After season 1 of American Horror Story featured a haunted house and season 2 took place at a creepy asylum, it was only a matter of time before Ryan Murphy's acclaimed series would delve into witches. American Horror Story: Coven offers up a fresh and eerie spin on characters with magical powers. The episodes also have strong performances from fan-favorite actors like Emma Roberts, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange, and Kathy Bates.
Nothing is simple in the world of American Horror Story, and the show's third season has plenty of surprises, great character development, and enough genuine scares to keep fans coming back. From the premise to the ending, American Horror Story season 3 is one of the best.
What Is American Horror Story Season 3 About?
American Horror Story season 3 is both a great season about witches and also includes the entertaining setting of a boarding school. The main character Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga) begins attending a boarding school in New Orleans. Of course, this isn't an ordinary school, and she is there because she's a witch. She joins a long line of young women who consider this school to be a safe place. While there are scary villains in American Horror Story, the witches are compelling, tough, and fairly likable.
Recurring American Horror Story cast members Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson play incredibly powerful mother/daughter witches Fiona Goode and Cordelia Foxx. They are in charge of the boarding school and are interesting, mysterious characters from the beginning. The season sets up a good amount of tension right away when Fiona comes to help her daughter when Misty Day (Lily Rabe) gets burned at the stake just like the witches in the past were back in Salem. When Misty dies, it's one of the saddest American Horror Story deaths because she is so innocent. Cordelia doesn't want her mother bothering her and she likes that she has been in control until now.
While the witches in American Horror Story season 3 have various powers, many of them are telekinetic. The most powerful witches, though, are Supremes. Cordelia and Fiona are in this category and it isn't something that they take lightly. Some consider this one of the better seasons of American Horror Story. It's fun watching the young characters learn about their magical powers, and that never gets old.
American Horror Story season 3 follows a few different main storylines. In one plotline, Fiona spends time with Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates), who was buried alive. Since Delphine drank an elixir that made her immortal, Fiona wants nothing more than to do the same thing. Watching these two characters interact is a lot of fun, especially since they are both powerful and tough. In another plotline, Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts) becomes more in tune with her powers, which causes problems for Fiona and Cordelia.
How Does American Horror Story Season 3 End?
In the American Horror Story season 3 finale "The Seven Wonders," a ritual takes place called the test of the Seven Wonders. If a witch can pass all of them, they will be considered a Supreme, which is the highest honor. Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), Madison, and Zoe do well, but Misty fails and gets stuck in her version of hell. Watching the test is exciting and also proves that the young witches are more competitive than supportive of one another, which creates the perfect amount of tension. Viewers are definitely on the edge of their seats during this portion of the episode, wondering who's going to win.
Like the ending of American Horror Story season 1, the American Horror Story season 3 ending has some shocking moments. Kyle Spencer (Evan Peters) is furious at the turn of events. After Zoe dies by hurting herself on the boarding school's gates, Madison doesn't want to resurrect her. Cordelia becomes the next Supreme after helping resurrect Zoe. Kyle then murders Madison, and Fiona is going to die soon as well. This ending feels particularly satisfying because the characters don't suddenly become good or redeem themselves. Madison has always been a selfish character who is only out for herself. Ensuring that she stays true to who she is was a smart creative choice.
Cordelia is finally in charge once again. She decides that Zoe and Queenie will belong to the Council and after becoming the Supreme, Cordelia looks forward to ruling over everyone. American Horror Story season 3 has some of the best main characters from AHS. In fact, the Coven shows up again in season 8 of the franchise, American Horror Story Apocalypse. AHS season 8 is fun and creative as it also features a crossover of the previous seasons Hotel, Murder House, and Coven.