lead.

      I'm just so confused by whatever happened in that scene :)

      Delete
  5. Paulson's character has been a little weak this season, but we're only 3 eps in, I'm still hoping things get better for her. In defense of her desire to have a baby, I could relate to/understand this. I think a lot of women can relate to this desire, but if it can't happen through natural means, there is something called "adoption." Seriously, she should consider it, but I get it. So IMO, this seems to be one of the more "realistic" storylines this year.

    That said, I did not care for the scene with Queenie and the minotaur or the incest scene with Tate and Mare Winningham. It was just "too much." It was almost as bad as the opening scene with Kathy Bates (Madame LaLaurie) brutally torturing slaves. Way too much for my eyes to process. Last season was all over the place crazy. This season is just full on crazy.

    Thankfully Jessica Lange pulled through at the end. Her last line was classic. "[We] need a new rug." She is the diva and I will miss her when she leaves. But I do like your suggestion about Bassett. It really takes a fearless movie star to carry this show. Lange does it effortlessly. I think Bassett could do it too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think her story will start become interesting soon, at least I hope it will :)

      Well, last season's Bloody Face stuff was quite disturbing too. His mask was so creepy!

      I really hope Bassett will be in future seasons! So far she is my favorite in Coven.

      Delete