As American Horror Story: Coven continues its twisted journey, the identity of the next Supreme has fast become this season’s most important mystery. The buildup started slowly, with rules and requirements for the Supreme subtly doled out: She’s got to be healthy and she’s got to be able to perform the “7 Wonders.†But how strict is this “glowing-bill-of-health†rule, anyway? Do mental deficiencies count? How about not being alive? And what are the 7 Wonders, exactly: specific powers or magical tasks? Even last night’s episode didn’t really clear anything up (SPOILERS! HERE COME THE SPOILERS!): Queenie’s maybe-death doesn’t even necessarily take her out of the race. Like us, you’re probably keeping track at home of which witch has the edge to succeed Fiona: Here’s where the Supreme Watch stands after last night’s episode, and don’t place any bets until you’ve taken our odds into consideration.
Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga)
PRO: As far as we know, she’s in perfect health, and the girl has revealed herself to possess more than one magical talent. She’s got that whole man-killer thing (see: teeth), kissed poor FrankenKyle back from the dead, reattached Spalding’s tongue to his mouth, instinctively stood up to Marie Laveau’s witchcraft, and was able to easily release the Axeman from his ghostly prison.
CON: Would Ryan Murphy make the big reveal this obvious? We hope not. All signs point to Zoe (especially the fact that she’s the most sympathetic protagonist), but it’s that fact that causes us to slightly doubt her Supremeness.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 9 out of 10 Fiona Goodes
Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson)
PRO: While Cordelia was introduced as a timid witch with interest in potion-making, once she was blinded by sulfuric acid thrown in her face, she took on a new power: “the Sight.†Described as the most powerful ability and the most painful one to live with, she can see visions of the past through touch (people and objects). Plus, as the daughter of the current Supreme, she also has genetics going for her.
CON: After Myrtle (Frances Conroy) took the eyes of the now-deceased former council members and donated them to Cordelia, she gained her eyesight back but lost the Sight — and possibly her chances at Supremeness.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 6 out of 10 Fiona Goodes
Misty Day (Lily Rabe)
PRO: Her main power of resurrection seems to have impressed everyone. In fact, she’s brought back counsel member Myrtle, fellow Supreme contender Madison, Bible-thumping next-door neighbor Joan, and she used her magical swamp mud to finish putting FrankenKyle back together. She even once resurrected herself. When Misty and the newly resurrected Myrtle headed back to Miss Robichaux’s Academy, Myrtle told Fiona that only someone with as much power as Misty could be the new Supreme. Misty even bought it.
CON: She’s too indiscriminate with her powers: bringing back Kyle was a kind thing, yes (even if it did get off to a violent and dangerous start). But bringing back Joan? She essentially invited evil back into the world. Shouldn’t a Supreme be wiser and not so one-note? (We’d like her to be.) Maybe more time spent inside the coven will round her out. She still feels like an outsider.Â
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 8 out of 10 Fiona Goodes
Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts)
PRO: Fiona Goode, our reigning Supreme, was so threatened by the idea that she was being replaced that she murdered who she thought was next in line: Madison.
CON: She has already died and come back to life. Not that it completely disqualifies her — people are constantly coming back to life on this show — but let’s not forget that before that, it was revealed that she had a heart murmur. Hardly fits the “healthy†qualification.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 3 out of 10 Fiona Goodes
Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe)
PRO: Not only did she bounce back surprisingly quickly from her dangerous run-in with the Minotaur, Queenie’s power to cause pain in others by hurting herself has proven to be very impressive … and is a powerful mimic of Marie Laveau’s traditional voodoo dolls. It would certainly make the story more interesting if she turned out to be the Supreme after defecting to Laveau’s side of town.
CON: After last night, she might be dead; how dead, even after talking to both Gabourey Sidibe and Ryan Murphy, we’re still unsure. (And, as mentioned above, stopping breathing is not a deal-breaker.)
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 4 out of 10 Fiona Goodes
Nan (Jamie Brewer)
PRO: Nan’s clairvoyance has proved consistently useful, not only to herself (it’s kind of how she wooed Luke, right?) but to the witches around her. Not only is she intuitive and telepathic, she might also be able to tell the future and displayed a bit of telekinesis when she mysteriously unlocked a door in Luke’s house. She’s arguably the underdog here, so that would make her Supremeness all the more surprising. And likely.
CON: A much-debated topic in the Coven message boards (of which, there are a few!) is Nan’s “health†and whether her Down Syndrome disqualifies her from being Supreme. Not only is “good health†undefined by the powers that be, but many have made the point that Down is genetic and thus, not a “caught†ailment or “poor condition†of health. It’s a gene abnormality and Nan was born with it.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 8 out of 10 Fiona Goodes