TV Review: American Horror Story: Coven (Season 3, Episode 12: January 22, 2014)

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

EPISODE: Go To Hell

THE SCOOP: Cordelia's latest vision is one of massive inter-Academy bloodshed. The girls showcase new Supreme-like talent, while Queenie makes a deal with Legba to seal the fate of Marie Laveau and Delphine Lalaurie.

THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN MINOR TO MAJOR SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS EPISODE, IT MIGHT BE BEST TO STOP READING HERE!

THE SKINNY: My my, a whole lot of craziness to sift through from "American Horror Story: Coven's" penultimate episode, aptly titled "Go to Hell." So let's get to it, shall we. This week opened up with a rather eerie flashback to the days of Fiona vying to become the new Supreme. In sepia-soaked silent film fashion, replete with title cards, we're offered and offering…as Fiona slices her hand, holds it over a flame and instantly demonstrates her wicked witchy powers. Well, cut to the now, and we see Fiona was explaining this ordeal to Queenie. You see, Fiona wants the girls to do that exact ritual – known as The Seven Wonders (telekinesis, concilium, transmutation, divination, vitalum vitalis, decensum and pyrokenisis) – to help identify who the new Supreme will be. Meanwhile, Queenie is hell-bent on finding Marie Laveau and serving comeuppance to her and Delphine. But when Queenie can't find either, she summons Papa Legba (Lance Reddick's a boss!), who has a few tricks of his own up his sleeve. I had a blast with these scenes, especially when Queenie and Legba do finally reach an agreement and go about serving their wicked revenge. Hot poker anyone!

Damn, I also really dug the gruesome premonition Cordelia had. That was the shite, right? It's like this. When Fiona makes a phony play to give Cordelia one last dying gift – her grandmother's prized heirloom of a necklace – Cordelia sees right through the motherly gesture. And that's not all she sees. In fact, she has a gnarly vision that every young witch in the entire Academy – Zoe, Maddy, Queenie, Misty and even herself – are all lying dead in a deep pool of their own red blood. And the kicker? Fiona is the one who did it. Pretty perfidious shite, no? And if that was gnarly enough, check Cordelia's reaction. She goes to The Axe-Man, tells him of Fiona's elaborate ruse, and convinces him to chop the old hag to pieces. And he does…in savage, angry, blunt-forceful fashion. Dude went Voorhees on her. But again, that's not all. I mean, did you see what happened to my man when he turned up at the Academy?

And so it goes. When the Axe-Man pops up at Robichaux, he isn't met too kindly. Cordelia tells the others who he is, and they repel his ass across the room. But when Cordelia senses her mother's own blood smeared all over the Axe-Man's face and blade, the entire coven goes ballistic and gang-butchers the sucker with tenfold the ferocity he killed Fiona with. Voorhees times ten! The episode ended there, but not before Misty was resurrected from the grave and Kyle and Zoe returned from their lovelorn escapade (much to Myrtle's dismay). Oh, and Misty flat went Rhonda Rousey on Maddy when she got back to the academy. Who knew? As the show closed, we were assured that next week – in the season finale – we will watch the coven perform the aforementioned Seven Wonders ritual to finally, once and for all, determine the new Supreme witch. Halle-fu*ckin-lujah!

That's where we stand folks. With only one week left, it's all about going through the gauntlet of the Seven Wonders to tie-up the one final, overarching storyline.  You have at least admire the density and focus this week of trying to knot-up all these loose ends. So far, so good. We know Delphine and Laveau are likely to be out of the picture soon, as is Fiona. But the single most important question is still to be answered, and we're finally going to know who the new Supreme will be next week. While I've been confused at times during this run, entertained others, turned-off and on slightly with varying episodes, I have to say what I admire about the show the most. It's roles for women. The show features almost an all-female cast, many episodes written by women, and gives them some of the most daring, outrageous, liberating characters to play…on film or TV. Now it's just a matter of which character will rise up and reign Supreme. Who's your money on?

BLOOD & GORE: Marie's neck getting sawed up by Delphine. The Axe-Man brutally slaughtering Fiona with the his trusty blade. A hammer claw to the dome. Queenie stabs Delphine. A savage butchering of the Axeman with butcher-knives. A hot poker to the body.

KILL OF THE WEEK: Some good ones, but good gravy, The Axe-Man getting gang-butchered by the coven of witches was pretty legit. Scores and scores of black blood pools and geysers to be found.

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: To be honest, I thought the opener this week was the most outlandish. Creepy juxtaposition between the romance of a silent film with the creepiness of a ritualistic witch sacrifice. Also, that last scene between Fiona and The Axe-Man was pretty damn heartbreaking.

WTF CHARACTER MOMENT: Man oh man, I know Fiona and Cordelia don't really jive, but how the hell can the latter order a hit on her mother so cold and clinically? That shite was raw!

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