"The Replacements" is the third episode of Coven. It premiered October 23, 2013.
Synopsis[]
Fiona takes on an unlikely protégé. A guilt-ridden Zoe tries to give Kyle his old life back. Madison has a fiery exchange with Joan Ramsey, a new neighbor.[1]
Plot[]
1971[]
A young Fiona and her predecessor in Supremacy, Anna Leigh Leighton, discuss how the new Supreme is chosen. Fiona persuades Anna Leigh to let her perform the Seven Wonders, a set of seven magical challenges a witch must overcome that will determine the next Supreme. Anna Leigh refuses. Fiona counters that she is obviously the next Supreme because her powers are starting to flower while Anna Leigh is losing her abilities. She begins to taunt Anna Leigh by mocking her for getting so sick that she requires a batch of medications. Fiona insinuates that Anna Leigh just does not want to lose her position yet. Anna Leigh calls her a spoiled child and tells her that she has seen the future and that Fiona will ruin the Coven if she should become the next Supreme. She thinks that Fiona's attitude renders her unfit to be the Supreme. Therefore, Anna Leigh swears that she will make it her final mission to make sure Fiona will never be Supreme. Fiona teleports and deftly slits Anna Leigh's throat. Spalding stands and watches from the doorway as Anna Leigh collapses to the floor and bleeds out, dying.
Present[]
Fiona visits a plastic surgeon and tearfully watches a procedural video on facelifts.
Zoe visits Kyle's mother. They reminisce about Kyle's work ethic and gentle nature. Alicia over-shares that she was on the verge of hanging herself when Zoe called. Alicia asks if Zoe was Kyle's girlfriend, but Zoe says their relationship wasn't romantic. Zoe assures her that her son will return.
Nan, Queenie and Madison ogle a shirtless Luke Ramsey moving in next door with his mother, Joan. When she spots the girls staring at him, she orders him to go inside and get another shirt. Inside, Delphine watches television and is in tears learning that Obama is the president. Fiona points out that black people have become important people in the country, which Delphine does not believe. Fiona gives her a maid's outfit, telling her that either she becomes the new maid or be sent back in the box. At the dining table, the girls discuss Luke and their virginities. While Madison and Nan have already lost theirs, Queenie admits that she is saving herself for the right person. Queenie recognizes Delphine while she is serving, and Delphine refuses to serve a black girl. Fiona retaliates by making Delphine Queenie's personal slave.
Zoe visits Misty Day and an almost healed Kyle, planning to take Kyle back to his mother. Despite Misty wanting Kyle to stay longer, Zoe takes him, promising to come back. Misty says that she knows she will not, then she spins around in an erratic style.
Nan and Madison decide to visit the Ramsey house, Nan bringing a cake and Madison wears a revealing and provocative dress. With no television or access to the internet, Luke does not recognize Madison, much to her annoyance, and pays more attention to Nan and her cake. Joan abruptly tells them that they are going to Bible study, which Madison insults. Joan takes great offense and tells them to leave. When she stops the cake from being cut, she struggles with Madison, who telekinetically throws the knife, barely missing Joan's head. On her way out, Madison, to her own and Nan's surprise, sets the curtains on fire remotely.
Zoe returns Kyle home to his mother's house, leaving him on the porch alone. Later, when Kyle showers, Alicia notices the anatomical difference with his body. She begins kissing him in a romantic manner whilst he cries, implying that they had a forced incestuous relationship.
Cordelia consults with her gynecologist while Hank is at a construction meeting outside New Orleans. He reveals that Cordelia is infertile, and she can never have biological children. Elsewhere, the cosmetic surgeon gives Fiona similar news that her blood work is irregular, and no reputable doctor will want to perform surgery on her. Later that night, Joan visits the academy to report what Madison did to her, but a drunken Fiona simply mocks her. Joan also mentions Madison setting her curtains on fire, which arouses Fiona's interest. After Joan leaves, Fiona asks Madison to light her cigarette pyrokinetically to prove it.
Cordelia visits Cornrow City to consult with Marie Laveau about her fertility problem. Marie Laveau charges $50,000 for a 100% effective fertility spell, but laughs when Cordelia says she will take it, saying she will not help the daughter of her enemy, and tells Cordelia about Fiona's previous visit.
Zoe receives a call from Alicia that Kyle is back but not himself.
Fiona and Madison discuss Madison's fame and family life at a sidewalk cafe. Madison talks about her horrible mother and Fiona admits that she was a horrible mother to Cordelia, she is trying to change but feels it too late. Madison volunteers to be Fiona's new protege. Fiona starts by teaching her how to mentally trick people into doing something, by silently making a man in the middle of the street walk into traffic.
Delphine and Queenie argue about Queenie's eating habits and trying to catch a man. Delphine spots the Minotaur outside and panics, telling Queenie the truth about her past. Queenie is first reluctant to help the racist, but when Delphine says that Bastien, the slave, violated her daughter so she tortured him, she decides to help. She lures the Minotaur to the greenhouse with Delphine's blood on a towel and offers herself to him. The Minotaur takes her from behind and has sex with her.
Alicia tries to talk to Kyle about the changes in him and tries to seduce him. He fights back, repeatedly screaming "No!" as he grabs a trophy and bludgeons her to death with it. Later on, Zoe arrives at Alicia's house. She wanders inside and finds Alicia's body with her skull bashed-in, and Kyle covered in her blood.
In a pool hall, Madison practices coercion while Fiona watches. Fiona discreetly pours out her own alcohol and watches Madison coerce men into doing her bidding. For a moment, she sees Madison morph into her younger, ambitious self.
Back at the house, Fiona voices her suspicion that Madison will be the next Supreme and, while looking at the old portraits of past Supremes, advises her to have her portrait done while still young. She reveals that she has cancer and is dying, and her power should be pouring into Madison right now. She admits to killing Anna Leigh, and produces the knife, wanting Madison to kill her so she can take control of the Coven. Madison refuses, and they struggle until the knife ends up slitting Madison's throat. Spalding appears once more and is ordered by Fiona to bury Madison's body deep. She surmises that if Madison was really the next Supreme, then the Coven will not need a new Supreme for now.
Featured Characters[]
Alicia Spencer was the mother of Kyle Spencer. She was nearly pushed to suicide after his death at the hands of Madison Montgomery. Prior to this, she had started having an incestuous and abusive relationship with her son, against his will, which began sometime after Kyle's father had left her.
Upon his resurrection and return, she noticed that his arms and legs were "different" (unaware that he was magically reassembled using body parts from his frat brothers). She was still keen on rekindling the incestuous relationship that had begun between them after Kyle's father left her. In response to her attempts at this, he violently bashed her head in with a trophy, killing her.
Quotes[]
- Delphine LaLaurie: "No... why oh Lord Almighty God have you forsaken this once proud country?"
- Queenie: "You best put that food down in front of me before I frisbee this plate at your head."
- Fiona Goode: "This coven doesn't need a new supreme, it needs a new rug."
- Marie Laveau: "Too late for tears. Damage is done."
- Marie Laveau: "She done messed with the wrong witch. And she knows it. And now you know it."
- Alicia: "I've been possessive, I do know that. I never meant for it to go so far, or go on for so long."
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- Frances Conroy (Myrtle Snow) is credited but does not appear.
- The title of the episode refers to the long-standing tradition of a new Supreme replacing the old one.
- Commentary: Was SPOILER really killed off on the latest ‘Coven?!’.
- Commentary: Ryan Murphy on the latest ‘Coven,’ minotaur sex and next week’s introduction of…zombies!.
References[]
Murder House | |||||||
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Asylum | |||||||
Coven | |||||||
Freak Show | |||||||
Hotel | |||||||
Roanoke | |||||||
Cult | |||||||
Apocalypse | |||||||
1984 | |||||||
Double Feature |
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NYC | |||||||
Delicate |