New Orleans. Intrigue. Witchcraft. Lots of ass-kicking ladies. Sassy one-liners. Seriously stunning plot twists.
Ladies, I now have something to look forward to every week: watching American Horror Story on Wednesday nights at 10:00! Of course, I wouldn’t dare watch it alone. It is a horror story, after all. This season is far different from the last two (at least, so far) in that it’s fun and twisted all at once. The past two seasons’ creepy haunted house and insane asylum were more nightmare-inducing than thought-provoking. Though I completely enjoyed watching them, I was terrified to be home alone half the time! With each season focusing on a completely different story but featuring many of the same actors, creator Ryan Murphy has really impressed audiences with the show’s latest installment, “American Horror Story: Coven.”
This season is not just bone-chilling; it’s cheeky and clever. The stellar performances from big names like Jessica Lange, Angela Basset, Emma Roberts, Patti LuPone, and Gaboure Sidibe make it all the more amazing.
The title “horror story” may be misleading, because this show is not the typical “horror” story about things that go bump in the night. Don’t expect cheap thrills and ugly faces popping out of dark corners. “Coven” is twisted, yes–but also highly clever, intelligent, and entertaining. The characters on the show are complex in their personalities, situations, and various stations of moral depravity. Set in New Orleans in an academy that trains witches, the show focuses on the school’s four students, their teacher, the most powerful witch in New Orleans, and many other supporting characters.
This year’s season of American Horror Story features plots like a powerful aging witch (Jessica Lange) trying desperately to hold on to her life and pursuing a secret immortality serum, a truly evil woman named Madame Delphine LaLaurie (based on a true historial figure) who is finally paying for her crimes, a new witch named Zoe who must learn to deal with her power and curse (think along the lines of the move “Teeth”), a movie star by day and a witch by night, and a Frankenstein-like creation of a boy. That’s just a sampling of the many crazy plot lines that this season has introduced in the past three episodes, and I’m sure more are to come.
Part of American Horror Story’s appeal is in the way Murphy develops such interesting characters. As much as the show is driven by plot, the characters are certainly what is driving the plot itself. Each character is equipped with his or her own intentions, motives, and backgrounds that explain her outlook on life. The richness of each character makes the viewer understand her so much more quickly. You’ll understand why Fiona is so desperate to hang on to her title of the Supreme, and you’ll also see why her daughter, Cordelia, is so different from her mother. Misty’s plights as a girl with powers born in a culture that abhors all deviations from the norm develops interestingly in her character. Zoe’s insecurities create a monster of their own. Each episode, a bit more of the characters’ layers are exposed for the viewer to create an even more complex image of them. At the end of the day, these characters may be witches with larger-than-life stories, but they are people, relatable in all their craziness. For me, that’s where the show succeeds. Such wild plot-lines are supported by the characters’ success in making the viewer identify with them, because yes, I have been scared of who I am like Zoe, and I have wanted revenge like Queenie. Haven’t we all?
“American Horror Story: Coven” is delightfully female-centric. Gone are the stereotypical roles women fill in many TV shows. These women are not subject to men and can exert their powers for good or evil over women and men alike. In all its surreal wildness, the show is empowering. Sure, the witches and supporting characters are flawed and their intentions may not always be good. But they don’t fit into a category, and who said that female characters had to be good? They’re interesting, genuine, and not trying to please anyone but themselves. It’s a departure from so many popular portrayals of women, and for that alone it’s worth a watch.
So, tune on to FX at 10:00 EST for an adventure. Whether you’re shocked or spooked, “American Horror Story: Coven” won’t disappoint. It will provoke you and make you laugh, and I hope that it continues in it’s trend of empowering women in all their shades of personality.