Coven (story)

Coven is the subtitle for the third season, or miniseries, of American Horror Story.

Returning cast members from the previous season of the series include Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Jessica Lange, and Robin Bartlett. Cast members returning since Murder House include Taissa Farmiga, Denis O'Hare, Jamie Brewer and Alexandra Breckenridge. New prominent additions to the cast were Emma Roberts, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Patti LuPone, Stevie Nicks and Danny Huston.

The season was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and seventeen Emmy Awards, winning four of the latter.

Plot

Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona (Jessica Lange), the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.^[1]

Main Characters

Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode, a daughter of a Supreme can be powerful in her own right.
Taissa Farmiga as Zoe Benson, a femme fatale whisked away by a killer secret
Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow, a fashionista with a fiery spirit
Evan Peters as Kyle Spencer, a would-be Romeo to a tragic Juliet
Lily Rabe as Misty Day, a girl on fire, Stevie Nicks' #1 fan, and a dead-raiser.
Denis O'Hare as Spalding, a keeper of secrets
Kathy Bates as Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a blast from the past
Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode, a Supreme, returned to combat a growing threat
Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery, a teen movie star with telekinetic gifts

Supporting and Guest Characters

Josh Hamilton as Hank Foxx, a "loving, supportive" husband
her real-life counterpart as Stevie Nicks, a worldwide famous singer and the White Witch
Danny Huston as The Axeman, a man terrorizing New Orleans with his sax
Ameer Baraka as The Minotaur, a violent brute with a tortured past
Lance Reddick as Papa Legba, a voodoo spirit with a thirst for souls
Alexander Dreymon as Luke Ramsey, a young man torn between family and intrigue
Alexandra Breckenridge as Kaylee, an inexperienced pyrokinetic witch
Patti LuPone as Joan Ramsey, a nasty neighbor
Christine Ebersole as Anna Leigh Leighton, a Supreme of her time
Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie, a human voodoo doll who's torn between sides
Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, a venomous Voodoo Queen from the pages of history
Jamie Brewer as Nan, a clairvoyant witch and master at eavesdropping

Coven

Episode	#	Premiere	Writer(s)	Director
Bitchcraft	1	2013-10-09	Ryan Murphy ; Brad Falchuk	Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Boy Parts	2	2013-10-16	Tim Minear	Michael Rymer
The Replacements	3	2013-10-23	James Wong	Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Fearful Pranks Ensue	4	2013-10-30	Jennifer Salt	Michael Uppendahl
Burn, Witch. Burn!	5	2013-11-06	Jessica Sharzer	Jeremy Podeswa
The Axeman Cometh	6	2013-11-13	Douglas Petrie	Michael Uppendahl
The Dead	7	2013-11-20	Brad Falchuk	Bradley Buecker
The Sacred Taking	8	2013-12-04	Ryan Murphy	Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Head	9	2013-12-11	Tim Minear	Howard Deutch
The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks	10	2014-01-08	James Wong	Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Protect the Coven	11	2014-01-15	Jennifer Salt	Bradley Buecker
Go to Hell	12	2014-01-22	Jessica Sharzer	Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
The Seven Wonders	13	2014-01-29	Douglas Petrie	Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Pre-season Teasers

Initiation

Coven - First Look

What's To Come on Coven

Initiation (Extended)

Mythology

Gallery

Fiona Goode

Cordelia Foxx

Zoe Benson

Kyle Spencer

Announcements

A third story was announced on November 15, 2012.^[2] It was announced at the 2013 PaleyFest panel that the story title would be "Coven".

Jessica Lange was the first actor announced to be remaining in the troupe.^[3]^[4] Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters were also announced to be joining Jessica for season 3. Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy and Taissa Farmiga were also announced as part of the cast. Ryan Murphy teased actors from season 1 reprising a role for season 3 as well.^[5] Later Gabourey Sidibe, Patti LuPone, Angela Bassett, and Emma Roberts were confirmed to have joined the cast. Denis O'Hare, who played Larry Harvey, was also added to the cast of Coven, and Alexandra Breckenridge, Jamie Brewer, Christine Ebersole and Grey Damon were seen in pictures or announced soon after.