Protect the Coven

"Protect the Coven" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 15, 2014, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Jennifer Salt and directed by Bradley Buecker.

"Protect the Coven"
American Horror Story episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 11
Directed byBradley Buecker
Written byJennifer Salt
Production code3ATS11
Original air dateJanuary 15, 2014 (2014-01-15)
Running time47 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

In this episode, Fiona (Jessica Lange) and Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) face off with The Corporation while Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) makes a desperate sacrifice to protect the coven. Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, and Danny Huston guest star as Marie Laveau, Queenie and the Axeman, respectively. This episode is rated TV-MA (LV).

Plot

1830

Newly arrived in New Orleans from Paris, Delphine LaLaurie is worried she will be bored and intellectually unfulfilled. She beheads a chicken for dinner and is entranced by the blood. She later finds a slave in the attic with a badly injured leg, spurting blood from his wound. She pretends to help but instead renders him unconscious and ties him up, and comments that she's going to like it in New Orleans.

2014

In the cemetery, Fiona delivers a eulogy for Nan, who "fell in the tub", which includes a mention of the new union with Marie. Queenie arrives with a leashed Delphine, to Marie and Fiona's dismay. David reports to Hank's father, Harrison Renard, that Hank will be identified by NOPD as a homeless veteran with PTSD. Harrison wants a reprieve from the witches, and calls to set up a meeting with Fiona.

Delphine internally muses on her childhood while ignored or scoffed by the other household members (except for Myrtle's gushing over her cooking). Marie threatens what she will do to Delphine in the future. A bleeding black gardener reminds Delphine about what used to feed her soul, and she tortures him while he is bound and gagged. Kyle watches as Zoe performs a spell in front of a bathtub which reveals that Fiona and Marie killed Nan. Madison enters and begins a fight about their ménage à trois. Myrtle intrudes, and Madison puts them all on notice that there will be changes made and scores settled when she becomes the new Supreme, warning Kyle that "putting you together was fun but taking you apart is gonna be even more fun".

The Axeman plays as Fiona dresses in his apartment. He suggests they go live at his family's farm after killing the new Supreme. She agrees but asks him to do her one small favor. Spalding's ghost appears to Delphine as she wraps the dead body of the gardener. He suggests that she can regain her sense of purpose by killing Marie and offers to help if she will get him a special item. Cordelia tries to welcome Queenie back to the Coven, but Queenie angrily rebuffs her. She shows Cordelia the silver bullet with which Hank shot her before she killed him. She says she has gained new powers and may even be the new Supreme before fiercely throwing Cordelia out of her room.

In the greenhouse, Cordelia prepares a potion to restore her Second Sight, but it fails. She then pierces each eye with a pair of gardening shears. Fiona searches for Cordelia and finds Myrtle, who tells her that Cordelia is now something you will never understand, a hero. She says Cordelia sacrificed her eyes to regain the Sight and protect the Coven. Fiona insists there will be no enemies once she kills the witch hunters, Myrtle says no enemies on the outside perhaps but danger lurks within these blanched walls. She tells Fiona "you are an enemy to this Coven and will be so long as you shall live". She then dares Fiona to have Cordelia read and expose her secrets. Fiona nearly does but turns to go downstairs instead, claiming she just "needs a drink to steady her nerves". Delphine gives Spalding the item he wanted, a very expensive designer doll. He gives her a package of Benadryl, telling her to dissolve a few tablets in Marie's drink, and to not say aloud the name of the very powerful potion.

Myrtle tells Zoe to escape with Kyle while she still can. She gives her a unique and expensive piece of jewelry to pawn for funds, but Zoe refuses saying she's "committed to this Coven". Myrtle responds with "so was I and I burned at the stake for it" before reminding her there are enemies everywhere and that she must leave. Zoe considers it. The Delphi Trust men arrive for a meeting with Fiona and Marie. The men will make reparations to Marie and a 100-year truce in exchange for an end to the magical siege. Fiona counters with a demand for the dissolution of the witch hunters, a house, and a private jet. They refuse. The waiter reveals himself to be the Axeman and, in retaliation for their refusal, kills all the men except Harrison, who says killing them will not end the war. Fiona asks him if he has any last words. He spits and says "go to hell witch bitch" before Fiona hacks his throat with the Axeman's axe.

After Fiona goes to meet the Axeman, Marie insults Delphine while drinking a Benadryl-laced French 75. Delphine stabs her, but Marie pulls out the knife and tells Delphine she is a fool for trying to kill her with an antihistamine, and that she is only allergic to her. As she chases Delphine, Spalding steps out and hits her in the head with his doll, knocking her down the stairs. He tells Delphine she was the only one he could trick into helping him and suggests that she bury Marie in a way that she cannot ever escape, as Marie is immortal and cannot be killed. He goes back to play with Marie's stolen baby. Zoe wants Kyle to pack for their escape. He refuses at first, but she insists, and the two catch a bus to Orlando.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports a 79% approval rating, based on 14 reviews. The critical consensus reads, ""Protect the Coven" satisfyingly sets the table for the season finale with a suitably gross installment whose extra plot point makes its hard-to-follow storyline even more confusing."[1] Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club rated the episode a B+, stating, "Broadcast television could stand to be a good measure weirder and more outrageous, especially when affording some of the country's greatest actresses (actresses 'of a certain age' no less) a chance to really go for it in prime time."[2] Matt Fowler from IGN gave the episode a rating of 7.2/10, stating, ""Protect the Coven" already had its fair share of take-backs and fizzle-outs as it was, what with Delia re-blinding herself (which, I believe, is the first reversal of a reversal) and the disappointing end to the witch hunter story."[3]

The episode received a 1.9 18–49 ratings share and was watched by 3.46 million viewers in its original American broadcast, a decrease from the previous episode.[4]

gollark: I feel like we've argued about this before and you didn't say anything very convincing.
gollark: If they could do consistently *worse* than the market than their thing would actually be worth a lot.
gollark: The positions of the planets are very public.
gollark: I forgot the accurate statement but basically just "you can't beat the market on publicly available information".
gollark: Efficient market hypothesis.

References
  1. "Protect the Coven – American Horror Story: Coven, Episode 11". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  2. Perkins, Dennis (January 15, 2014). "American Horror Story: "Protect The Coven"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. Fowler, Matt (January 15, 2014). "Doll Babies and Baby Dolls". IGN. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  4. Kondolojy, Amanda (January 16, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'American Horror Story', 'Crazy Hearts: Nashville', & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
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