This episode of American Horror Story 13 was probably the slowest one so far. Despite a few quick trips to Hell and back. Even so, it was a fun one.
For the most part. I had some issues.
Actually, before we really dive in, let’s go over some real-world witchy information.
If you’re not aware, I am a practicing witch. Most of my practices are tied to Pennsylvania Dutch witchcraft. Think Long Lost Friend. This is Appalachian witchcraft. The way your grandma can smell a storm coming. The home remedies that never fail. The habits and superstitions that get passed down from generation to generation. This is witchcraft with a Bible, a railroad tie, and a cast iron skillet.
My witchcraft looks a little like what you might call Hoodoo or Voodoo. It’s got some similar practices. Prayer bags, calling on saints, petitions and sigils, and ancestor honoring. Both practices come from a need for the poor and beaten down to reclaim some power. Both were brought to America from different lands, and adapted to work within this new world. And while I’m not a Voodoo or Hoodoo practitioner, I do have a deep respect for both practices. And a deep love for Marie Laveau. The real Marie Laveau. And I didn’t appreciate how she was portrayed in this episode. I also didn’t appriciate how Papa Legba was portrayed.
Yes, I know it’s just a show. But when we start talking about people I have on my altar, I’ve got to say something.
Also, we don’t use phrases like white and black magic anymore. We also don’t use phrases like high magic or low magic. There are all kinds of magic. None are better or worse than any other.
If you want to learn more about the amazing person and witch that Marie Laveau was, I recommend the book The Magic of Marie Laveau by Denise Alvardo. It’s a phenomenal read, whether you’re a practitioner or not.
Alright, my witchy rant is over. This show is, after all, fiction. So for the rest of the review, I’ll be treating it as such.
We begin this episode with Cordelia and Fiona embracing a mother/daughter moment. They’re remembering a time when Cordelia was sick and wouldn’t let any of the other witches in the coven heal her. Only her mother.
Fiona laments that her daughter worshiped her, when she’d done nothing to deserve it. While she’s been in Hell, she’s realized exactly how terrible of a mother she was. And she wants to make up for it.
There is a moment in this scene that struck me. Fiona called helping Cordelia her penance.
Penance, penance. A word echoing between two souls with the same face. That’s one of the eerie things this show is able to do so well.
After discussing the situation, Fiona suggests they get the help of Papa Legba, a powerful Loa deity and the guardian of the gates of Hell. He agrees to help, after being strong-armed. But to do so, he says he needs his Voodoo Queen.
And with that, Marie Laveau returns.
Despite my irritations over the portrayals of Mama Marie and Papa Legba, this episode had a lot to love. Both as a witch and a normal AHS fan. To start with, my heart sang when I saw Queenie’s grimoire. It looks more like a grimoire of a modern witch than anything I’ve seen on the show. Handmade, hand-drawn, with a gorgeous veve on the cover. It was perfect.
And I know we all love the big ancient grimoires like the Charmed Book of Shadows. But Queenie’s grimoire looked real. And I love that.
I also loved the change in Fiona. She wants to be a good mother. She wants to help her daughter. And she wants to make it clear that she is not in charge.
She doesn’t appear to have ulterior motives. Though we all know that might change. She knows she’s going back to Hell. She knows she isn’t taking over the coven. She just wants to help her child. That’s beautiful.
Let’s see how long it is before she messes that up.
Finally, let’s talk about Queenie. Because she is just killing it.
Queenie goes to Hell to take Marie’s place until Satan is defeated. There, she finds herself working at that terrible chicken restaurant that she worked in during Coven. And who’s her first customer? None other than Madam Delphine LaLaurie. And their interaction makes me think that Papa Legba is actually looking out for Queenie.
As someone who knows all too well the real horrors the actual Delphine LaLaurie enacted, this was an incredibly satisfying scene. Queenie’s speech is fantastic. And when she screamed, “Say your line,” I almost died laughing.
Overall, I only have two complaints about this episode. The first might seem petty, but it bothered me.
The snake that comes out of the Night Stalkers body is, well, adorable. I think it’s a corn snake. It was precious. And it sure didn’t strike fear into my heart. It kind of made me want to adopt a corn snake and name it Le Petite Zombie.
Couldn’t we have gotten something scarrier? Maybe a gaboon viper? They’re pretty upsetting.
Finally, I was almost sure we had a main character? What was his name, Ben? Did we lose him? Look, I love the Coven. But maybe three episodes without a word from our main character is a little much?
I feel like we’re gearing up for a magical, hellish showdown. But we’ve got five episodes left, Killer Queen. All the time in the world, really. Almost anything could happen.
Want more Halloween TV joy? Check out my review of Carrie, episode one.
My book, Station 86 Volume One, is available now on Amazon! It’s got two dark sci-fi stories about murder and mayhem on the station of First Contact.
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