As American Horror Story: Coven lurches toward its surely mind-blowing conclusion on January 29, it is becoming very clear that creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk enjoy watching fans suffer along with their characters. Our Supreme will eventually be crowned, they promise, but not until each witchy contender has been repeatedly dismissed and then put back in the running. Quit playing games with our hearts, guys! We tried guessing every character’s chances of replacing Fiona Goode as leader the Coven last month in an exercise we called the AHS Supreme Watch, but since then, the rules have been both changed and changed again. It’s time for an update. [And a spoiler alert: Spoilers abound below!]
Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson)
PRO: Remember that all-power Sight thing that Cordelia gained when she was blinded by acid? It went away when well-meaning Myrtle (Frances Conroy) gave her the recycled eyes of former council members. It severely lowered her chances at Surpreme-dom and she knew it, therefore the eyes had to go. Will the power return? We’ll have to see
CON: She’s still relatively boring, and her confidence is shot after realizing that her husband was a Witch Hunter the entire time. Would a Supreme really let herself be that gullible?
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 7 out of 10 Fiona Goodes (+1 since last time for old powers possibly returning)
Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe)
PRO: On AHS, nothing dead can stay. While the Coven is paying their last respects to Nan, Queenie appears from a car, dragging poor Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) on a leash. Aren’t you dead? they all practically gasp. (You’d think no one would be really surprised about these things at this point …) Nope. “Turns out I got some new powers. I’m starting to think I might be the next Supreme. Not even silver bullets can stop me.â€
CON: She still defected to the voodoo side, will the Coven take her back? Even if she is Supreme-worthy?
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 7 out of 10 Fiona Goodes (+3 since last time for self-resurrection)
Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga)
PRO: At this point, she’s the only young witch who hasn’t died.
CON: Last time we saw Zoe, she was pretty much the frontrunner in this game. But doesn’t being the assumed frontrunner actually mean (in American Horror Story terms) that you’re out of the game? Call us cynical, but Zoe and her (now-verbal!) boyfriend, Kyle, take off at the end of Wednesday night’s episode. Out of sight, out of spirit.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 6 out of 10 Fiona Goodes (-3 since last time for ditching the Coven)
Misty Day (Lily Rabe)
PRO: When Stevie Nicks paid the Coven a visit, Misty was on top. The White Witch paid her respects, and even reigning Supreme, Fiona Goode, was practically cowering at her feet. She had all the right powers (resurrection, etc.) and even got a bit of confidence to boot.
CON: And just as you thought Misty was a good bet, jealous Madison (Emma Roberts) swiftly kicked her butt into a coffin. Now she’s missing and no one seems worried about finding her. Her only hope? A quick comment about preparing a way to resurrect herself before she was offed. No one is ever actually dead.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 6 out of 10 Fiona Goodes (-2 since last time for death slowing her down a bit)
Nan (Jamie Brewer)
PRO: Uh, she’s an underdog?
CON: Since we last analyzed, Fiona (Jessica Lange) and her new BFF Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) put a maybe-end to Nan’s Supreme dreams by drowning her in the tub. She was an acceptable sacrifice to Papa Legba and after her physical body went cold, appeared as a ghost on his side. On Wednesday night’s episode, “Protect the Coven,†she was buried by the Coven. Sure, we’ve repeated ad nauseam that no one is truly dead on this show, but we have yet to see any of the murdered appear as ghosts soon after they expire … Things aren’t look good for Nan.
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 5 out of 10 Fiona Goodes (-3 since last time for dying, appearing as a ghost, and having really not that much time left to make a proper comeback)
Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts)
PRO: At this point, it’s easy to forget that Madison was ever even dead. Her heart murmur is “cured,†she’s quick to mention (Nan confirms it by listening, which I’m not sure you can do), and she’s more confident and seemingly powerful than ever. She put Misty literally into a grave, performs impressive and aggressive telekinesis against Zoe and Kyle.
CON: She would be the same exact Supreme as Fiona, and aren’t we hoping for things to turn out for the better?
POTENTIAL SUPREMENESS: 5 out of 10 Fiona Goodes (+2 since last time for curing her own heart murmur)