“Coven”, the third installment in the American Horror Story franchise, seemingly, surprisingly, continues to further push the envelope of what is acceptable to be shown on television. We see the lives of numerous witches (hence the title), and the struggle with their time in the modern world, as well as the past. A basic plot that could easily be written into a series of tween-novels/movies the like of “Twilight”, the expert craftsmanship behind AHS moves the subject matter to a pedestal higher than most any other. Fine-tuning the supernatural aspects, which would otherwise look goofy in contrast to the real-world characteristics. During last year’s “Asylum”, it felt as if they were trying too hard for a shock factor and there was less emphasis on the overall story and its impact. For “Coven”, the first scene is more engaging than most of the entire “Asylum” series. Yes, there may be no Adam Levine this year, much to the dismay of many a viewer, but there is Kathy Bates. She was ready to receive her awards at the moment she was casted as the real-life malevolent “Madame Delphine LaLaurie.”
When Kathy Bates was first revealed to be cast in the show, goosebumps were readily felt. We first see her as a proper southern lady looking for eligible bachelors to meet her three daughters, all manners and posh circumstance. As seen in just the following few minutes, we see her applying blood (which was later revealed to be from the pancreas of her slave) to her face to “keep it tight as a drum”, beating on her daughter for sleeping with a house servant and applying a bull’s head to said house servant. Also torturing slaves in what can only be perceived as a full-fledged torture-room. Anyone with historical background knowledge of 19th century New Orleans will know that this character is based on actual accounts. The only thing scarier than Bates’ portrayal is the fact that this woman actually existed.
However just highlighting Bates is doing an injustice to the rest of the fine cast. From show veterans Jessica Lange and Evan Peters to newcomer Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), each member plays a vital role and no one is left without a reason for being there. The one person that may be seen as a bit of a sore spot is Emma Roberts. She plays an uppity, celebrity-type, the kind that will kill a director by way of her powers to deliver a crushing blow with a seemingly “accidental” fallen light fixture; all because he told her she wasn’t hitting her mark. It’s just that that type of character is so easily disliked, and intended so, yet Roberts doesn’t feel as if she could convey a multi-dimensional personality to the show. Roberts has also played this character before in other work and incredibly recently in “We’re the Millers.” The “the world doesn’t get me, I’m angsty and misinterpreted because I’m my own person” and so on and so forth. It may not even be her fault, more the writer’s, but we’ll see in the coming weeks.
With legends like Lange and Bates beside the rest of the cast, the bar is set astronomically high. That’s what a show like American Horror Story does, though, it sets the bar high. There is truly no other show like it and it is a unique experience as any when watching. If a show can get away with slave mutilation and torture, yet still be accepted enough to be broadcast on national television, there is a redeemable quality to the subject matter and the way it goes about itself. That being said, if the thought of said subject matter is too much to handle, maybe you should consider skipping.