With such a strong female cast its no wonder that mother-daughter relationships have been a prominent theme throughout the series so far. In episode 5 “Burn, Witch. Burn!” of American Horror Story: Coven this mother-daughter theme is again examined throughout the episode. There is also a ton of amazing zombie scenes, and some great overall character development.
For the past few episodes I’ve almost started to feel some sympathy towards Madame LaLaurie (Kathy Bates). However, that was all thrown out the window after witnessing the flashback to 1833 New Orleans at her All Hallow’s Eve party. Madame LaLaurie is much, much more sick and twisted than originally thought. She locks up her daughters in her “chamber of horrors.” Clearly, her evil streak runs deep. Being privy to this information made the ensuing zombie scenes between LaLaurie and her daughter that much more intense. Bates was an absolute thrill to watch as she desperately tries to reconnect with her zombiefied daughter, showing us that at some level she cares for her and realizes the mistakes she made. Everything comes full circle when LaLaurie stabs her zombie daughter, ultimately causing her demise. It was just thrilling to watch all of this character development combined with the excitement of zombies.
While LaLaurie was dealing with the demons, or should I say zombies, of her past Fiona was going through her own personal struggle. The cinematography, lighting, and editing of the Fiona hospital scenes were absolutely brilliant. It was almost like being in Fiona’s head, we weren’t all too sure if what was shown on screen actually happened. The chilling moment between Fiona and the young mother where Fiona brings the stillborn baby girl back to life and makes the mother say “Hold her, she’s your daughter. You have to keep them close so they feel safe.” Was just another great example of all the things AHS is doing right this season. Now the big question is: did that actually happen? The juxtaposition of LaLaurie and Fiona motherly struggles was executed perfectly. Both ladies failed their daughter(s) in similar yet vastly different ways.
Lets take a moment to remember poor, poor Delia and mourn the loss of her sight and the mystery surrounding it. It appeared that Myrtle was behind it, or at least that’s what Fiona would have you believe. Absolute gold! Fiona is by far one of the best characters on television at the moment. The way Jessica Lange plays the characters’ sense of self-preservation and warped moral compass is spot on. Myrtle ends up burning at the stake which serves as a dark lesson to the girls at the school. This entire storyline is made even better when we find out that Queenie helped Fiona frame Myrtle, casting doubt into who actually through the acid in Delia’s eyes. Lets not forget that Delia appeared to have a vision of what her cheating husband did to that girl in the hotel room. How will this play out?
So there were a ton of zombies in this episode and it rocked! Not to mention that eye-candy, neighbor Luke, was present for it. Seriously, what more could a girl ask for? Oh, how about Zoe taking control and beheading the zombies. It also appears that Zoe has some major powers lurking within her. Even Laveau picks up on it. Does this mean Zoe is the next supreme? Fiona says to her “I like a witch who knows how to fight. You’ve done this coven a great service, Zoe. I won’t forget it.” Was that a threat? I hope so, because that would be a battle worth watching.
“Burn, Witch. Burn!” was just another example of why the creators of AHS are amazing and can literally do anything they want. They combined zombies and motherly issues together. Clearly the show is doing something right, because I can’t wait for next week’s episode. Misty Day is back, and finds a charred Myrtle. Pay back’s a bitch Fiona and I’m sure Myrtle will agree. My only complaint in what was a phenomenal episode is where the hell is Kyle (Evan Peters)? Just a little glimpse of his whereabouts would have been nice.
WRAP UP:
Creepiest scene: When Fiona brings the stillborn baby girl back to life. Throughout the entire scene we weren’t really sure what was going on or if it was real.
Best us of magic: Zoe pretty much takes down an entire army of zombies with a chainsaw, but towards the end finds some deep power within her. Amazing stuff.
-Where was Kyle? Is Madison officially dead?
-Spalding’s reaction when Zoe suggests they all barricaded themselves in his attic room was absolutely wonderful and added a bit of humor during an intense scene.
-Is Zoe the next supreme?
-What is going to happen with Delia now that she is blind and knows what her husband truly is?
-The entire burning scene from start to finish was a thrill to watch. The music in the background was perfect and Fiona flicking her cigarette to start the fire just topped it off.
-What’s the deal with eye-candy Luke? Besides being nice to look at, what purpose does he serve?
