The Sacred Taking
I’d say the two weeks we had to wait for this episode was well worth it, as it turned out to be one of the best we’ve seen this season. Coven has been easily my favorite of the three, because the quality of the writing has really been strong and not once has there been an episode that hasn’t held me rapt from beginning to end. This episode, titled, The Sacred Taking, is all about getting back at Fiona for the sake of the Coven, and with Fiona dead, a new Supreme will gain her powers and be revealed. This is of course no small task, as Fiona’s not the type to be tricked easily so the witches know they must be careful. Easier said than done.
I’ve been trying to figure out which of the young witches will be the next Supreme, but It’s a tough one to call in a series like American Horror Story, where anything and everything can and will happen. Zoe is the one I’ve been rooting for right from the start, then there’s Madison, who is another possibility but that’s not how American Horror Story works, as nothing is ever that simple. With Queenie now aligning with the enemy, I guess she’s no longer in the running, so that leaves Nan and Misty Day. Nan hasn’t shown anything beyond her power to read minds but Misty does have the power of resurgence, making her another possibility, so really, it could be any of them. Or, maybe it’s none of them…
- 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
4 December 2013 - Ed’s Grade: A
Kyle is now basically a sex toy/zombie for Madison and Zoe to play with but Zoe is only interested in Kyle’s well-being but Madison appears to only want to use him for sex. I use the word “appears” for a reason because we see Madison begin to cry at the end when she overhears Kyle and Zoe exchange, “I love you’s.” Does this mean that Madison is actually in love with Kyle or is it something much deeper? I think she felt that Kyle was someone who couldn’t hurt or disappoint her but now she might lose him to Zoe, even though they’re supposed to be sharing him.
It was interesting what happened to Luke Ramsey from next door, after he returns home to his bible thumping mother. I wonder how the talented writers came up with that idea. Luke tells his mother about his brush with death from zombies and all she wants to do, is give him a colonic irrigation to cleanse him from within, using household cleaning products and a hose. This is obviously something that’s been going on for years as he eventually submits to this punishment from his mother. Nan can hear his pain because of her power and decides to rescue Kyle who, for whatever reason, has allowed his mother to tie him up and gag him, then shoved into a closet.
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This episode opens with Queenie, who has joined Marie Laveau’s voodoo crowd and she’s out on an errand for her new boss. Madison and Zoe have witnessed her killing a man by ripping out his still beating heart. Marie needs it for a ceremony that she claims will give Queenie more power and Queenie was easily won over thanks to Fiona’s lies. Queenie is definitely feeling sorry for Delphine, who’s now locked in a cage and being drained of her blood, a bit at a time but it’s too little too late for Delphine as Marie shows her just how cruel she can be with an immortal person. A very interesting way to punish someone of that sort I suppose, but how is it gonna work for the rest of the series, I wonder.
The group want Fiona dead for all her sins against the Coven, now that Myrtle’s back from the dead, thanks to Misty. Misty turned up at the Coven with Myrtle and now, together, after the incident with Madison too, they must plan a way for Fiona to kill herself. Fiona has little time left anyway, thanks to raging terminal cancer but she’s fooling herself into believing she can have her last days with a lover, none other than the Axeman. The witches have performed a ceremony called “The Sacred Taking,” allowing the new Supreme to be uncovered as soon as the old Supreme dies by her own hand. Fiona is in a brittle state and the newly resurrected Myrtle and Madison need to try to persuade her to kill herself.
I try not to watch the trailer for the next episode because they can have spoilers that I just don’t want to see, but I unfortunately caught the one for next week which kinda spoiled this next part. While Nan was rescuing Luke, the mother appears and threatens them, and then proceeds to call 911 to say there is a dangerous intruder in the house. We’re seeing a side to the mother that looks pretty evil to me but it could also be a bit of misdirection from the writers. The mother gets shot from someone using a rifle, but the shooter appears to be wanting to kill all of them. Nan is the only one uninjured but who could have done such a thing and why?
If you do watch the trailer, and I advise against it, I think those questions are answered, thanks to the amount of spoilers they’ve thoughtfully included. It also looks like Hank-the-killer is about to get his shot in the limelight next week, and where we find out just who he is and what he’s really up to. I wonder if it was he who threw the acid in Delia’s eyes because we know it wasn’t Myrtle.
TV Review by Ed Blackadder, Lead Entertainment Writer
