The Replacements
The American Horror Story ‘weird’ dial has been cranked up for this episode, penned by none other than James Wong. The Final Destination 3, writer, is well-known for his plot twists and absurdities, which also explains some of the excellent strangeness we’ve witnesses here. Fiona owned this episode by using her acidic tongue and kick-ass lines, like the one that closed this episode. “This Coven doesn’t need a new Supreme … it needs a new rug.” And if you’ve seen this one, you’ll understand the exact gravity of what’s just happened.
I’ve given up trying to predict anything on this show, because they keep moving the posts, but, this is far from me complaining. For this precise reason, I’m loving this show even more, which I didn’t think possible. I’d have to say that so far, this is the absolute best episode, with killer acting and writing; great direction from Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and several WTF! moments, thrown in for good measure. I will say that not everything done with the camera was to my liking, like the overuse of ‘fisheye,’ but that’s a personal thing. I’m sure more enjoyed it than didn’t.
- American Horror Story
- Created by
Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk - Cast
Taissa Farmiga, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Jessica Lange - Episode Release Date
24 October 2013 - Ed’s Grade: A+
The Coven has new neighbors who are being eyed moving in to the colonial next door by Nan, Queenie and Madison. It’s a bible-thumping mother and her chiseled son, who, of course, catches everyone’s eye, particularly the ever-horny Madison. She and Nan decide to pay them a visit and greet them to the neighborhood with a cake. Things don’t go as planned. After an incident with a knife and curtain fires, the girls are warned to never come back, but the mother of said chiseled character, has some interesting words with Fiona, which has predictable verbal results.
Madame Delphine LaLaurie has been demoted to Queenie’s personal slave, after she racially insults the girl, but what we seen just before this happened was extremely funny. Delphine is staring at the TV, whining away like a wounded animal, as Obama is giving a speech. Fiona gleefully informs her that she herself voted for the prez twice. Delphine also gets to literally face her demons, like the minotaur she created years before, after it has been let loose. What follows was one of the weirder moments in this entire series. Queenie volunteers to help Delphine by facing the minotaur (gulp), and doing something … unmentionable!
It’s obvious by now that Fiona and Delphine have had a less than adequate mother/daughter relationship, and just how far-reaching it ever got, we don’t yet know. What tantalizingly little we do know is one of this show’s highlights, but, poor childless Delphine, is about to get yet another slap on the face by her mother’s exploits. This comes in the form of her hopes as ever becoming a mother being well and truly crushed, after she pays an ill-conceived (no pun intended) visit to Marie Laveau. (2 ounces of semen!? Seriously? Strong arm muscles required for that stunt!).
Fiona isn’t enjoying herself anymore because her power has lost some sparkle, and we get to find out just why that is. After she deals with the old Supreme, during a 1971 flashback, we now understand her motivations and her behaviour for this instalment of Coven. Madison is the bee’s knees of the young witches, but the green-eyed devil is upon Fiona now, who sees Madison for what she understands her to be (or, another red herring?). This line of the story involves another great bit of silence from Denis O’Hare’s Spalding. Oh, wait. He gets to smile at one point. How Spalding lost his tongue is strongly hinted at too, or, is it? It’s hard to tell with Wong writing this one.
Misty Day has helped get Zoe’s new squeeze back to almost resembling human, however, Kyle still can’t speak and his motor functions are way out. He needs helped around as he’s like a geriatric zombie with rubber bones, but, this is hopefully temporary; who knows, right? Zoe goes to see Kyle’s grieving mother, who’s still clearly very upset and missing her son badly. Big hearted Zoe decides to collect Kyle, which allows us to hear some more excellent sounds from Stevie Nicks, a la, Fleetwood Mac, where Misty reluctantly lets the pair go. After promising Misty she’ll return, Zoe drops off Kyle outside his home for mom to find, and find him she most certainly does, then follows yet another WTF! moment from Wong’s pen.
I can’t rate this show any higher than I’m doing now, but, if I could? It would easily get 11/10, for having the balls to do things that others wouldn’t dare. Next episode’s trailer titled, ‘Fearful Pranks Ensue,’ is attached.
Review by Ed Blackadder, Lead Entertainment Writer
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