American Horror Story: Coven S3E10 ‘The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks’ Episode Review

Now, that’s an episode title! After a long winter’s holiday hiatus, our favorite coven returned tonight and they teetered on The Edge of Seventeen. I guess you can tell by the title that Stevie Nicks, The White Witch herself, showed up in New Orleans. Despite her performance, did the show deliver after the weeks off? Well, pine about your crappy family Christmas later and get out your eye of newt. AHS returned and there was plenty to be learned from it.

We got a glimpse of Marie and Fiona in what I assume is an actual attempt at lasting peace and not just a glaring ploy. All parties seem cool with it, so we’ll see. After a little Witch Ambien, Marie is greeted by a nocturnal guest, her red-eyed master. He’s curious why she sleeps in a witch’s house and mentions she owes a debt. That debt turns out to be a steep one. Flashback to 300 years ago.. After being granted her immortality by Papa Legba himself, Marie has a child. Correction. Papa Legba collects the first of his payments which consists of one innocent soul per year. It wasn’t shocking to see Marie enchant and murder her way out of a hospital with a newborn under her arm.

Hank and his father, Harrison Renard, are exposed as the power behind Delphi Industries, a bloodline dating back to the colonies and Salem. Marie and Fiona cast a powerful spell that robbed Delphi of its lifeblood; its money. Mice are placed in a large maze containing stacks of cash and a mousetrap. The snap of the mouse’s neck ripples down to Delphi and the company hemorrhages stock, cash, and friends. Harrison knows the attack is supernatural and commands his people to take action. I’m so ready to see Hank get his ass bewitched.

Things were up and down for Misty tonight. Fiona surprised her with a visitor, none other than the magical Stevie Nicks. Apparently The White Witch was much more than a musically inspired title. She takes the time to sing Rhiannon and impart a world-traveled shawl to Misty before leaving. I laughed out loud when Madison mentioned her favorite singer was Eminem only to have Fiona imply she knew Marshall and he wasn’t her type. Misty must have been off her witchy game when she allowed Madison to distract her. Madison took a chunk out of Misty’s psyche before bashing her head with a brick. Not quite ready to face The Seven Wonders against Misty, she either truly raises the dead in the St. Louis Cemetery or executes a nice fake when she draws a dead man from his coffin. Seemingly confused and slow, the recently deceased staggers out of his grave and shuffles away. Bashed in the head, the pretty witch takes a header into the open casket before it’s sealed and buried. I’m sure I’ll see her again.

I laughed again when Madison called Nan “Mumbles the Clown”. So, mean, but so appropriate for this nothing-is-sacred series. Madison, Zoe, and Nan are discussing the plans for the next Supreme, something the episode focused on, when Nan demonstrates the power of mind control. And, hey, who hasn’t wanted to tell someone to cram a cigarette up their cooch? Sadly, and I mean sadly, Nan doesn’t become the next supreme because Fiona and Marie kill her in a hopeful scheme to transfer the baby’s impending death. Papa Legba appears after the old-fashioned bathtub drowning and reminds Marie that doesn’t work. Good news for Nan since she’s “alive” again and seemingly enjoying her time with the evil legend.

Light your Rattle-Viper Semen Incense and celebrate Kyle staying dead for another episode. Things didn’t work out well for his mom. Remember when she smothered him to death? So does Nan, so guess who was finally cleansed by the healing power of bleach. I’m comin’ home, Lord. Drinking bleach has to be a brutal way to go.

I think the most telling development in tonight’s episode was learning Fiona has no soul. Marie warned that anyone wanting to find Papa Legba badly enough, most likely would. Fiona had her cards on the table and teetered on the edge of not just seventeen, but eternity when the two struck an eternal deal. When he leaned in to seal the deal, he knew something was off and vanishes. The deal was off. This leaves Fiona criminally desperate and with a powerful ally in Marie.

If I truly feel badly for anyone tonight, it’s Cordelia. Fiona violently lashes out when she learned Hank was hired by Marie, making her daughter “willfully blind”. She seems to be out of sync on nearly every level now. Clearly not the next Supreme, her husband is a killer witch hunter; she’s a woman without a coven. Even after Myrtle’s pep talk, she doesn’t seem to have power in her corner.

The remaining episodes promise to be out of control as the series continues to converge toward a surely violent and insane work of art. Kudos to the director and cinematographer tonight as this episode was a horror lovers dream. Tight crane shots, sweeping, flowing tracking shots, and beautiful art direction was equally important as the script and performances. This season is the shit.