I'm not sure how much worse the cold open could have been and still been on TV, but I also think they needed to make her crimes and her insanity pretty clear right off to set up the possibly!real minotaur.

I don't think the rape was presented as titillating, either, and I was surprised that it happened -- I believed Madison's facade of sexual confidence, based on the way she'd behaved at the school, and I thought they were going to have her really nastily rejecting the guy.

Also, because this is the only place that I feel comfortable asking these sorts of questions: considering that the horrible racial violence in the opening was lifted from the reports about LaLaurie, is there a way the show could have presented it ... not better, but less charged?

I couldn't watch it, FWIW, and almost gave up on the season right there, in case it was going to be like that much more. But I don't think that means the show shouldn't have done it. Why should it be more off limits for fiction than the horrible things edging on real that they've done so far? It's more raw for me, but that's not a good enough reason.

eta: Amy, your reasons are an extension of why I don't enjoy historical fiction, starting from the stumbling reasons I can't divorce myself enough to read RPF. That part of my brain has a hair trigger and a megaphone.

Oh lordy, just saw the first episode of AHS: Coven. Yeah - big time with the cray cray, but also more coherent than the first season premiere. Sadly, I never got past the first episode of the second for a variety of reasons even though I had the season on my (former) DVR. The fire fucked up a lot of shit, dammit.

So Cordelia is married? That was surprising.

I'm dying to see where Zoe is going to stash zombie!Kyle.

Great final shot, with the new Odd Couple walking down the deserted street.

I could watch the Jessica Lange/Angela Bassett show all day long. Fantastic tension!

And the scenes for next week ... I forgot how much they pack into each episode with only 12 per season. I can't even begin to imagine what the end of the season is going to look like.

The Stevie Nicks in the opening scene made me laugh and laugh.

Strix,

and THEN when she showed up again with the same song, I nearly died. That was just brilliant and hilarious.

ITA, I snerked all through that.

Also, Lange calling LaLaurie "Miss PittyPat" was pretty damned funny. And I am looking forward to her being a maid.

I don't love putting Gabourie in a "Chubbie's" uniform, and throwing "Don't make me eat you" out of her mouth. After the fat jokes and showing her mowing on a midnight turkey leg in Ep 1. If it's relevant to her character, OK. But right now? Fat girl is fat. Although she will cut you. I am predicting a schism in the House o' Witchery when she meets Laveau.

So...the minotaur head: unless LaLaurie had her own magic or someone doing juju for her, WhyTF is the head actually attached to her lover's body still, and he's alive? Is his own head under there, and if so, why didn't Laveau take it off? If Lil Swamp Stevie can cure ZombieBro with Spanish moss and gator shit mud, and Laveau can make herself and LaLaurie (and Lover Guy) immortal, surely she could heal him. I would like some explanation on how that came about.

Zoe sure is a follower. Maybe it's the fucking pigtails.

Also: no one works in that morgue? They have time enough to do some private body embroidery and black magicking? I mean, I estimate at least an hour to assemble and baste a new boy.

Also: no one works in that morgue? They have time enough to do some private body embroidery and black magicking?

This is not at all the show to nitpick for reality.

Ryan Murphy talks about this episode. Slightly spoilery.

The Stevie Nicks in the opening scene made me laugh and laugh.

Oh, me too. The actress should have twirled while she reanimated those gators.

I somehow fell asleep just after the reveal of Marie Laveau in the modern day, so will have to watch the rest of the episode tonight to get my RDA of crazy.