The brand new season of American Horror Story finally aired this month with the third instalment, Coven telling the mysterious story of the witches of New Orleans, and in true AHS fashion, alludes to both the past and the present as it explores the complexity of magic and witchcraft. After watching the first two episodes, I can say without hesitation that I love it. Season Three finds a middle ground between the humourous but outrageous Murder House and the darkness and cruelty of Asylum. Coven features a healthy mixture of exciting characters of both old and young generations; dynamic conflicts and antagonists; and a good helping of pancreas (sorry). With a long list of exciting plot twists and room to wonder, the introductory episodes of Season Three don't disappoint. Let's run down a few of my first impressions:
(Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers, so if you haven't watched it yet, what are you doing here? Click away and enjoy the new AHS.)
Starting with the origins of this tale, the season opens with 19th century Madame LaLaurie. Played by Kathy Bates, this strange figure brings the immediate horror to the season. LaLaurie is introduced with a face covered in blood, as she hastily applies more with a face brush: she clearly isn't going to be a tame character.Trapping and torturing slaves in her dank attic, Madame LaLaurie's eerily content disposition chilled me from the beginning. To make it worse, after doing a little research, I was horrified to realise that this woman was not fictional. Taking elements from truth whilst intermixing a frightful magical immortality to her courtesy of Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), I'm very excited to see more of LaLaurie, especially once trapped in modern day setting. Specifically, I'm intrigued to see the development of LaLaurie's obsession with mythology and her Minotauric creation and possible future allusions to mythological symbolism.
Jumping to the modern day, we are introduced to the season's main heroine: Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga). It was exciting seeing Taissa in the AHS cast again, and her acting doesn't disappoint in delivering a subtle but raw performance as her character is plunged into the world of witchcraft. Hopefully Zoe will make some very interesting character developments during the course of this series as her unfortunate gift of death will create some isolating and complex situations.
Similar to the past two seasons of AHS, there is still a building of significance in the form of Miss Robichaux's Academy: a boarding school for the magically talented. The school itself stands as a grand and towering white property. Equally menacing and elegant, the Miss Robichaux's seems to reflect the young women within. But will the witches remain as pure as their house? Alongside Zoe, Sarah Paulson reappears as the school's kind but icy headmistress Cordelia Foxx, Madison (Emma Roberts) a forgotten actress turned drama queen, Nat (Jamie Brewer) and Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe); the other students. Although the population of the school is thin, there is no emptiness and each character displays a strong presence in their unique personalities and magical abilities. Nat is a quiet and somewhat troubled clairvoyant, which I can't wait to learn more about. Queenie is a human voodoo doll - my favourite power by far. Just think of all the possibilities the producers could take with this. Finally, Madison is blessed with telekinesis, which seems to cause much more trouble than harmony in her aggressive hands.
I commend the decision to keep this group of teenage witches tight-knit as it allows a much stronger dynamic to develop and progress between them. Above all however, Jessica Lange's newest ruthless role as the 'Supreme' blows everyone else away as she commands every scene just with her presence. The Supreme's predicament with her inevitable ageing adds yet another menace. What lengths will she go to retain her youth? Death is not an obstacle, as we are shown in her interaction with the biochemist. With such a strong, prominently female cast, it seems that Coven will hold a very feminist approach this season which I am eager to see unfold.
"We are under siege. Our lives, our very existence is always at risk. Know this. Or, face extinction."
The visual decisions are very different from what I was expecting but have produced clever results. The costume design and atmosphere have been given a jaded, period appearance which heightens the edge of uneasiness of the strange happenings. However, the modern day doesn't shy away either - with a college fraternity party the backdrop of the opening's main climax. The amalgamation of modern and old thrusts the show into an odd in-between where time is uncertain and vulnerable causing the viewer to remain on the periphery of secrecy.
This aforementioned party was both the cutest and most disturbing scene in Coven's first episode. We are introduced to a small, kindling relationship forming between Zoe and Kyle (Evan Peters) which doesn't last long for the fated couple. I really liked the little reference to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet as Zoe and Kyle smile to one another through the rippled surface of an ice sculpture. Not only is it implied that their relationship is cursed from the start, but it is explicitly established that these two are not going to have it easy. On the other side of the party, Madison has been drugged and brutally gang-raped by Kyle's fraternity brothers. When the boys are discovered by Kyle, they are chased onto their fraternity bus, only to be all instantly killed by Madison with a simple flick of the wrist as the bus flips over and over. Now the viewer is caught in a moral dilemma. Were these deaths excusable? These teens are confused, angry and short thinking. It's a dangerous recipe for tragedy if there was one.
Evan Peters is not the only one to play a recurring character who is killed off in the initial episode. Misty Day (Lily Rabe) is quickly becoming another one of my favourites to the group. A young woman discovered by her community for her magical power of necromancy, Misty is burned at the stake. But that is by no means her last appearance, and with the death of two main characters in Episode 1, as well as multiple murders, I'm beginning to wonder what else the writers could possibly have in store for us.
This is emphasised in the resurrection of Kyle in Episode 2. This is possibly the most exciting element of the show for me so far. I am desperate to find out how Zoe and Madison will keep this secret hidden from the Supreme and how Kyle will function as a living, breathing Frankenstein's monster. Evan Peters has also revealed that the next few episodes will show Kyle restricted to body language, devoid of speech. I also have a theory about Zoe and Kyle. As Kyle is already technically dead, would it be that Zoe's power will be reversed so that instead of killing Kyle through sex, she resurrects him instead? More darkness is also hinted to come as Cordelia performs dark fertility magic as she grasps onto her last chance of pregnancy.
These themes of life and death are thoroughly investigated in this season of AHS thus far. Each character can either bring about one or the other, some yearn death, some yearn life, some embody death itself. If the season continues to be as excellent as it has been so far, it may surpass as my favourite season.
(Images and screencaps from http://kissthemgoodbye.net/americanhorrorstory)
