# AMERICAN HORROR STORY Season 3: COVEN (Open Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891 "2013-10-10T17:15:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/101 "2014-01-25T03:40:24Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > I’m confused. Weren’t both those characters supposed to be immortal? Don’t you have to die to go to hell? LaLaurie’s Immortality was tied to Laveau’s. Laveau’s immortality was by way of contract to DeBogobogoboo - being paid for with innocent souls. When LaLaurie chopped up Laveau and scattered the parts all over - the contract with Debogogoboo was broken - allowing Queenie to kill LaLaurie and Laveau to die. This was thanks to Queenie’s logic in the chicken shack hell - (how many other shows would the above sequence of events even make sense?) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/102 "2014-01-25T03:48:27Z")
In case anyone was curious, [Papa Legba](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Legba) (the spirit Laveau had the contract with) is an actual part of Haitian Voodoo. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/103 "2014-01-25T04:05:12Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > In case anyone was curious, [Papa Legba](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Legba) (the spirit Laveau had the contract with) is an actual part of Haitian Voodoo. In case he’s listening - I was only using LaLaurie’s interpetation of the name, and I meant no disrespect. really… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/104 "2014-01-25T07:12:07Z")
I love the character, but I can’t help but think of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zHxiLMvLmc) every time Papa Legba’s on screen. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/105 "2014-01-30T04:27:25Z")
Season Finale. I think they missed an opportunity when they didn’t bring in Diana Ross as a black witch to counter Stevie Nicks’ white witch. And then they make D.R.,…wait for it,…the next Supreme! Speaking of black witches, the large black girl seemed to have gotten the short end of the stick. She never really failed any of the tests and she wasn’t temporarily dead, she was just moved out of the running when the daughter character inexplicably regained her eyes and was declared the new Supreme out of the blue. I also think they betrayed the whole ‘no character can die’ thing that they had going for the whole season by allowing characters to die. Although I guess they can all be resurrected in, “A.H.S.: Coven 2”. Which I’ll never see as I’m done with this franchise. I just wish the series had been as interesting as the opening credits. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/106 "2014-01-30T04:38:35Z")
I really thought there would be a reveal that Madison was took over Zoe’s body when she was killed and Zoe was revived at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/107 "2014-01-30T05:53:39Z")
“What is this? KNOTTY PINE?!” ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/108 "2014-01-30T07:07:59Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > Speaking of black witches, the large black girl seemed to have gotten the short end of the stick. She never really failed any of the tests and she wasn’t temporarily dead, she was just moved out of the running when the daughter character inexplicably regained her eyes and was declared the new Supreme out of the blue. Queenie wasn’t able to revive Zoe so that put her out the running to be the next Supreme. Was there a reason given early in the season why no one thought Cordelia might be the next Supreme? Being the daughter of the current one, one would think you would start looking there. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/109 "2014-01-30T12:09:22Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Queenie wasn’t able to revive Zoe so that put her out the running to be the next Supreme. > Was there a reason given early in the season why no one thought Cordelia might be the next Supreme? Being the daughter of the current one, one would think you would start looking there. She was a crappy witch back then. She couldn’t get herself pregnant (with an undercover witch hunter), her potions were constantly failing, and she had no self-confidence. The first sign of any power ever was when she went blind. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/110 "2014-01-30T17:14:17Z")
I felt badly for Fleetwitch Mac, who was left in biology class forever. Bummer. Why couldn’t they get her back? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/111 "2014-01-30T18:36:29Z")
Was anyone else waiting for Fiona to try and stab Cordelia? I was delighted at Fiona’s end, that was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/112 "2014-01-30T18:48:05Z")
What were Myrtle’s last word? i rewound it twice and still didn’t understand her. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/113 "2014-01-30T18:57:43Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > What were Myrtle’s last word? i rewound it twice and still didn’t understand her. [Her last words were “Balenciaga!” and tilt Cordelia to burn her. Cordelia lifts her hand and uses her power to end Myrtle.](http://americanhorrorstory.wikia.com/wiki/Myrtle_Snow) [Which means…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balenciaga) Balenciaga (Spanish pronunciation: [balenˈθjaɣa]) is a French fashion house founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga, a Spanish designer, born in the Basque Country, Spain. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as “the master of us all” by Christian Dior.[1] His bubble skirts and odd, feminine, yet ultra-modern shapes were trademarks[citation needed] of the house. The House of Balenciaga is now owned by the French multinational company Kering. Balenciaga’s current Creative Director is Alexander Wang.[2] 😕 I guess since she was so into her fashion. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/114 "2014-01-30T18:58:13Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > What were Myrtle’s last word? i rewound it twice and still didn’t understand her. “Balenciaga!” A lot of people wouldn’t get this reference, a classic fashion designer up there with Dior and Chanel. Myrtle was a fashionista and probably adored Balenciaga’s ornate designs most of all. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/115 "2014-01-30T19:16:56Z")
Bit of a downer if Misty Day, who was the nicest of them all, has to spend her eternity in hell. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/116 "2014-01-30T19:25:22Z")
Pretty decent ending to a great season. My only complaint is the implausible end of Emma Roberts. The guy who she can easily mind control chokes her out? Even ignoring mind control, she could toss him across the room with telekinesis, which was her thing. That “loose end” was wrapped up with very sloppy writing, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/117 "2014-01-30T23:51:34Z")
Last night could have been a pilot for a new series: _Facts of Life_ meets _The Witching Hour_. I’d watch. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/118 "2014-01-31T17:28:39Z")
So that was on overall disappointing season. For the two previous seasons, it felt like there was a main plot and then crazy stuff packed in around it. For this season, it was just tons of crazy stuff packed in with no overaching plot, like they had forgotten what had come before. But I’ll keep watching since it’s an anthology series, and next season will be a new start. This season definitely had good moments and some good things, just it added up to less than the sum of its parts. > [@stpauler](#): > > She was a crappy witch back then. She couldn’t get herself pregnant (with an undercover witch hunter), her potions were constantly failing, and she had no self-confidence. The first sign of any power ever was when she went blind. Yeah, this was strange. I don’t know if I would have been able to say what Cordelia’s power was before, other than something plant related. But now she’s able to do all the seven wonders powers with ease? And able to heal herself? Also, I had the impression earlier in the season that each witch manifested one power. Queenie had the voodoo power, Nan could read minds, and Zoe had the killer vagina. So when Madison showed that she had more than one power (first telekinesis, then pyrokinesis) it was a big deal, and evidence that she might be the next supreme. But now all of the witches have multiple powers and little trouble with most of them? I think Myrtle or Cordelia said something a few episodes ago about powers growing stronger in times of trouble, but that doesn’t explain how all of them have such strong powers and no one acts like it’s a big deal. > [@Poysyn](#): > > Was anyone else waiting for Fiona to try and stab Cordelia? I was delighted at Fiona’s end, that was perfect. Yeah, I was expecting her to try something, though not succeed. Her end was fitting, though a little surprising since she couldn’t make a deal with Papa Legba earlier because she had no soul. If she has no soul, why would she be in hell? Maybe Legba just didn’t want to make a deal with her, and that’s why he said that. Also, the Axeman is an axe murder, but he’s with Fiona, and it doesn’t seem like a version of hell to him. It basically seems like a version of heaven for him. I would think his version of hell would be being killed over and over by his own axe, or not being able to kill people with his axe, or being booed while performing his music, or something. I know I’m overthinking the theology of this show, but it was making me wonder. > [@EllisDee](#): > > Pretty decent ending to a great season. > > My only complaint is the implausible end of Emma Roberts. The guy who she can easily mind control chokes her out? Even ignoring mind control, she could toss him across the room with telekinesis, which was her thing. That “loose end” was wrapped up with very sloppy writing, IMO. That bothered me too. She can move things with her mind, do mind control, and teleport across the room, but she doesn’t do any of those things then? (Same things with Marie Laveau in the previous episode- she’s really powerful, but she’s able to be subdued and cut into pieces by Delphine LaLaurie?) Also, this brings me to how this season was weirdly repetitive. Madison is murdered twice, Myrtle is burned at the stake twice, the Axeman is murdered by a group of witches twice, there are two different women who molest their sons, Cordelia loses and regains her eyesight twice, and probably some other things I’m forgetting. Some things are probably intentionally thematic, like the Axeman being killed again the way he was before, but some of the other things just seem like the writers couldn’t make a decision on what to do and went back and forth. I’m not trying to be overly nitpicky. I went along with the first two seasons and could go along with most of their plotholes and inconsistencies. In previous seasons, I would only start to wonder about inconsistencies after watching the show and thinking about it later. For this season, I’m distracted by them while watching the show. Which makes me think the bad things are worse this season and so are more distracting, or the plot is less interesting and so it’s not keeping my attention as much and so I get distracted by the plotholes. Or a combination of both. I’m happy for other people if they enjoyed this season, but for me this one was a disappointment, and I hope next one is better. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/119 "2014-01-31T17:37:21Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > Also, this brings me to how this season was weirdly repetitive. Madison is murdered twice, Myrtle is burned at the stake twice, the Axeman is murdered by a group of witches twice, there are two different women who molest their sons, Cordelia loses and regains her eyesight twice, and probably some other things I’m forgetting. Some things are probably intentionally thematic, like the Axeman being killed again the way he was before, but some of the other things just seem like the writers couldn’t make a decision on what to do and went back and forth. All your points are good, but especially this one. They could have told the whole story in half as many episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891/120 "2014-01-31T19:48:15Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > All your points are good, but especially this one. They could have told the whole story in half as many episodes. Yeah, I think it could have been done pretty well in 7 or 8 episodes. If I was in charge, I would have let Madison just stay dead. Her sassiness could be fun at points, but when everyone is able to come back from the dead, it lowers the stakes. And it was believable she’d die the first time, since she was more taken by surprise and she didn’t have as many powers then. I also wouldn’t have Myrtle burn the first time, since it made it less dramatic to do it twice. Also, I would have cut back on Delphine LaLaurie’s part so that she was just in one or two flashbacks. Maybe one flashback in one episode to show some of the past horrors in New Orleans, and another flashback in another episode to show Marie Laveau getting her vengeance for her lover and killing LaLaurie’s family and then torturing and killing LaLaurie. Kathy Bates is a great actress, and she did the best she could with the part, but the character was so inconsistent. It would have been great if she was just in an episode or two like Ian McShane was last season as Murder Santa. Also without LaLaurie in the present day, then maybe Queenie could have a little more to do rather than just teach the white lady tolerance. I would have taken out the part with Kyle’s mom. Of the two creepy molesting moms, I’d rather keep Patti LuPone as the neighbor, and maybe expand on her, though not too much. It could have been interesting to show things a little from her perspective, since she was right to fear the coven, because they are dangerous. Also I’d take out Cordelia losing her eyesight again. There was nothing gained by her gouging out her eyes to try to get her second sight back, other than just having a horrifying image of someone gouging her own eyes out. There already was the creepiness of Myrtle doing that to the two council members. With some of the repetitiveness taken out, there would be a little more time to establish the witch hunter organization as a credible threat. As it was this season, it seemed to me like the organization was treated like a big dangerous threat, but then Fiona and Marie Laveau took out the organization with very little effort. So the main plot of the season would be: [ul] [li]The girls come to the school[/li][li]Cordelia actually spends some time teaching them about their powers and how to use them (I don’t remember that really being done this season)[/li][li]Fiona comes back to town, starts up the feud between the coven and Marie Laveau’s group[/li][li]There’s some fighting back and forth, and maybe some deaths, but eventually they figure out that some of the trouble is not caused by either group, but by the witch hunter group[/li][li]Show us more about the witch hunter group, maybe some throughout history, and show how they are a credible threat[/li][li]The groups band together and after some planning and practice, take out the witch hunter group[/li][li]The last episode would be pretty much like the actual last episode, just it would be Misty trying the Seven Wonders and failing, then Myrtle urging Cordelia to try it[/ul][/li] You could still have the subplots, like Nan and the neighbors, Zoe and Kyle, Fiona wanting eternal life/youth, and the Axeman. It wouldn’t be American Horror Story if there wasn’t a lot of craziness going on. Just it would be nice if there was slightly more consistency, and more things at stake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-season-3-coven-open-spoilers/670891.md?page=7)