The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks

Last updated
"The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks"
American Horror Story episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 10
Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Written by James Wong
Featured music
Production code3ATS10
Original air dateJanuary 8, 2014 (2014-01-08)
Running time47 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Head"
Next 
"Protect the Coven"
American Horror Story: Coven
List of episodes

"The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks" is the tenth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story , which premiered on January 8, 2014, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by James Wong and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. In this episode, Fiona (Jessica Lange) tries to out the next Supreme with a visit by Stevie Nicks and Madison (Emma Roberts) tries to eliminate her competition for the Supremacy. This episode marks Nicks' acting debut. She agreed to do the show based on her love of Glee , another show from the same creative team. [1] Angela Bassett, Danny Huston and Patti LuPone guest star as Marie Laveau, the Axeman, and Joan Ramsey, respectively. This episode is rated TV-MA (LV).

Contents

Plot

Stevie Nicks performing in 2011. Stevie Nicks Performing.jpg
Stevie Nicks performing in 2011.

Misty Day is overwhelmed when presented to Stevie Nicks, who gives away her trademark shawl to Misty as a lucky charm for the Seven Wonders trial.

Marie Laveau reveals to Fiona the source of her immortality: "to sell the soul to Papa Legba and obey his commands no matter what once a year", which in Marie's case is to get him an innocent life starting with her own baby centuries ago.

Madison tries to sabotage Zoe and the other witches in the race for the Supremacy.

Cordelia breaks down, feeling useless and responsible for the impending war and begins destroying the greenhouse. Shortly after, the Delphi Trust, losing half of their finances in less than 10 minutes, suspects witchcraft influence and starts planning the extermination of the Coven. Fiona summons Papa Legba, offering her soul in exchange for eternal youth and willing to do any request for it, but the spirit turns down the deal as he claims she has "no soul to give". After this, she becomes determined to kill all of the Coven in order to murder the new Supreme.

Marie and Fiona decide to get rid of Nan, considering her too dangerous after she finds the stolen newborn for Papa Legba and starts claiming she would be a better and kinder Supreme. They offer her as a sacrifice to Papa Legba, drowning her in the bathtub. He accepts the substitute for the newborn and warns Laveau and Fiona of being "trouble" together.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports a 77% approval rating, based on 13 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "The titular rock star provides grounding for "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks", an enjoyably odd episode that becomes bolder as it progresses, even if the characters and storylines grow more difficult to track." [2] Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A− rating, saying, ""The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks" is by far the best episode of this season of American Horror Story. Freed from the constraints of its endless circling and with an actual villain to face off with, the show's characters start actually doing stuff, and the series' momentum grows exponentially." However, she added: "It's also a completely ridiculous episode of television." [3] Matt Fowler from IGN gave the episode a 7.3/10 rating, saying, "While offering up a handful of surprising moments, "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks" was still Coven's weakest entry. The sick and depraved danger fell by the wayside, replaced with soap-y Supreme competitiveness." [4]

The episode received a 1.8 18–49 ratings share and was watched by 3.49 million viewers in its original American broadcast, a decrease from the previous episode. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papa Legba</span> Ginen in Haitian Vodou

Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Dominican Vodou,Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between God and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner. Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding. He is commonly associated with dogs. Papa Legba is invoked at the beginning of every ceremony. Papa Legba has his origins in the historic West African kingdom of Dahomey, located within present-day Benin.

Marie Catherine Laveau was a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodoo, herbalist and midwife who was renowned in New Orleans. Her daughter, Marie Laveau II, also practiced rootwork, conjure, Native American and African spiritualism as well as Louisiana Voodoo and traditional Roman Catholicism. An alternate spelling of her name, Laveaux, is considered by historians to be from the original French spelling.

<i>American Horror Story: Coven</i> Third season of the television series

The third season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Coven, is set in 2013 New Orleans and follows a coven of witches descended from Salem as they fight for survival and features flashbacks to the Salem witch trials in 1692, as well as the 1830s, 1910s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, Emma Roberts, Lily Rabe, Evan Peters, Denis O'Hare, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange, with all returning from previous seasons, except Roberts, Bassett, and Bates.

Bitchcraft (<i>American Horror Story</i>) 1st episode of the 3rd season of American Horror Story

"Bitchcraft" is the premiere episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 9, 2013 on the cable network FX. The episode title is a portmanteau of the words bitch and witchcraft.

"The Axeman Cometh" is the sixth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 13, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"The Replacements" is the third episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 23, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"Fearful Pranks Ensue" is the fourth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 30, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"Burn, Witch. Burn!" is the fifth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 6, 2013, on the cable network FX.

"Boy Parts" is the second episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 16, 2013, on the cable network FX. The title is a reference to a line in this episode spoken by Madison Montgomery.

"The Dead" is the seventh episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 20, 2013, on the cable network FX. This episode is rated TV-MA (LSV).

"The Sacred Taking" is the eighth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on December 4, 2013, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

"Head" is the ninth episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on December 11, 2013, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Tim Minear and directed by Howard Deutch.

"Protect the Coven" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 15, 2014, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Jennifer Salt and directed by Bradley Buecker.

"Go to Hell" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 22, 2014, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Jessica Sharzer and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

"The Seven Wonders" is the thirteenth and final episode of the third season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 29, 2014, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Douglas Petrie and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

<i>American Horror Story: Apocalypse</i> Eighth season of the horror anthology television series

The eighth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Apocalypse, features the witches from the New Orleans coven as they battle the Antichrist and attempt to prevent the world from ending. The season is presented as a crossover between Murder House, Coven, and Hotel. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Cody Fern, Emma Roberts, Cheyenne Jackson and Kathy Bates, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomer Fern.

"Boy Wonder" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 10, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by John J. Gray, and directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton.

"Traitor" is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 24, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Adam Penn, and directed by Jennifer Lynch.

"Apocalypse Then" is the tenth and final episode of the eighth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on November 14, 2018, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk, and directed by Bradley Buecker.

Mary Oneida Toups was an American occultist known as the "Witch Queen of New Orleans". Toups was the founder and high priestess of the Religious Order of Witchcraft, which was the first coven to be chartered as an official religious organization in the state of Louisiana. In 1975 she published an instructional occultist book titled Magick High and Low.

References

  1. "Stevie Nicks Talks 'American Horror Story'". Rolling Stone . December 3, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  2. "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks – American Horror Story: Coven, Episode 10". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  3. VanDerWerff, Emily (January 8, 2014). "American Horror Story: "The Magical Delights Of Stevie Nicks"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  4. Fowler, Matt (January 8, 2014). "You Two Together. Big Trouble". IGN . Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  5. Bibel, Sara (January 9, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'My Strange Addiction', 'Psych', 'Real World Ex-Plosion' & More". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2014.