American Horror Story: Coven

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > American Horror Story: Coven

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

OmegaBR posted:

Asylum was my first AHS experience and it did a masterful job of sucking me in. All these stories coexisting at once, all the intrigue and mystery between what the aliens wanted, who Bloodyface was, etc., and the general atmosphere of this terrible institution really ramped up my excitement to see the show every week.

But the last few episodes or so really shut everything down in favor of a couple of narratives, and in a really sudden and uncreative way. Pretty much everything they built up during the series got waved away and suddenly the show was predictable and actually kind of disappointing. It really, honestly came off like they presented all these questions to get you hooked, and then couldn't figure out how to give satisfying answers for most of them. I guess it was bound to happen when you cram in serial killers, aliens, the devil, mutants, nazis, and everything else into a 13 episode show, and do so while you're writing and filming it.

So basically I'm hoping the same thing doesn't happen this time, and that the centralized idea of a war of witches will make for a more focused narrative. The time skipping is still a powerful device and I'm looking forward to seeing just what they can do.

IIRC Ryan Murphy even said he wasn't pleased with the alien storyline, hence it being shut down and swept quietly under the rug.

Manos del Sino posted:

I remember having to defend my love of AHS during the first season, but it seems that by the time the second season premiered, a lot more people were willing to admit the show is awesome.

I don't just mean in TVIV either, but in general.

It really seemed like hating AHS was en vogue in my experience too. I don't get it. Sure, it's absurd, but it's a serialized horror story, from the guy who made Nip/Tuck and all its glorious absurdity. It's still great and I don't mean ironically. It's the only show I ever get really excited about.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2013 09:57

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 22:19

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

I didn't really find Lana all that idealized at all, considering the implications of the final scene of the final episode (being that she is an arch manipulator and has been stained by the evil she witnessed). I like Lana; I just don't think she was presented as idealized. I thought she was quite dynamic. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the argument, since I always thought a Mary Sue was the idealized self-insertion of the creator.

OmegaBR posted:

But they really fell into the LOST trap of building up too much without having a clear ending in mind, and then having the burden of wrapping it all up. Some very huge characters and plot points fizzled and were resolved much too simply. The devil being killed by falling over a railing, Arden killing the mutants and then himself, the brief mention of Alma's death, the brief mention of the Monsignor's suicide, the aliens dropping by to take Kit - it all got resolved WAY too easily after weeks of us wondering just how the hell all of this would come to a head. It all took a backseat to Lana in the end.

IIRC Ryan Murphy said or implied somewhere that the creators were even overwhelmed by how much they had going on all at once, and that was why the aliens plot was never realized. I really wanted to see Jude vs Sister Satan, though. Mary Eunice's death was too easy, and I wish that that plot had been the one to get more fleshed out.

I can't wait to see what kind of role Lily Rabe has this year. One of the set pics had her looking quite like Nora Montgomery, so I'm wondering if she's going to be restricted to the past storyline(s).

haveblue posted:

Yes, that was Jamie Brewer, she was confirmed as reappearing a while back.

I'm so happy that it looks like she's going to be one of the witches.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2013 11:00

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

New pictures, featuring the main witches and Denis O'Hare.

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/81460541.html

# ¿ Sep 12, 2013 18:44

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

escape artist posted:

He was always a huge rear end in a top hat. I think you're reading into it-- maybe thinking of The Exorcist, subconsciously.

I think I need to watch the scene again, but IIRC (which I probably don't) Sister Mary Eunice briefly regained control of her body and either jumped off the railing to free herself, or asked the Monsignor to push her over for the same reason.

The latter is the impression I got. She just barely managed to summon the strength to spiritually overcome the devil, but she can't kill herself -- maybe because of her exhaustion, her natural timidity, or to avoid her soul being damned through actual suicide.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2013 21:59

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Chaotic Flame posted:

I wouldn't want to run into that white nun on a particularly dark night.

If the area I live in now wasn't so unbelievably boring on Halloween, I'd so get that one. It's awesome.

Red_Museum posted:

I think Chris Elliott has grounds to sue based on character infringement.

If he reaches out a hand to anyone at any point this season I'm going to have a coronary now.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2013 09:18

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Evan Peters is playing a frat boy

Part of me thinks that will be hilarious, but a little disappointing since it's usually an annoying character type.

It also looks like they're going to repeat the relationship between Evan and Taissa's characters, which I'm actually cool with because I thought the two had a good dynamic in the first season.

# ¿ Sep 14, 2013 00:27

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

wordsauce posted:

new posters
http://www.eonline.com/news/460228/american-horror-story-coven-check-out-the-creepy-new-posters

Those are amazing. The one with Angela Bassett reminds me of the Murder House promos material.

Taliaquin fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Sep 18, 2013

# ¿ Sep 18, 2013 20:56

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Captain Mog posted:

This looks fantastic. As a kid who grew up with Harry Potter & Buffy, I've always had a soft spot for witchcraft stories and I'm so freaking excited it's ridiculous.

The Craft was one of my favorite movies growing up and I still have a soft spot for it, and this gives off some major Craft vibes to me. I love it.

Cpt. Spring Types posted:

poo poo. This marketing campaign has been amazing.

Their marketing is always so, so good. I wanted to write a journal article on the marketing of Season 1 and even contacted the people who made a lot of the promo materials, but never heard back from any of them.

The House of the Rising Sun cover in this year's stuff is creepily gorgeous.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2013 10:50

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

haveblue posted:

Plot! Dialog! Telekinesis! Sunglasses! Sex gone horribly wrong! Burn!

Vagina dentata. Because it wouldn't be AHS without weird sex.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2013 22:59

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Really awesome interview with Kathy Bates about the show: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/kathy-bates-brings-hell-to-american-horror-story-20131008

She already wants to come back for 4! Make it so, Murphy...

# ¿ Oct 9, 2013 09:01

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Watched it a day behind. Calling it now: Nan is going to be the next Supreme. I just think it's going to happen. Fiona will, of course, die because she's obsessed with immortality, and Nan will be recognized as far, far more powerful than people thought, as Fiona even suggests in this episode.

God, I love Kathy Bates. She can play evil like nobody's business, and I love that she lends the appropriate gravity to Delphine, so that her sadism wasn't treated as a joke but something actually horrifying.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2013 11:10

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

^ Yeah, he clearly pictured at the memorial for the dead guys and his decapitated head is at the morgue in the promo for next week.

I think we can be pretty confident that Lily Rabe is going to be back, since her name and face (for a second) are in the title credits, and her power is necromancy -- though I'm not really sure how a necromancer resurrects themselves.

Taliaquin fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Oct 13, 2013

# ¿ Oct 13, 2013 17:42

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

I feel like nothing really happened in this episode and yet I still loved it. It's fun and grotesque, and so far I think Murphy & Co. are managing the lighter-hearted tone well.

I'm wondering about the Minotaur, though -- Marie is a powerful voodooienne, so why can't she heal her lover? Or maybe she and the guy decided to really go with the idea of monstrosity, since what they're assumed to be anyway, or she's so angry that she'd rather be monstrous.

Misty Day is now my favorite character, that poor, lonely, Stevie Nicks-listening thing. (And I might be biased because she makes me nostalgic, since I dressed like that and listened to a lot of Stevie in college).

Parasol Prophet posted:

Part of me hopes that Kyle will stay an incoherent, rage-flailing zombie for the rest of the season, just as some cruel twist from what we were all told to expect.

That would piss so many of the creepier Evan Peters fangirls off so bad that I almost want to see it. But I do really like him as an actor, so I still want to see him get to do stuff besides KYLE SMASH. I'm torn here.

I don't know if it's just the hair, but Kyle is still reminding me of Tate, even when he can't talk and just flails around. Was it ITT that someone said Kyle is basically what Constance hoped Tate would be?

# ¿ Oct 17, 2013 11:14

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

uptown posted:

Maybe she's mad that he cheated on her?

Oh poo poo, did he? I thought Delphine's daughter came on to him and he rejected her.

xeria posted:

Wouldn't Cordelia fall into this as well? She's specifically taken great pains to not turn out like Fiona and to keep the witches that pass through her school from becoming mini-Fionas. (I'm sure she'll get hosed up royally by resorting to crazy magic sex so her and her husband can conceive.) And I'd say Misty is fairly sympathetic also, though there's probably even odds that she'll go off her rocker if Zoe ditches her (even friendship-wise) for a healed zombie Kyle.

I kind of want Zoe to come back and visit next week only to find Kyle strapped to a chair at a tea party table, grunting wordless pleas for death while Misty enthusiastically provides commentary on every track of Timespace.

# ¿ Oct 17, 2013 18:37

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Tuxedo Catfish posted:

I'm pretty sure "being monstrous because you're assumed to be anyways" is the theme of the season. Or even the reverse; although the characters are being framed in a (relatively) sympathetic light, all the folklore about witches being insane, vindictive, and evil is basically correct assuming they're supposed to be a representative sample.

This is a horror story told from the monsters' point of view.

Good point.

I'm really going to miss Delphine's dress. It's so huge and fluffy and looks so hard to move in that I kind of giggle every time Kathy Bates walks in it.

There seem to be a lot of film nods this year. The hallway scene before the rape in #1 looks like a nod to Irreversible, the Romeo & Juliet ice wall, and now in the preview for next week, it looks like they're recreating a shot from Misery.

# ¿ Oct 18, 2013 11:58

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Well that sure was a thing. :suspense:

I stand by my initial opinion. It's going to be Nan.

Mexcillent posted:

Remember she's a human voodoo doll. What is done to her is done to whoever she's focusing on, so...

Holy poo poo, that didn't even occur to me. I'd thought the blood was just to lure him. HOLY gently caress, THIS SHOW.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2013 09:54

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

escape artist posted:

What am I missing? Precious was flicking it, and thus, pleasuring the Minotaur too?

If Mexcillent is correct, then she used Delphine's blood to focus on her while the Minotaur did his thing, which means that Delphine felt it. So if she was focusing on Delphine there, she basically used the Minotaur to rape Delphine.

Aaaaand there's a sentence I never thought I'd say. Thanks, AHS!

# ¿ Oct 24, 2013 10:39

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

On the Fleetwood Mac front, because I hope that continues to be a thing, I think "Gypsy" and "Gold Dust Woman" are shoe-ins, but I would love them to use "Silver Springs." The end would suit her anger really well, but it's not a popular song so I don't think it seems a likely pick.

AGirlWonder posted:

Y'know, I feel like that bit was out of place. The conversation between Fiona and Laveau in the salon was about forms of witchcraft, but there's obviously something troubling about a white woman talking down to a black woman about "hammers chasing nails." They haven't established the reason yet for why the Salem witches and the Voodoo practitioners hate each other so much, have they? Those interactions are very racially charged, I think.

I agree. I loved the exchange between Fiona and Delphine, but I think maybe the "I hate racists" line was meant to imply hypocrisy on Fiona's part? Or else they shoehorned it in without thinking of the racial tension in the salon scene. That scene definitely seemed to have a racial angle, especially with the juxtaposition of Fiona, a wealthy white woman, making comments like that to Marie Laveau, an immortal voodooienne who, despite her power and longevity, isn't living in good circumstances. I think it might be that Fiona doesn't think of herself as a racist, but she definitely has a racist tone in the salon.

Blazing Ownager posted:

Kathy Bates is owning this season. She's hit just that right note where she can be perfectly vile, but then less smacked down and more.. laughed off, and the way she reacts to that. Every time she tries to make a big speech about her FAMILY NAME with arrogance only to get treated like the piece of poo poo she is just gold; really again more for the acting than the writing. She just looks so confused/lost/flabbergasted/offended/horrified every time.

That scene was the best though. "LIES!!"

She is killing it. I love her in general and was so excited when she was cast, but the extreme sadism in the first episode followed by this general confusion and horror at the modern world and her own loss of power makes Delphine, at least for me, one of the highlights of the season. It takes chops to play a character like that, I think, and she's really showing them off.

uptown posted:

I can't stand FrankenTate. Someone mentioned that it sucks that Evan Peters hasn't spoken in two episodes, and I completely agree. Also, obviously the witches are used to supernatural weird poo poo happening, dumping Tate (what's his name? Kyle?) at his mother's door and loving off before making sure she wouldn't have killed him was unwise. She might have just been letting him in so that she could call a priest and burn him to death! And if I were IncestMom, I probably would have, you know, called the cops or a doctor to report that my son was still alive and probably brain damaged.

Zoe's kind of dumb right now. She seems really naive, and I think these things just honestly don't occur to her. And I think IncestMom, considering that she's been raping her son for God knows how long, doesn't really care. One of my friends pointed out that what struck her is IncestMom's focus on Kyle's body being what's different; she (my friend) said that she wondered if some of the emotional distress (like him sitting in silence and kind of rocking) is something she's actually seen him do even before he died. And her focus on his body makes it seem so much like she doesn't really care about him, despite believing she does.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2013 11:26

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Those are good points I hadn't thought of and I feel dumb now.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2013 18:48

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

droey posted:

Is that Lily Rabe's character right after it says "Sarah Paulson" in the title sequence? The shadow that appears on the ceiling above her looks pretty cool.

I don't know if that's her, but according to the internet, she's the one wearing the spiked shoes and the fancy headgear in the credits.

I knew something was up with Hank during the sex scene. I mean AHS always has weird sex, but this seemed a bit weirder than usual, like they were really trying to emphasize his aggression. Then when he said he was a monster, that sealed the deal.

"Oh, little beggar children, all fancied up." Delphine is such an evil person but drat if her lines aren't hilarious.

Zoe is so meh that I still think Nan is the Supreme, Down syndrome and all. I think there's some real cunning in calling the Council with her concerns about Madison, rather than asking Cordelia first. And Zoe really needs to go find Frankentate.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2013 11:00

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Kathy has said in one of her interviews that she's hoping for a redemption arc for Delphine. At the time, she'd only received the scripts up to episode 5(?), I think. I agree that it's tricky since Delphine was an actual person and racial tension is still an issue today, but if the writers go that way, I think Kathy will deliver. She's just so drat good. See --

Paradox Personified posted:

Just gonna.. peek out the door first, make sure... the hallway's safe.. yep.. okay.. Have a good night.

She just made a "dawww" :3:

moment for a sadistic racist.

Grognan posted:

Calling it, witch hunter in deep cover.

That would be timed well, considering the current scandal over undercover UK officers having sex (and sometimes families) with the people they're spying on.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2013 09:47

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

smg77 posted:

I was just thinking about what a weird thing that was. I remember one year the local hospitals were offering to x-ray bags of candy looking for razor blades.

My parents still believed it in the 90s. Specifically, they believed that witches and, respectively, lesbians were trying to kill children for some reason. My parents are super-religious.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2013 18:38

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

xeria posted:

Next week's episode: Seems like the 'axeman' would be this season's version of killer Santa -- a one-episode character appearing roughly mid-season designed to cause as much mayhem as possible?

And since it's Danny Huston, he's going to be Fiona's love interest. http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3252981/tv-danny-huston-joins-the-coven-as-jessica-langes-evil-boyfriend/

I want more Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks to accompany Misty's scenes. Please please please "Silver Springs." :pray:

# ¿ Nov 7, 2013 10:47

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

April posted:

Anybody have a clue where Franken-Kit went?

Yeah, they're really neglecting him. You'd think it would be a bigger deal.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2013 15:02

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

ultramiraculous posted:

I'm not sure if we're still using the word fierce, but that's the only way to describe this walk up:

One of the first things I thought here was how hard it is to walk in heels on gravel. She truly is a witch.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2013 09:39

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

So I guess I should've realized this, but apparently the reason Stevie Nicks is able to cameo is because of them cancelling their tour due to John's cancer.

Regarding the creepy thing in the credits, I wouldn't count on it ever showing up. I adore this show and find fewer faults with it than most, I think, but the opening credits are always creepier than the season's content. I'd love it if it did, though. :allears:

# ¿ Nov 16, 2013 16:19

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

April posted:

Did it bother anyone else that Fiona somehow found a silk robe in the cockroach-infested shithole?

I didn't even notice it because I was too distracted by the Supreme somehow failing to realize this dude is not a living human man.

I'm sad about Spaulding. I got happy over him having his tongue back because I thought it meant more stuff for Denis O'Hare to do, but apparently not. drat it, show.

i am bones posted:

I have such conflicted feelings for Delphine. My heart can't take this. Kathy Bates is amazing.

I know. I think the writing this season is lacking so I'm going to credit Kathy with it entirely. She is killing it, and by "it" I mean my morals because she plays such a horrible person who does deserve utter hell but you can't help but pity her. I know Kathy said in an interview that she was hoping Delphine would get a redemption arc, so I suppose that's why she plays her so sympathetically; she's really going for the idea that this woman can be redeemed.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2013 13:39

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

The Kind One posted:

Calling it now. Bates head will be sewed on Queenies body.

A week ago, this was a joke:

...of SCIENCE! posted:

Hell yeah.

... Now it seems like a real possibility. This loving show.

The dark secret about Luke's past really wasn't that dark, I thought. I hate to say it, but I'm really underwhelmed by Patti LuPone in this. I really wasn't expecting her to be among the flat actors this year. I think it may be because I was raised by Christian fundamentalists and she doesn't seem believable as one to me. The people who burned Misty -- sure. Joan? Seems like she's just reading the lines with no real meaning in them. Come to think of it, did the show completely drop what seemed to be Misty's vow of vengeance on those guys? I was hoping to see her reign hell down on them, and I hate that the Christian fundies vs. witches plot has switched to Joan rather than them.

I was very happy to see Peters and Lang together, though. I've liked their scenes in Murder House and Asylum, so it's good to see them get to interact again. I think Peters is actually quite a strong actor, one of the strongest in the show, and I wouldn't mind at all if we saw more of Frankentate and ~~Constance~~ Fiona and less of "We're witches, bitch."

Taliaquin fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Dec 12, 2013

# ¿ Dec 12, 2013 13:11

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

haveblue posted:

Fun interview with Gabourey Sidibe. Kathy Bates sounds like a wonderful person in real life.

Someone greenlight "Gabbey and the Head" right now. :munch:

Then we'll have something hilarious to watch based on the best humor of the show and the show itself can return to the creepiness of the previous seasons. I think next season will return to that, though, since Lange said in an interview that she prefers the darkness of Asylum to the lighter stuff.

Are they intentionally suggesting something about Misty's sexuality with the lingering meaningful glances, or is that just the show not knowing what it's doing again?

# ¿ Dec 13, 2013 17:25

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

zVxTeflon posted:

Also the same demon from the Denzel Washington movie Fallen

IIRC, Azazel is also one one of the very few demons actually mentioned in the Bible. :catholic:

This show has really shot itself in the foot this season. I'm so disappointed, but I keep telling myself that every show has to have a bad season, and better this one than Lange's last. I know Lange has said she prefers the darker stuff, so maybe season 4 will be more akin to 1 and 2 than the Murphy-fest.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2014 16:34

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

Something else I just remembered about the last episode that annoyed me: Stevie's lines make explicit references to Fleetwood Mac songs. Lines from or references to "Sweet Girl" and "Seven Wonders" appeared in the very same sentence. Quality writing this year, team.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 12:50

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

I feel like Murphy got way ahead of himself with the clues and teasers. It seems like every time he had a rough draft idea, he spilled it instead of giving the writers time to develop it, so when some of those ideas didn't pan out with his later ideas, they were scrapped unceremoniously and the audience was left wondering what the hell happened to that part. For these later episodes, so many things seem shoehorned in that it seems like (since they were still filming when the show started airing) Murphy's reading random comments about the show and changing the plot to try to follow them rather than having the writers stay committed to the original story they began. IIRC, he's even made comments suggesting that's what happened to the aliens plot in Asylum.

Murder House had some abandoned bits too, I remember since I followed the ad campaign religiously, but when the show went to air, it was still very much about a haunted house with a history steeped in murder and dark sexuality. Coven seems to have left all semblance of its premise a long time ago.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 16:17

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

xeria posted:

It's still pretty much the same feel as it's had all season. If you didn't like it before because it wasn't spooky/creepy enough, you almost certainly won't like it now.

I think it's actually worse, since the early episodes at least had some creepy visuals like the Minotaur, and now there's nothing but verbal catfights with no sense of the supernatural whatsoever, minus a very cool but not creepy Papa Legba.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2014 16:22

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

xeria posted:

Yeah, true.

Also, the show really suffers, I think, in part because it doesn't have a 'normal' (non-supernatural) character to serve as the window into this society of witchcraft and voodoo and such. The first episode would lead you to believe that character is Zoe (even though she does have superpowers), but I don't think even the show gives much of a poo poo about her anymore. Cordelia might be the closest we have left, if what she said about not having any powers last episode is true.

I was really hoping that when Murphy said it would be more lighthearted, he meant something more like The Craft -- not exactly horrifying in the traditional sense, but laden with very dark elements that pose a real danger to characters. It's a fun movie with some typical teenage plots being translated through sorcery (and remains one of my guilty pleasure movies), but there was never any doubt in it that Nancy could gently caress you right up.

I could see someone coming into this show at its current point and not even realizing the main characters are supposed to be witches.

I've loved Misty's cute moments, but I have to admit that her first appearance made her seem stronger and more dangerous. I was looking forward to seeing her scorch the earth with the fundamentalists who killed her. The Stevie fan moments are adorable in small doses, but I'm kind of annoyed that Misty's entire character now revolves around them. It's like Murphy saw that fans liked them and decided to go hog wild.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2014 16:44

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

xeria posted:

I loved The Craft and now I'm sad that this season isn't more like it. Fairuza Balk was loving scarily unhinged.

I really thought Murphy was going to rip off that movie and I was totally fine with it. I figured Zoe would basically be Sarah, Madison would possibly be Nancy with or without a different look but still very unstable and powerful, Queenie would be Rochelle and be dealing with racism on a very personal level, and Nan would be Bonnie and have that clear physical marker of difference that keeps her from having the social life she wants. The only major difference I was expecting would be Fiona acting as an authority figure to the girls and the voodoo. I figured Cordelia would be similar to Lirio.

Less baby gravy and more invoking spirits and walking on water, drat it... :mad:

quote:

Something else I also realized about this season -- almost all the 'deaths' (and actual deaths) to date have come about via non-magical/supernatural means. Fiona slits Madison's throat, Zoe stabs Spalding repeatedly with a knife, Hank shoots witches (albiet with silver bullets or whatever it was), Queenie shoots herself in the head, Fiona and Marie drown Nan in a bathtub, Madison conks Misty on the head and leaves her to be buried alive, Myrtle (and Misty) burned at a stake, Joan smothering Luke with a pillow.

The most supernatural we've really gotten is Queenie using her voodoo powers to transmit her brain-shot to Hank, and Nan using her powers to force Joan to drink bleach. And maybe also the old coven killing the Axeman, but even then it was really just a whole mess of them stabbing him with knives in a spooky fashion.

Yeah, this is a real problem. The house in season 1 was more dangerous than actual witches with supposed supernatural powers.

Taliaquin fucked around with this message at 17:33 on Jan 14, 2014

# ¿ Jan 14, 2014 17:31

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

haveblue posted:

Tonight on American Horror Story: "Protect the Coven"

Cordelia makes a sacrifice. Meanwhile, Fiona and Laveau face off with the Corporation. (that's capitalized in the TV Guide summary too).

Two episodes left after this one, and it sounds like the harvesting of characters isn't slowing down.

I think Evan Peters is in the promo. Maybe he'll get half a line again. I realize he probably had very limited availability this year due to his film commitments, but I feel like he's been really wasted this time around.

# ¿ Jan 15, 2014 16:05

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

wordsauce posted:

Meanwhile in 1950...

Season 4 speculation: Jessica Lange as a German woman (in America) in the 1950s? She's going to be Ilse Koch. Calling it now. Although Lange's a bit older than Koch was in the 50s.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2014 10:48

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

superkittenhugs posted:

Serious question, why has the quality of the show changed so drastically since last season? People have mentioned it could be because there were plans to do a spinoff, but I don't really buy that the show would have suffered to this extent due to that. Was Ryan Murphy not as heavily involved last season? Did they hire new writers? This is some of the worst television I've seen in years, and it's started to feel like a chore to watch. If there really was some major change in staff, is there any hope that next season will return to being watchable, or is it likely that the changes will remain permanent?

The bolded is my understanding of it. The same team of writers and directors is still there, but as I currently understand it (and I could be wrong), Murphy has had greater input during the writing process this year. He also has said that he wanted this season to veer away from the darkness of Asylum. He went a little too far, it seems, minus Delphine's actions.

I have hope for next season since it's Jessica Lange's last and she said she prefers the darker stuff. Since she's the star of the show in general, I think -- or hope, at least -- that Murphy will give her the kind of season she wants. Plus I think Coven is getting some really, really bad reviews, so if they want to keep the show afloat after Lange leaves, they're really going to have to up the quality and get back to what they did best in the first two seasons.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2014 11:32

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

superkittenhugs posted:

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. Even though around 95% of the comments I've seen made by the average viewer about this season are extremely negative, I'm kind of surprised to hear that it's actually gotten bad reviews. To be fair, I typically only read this thread and the comments section of the A.V. Club in regards to the show, but the actual reviewer for A.V gave last weeks episode an A- and this week's episode a B+, and I saw something about Entertainment Weekly giving it glowing reviews. If you're correct, maybe those two reviewers just happen to be suffering from massive head trauma.

I thought the AV Club wasn't covering it this year? I need to get to reading.

I've seen a number of bad reviews but didn't realize it was getting good ones in EW. drat. Maybe I've missed some stuff. :stare:

# ¿ Jan 16, 2014 12:16

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 22:19

Taliaquin: Dec 13, 2009; Turtle flu

escape artist posted:

I guess I'm going to go catch up on Sleepy Hollow's past few episodes that I've missed, and try to put this out of my mind.

I just started watching Breaking Bad and am finding it a nice palate cleanser, as so far it seems like the writers planned an entire season's narrative rather than just throwing plot darts at the wall.

escape artist posted:

There is no Romeo and Juliet romance to the Zoe/Kyle story. He's treated as a fuckpuppet and little else, which wouldn't be so unpalatable if he wasn't introduced as a goddamn rape/incest victim.

I love dark plots, but this one is really bad and not in a good-for-the-story way. Rape is featured in both previous seasons but serves a narrative point that even brings up real-life issues: Vivien is raped but no one believes her, including her own husband, nor does anyone recognise the danger she's still in until it's too late. Tate (who I actually do love as a character) doesn't even really seem to realise that what he did is, in fact, rape. In season 2, Lana's rape recalls past (and current, really) beliefs in "curative" rape against lesbians and bisexual women, as does the sexuality of Thredson's therapeutic methods even before that. Sure, it was all shocking and done to elicit horror in the audience, but it still served the narrative well.

Kyle's abuse seems like it's just there to gross people out. It's played for a cheap shock, and that's yet another thing that this season dropped the ball on.

Speaking of Kyle and Zoe, my video cut out a few seconds after they boarded the bus. Did anything happen after that, or does this episode actually attempt a happy ending? I was expecting them to see Madison on the bus already waiting for them.

Taliaquin fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Jan 16, 2014

# ¿ Jan 16, 2014 12:50

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > American Horror Story: Coven

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