American Horror Story: Season 3: Coven

08/17/2015 19:38

Television Show: American Horror Story: Season 3: Coven

Year: 2013

Creators: Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy

Starring: Evan Peters, Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson

 

Review:

This season takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. There is an academy for special girls, which is actually a front for a coven of witches. The show begins following Taissa Farmiga. She goes to make love to her boyfriend and this kills him. She is whisked away to the school.

The school is run by Sarah Paulson. There are three other students with her, one is a famous actress from Hollywood and she is played by Emma Roberts. Another student is from Detroit and she is a human voodoo doll played by Gabourey Sidibe. The final student is played by Jamie Brewer and she has the ability to speak with the dead. They are there to learn and grow, but there also needs to be a new supreme witch.

The current supreme is played by Jessica Lange. Her goal has been to find out how to become immortal and reign forever. She lives a life of debauchery and it has taken its toll. She has cancer and she knows that a new supreme is taking her power.

We also see in the past of a slave owner who was horrible, played by Kathy Bates. She has used their blood to stay young and is rude to everyone. She punishes one of her slaves for what she thinks was fooling around with her daughter by killing him and putting a bull’s head on him. This angers a voodoo priestess who really is immortal, played by Angela Bassett. She curses Bates and buries her alive; she also brings her lover back to life and makes him into a Minotaur monster.

Also involved with this coven is Frances Conroy who has history with Lange and along with the council helps Paulson and oversees the school. Denis O’Hare is also the butler with a history with the coven and Lange as well.

Living in the swamps is another witch played by Lily Rabe. She has the ability of resurrection with mud around where she lives. She is burned at the stake by those that do not understand her, but that doesn’t stop her.

We also get a frat guy who breaks the stereotype; he is played by Evan Peters. The problem though is his brothers are not so good. His fate is sealed when Farmiga and Roberts go to a party they are throwing. Roberts has her issues with drugs and alcohol. She ends up getting raped by some of Peters’ frat brothers. She gets her revenge and kills Peters in the process. She has an idea though to bring him back.

It should also be pointed out that Paulson is married to Ian Anthony Dale, who also lives in the school with her. He is actually hiding a secret about the family business. It is really a corporation that is a front for witch hunters. He is there to get in with them to help destroy them.

The coven has been at war with Bassett and her voodoo. They are currently in a truce, but how long with that last, especially after Bates has been found by Lange who wants to know her secret of immortality? Lange and Bassett do find a common enemy, but can they reach an agreement that will allow them to continue to live? Will Bassett give her the secret of her immortality that involves a voodoo deity played by Lance Reddick.

Who will be the next supreme? What skills do they need to be it? We learn that Lange killed the supreme before her and will try to kill the next one to continue to survive. These stories are intertwined and there are even more that help to see what they are made of.

I have to say that I thought this show started off hot. We get right into it and it builds itself nicely to the climax. I think the acting is great across the board. The story of the show continues to build on itself, while each episode has its own story and problems that need to be solved as it moves on. I think that this is a sign of a great television show and this season of American Horror Story definitely does that. There are some parts that make you cringe and that helps to ramp up the horror as well. The magic isn’t overdone and does seem very believable. These witches, even Lange and Bassett, are not too powerful and can be stopped in some sense.

My biggest issue with this show was that it built up to the middle and then kind of meanders at the end. I found myself hooked, but as it continued on I found it becoming boring. I felt the ending does tie everything up, but it wasn’t as exciting as I hoped. I just wanted more and the ending seemed to be holding suite when I felt a good twist to put a final touch would have been better.

I would still recommend giving this season a viewing. The acting is great and the story started off well. I liked the concept of the show, but I just found myself wanting more as it was coming down from the climax. This season isn’t as scary as the original, but it is more cringe worthy. If you like this show, you should watch this season. You could just watch this one and I would recommend that if you like witches or films about them. I will say that this season is better than the second, but still not as good as the first.

 

My Rating: 7 out of 10