Season 3 Episode 4 of American Horror Story, titled Fearful Pranks Ensue, has the Witches Council pay an unfriendly visit. Meanwhile, Marie Laveau cooks up some revenge. Josh provides the episode summary, and both Violet and Josh comment on the episode! Let’s get started with this week’s episode walk-through for American Horror Story: Coven!
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American Horror Story: Coven, Episode 4 Fearful Pranks Ensue Recap Overview
Need a quick American Horror Story: Coven episode recap of episode 4, titled Fearful Pranks Ensue? Here is a summary of events for the episode. Each event is linked to the more detailed American Horror Story episode recap for Fearful Pranks Ensue if you need more information!
- We see a past event in Marie Laveau‘s life, which causes her to raise the dead for vengeance. Meanwhile, the odd butler witnesses the murder of Madison.
- Queenie is hurt by the Minotaur, but Fiona and Cordelia are able to save her. Fiona also makes Marie a “gift”. Meanwhile, Kyle goes missing.
- Cordelia‘s husband is a cheater and LaLaurie tries to figure out how to thank Queenie for saving her life..
- The Witch’s Council has come for a visit. Nan called them because she cannot hear Madison in her telepathic powers anymore. Cordelia‘s husband murders his mistress from online in cold blood.
- A lot of history between Myrtle and Fiona is revealed. We learn the butler cut his own tongue out to protect Fiona. Also, Myrtle goes off the deep end with her accusations of Fiona
- Fiona and Cordelia have a conversation at a bar, and Cordelia is attacked in the restroom. Meanwhile, zombies come to the Coven. LaLaurie recognizes one of them, and is terrified.
American Horror Story: Coven Episode Recap: Fearful Pranks Ensue, the Details
A History Lesson with Zombies
American Horror Story begins with an African American kid riding his bike. He seems to be being chased by a vehicle behind him. Some white men get out of the car, and chase him down an alley, and corner him. We learn it is 1962 in New Orleans. In Marie Laveau’s salon (still in 1961), a lady is doing a client’s hair, talking about her son going to an integrated high school. They are talking about the racial climate of the 60s, and how hopefully it is changing. The stylist is optimistic, however Marie and the client are not.
In the next scene, however, it seems the stylist was wrong. At least short term, as her son is found hung. Cops get the boy down, but his mom comes up and is hysterical. Marie is there too, looking vengeful herself. Next we see some voodoo happening. Marie and her group are performing a ritual. Then we see what the spell is–zombies. They begin to rise from the graves, and the white men are attacked. The zombies decimate the group, as Marie seems to control them from her abode.
Back in the present, the butler that witnessed Madison’s death is pouring tea for some dolls and himself, listening to some old record player. We learn time wise this is right before Madison is killed, and we see the butler walk down the stairs, and see Fiona kill Madison. The butler wraps the girl in the rug she died on, and removes the body as Fiona tries to convince herself and the butler that she had to kill Madison, because, “she would have been a lousy supreme.” She also comments how she enjoys talking with him, especially since he has lost his tongue. They are interrupted however, and Fiona tells him to deal with Madison.
Queenie’s Revival, Marie’s Gift
Outside, Fiona finds Queenie, who has been gored by the Minotaur. The minotaur shows up behind her, but we do not see what happens there, as the scene moves to Fiona waking up Cordelia, so they can heal Queenie. While performing their spell, Fiona and Cordelia argue about Marie and Fiona breaking the treaty. Fiona accuses Cordelia of undermining her by going to Marie. Fiona then has to use further powers as Queenie stops breathing. Cordelia wants to take Queenie to the hospital, but Fiona refuses to allow is, as the Witches Council would start asking questions. Fiona goes to her room, and finds LaLaurie in her closet. LaLaurie is appreciative of Queenie saving her.
Back at Laveau’s salon, a woman is getting her hair done–who looks like the same lady getting her hair done in 1961, and the same age. They get a package delivered, and a lady opens up the package. Inside is the minotaur’s head. Marie flips out.
Back with Kyle and Zoe, in Kyle’s house, Kyle is still covered in blood, and is banging his head on a sink. Zoe tries to get him to stop, saying “Kyle, no”. Kyle seems to have a glimmer of recognition of his own name. He then says, “No Kyle”. Zoe tries to clean him up, and apologizes to him, for what she did. She then offers to make him some food. She begins looking around the kitchen, and comes across something not quite food–rat poison. She seems to make some food, but not sure if the rat poison is in the food. She goes to find Kyle, and he is missing–on Halloween.
A Visit From the Council
Back with Fiona, LaLaurie helps Fiona get dressed. Fiona tells LaLaurie how much she likes Halloween. Meanwhile, Laveau is preparing a spell, and Chantal, one of her group, tries to convince her to not reignite this war as it would be damaging for them as well. Marie isn’t listening, however. Back in the past, we see Marie made a treaty with the previous Supreme preceding Fiona.
Cordelia has a phone call with her husband, who is in Baton Rouge, meeting a client. Turns out this client is a woman, and they get busy real quick. He gets kind of weird at the end, and she seems to get a little concerned, but seems to let it go. We learn that she met him online.
Cordelia is at Queenie’s bedside, and Queenie wakes up. LaLaurie thanks her for saving her life. Then Nan comes in and says, “They’re here”. Cordelia think it is Zoe and Madison, but it turns out to be the Witches Council. Cordelia thinks she knows why they are there–because of Queenie’s injury. This turns out to not be the reason. Corelia makes another guess–she admits to visiting Marie Laveau. This again is not what they are there for. Fiona then walks in and tells Cordelia to stop talking. Fiona compliments the Council members. Turns out the Council was summoned by Nan, because she can’t hear Madison anymore–in her mind, so she thinks that Madison is dead.
The Madison Murder Investigation
Outside, the butler makes a scarecrow, and hugs it. The Witches Council begins their investigation, informs everyone that the penalty for killing a witch is death. They also ask about new powers Madison may have developed. Nan tells the Council about the fiery powers Madison had recently developed, and the Council is curious to know who knew about these new powers.
Back with Cordelia’s husband, the girl he met is making food for the both of them. She seems to be a small town girl, who hasn’t seen much. She seems smitten with him. He then pulls out a silenced gun and shoots her in the head.
Back at the “witch hunt”, the Council begins to lay into Fiona for not being a good Supreme. In the past we see the previous interrogation that Fiona went through when she killed the previous supreme, that caused Fiona to take over. We see young Myrtle, the witch leading the charge against Fiona, is suspicious of Fiona even on the first murder. We then see Myrtle cast what appears to be a truth spell. The spell was cast onto the butler, as Myrtle believes he knows the truth. Later that night in the past, the house is woken up to the sound of a male groaning–the butler had his tongue removed.
Myrtle is an Unhappy Camper
Returning to the present, Myrtle is just ready to burn Fiona. She calls Spalding up next, the tongue-less butler. Myrtle tries to get him to confess who cut his tongue out. The butler writes down something, and hands the paper to Myrtle.
Back in the past, we see Myrtle talk about the truth spell again, but this time from Spalding’s perspective, showing us that he overheard what Myrtle said. Then, still in the past, the butler is in the bathroom, with his razor out. He sent a note to have young Fiona visit him, and he tells her his last words: “I have always loved you”. He then cuts out his own tongue.
Back in the present, Myrtle realizes her name rather than Fiona’s is written on the paper, and she flips out, yelling her accusations. Cordelia then tells Myrtle it could not have been Fiona who killed Madison–because Madison wasn’t in line to become the Supreme, as she had a heart murmur, thereby being no motive for the killing.
Back with Marie Laveau, she is conducting her ritual. Zombies rise yet again. LaLaurie has then began handing out candy for kids on Halloween. Nan and Zoe talk, and Zoe tries to tell Nan that Madison isn’t dead. Moving back to the butler, he is playing with his dolls again. One of these dolls is Madison’s dead body.
The Zombies–They’re Coming
Fiona has gone to the bar with Cordelia. Cordelia wants to play a game, where they get to each ask each other 3 questions, and the other has to answer truthfully. Cordelia asks first. First is why she hates Hank (Cordelia’s husband)–Fiona says because “He reeks of bullsh–“. Number two is if Fiona killed Madison. She breaks the rules–and says she did not. Fiona then interjects with her own question, asking who the next Supreme would be. Cordelia doesn’t really answer the question, just comments that Fiona is obsessed with her powers leaving.
In the next scene, Cordelia is throwing up in the toilet, probably from so much drinking. She exits the stall, and someone in all black throws some sort of acid into Cordelia’s eyes, causing her to scream in terror.
The final scene of the episode has LaLaurie answering the door for what she thinks is kids. Three zombies stand there, and LaLaurie recognizes one of them–probably her daughter? We then see that a swarm of zombies has come down on the house, and the episode closes out.
Josh’s Thoughts: American Horror Story: Coven, Episode 4: Fearful Pranks Ensue
It looks like a witch war is eminent with the voodoo Marie Laveau is cooking up. I am curious if the hooded figure in the restroom at the end was also with Marie Laveau’s coven. I am also curious to see the extent of the damage whatever was put on Cordelia’s face will be. Was it acid? Something more magical? Will she be blind now? I guess we’ll have to see there.
The butler sure is demented though, and obsessed with Fiona. Him willing to cut out his tongue is just a little too clingy I would think. I am curious to see if Madison is gone from the living for the show, or if there is something that will be bringing her back. It seems weird to just kill her off, but I guess we will have to see on that as well.
Poor Kyle with his afterlife. but where is he going? I suppose maybe to Misty? I am wondering if Zoe actually put the rat poison in the food, as we never actually see it happen. Will rat poison even kill Kyle? We do not really know how alive or dead he is anymore.
I did not quite catch the zombie that LaLaurie recognized. I think it is her daughter, but I am not certain. Regardless, the Coven is in danger.
As for Cordelia’s husband…What the heck is going on there? Was he always crazy or was this a result of the spell they performed? This seemed completely out of nowhere. Is he a crazy serial killer that just travels around killing lonely women? I hope that Cordelia catches on and comes up with a proper punishment for her husband via some sort of magic.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 3 Episode 4 of American Horror Story, Fearful Pranks Ensue
Pretty crazy episode of American Horror Story: Coven, but then again, aren’t they all? It seems as though Queenie and the Minotaur were not a match made in heaven after all. And what’s up with Cordelia’s husband? Has he always been cheating and murderous? How does he fit into this story? Where did Kyle run off to? Luckily, it’s Halloween, so he won’t seem out of place, but that’ll make it harder for Zoe to find him. Did she give him the rat poison or not? Will it even do anything to him? She’s obviously wishing she could undo Kyle’s resurrection right about now, seeing what shape he’s in and that he killed his own mother. Of course, Zoe doesn’t know why Kyle killed his mom. Kyle actually spoke a couple of words this episode, will he be able to speak more soon?
I liked the background story in this episode, as they tackle legitimate issues that existed in New Orleans and the South. As horrifying as the supernatural things are on the show, this is something that was real. I also enjoyed seeing Fiona and Myrtle in their younger years, and seeing the rivalry that dated back even to then. I felt like the younger girls portrayed their older counterparts quite well. Spalding is really creepy though. Fiona is lucky to have him on her side! What happens now that Spalding wrote Myrtle’s name on the paper? Will this accusation be taken seriously?
As far as Halloween episodes go, this was a pretty good one, what with the zombies popping up. But did they really have to wait right until the end of the episode for the zombies to attack, and cut it off there?! It would have been better to have the zombie attack take place during Halloween week, rather than for it to continue the week after, even if it’s still Halloween night on the show.
Anyway, it looks like Laveau has declared war on the witches. Should be interesting to see how this goes — and what Luke, the neighbor boy, thinks of all this! What is his role in this story? We shall soon see!
Scenes from American Horror Story, Episode 5, Burn Witch Burn!
Here are scenes from next week’s American Horror Story episode titled Burn Witch Burn!
Scenes from American Horror Story, Season 3 Episode 5: Burn Witch Burn!
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