American Horror Story: Coven, Episode 8

It’s official. Queenie has gone to the dark side.

After Madame LaLaurie told Queenie that the other witches would never accept her for her race, she made an immediate switch to Team Marie and decided that LaLaurie would be her target, promising her to Laveau. However, her first call was to torture a homeless man in a subway before being discovered by the other girls.

Disappointing really that Queenie was so easily lost to the other team, but we’re half-way through the season now and the lack of action is starting to wear thin. This war of Witches Vs Voodoo has got to take shape somehow!

In other news, Fiona is on a slippery slope; her cancer developing each day to worsening effect. All she has to do is figure out which girl is the Supreme and kill her off but things are never that simple; not with the mid-season break upon us.  Whilst Fiona is pre-occupied with her bizarre romance with the Axeman, Misty is being hunted by an unseen killer; no doubt something to do with Cordelia’s estranged husband Hank who we recently discovered is a Witch Hunter – and a scheming one at that. One dark night, Francis Conroy makes her triumphant return, warning Misty of a man outside her shack and fleeing to the safe haven of Miss Robichaux’s. Yet now that Cordelia knows the truth of Fiona’s betrayal, there is some unfinished business to attend to before they can comprehend a potential witch hunter.

Together the Coven hatches a plan to force Fiona’s hand into a suicide after Cordelia and Myrtle conclude that Misty must be the next Supreme given her magical ability to bring anyone (and everyone) back from the dead. Seeing Myrtle in all her glory flouncing around the Academy has given me hope that the next few episodes might just make up for the slow-burners we’ve seen thus far but then again, when nobody actually dies on the show anymore, the narrative development grows a little stunted.  The aforementioned ritual will raise the next Supreme but also allow Fiona to die with some dignity having sacrificed herself for the Coven. Donning some pretty fancy robes and veils, they perform a complex ritual to make Fiona think the now resurrected Madison has mastered the power of resurgence and is coming straight for her.  Fiona selflessly complies, not wishing to grow older and sicker alone. I’ve always imagined that Jessica Lange spends her time at home in a silk robe and turban lounging on chaise lounge with a cigarette and now that I’ve got my wish, I can honestly say that her Bette Davis femme fatale act is exactly how she will be remembered this series.
However, the spirit of Spaulding tells Fiona she has been tricked and that she shouldn’t give in;  Fiona lives. Smug Myrtle is left disappointed and unfulfilled in her bid for vengeance.

Meanwhile, Luke the neighbour with the God bothering mother makes another appearance and we’re really starting to see a pattern with mother-son abuse this series. A bleach enema? Surely not?

Poor Luke is told he must be cleansed and in an unpleasant turn of events he is told to strip and get in the tub.  Nan can hear his screams from next door and goes to the house to save him only for someone outside of the house to shoot at her and hit Luke’s mother instead. In steps Misty, to prove that once again, she might just be the Supreme we’re all absolutely dying for because – let’s be honest – it’s getting quite dull now. Luke’s mother lives but Luke’s head was skimmed by one of the bullets which Fiona duly notes is made from silver. Who knew silver bullets killed witches and werewolves?

On the bright side, FrankenKyle is finally making some progress and tells Zoe that he loves her; which Madison overhears and cries. This won’t end well, but then again, it never does. Just ask Madame LaLaurie; she has been reduced to nothing but a head in a box.