"American Horror Story: Coven" FX Series 3, Episode 5 "Burn, Witch, Burn!" review

13 cool things about this episode:

• The bitchy banter between Fiona and her no-good son-in-law.
• Zombie siege (Nice prosthetic, dude, comments one hapless neighbour, soon to be disemboweled)
• Taissa Farmiga doing some fancy chainsaw work.  
• Zombie bonfire in the back yard... more cedar chips please.
• Poignant stillborn baby scene (Fiona Goode does good)
• Atmospheric hospital lighting (shades of ITV's "Whitechapel" possessed police station)
• Surreal witch burning setting 
• Use of Dr John's R&B "Right Place, Wrong Time"
• The Veronica Lake, "I Married A Witch" reference (forerunner of TV's "Bewitched")
• Spaulding playing with one of  his dollies.... a bit too roughly... Snap.
• The continuing bonding of Queenie with LaLaurie.
• Angela Bassett's levitation bit.
• How Fiona is always 3 steps ahead of everyone else, this time using Queenie to trap Myrtle. Fiona tempting Queenie with the promise of being the first black Supreme (hang on, make that the fourth). 

"American Horror Story: Coven" FX, Series 3, Episode 1 "Bitchcraft"

Campy fun, stellar cast, stylish direction, pushing all the right buttons.

What a masterstroke enlisting Kathy Bates into the proceedings. Gorgeous art direction, atmospheric New Orleans locales, familiar faces from the other two series (Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy), Jessica Lange (out of the nun's habit but looking great in black) chewing up the scenery again, bitchy dialogue, a Minotaur, albino Men in Black, an exclusive boarding school (think "Charmed" goes to Mean Girls' Hogwarts), even a Nicholas Cage reference.

The opening episode had enough plot for three eps. This series is going to be stronger than the last because of the likable characters. We only get a glimpse of Frances Conroy as the intriguing Myrtle Snow escorting Zoe with her band of albinos.

The four young witches are played by Taissa Farmiga (Vera's little sis), Emma Roberts as the dodgy movie star, Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious") and Jamie Brewer (Addie from Series 1).

Looking forward to seeing Patti LuPone and more of Voodoo Queen, Angela Bassett in the next episode.