The Horror of the American Story

Last updated on: October 30, 2013 at 12:36 pm by J. Ryan Parker

The Horror of the American Story 2013-10-30T12:36:45-07:00 J. Ryan Parker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

With work and moving taking up so much of my time these past few weeks, I’ve neglected my Halloween season of horror movie watching. Thankfully, a couple of shows are filling the void, FOX’s Sleepy Hollow and FX’s American Horror Story: Coven. I’ve written about the former here. After last week’s episode of American Horror Story, I felt compelled to say a few words about why I like this season and why it could be the series’ best.

This season of American Horror Story focuses on a coven of witches living in a New Orleans mansion. The house itself once belonged to Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates), an evil woman who mercilessly tortured her slaves. Like the South itself, the past haunts this house, its new inhabitants, and the surrounding city. Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) is the coven’s Supreme…and supreme bitch. Her daughter Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson) sees to the day-to-day education of the girls. The coven is composed of four young witches, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), Madison (Emma Roberts), Nan (Jamie Brewer), and Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), who to varying degrees understand and harness their latent powers.

Another competing Crescent City witch/voodoo priestess, Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), knows first-hand the horrors that Madame LaLaurie inflicted upon the city’s black inhabitants. She is at odds with Fiona, who resurrected Madame LaLaurie from the immortal spell that she placed on her centuries ago. Both Fiona and Cordelia want Marie’s ancient power and spells for various reasons, but she is understandably loathe to give it to them. After two horrific incidents in the pilot episode, Zoe and Madison “resurrect” Kit (Evan Peters), Zoe’s love interest, with the help of a loner bayou witch, Misty Day (Lily Rabe). Misty is a marginalized victim of that region’s witch hunts but shows signs of re-integrating herself into the community.

The series benefits from impeccable performances from every cast member, but Lange and Bates obviously lead the charge. This season’s first three episodes might be some of Lange’s best work not only in the series, but in her entire career. Each actress perfectly conveys their character’s level of comfort with their powers. Sibide as Queenie, a walking voodoo doll, is potentially one of the most complex characters, but it unfortunately seems as if she might not be long for this world.

But so much of these great performances owe much to fantastic writing, from the biting dialogue to the character arcs that have begun to take shape. Though there is blood and gore to spare and deeply disturbing scenes of date/gang rape and incest, at its heart the series, like all good supernatural/horror narratives, is about dealing with the inexplicable or unavoidable parts of life: (in)fertility, death (letting go or not being able to), aging, the desire to be loved, and the like. In different ways, these witches use their powers and their sisters’ powers to fight off the larger powers that be, over which they only have tenuous control. Fiona may be able to extend her life, but it comes at a high cost to others. Zoe may be able to bring back Kit, but to what kind of life have they returned him? His mother is a monster in her own right. Nan has the ability to hear other people’s thoughts, but she can’t turn it off.

This week’s episode saw the arrival of hyper-religious neighbors, which will no doubt continue to provide Lange with miles and miles of incendiary one-liners. Yet hyper-religiosity is, in many ways, a “safer” alternative to witchcraft, as practitioners also use it to wrestle with–or make sense of–forces larger than themselves. The witches’ new neighbors might not be anything other than tired stereotypes, but, who knows, juxtaposed to such fantastically freakish characters like Fiona and Madison, they might be something more.

I enjoy both Sleepy Hollow and American Horror Story: Coven, but it’s clear that they’re mixing up completely different Americana cocktails. I, for one, prefer the straight, no chaser version of Coven.

American Horror Story: Coven airs Wednesday nights at 10. View carefully.

Television

Previous Post

October 25, 2013

Duck Dynasty Blog #10: 'Quack-O-Lantern'

Next Post

October 31, 2013 What Is It with Gay Men and 'Carrie?'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Classics DVD Film Music News Pop Culture Events Print Sports Television Uncategorized Video Games

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which city was destroyed by fire and brimstone along with Gomorrah?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jericho Babylon Nineveh Sodom