Item: American Horror Story: Coven
Rating: 8
Author: Jake Dee

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

EPISODE: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks

THE SCOOP: Fiona calls upon Stevie Nicks in order to woo the new Supreme. Cordelia catches wind of Hank's nefarious witch-hunting past. The inevitable battle between sides gets one step closer!

THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN MINOR-TO-MAJOR SPOILERS. IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THIS EPISODE, IT MIGHT BE WISEST TO STOP READING HERE!

THE SKINNY: After what seemed like a long holiday respite, "American Horror Story: Coven" picked up last night with episode 10, cheekily entitled "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks." When we last left off, the dual-narratives continued to drive the show. On one hand, we caught up with Hank's wicked witch-hunting ways, as inept and indifferent to his heritage as he may be. On the other, Marie Laveau was shacking up with Fiona at the Academy, while the race for the new Supreme is coming down to a feisty photo-finish. And that's where the new year kicks off and this episode resumes. Laveau gets a visit by a creepy looking Voodoo shaman priest who healed her but stole her baby at birth (more on that later). Laveau drops dime to Fiona and Cordelia about Hank, which puts them on high alert. But really, it's still all about crowning a new Supreme witch in the academy, and per the show's title this week, Fiona has summoned the great Stevie Nicks to woo Misty, the new Supreme manqué. But f*ck all that noise jack, because Maddison is out to take crown from any bitch who steps in her way!

I liked this episode quite a bit, did you? First off, I'm of the impression that any time the boss Lance Reddick pops up, you're show is instantly better. Here, Reddick appears in the opening scene as Papa Legba (know your Talking Heads kids!), a nasty-looking Voodoo shaman who has bestowed eternal life upon Marie Laveau. Only collateral? Her newborn baby's soul! F*cked up shite for sure, but no matter, because once Fiona hears of this tale, she wants a visit of her own from Papa. You know, to rid her cancer and restore her immortality (well, a healthy everlasting life that is). My favorite scene(s) in the entire episode is when Papa Legba does pay Fiona a visit, but ultimately rejects her request for healing when, after finger-nailing a bump of coke mind you, he realizes she has no soul left for the taking. She's a complete and utter black-hearted monster, and apparently she's shocked by this, which is pretty damn hilarious considering all the odious intentions she demonstrates every week. But still, I really dug all the scenes between Reddick and Lange, Lange and Bassett, Bassett and Reddick. Maybe it's just the freshness of the Legba character or the new revelations therein, but I swung with this subset of episode more than, say, the never-ending search for the new Academy Supreme. What gives already!

So who do you think will be the new offical witch-bitch-boss? Nan showed some legit promise this week, did she not? She not only made her neighbor guzzle a pint of liquid-solvent, she showed superhero-like hearing skills (WTF!) and crazy telekinetic ability. Oh wait, too bad Fiona and Marie drown the poor gal in a bathtub in order to sate Papa Legba's wishes. But was Nan pure and innocent enough in exchange for Fiona's healing? Can't tell just yet, just as we can't tell who the next goddamn Supreme will be. Stevie Nicks scenes were sort of cool I guess, especially the last scene with Lange, but they also sort of felt gauchely out of place at times as well. But no doubt, she was there to serve Misty's storyline, who has seemed poised for awhile now to become the next Supreme. Think she'll get there? Kind of hard to when you're lying unconscious in a coffin after Madison cracked you upside the skull with a broken headstone. Will she recoup and serve comeuppance? Or will Madison becomes the next heir to the throne instead? Hell, maybe little Zoe will make a late run and pull it out in the end. Don't know why, but my money's kind of on her at this point. Who you got?!

With only three more episodes left, "American Horror Story: Coven" is starting to narrow its lens. There's essentially a civil war within the Academy for the new Supreme witch, while there's a larger war mounting between the Academy and the impending witch-hunter attack. In this episode, we not only inched a bit closer to naming a new highness to run Robichaux (props to Stevie Nicks), the show also portended a colossal showdown between Cordelia (witch) and Hank (hunter) which will likely lead to the series finale…and end the ultimate war for control of the dark-side!

KILL OF THE WEEK: Has to be when Nan makes her neighbor swallow that smoldering sip of liquid-drano. Bitch's face bubbled and boiled something fierce!

BLOOD & GORE: Rather tame this week actually. Two cops blast each other to death. Madison slams a broken headstone over Misty's dome and stuffs her in a coffin. Nan makes some bitch drink a bottle of caustic detergent. A grim childbirth takes place. Not a ton of actual blood and guts though.

WTF CHARACTER MOMENT: Probably because it was the most annoying, as innocuous as it is story-wise, but what the hell was that scene bewtween Myrtle and Cordelia in the greenhouse? Yikes! That 50s sci-fi SFX, the inveterate screaming, the breaking of the glass. Not pleasant whatsoever. That said, I did kind of chuckle at the very end when Myrtle cued the music back up.

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: Uh, Fiona chopping up lines of white on a mirror while mumbling to herself sotto. Jesus Christ, suddenly the show's a Paul Anderson film. Then, when we learn she's just using it to lure Papa Legba to heal her, he drops one further by declaring she has no soul worth the taking. Then, suddenly the Axe Man appears out of nowhere to console her. Very surreal and dreamlike!