By Max Bosshart
One nice thing about American Horror Story: Coven is how, for the most part, each episode continues where the last ended. The episode may open up with a flashback to a particular character's history, but its quick and gets back to what the audience is waiting for. Burn, Witch, Burn! Is no exception to this rule as is opens up with a brief glimpse into Delphine's sadistic relationship with her three daughters and then returns us to Marie's Halloween gift to the school, Voodoo zombies.
One nice thing about American Horror Story: Coven is how, for the most part, each episode continues where the last ended. The episode may open up with a flashback to a particular character's history, but its quick and gets back to what the audience is waiting for. Burn, Witch, Burn! Is no exception to this rule as is opens up with a brief glimpse into Delphine's sadistic relationship with her three daughters and then returns us to Marie's Halloween gift to the school, Voodoo zombies.
This brings us into one of the worst things about the show. Horror directors have this thing about filming at odd angles. The difference between most and American Horror Story and most other horror is that the show relies heavily on it. In the latest episode we get a perfect example of this style. Fiona is at the hospital after her daughter Cordelia took acid to the face. While there she breaks into medicine storage room, and swallows some random pills. The next sequence is unclear on how much it's the pills Fiona just took or just her freaking out due to stress. The director chose to use odd camera angles and focusing on different things at random time to enhance the idea that Fiona was freaking out.
The problem with relying on this camera tricks is that this comes across as though the narrative itself can't do the trick of adequately creating the mood the creators wanted to achieve. Camera tricks may help in enhancing to the suspense or craziness of a scene in a film, but when it is overused the effect no longer works. In this show the style was overused from episode one, detracting from the shock value.
The problem with relying on this camera tricks is that this comes across as though the narrative itself can't do the trick of adequately creating the mood the creators wanted to achieve. Camera tricks may help in enhancing to the suspense or craziness of a scene in a film, but when it is overused the effect no longer works. In this show the style was overused from episode one, detracting from the shock value.
We're finally getting into the thick if things with character development in this episode. To start off with we have two witches displaying new powers. First we have Zoe stopping the hold Marie has on the zombies attacking the academy. She is the only one of the girls trying to stop the horde from getting into the house. Her weapon of choice, the chainsaw, stops working and she holds out her arm and says what sounds like "be in your nature", dropping both the zombie and Marie. Secondly, as Cordelia's husband, Hank, comes back from his strange affair, he and Fiona argue. Hank takes hold of Cordelia's hand as she wakes up to a vision of last week's episode.
The lines are beginning to blur between good and evil when it comes to certain characters. Both Fiona and Delphine have been made out to be more evil than good, justifiably so, but with Burn, Witch, Burn! we begin to gain a sense of empathy with the characters. We watch as Delphine must face her past whilst her daughters lead the charge of zombies. She invariably must kill one in order to save Queenie from being attacked. We're also treated to Fiona as she breaks down because of her child. Though Fiona's momentary lapse into the viewer's good graces, she shows her true colours once again when she finds a way to have Myrtle, leader of the Council of Witches, burned at the stake.
The one character that so far hasn't received her just dues is Adelaide. It could be argued that her character is relatively insignificant within the confines of the story, yet her significance is on par, if not more so than Hank, Spaulding, or Queenie, all of which have received more camera time and back story than Addie. It's especially strange due to the fact that she has a power that could easily be used to the stories advantage. Will we get more Addie?
The episode ends with another moment of what is going to happen. Misty Day is seen kneeling before the burned body of Myrtle, and with Misty Day's resurrection powers this action is worth keeping an eye on.
The episode ends with another moment of what is going to happen. Misty Day is seen kneeling before the burned body of Myrtle, and with Misty Day's resurrection powers this action is worth keeping an eye on.
All in all the past two episodes have seen a marked improvement to the show. The characters are being better developed and the stories within each episode, though left to be resolved, are far more fluid. We're not stuck watching three story lines play out that don't intersect and have no apparent connection or impact with each other. The show is improving and leaving each episode open ended enough for the viewer wanting to continue the series. We'll call the show a late bloomer and hope it continues down its new path.
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