As a whole, American Horror Story: Coven was an inconsistent mess that blew its load far too early in the season. The second half of the season took a turn for the worse before just letting go of the wheel entirely, and the characters were all too crammed together to let any of them stand out. While the cast was full of talented actors and actresses ready to impress, they were all overshadowed by Jessica Lange and her phenomenal (if not a bit showy) performance.
With that being said, though, there was still enough to enjoy for fans of the series. The “horror” part of the title is fading away faster than Marty McFly at the school dance, but at least the directing and cinematography is still top-notch. For the next season, it would be nice to see the writers come up with a whole story from the start. So far, each season has started out heading in a singular direction only to stop halfway through, swap out the writers for small monkeys with large typewriters, and let them handle the endings. As I said before, inconsistency is a fact of life when it comes to watching this show.
But all in all, if you enjoyed the past two seasons, then American Horror Story: Coven was a satisfying trip for you. Although I love the series for starting out as a daring anthology revitalization, the qualities I loved about the show are starting to rub me the wrong way. Remember that shot where the camera would start at a funny angle only to spin into the right one while slowly zooming in on a person/place/object? You know, the shot that was used about a hundred times per episode? It’s a small complaint to have, but many small complaints added up to make this season end on a weak note.
I’ve heard plenty of rumors about next season, and the one I like the most is the idea of setting the season around a circus. Here’s to hoping that by the time October rolls around, American Horror Story: Coven will be a fading memory as we gear up to watch clowns (all played by Jessica Lange) massacre each other.
