One of the biggest issues with American Horror Story: Coven (and the series as a whole) is how disjointed episodes can feel from one another. One episode might have a worthless cameo from Stevie Nicks, and the next could send off five characters from the main cast. It’s almost like the writers are only sharing parts of their notes with each others, which makes each episode question my knowledge of the show. As much as I don’t like it, I’ll admit that this is one series that benefits from binge-watching, simply because it’s slightly easier to remember the plot when you don’t have to wait a week between each episode (or two for Thanksgiving…or three for Christmas).
It also doesn’t help that every season, stories get piled onto each episode only to be dealt with in the span of an episode or two. The showrunners, while able to create atmosphere and stylish violence, have no self-control when it comes to saving ideas for another day. Again, these complaints reflect the series as a whole, but Go To Hell just made them more evident for Coven.
The episode does begin on a high note, though, offering the audience a glimpse into the Seven Wonders via an old instructional tape a la Dodgeball. Rather than some fantastical gauntlet that tests your mettle as a witch, it’s rather just a showcase of seven different abilities that make you a Supreme. It’s a bit of a letdown after everything I imagined the Wonders could be, but I guess at least we’ll get an answer to that storyline.
Call me unobservant, but the editing for this episode was far too excited to jump to new shots, making every plot feel disjointed. Laveau’s and LaLaurie’s storyline especially falls victim to this, with the story jutting in at all the wrong times and jumping between past and present too frequently. Let me try and explain from the beginning though.
Zoe and Kyle inexplicably return to the Coven after getting to Florida, apparently because Kyle killed a homeless guy that Zoe brought back to life, and it just reminded her of home. Call this another example of disjointed writing. Why build up to that ending if there was never going to be a payoff? Zoe has been so bland, and now she can’t even be kind enough to just leave. One more example: every witch and their pet goldfish has apparently developed insane powers that don’t even fit into the Seven Wonders. So are they all Supremes? Are none of them? In fact, the powers they’ve gained are more useful and deadly than those being tested.
Delia is worried her second sight won’t return after she plucked her eyes out last time, but of course it does and it reveals Fiona’s plan to kill all of the witches in the Coven and remain the Supreme for another few decades. I’ll admit, the scene showing every witch’s body displayed around the mansion was pretty awesome. Glad to see they remembered that “horror” is in the title.