Coven's fifth episode opens with another one of Delphine's super social soirees, in a flashback to All Hallows' Eve in 1833. Delphine is being introduced to eligible bachelors for her daughter, Borquita. They've just met Governor Roman's son, Jacques, and Delphine inquires if he's brave enough to visit her self proclaimed chamber of horrors. Borquita tries to deter her mother from taking the man to see, but Jacques interjects by saying he would have the courage as long as Borquita was to accompany them. Delphine leads the way as Jacques offers Borquita his arm. She brings them to an area draped with red velvet drapes, candles and several covered silver bowls. She asks the young man if he can guess what is in the first dish, and pulls the lid off slightly. Borquita, knowing her mother and what's in the bowl, looks displeased. Jacque is happy to play the game, and sticks his hand into the muck. He chuckles and declares that it must have taken Delphine all afternoon to peel all those grapes. With a sick smile, Delphine pulls the lid completely off to reveal human eyeballs floating around in blood. We see a brief horrifying peek at Delphine plucking the eyeballs from the slaves held captive in her attic of torture. She laughs and covers the bowl back up. She walks down to another dish and asks Jacques if he'd like to try to take a guess at the second surprise. She lifts the lid of the second bowl slightly and gives the man a hint. She tells him that it's long, wet, and slippery. He sticks his hand in and hesitantly guesses that it's sausages. She giggles again as she lifts the lid off completely to display human intestines. In another brief yet disturbing clip, we see Delphine happily ripping out Bastien's intestines and piling them into a bucket next to them. Jacques reels back in horror and quickly turns and runs away. Delphine calls after him saying that he's not man enough for her Borquita, let alone her chamber of horrors. She cackles and fans herself with her fan as she walks past her daughter, who is clearly upset with how her mother behaves.
Later that evening, Borquita is complaining with her sisters how they'll never find a husband with their mother around and how horrible she is to them, as well as the slaves. Borquita then poses a question. She ponders about whom could ever suspect foul play from the grieving daughters. One of the other sisters questions how they would do it, when suddenly Delphine bursts into the room to tell the girls they'll miss the entire party if they stay up there gossiping. She tells the girls to come down and be festive, as dessert is about to be served. Louis then finds Delphine leaving the girls room and she tells him that she needs Bastien and two strong slaves.
While the girls are sleeping that evening after the party, they are taken and brought to the attic. One girl is fixed in the save device that Bastien was and the other two are put into cages. One struggles and LaLaurie orders the slave to break her daughters leg if they must. The daughter who is strung up tells her mother that they weren't going to actually do anything, they were just being silly. Delphine tells her daughter that they only reason they're still alive is because she loves their plain little faces. She tells them to be good and she'll let them go in a year. She leans down to the cage holding Borquita and tells her that she's earned a special present for being the mastermind. She tells the girl that on Christmas morning, she's going to stuff feces in her mouth. Borquita beats against the cage and cries out as her mother walks out.
Back in present day, Delphine is face to face with her dead daughters on Halloween at Robichaux's Academy. After she drops the glass bowl of candy and slams the door shut, she announces that it's too late and that all hell has opened up on their doorstep. Queenie comes down the stairs to see if everyone else knows what's going on outside. The zombies all continue onto the property and then all come to a standstill.
Back at the bar where Fiona and Cordelia were having a drink and loosening up, Fiona can hear her daughters screams and goes to her immediately. Cordelia is screaming with her hands covering her face. Fiona begs her daughter to let her see her face. Cordelia howls that it burns and can't take her hands from her face. Fiona yells for someone to call an ambulance. As Fiona is pleading for someone to help them, she catches a glimpse of the black hooded figure exiting the bar. Fiona shakes her daughter and demands Cordelia let her see her face. She finally wrenches Cordelia's hands away as she continues to wail in agony. Her face has been burned with acid and is melted and bloody, mostly around her eyes, and Fiona screams in horror.
Fiona is down in the waiting room at the hospital, obviously distraught. She reaches into her purse and pulls out a pill bottle and dry swallows them as a doctor approaches and asks if she is Cordelia's mother. She says yes and asks what's happened to her daughter and why her eyes look like marbles. The doctor tells Fiona that as best as they can figure, someone threw sulfuric acid at Cordelia. He tells her that he's only seen such burns in industrial accidents and that the acid burned through the optic nerves. She tells the doctor to level with her and asks if Cordelia is blind or not. He tells her that the ocular structure is in tact, but they were unable to save her sight. Fiona becomes enraged and struggles to understand. She lunges at the doctor and attacks him. He promptly calls over security and she's pulled off of him. The security guard asks if he should call the cops and the doctor says no and Fiona tries to calm herself. She sits back down and starts to cry and the lights above her flicker.
At the academy, the girls are trying to figure out what is going on outside of their home. Nan says that she can't hear their thoughts, so they're dead. As the group continues to gaze out the window, Zoe takes the initiative to tell everyone to get away from the windows, close the curtains and turn off the lights. Zoe says they need Fiona and Luke tries to convince them it's all a joke. Zoe tries to call Fiona but gets her voicemail. She asks if she should call the cops and Queenie says no because that would only piss off Fiona and she's more scared of her than anything. Luke insists he can handle the 'neighborhood kids' and goes outside. We see Marie's place, scattered and strewn about from the ritual she did to raise the dead. We then see her levitating off of the floor. Luke walks up to the front of the pack of the undead and tells them that they can stop now and that they've scared the group of girls in the house. He walks closer and pushes one and he just returns to his previous position which gets Luke irritated. He goes up to another and a couple of trick or treaters come up and call out about how amazing their prosthetics are. The boys are going around looking at each of the zombies. Marie has now levitated herself really high off of the floor, she opens her eyes to show that they're all white and she hisses, "Begin!" Instantaneously, the zombies all come back to life, their heads all slowly begin look up and stand up a little straighter. Suddenly, one becomes aware of one of the trick or treaters and grabs him, a second one quick to follow suit. Then a third zombie stands in front of the boy and then slams an axe into him. The zombies all start to attack and rip him apart as the axe wielding zombie turns to face Luke. Luke turns and starts to run, but the zombie goes after him and brings the axe down into Luke's back.
Nan cries out as she sees her crush get axed. Zoe quickly gets Nan away from the window and Queenie tells the girls the entire house is surrounded. Zoe says that if they can't go out, they'll go up. She runs to the staircase and yells for Spalding and then turns to look back and sees Delphine going to the front door. Zoe asks Delphine if she's crazy and she tells Zoe that her daughters are out there. Zoe reminds her that her daughters are dead and asks if she wants to be dead too. Zoe turns Delphine back around and marches her back to the stairway, where Spalding has appeared. Zoe begins to say they should go up to Spalding's room and lock themselves in to which Spalding quickly motions no. Zoe yells at them all that she doesn't care what room they go in and to just get upstairs and pick one. She realizes Nan isn't with the group going up the stairs and turns to see the front door slightly ajar, so she goes to head outside. Nan, bless her heart, helps get Luke up and they stumble to a near by car. Nan gets Luke inside the vehicle and then runs to the other side to climb in. The zombies quickly approach and Luke asks who they are and what they want. Nan looks at him and says, "Us."
Poor Cordelia is out like a light in her hospital bed, her face burned and deformed. Fiona is watching over her daughter, sitting on the edge of her bed. Fiona grabs her purse and takes some more of her medication, but finds that she's run out. She's walking through the hospital with lights flickering all around her. She finds the medication room, but also finds that it's locked. She looks around for a moment and then swipes her finger nail down the card reader for the room. The door clicks and the light turns green and Fiona is in. Fiona begins to grab bottles of pills and stuff them in her purse and then washes a few down with some booze from her flask. She leaves the room and stumbles through the hallways, banging into some equipment and startling herself. The lights all still flickering, she goes past a few more patients in the hallway and she suddenly sees the dark hooded figure from the bar. She begins to go after it but she's grabbed by a patient in nothing but saggy tightie whiteys. He whispers in her ear that she didn't throw the acid, but she may as well have. Fiona gasps and breaks away from him and begins to walk away. The man stands in the middle of the hallway for a second then turns to face the equipment drawer outside of a room, looking like a patient right out of Asylum.
Doctors run past Fiona, as she staggers and slumps against the wall. She hears screaming and goes to find a young woman crying. She's laying in bloody sheets, and a baby's body in a crib is not far from the bed. She asks if the baby was stillborn or died after, and the woman tells her stillborn. She asks Fiona if it's a boy or a girl and Fiona tells her that she's a girl. She picks up the baby and the woman asks who Fiona is and what she's doing. Fiona starts to carry the baby to the woman and she cries out that she doesn't want to see or hold her. Fiona talks her into holding the baby and then even talking to her. She has the woman say that she'll love the baby more than the whole world and that she's the most beautiful baby and that she'll never leave her and finally that she'll be her mother until she dies. The girl tells the baby and Fiona tells her to tell her again and the girl does so. Fiona places her hand on the baby's head for a moment and after she pulls it away the blue tone of the skin changes to healthy pink skin and the new mother is shocked. The baby lets out a cry as does her mother as she cries out happily that the baby is breathing. Fiona leaves the room and walks down the hallway, lights still flickering.
The zombies are now bashing out the windows of the car that Nan and Luke are now trapped in. The undead are reaching through the windows for the pair when suddenly Zoe appears banging a pot and pan above her head. She yells for them to get away from them and come get her. She walks backward for a moment and she realizes they're all swiftly approaching. She throws the pot and pan down and makes a run for it. She then goes into the shed and locks herself in. She backs away from the door and onto a wall as they begin to beat on the wooden door violently. Delphine has gotten Queenie back into bed and is feeling guilty that Queenie is still recovering from saving her. She tells Spalding to make sure Queenie stays in bed and that she's going down stairs to get some ice and Queenie tells her to bring her a Coke too. As Delphine is getting the ice and drink, she hears something outside the kitchen window. She grabs a knife and calls out, asking who's there. Borquita appears at the window. She goes to the door and opens it, allowing Borquita to enter. She asks what Marie has done to her, but then asks what she's done to her as she cries. She tells her daughter to come back to her and she'll make it right. Before she knows it, Borquita has her hand around Delphine's throat and has lifted her off the floor.
Queenie wonders what's taking Delphine so long and sends Spalding down to see what's going on, meanwhile Zoe finds something in the shed that makes her eyes brighten. The very moment Spalding closes the door behind him, there's a noise and a grunt and she calls out to Spalding to ask what that was. She gets up and opens the door and sees Spalding on the floor, sliding himself away from the zombie girl. Queenie says, "Oh shit" and goes back into the room and closes the door. Borquita takes no time to burst through the door. Queenie thinks quickly and stabs herself in the chest with a pair of scissors. Borquita reels back for a few seconds and then lurches back up with a growl. Queenie bashes the mirror and grabs a sliver of the broken glass and promptly slices her own throat. Borquita's head falls back and ashes pour out of her open throat but just as quickly she rights herself and snarls at Queenie, who has now backed herself up against the window. Borquita is just about to lunge forward at Queenie, when she's stabbed from behind by Delphine. Queenie tries to catch her breath, shocked that Delphine killed it and saved her. Delphine sits down on the edge of the bed with the poker in her hands. She begins to cry and tells Queenie that the girl had a monster for a mother and this last act was the only kindness she'd ever shown her. Delphine sobs and Queenie goes to her and puts an arm around her. Delphine continues to bawl and Queenie sits down next to her, letting her cry on her shoulder and even gives her a hug and rubs her back.
Meanwhile, the rest of the zombies are all still banging down on the shed door. Nan rushes to Luke's side of the car and puts his arm around her shoulder and together try to get him to the house. As they're making their way, the zombies take notice that they've emerged from the car and begin to head right for them. Luke of course falls to the ground and Nan screams and tries to drag him back as the zombies are about to bear down on them. Suddenly, a chainsaw starts up and quickly slices through the zombie's neck and the head falls away from the body that's already fallen to the ground before them. There stands Zoe, chainsaw in hand, who orders Nan & Luke to get inside. The two get up on to the porch and scramble inside as Zoe begins a bloody rampage against the undead. She slices and pierces through the zombies left and right, blood splattering all over herself. She even slices one literally in half from the head on down. She tries to catch her breath, as she looks around and thinks she's gotten them all. Abruptly, one last one grabs her shoulder and she backs away holding the chainsaw between them. He walks toward her and she revs the chainsaw but it runs out of gas and stops running. She tries to start it again to no avail and the zombie is closing in on her. She swings the bladed end of the saw left and right to try to keep him at bey. She stumbles back and falls to the ground on her back. The zombie makes his final approach when Zoe drops the saw and holds up a hand. She softly says something in another language and the last undead assailant drops to the ground. At the same exact time, Marie is seen falling from her state of levitation, hitting the ground with a hard thump. Chantile helps Marie to her feet. Marie looks at her and says, " I don't know what that was...but they got some real power in that witch house now." Zoe meanwhile looks seriously confused at what she just did.
Hank has arrived at the hospital and bursts into Cordelia's room and Fiona greets him with, "Look who finally showed up." He bitterly tells Fiona that he's been driving all night and how it's a four hour drive from Lake Charles. He tells her she should go sleep it off and that she doesn't have to pretend to care now. The lights are flickering and Fiona sharply replies by telling him she may not have been the mother that Cordelia needed, she can smell the bull shit on him even if her daughter can't. She tells Hank that she begged Cordelia not to marry him and calls him a loser. She continues on to mock his job and tells him he's one step above the men who stand out front of Home Depot. The two continue to throw insults at each other, Hank saying that he at least comes home and Fiona says she's thankful he couldn't knock Cordelia up because what would she do with a child after he runs off because he can't take the pressure of a blind wife. That news blindsides Hank and he starts to become upset and tear up. Fiona scoffs that the crocodile tears are here now. Hank then becomes angry and starts yelling at Fiona, saying that Cordelia hates Fiona and he loves Cordelia and she knows it. He tells her that she's the one who needs to go away when a nurse comes in and tells them that she doesn't care who, but one of them is leaving or else she's going to call security. Fiona tells Hank that he has 15 minutes with her, and that then she'll be back and he's to disappear and he can either go on his own or her way. She tells him smugly that she doesn't care which way it is, although she'd prefer the latter and then leaves the room.
Soft music plays, and it is reminiscent of the Angel of Death score from Asylum, which I loved. Hank sits down on the bed beside his wife and tells her he's there and asks if she can feel him. He tears up and says he doesn't care what they did to her, that he'll never go away. He tells her he loves her so much and takes her hand in his. Immediately, Cordelia gasps loudly and raises her head off the pillow, eyes widened. She looks horrified as she can see Hank having sex with Kaylie and rips her hand from his. She drops her head back down onto the pillow, eyes still wide and we get a closer look at what's become of Cordelia's eyes. They've gone milky and her pupils almost unable to be made out. It's a ghastly sight and reminds me of Moira's eye in Murder House.
The next day, Fiona is overseeing Delphine as she burns the bodies of the zombies that had attacked the school the night before. Fiona says that the fire purges and purifies and scatters their enemies to the wind and what blows away need not be explained. Zoe and Nan drag the last of the corpses to the pile and talk about putting more cedar chips in the fire to mask the smell. More quietly, Zoe asks Nan how Luke is. She tells Zoe that he's still asleep and Zoe insists that they have to get him out and he can't stay there. Fiona over hears, of course, and tells the girls he will stay and that there's no sense in rushing him back to his holy roller mother as she'll probably just call the cops. Nan thanks Fiona and runs to go check on Luke. Fiona tells Zoe that she's done the Coven a great service and she won't forget it . She tells Zoe she can stop her work with the corpses and go on. Delphine comes back out to the yard and tells Fiona that those are her daughters in the fire. She says that they deserved a better mother than she could have ever hoped to be. Fiona sniffles and tells Delphine that she knows the feeling. Delphine wonders out loud if this tragedy will bring them closer together and Fiona tells her that she doubts it because after all she is the maid. The women look over the fire and see the members of the council appear and Fiona remarks that she's got to deal with the rest of the trash.
The council has set themselves up and have called Fiona before them. Pembrook lists the charges against Fiona as gross neglect, malfeasance and the willful disregard of the well being of their coven. She alleges that ever since Fiona came back the academy has been under attack from outside forces and briefly touches on the fact that there's a missing witch and how Cordelia has been assailed. Pembrook continues on and states that it is their grim duty to request Fiona step down as the Supreme and allow the Council to take over the Coven. Fiona then accuses Myrtle of not being able to inherit the Supremacy, so she had her lap dogs help steal it from her. Myrtle tells Fiona that the Council's decision is unanimous and final and they don't have to listen to her when Fiona shouts that they will and makes Myrtle take her seat.
She walks to the desk where the Council sits and tells them they have been under attack but not by an outside force. She tells them that they walk among them, unseen. She tells them their enemy has a face and she's seen that face. We see Fiona back at the hospital catching up to the hooded figure in the elevator. In the security mirror on the ceiling, Fiona accuses Myrtle of being the cloaked person at the bar and hospital. Myrtle rises from her seat and asks Fiona how she could say that and states that she's been more of a mother to Cordelia than she ever was. Fiona then alleges that Myrtle latched onto Cordelia the minute she was put into her care because she couldn't have her own. Myrtle defends herself by saying she never had children because she dedicated her life to the Coven. Fiona says that her love of the Coven and her daughter has been exceeded by her hatred of Fiona. Myrtle then ridicules Fiona by saying next she'll be accusing her of murdering Madison and Fiona points out that Myrtle was in New Orleans at the time of the girls disappearance. The other members of the Council question Myrtle as to if what Fiona has just said is true. Myrtle says that Fiona is just trying to confuse them.
Fiona asks the group if they remember Jennifer Wooley,and they do. She is a character, played by Veronica Lake, in a movie called 'I Married A Witch.' She goes on to tell them that that was also the name that Myrtle had used to check into a hotel in town weeks before the rest of the Council members arrived. We see Fiona in the hotel room, Spalding in the background, and there is a shrine of pictures of Fiona some marked with pentagrams and other drawings. She takes a picture with her cell phone, which she hands to Pembrook to examine. Myrtle, upset, says that Fiona is twisting things and that she had to be stopped. Pembrook then asks if that was a confession and Myrtle says that she confesses to nothing. Fiona says that she doesn't need a confession and she pulls Myrtle's hand up and takes the glove off of her hand to show burn marks. Fiona tells the Council that the burns were caused by the same acid that burned Cordelia. Pembrook announced they have no choice, and then grimly states, "Burn the witch." Quentin somberly seconds the motion and Fiona tells Myrtle that the decision is unanimous and final. Myrtle tells them that there is no need to bind her and that she will go willingly.
"Right Place, Wrong Time" by Chris Barber and Dr. John is playing as the Coven and the Council walk Myrtle to her fate. The entire party is wearing black, except for Myrtle, who is in a white gown with her hands bound. Zoe quietly wonders to Queenie if they're really going to burn Myrtle and Queenie can only reply with, "Don't mess with the Supreme." They walk to a large rocky hill with a tall wooden stake at the apex. Myrtle stands against the pole and places her hands behind her. The albino security guards then tie her to the pole and douse her with gasoline. Fiona lights a cigarette and asks Myrtle if she has any last words. Myrtle tells them they're all a bunch of toads in a pot that Fiona is slowly bringing to a boil and they won't feel it until it's too late. She then says that she'd rather burn than boil. Fiona then steps forward and flicks her lit cigarette at Myrtle who instantly catches ablaze. She screams in agony as the flames engulf and fry her. The Coven and Council can only watch as the screams come to a sudden halt. As the fire rages on, Fiona walks away and Zoe looks absolutely horrified.
Back at the academy, Fiona is in her room, taking more medication, when there's a knock at her door. She tells them to come in and Queenie opens up the door. Fiona asks what she can do for her and Queenie tells her that she can answer a question she has. Queenie asks if she helped her frame a guilty woman or an innocent one. We then see a flashback to the meeting of the Council and Queenie is just outside the doorway. She's holding a glass of sulfuric acid and had her hand dunked into the liquid, causing the burns on Myrtle's hand. Fiona tells Queenie that none of them are innocent. Queenie tells her that she figured she owed her for saving her life but she thought they were going to oust Myrtle, not roast her. She tells Fiona that she can't close her eyes without seeing Myrtle's burning body and she can't get the smell of Myrtle's burning flesh out of her nose. She tells Fiona that she doesn't think she can live with what they've done. Fiona then tells Queenie she can sense she's already growing stronger and that under her guidance, she could rise to heights she's never dreamed of, even as high as the next Supreme. Queenie seems doubtful at first, but Fiona grabs her cheeks and jokes that maybe the Coven needs a Supreme of color. Queenie begins to speculate that it could be her and she can feel herself getting stronger and more powerful. Fiona tells her that of course she is, but she has to trust her and follow her instructions to the letter and Queenie will be fine. She leads Queenie to the door and after she says she will, Fiona closes the door.
Spalding has his creepy old distorted music playing as he sprays air freshener all about his room. He's back to wearing the nightgown and bonnet and even has on some boots with a small heel. He covers his nose as he sways about to the music and sprays all about his expanse. He removes a couple bears from wooden chest and opens the lid to unveil Madison, hair down in the dress we'd seen Spalding with earlier, body crunched into the small space. Spalding coughs and reels back at the smell of Madison's decomposing body escapes the trunk. He steels himself and reaches down for her arm to pull her out of the box but her body won't come out. He yanks again on her arm and to his and my dismay, her arm rips off at the shoulder and her body thumps back down into the box. Spalding covers his mouth in surprise as he stands holding the rotting arm. He moves back slightly causing the music to slow down and distort before it cuts off and he drops the arm to the floor.
Misty slowly walks up to the mound where Myrtle's body is being bitten and eaten by a couple of dogs. She sends them away and walks up to the top and looks over Myrtle's scorched body. She kneels down next to it and places both hands on Myrtle's face and closes her eyes. Suddenly, Myrtle's eyes snap open.
As I'd expected, each episode of Coven continues to keep my eyes and mouth wide open. I love how Ryan gives us little throwbacks to the previous seasons. I was thrilled when Zoe put her big girl pants on and handled every single zombie, although I must admit to being slightly confused on her new power. Last week I'd stated that my only complaint about Coven was Zoe and I take it all back this week! That was exactly what I'd been hoping to see out of Zoe. Delphine and Queenie's scene warmed my cold heart. I love that Delphine has grown so much in such a short time and that Queenie still bosses her around, but shows that she can be compassionate with her as well. My heart breaks for Cordelia and now she knows of Hank's indiscretion, as if she didn't have enough on her plate right now. Spalding continues to be one of my favorite characters and his reaction to breaking off Madison's arm was priceless. I can't wait to see what's going on with Kyle and what Myrtle is going to do now that she's back. I also cannot wait for the axeman to appear. As always, I'm already sitting here counting down until next Wednesday.
Kelly Ann
I am a reviewer for SpoilerTV, reviewing True Blood and American Horror Story. I also enjoy Grey's Anatomy. I also run and or contribute to several True Blood accounts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
