The third season of FX’s hit series American Horror Story: Coven featured the music of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. By the end of the season, seven different songs were featured in six of the series’ 13 episodes: “Edge of Seventeen,” “Rhiannon,” “Sara,” “Leather and Lace,” “Kind of Woman, ” “Seven Wonders,” “Rhiannon” (reprised on the piano) and “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You” (piano). A fan of Stevie Nicks’ music, American Horror Story writer Ryan Murphy selected all of the songs to be included.
On the weekend of November 15, 2013, Stevie traveled to New Orleans to film her appearances on the show. She appeared in two episodes: Episode 10: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks, in which she played the piano and sang “Rhiannon” and “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You”; and Episode 13: The Seven Wonders, where she lip-synced to “Seven Wonders” in a performance clip at the start of the episode.
Here is a recap with clips of the scenes where the songs appear in each episode.
Episode 1: Bitchcraft
(Aired: Wednesday, October 9, 2013)
Summary: A young girl, Zoe, is shattered to discover she possesses a strange genetic affliction tracing back to the dark days of Salem. Zoe is whisked away to Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, a mysterious school in New Orleans devoted to safeguarding the few remaining descendants who share this unique bloodline. Harboring a secret agenda, Fiona Goode, the most powerful witch of their generation, returns to town, reigniting old rivalries with the Coven’s deadly enemies, the Voodoo.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode.
Episode 2: Boy Parts
(Aired: Wednesday, October 16, 2013)
Summary: Death has failed to claim more than one person, including Madame LaLaurie, whose secrets Fiona is determined to find out.
Featured Song: Edge of Seventeen (viewer discretion advised for violence)
Episode 2 opens with two men hunting alligator in the Louisiana swamp. One of the hunters shoots an alligator in the head, killing it instantly. The men return to their camp and “Edge of Seventeen” starts to play in the background. They see Misty looking at the dead alligators, tied and hanging from the trees. Disgusted by what she sees, she says, “This is wrong. All wrong. Murder. This will not be forgiven.” Misty confronts the hunters about their actions, but one of them threatens her with a gun. Misty brings one of the hanging alligators back to life and commands it to attack the man who threatened her. The second man starts to run away, but is quickly apprehended by another alligator, which ends up devouring his head and dragging him into the swamp. As Misty walks towards the swamp, she stares at the still water, smiling with satisfaction. “Edge of Seventeen” continues to play in the background and then abruptly stops.
Featured Song: Rhiannon
Towards the end of episode 2, Madison and Zoe break into the morgue, where Kyle’s remains are being held. Madison comes up with a plan to repurpose “boy parts” and use a spell to bring Kyle back to life (having accidentally killed him from blowing up the bus that he boarded to confront Madison’s attacker). Madison’s plan works, as Kyle comes backs to life. Zoe takes him home in her car. On the way back, Misty suddenly appears in the backseat of the car and directs Zoe to take them to her house in the swamp.
At Misty’s house, the single version of “Rhiannon” is playing in the background, as Misty works to repair Kyle’s body with the healing properties of “Spanish moss and alligator dung.” Misty starts to sing along to “Rhiannon,” which starts a conversation about Stevie Nicks.
“Who sings this?” Zoe asks.
“Who sings this? Fleetwood Mac! Stevie Nicks is my hero.
“That’s Stevie Nicks from American Idol?”
“Stevie Nicks, the white witch, the only witch before you I’ve ever known.”
“She’s an actual witch?”
“Listen to the lyric. [both listening to the song] This song was her anthem. Doesn’t it just penetrate your soul and tell the truth about everything you ever felt in your whole life?”
“Yeah, totally.”
“Rhiannon” continues to play in the background.
Episode 3: The Replacements
(Aired: Wednesday, October 23, 2013)
Summary: Fiona takes on an unlikely protégé. Meanwhile, Zoe tries to help Kyle.
Featured Song: Sara
Misty and Kyle are lying on her bed. She sings along to the opening lines of “Sara” and turns to Kyle and says:
“Stevie didn’t find her voice until she and Lindsey joined Fleetwood Mac. And that’s the thing, you can’t be your best self until you find your tribe. I’m still looking for mine.”
Zoe enters the house and sees Misty lying on the bed with Kyle. Misty smiles and invites her inside to show how she has healed Kyle. Zoe is impressed with Misty’s work and asks Kyle if he remembers her. He responds by gently touching Zoe’s hair. Zoe convinces Misty that Kyle must be returned to his home. Misty protests, but eventually agrees to let Zoe take Kyle home. Zoe helps Kyle up and the two start to leave. Misty tries unsuccessfully to stop them, saying that he isn’t ready to go. But Misty says something that triggers a negative reaction from Kyle. Zoe again says that it’s time for Kyle to go. Misty starts to cry, puts on her shawl, and spins rapidly to “Sara,” which continues to play in the background.
Episode 4: Fearful Pranks Ensue
(Aired: Wednesday, October 30, 2013)
Summary: A long-standing truce between the Salem witches and Marie Laveau is threatened.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode.
Episode 5: Burn, Witch, Burn!
(Aired: Wednesday, November 6, 2013)
Summary: Zoe unleashes a new power; Fiona and Myrtle clash over control of the coven; Madame LaLaurie is confronted by old ghosts.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode.*
Episode 6: The Axeman Cometh
(Aired: Wednesday, November 13, 2013)
Summary: Zoe, Queenie and Nan make contact with a dark spirit trapped in the academy; Cordelia’s new power brings on a heartbreaking revelation.
Featured Song: Leather and Lace
Kyle returns to the swamp, where Misty is working in the garden. He touches her shoulder, startling her. But she is delighted to see him. She inspects the progress of his healing body, but notices that he smells bad. “You need a bath,” Misty says.
The scene moves to Misty’s house, where “Leather and Lace” starts to play in the background. Misty gives Kyle a sponge bath, but he squirms in pain and discomfort. As Misty continues to clean him, Kyle is reminded of his sexually-abusive mother and suddenly flies into a rage. He breaks a chair, shatters a glass against the wall, and throws Misty’s stereo containing Stevie’s music to the ground, destroying it. The music abruptly stops. Shocked and in disbelief, Misty scolds him, “Why would you do that? You’re just a big ol’ monster.”
Zoe enters the house, and Kyle runs toward her for consolation. Disgusted by Kyle’s behavior, Misty tells Zoe, “Get him out of here. He broke Stevie.” Zoe says that she will get both of them out, but asks for Misty’s help to bring Madison back to life.
Episode 7: The Dead
(Aired: Wednesday, November 20, 2013)
Summary: Fiona finds purpose in a dangerous love affair; Queenie questions her place in the Coven; Cordelia makes a decision about her mother.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode.
Episode 8: The Sacred Taking
(Aired: Wednesday, December 4, 2013)
Summary: Cordelia rallies the girls in the fight to stop Fiona; a dangerous new enemy puts Misty in the cross hairs; the rivalry between Marie Laveau and Delphine comes to a head.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode, but Misty Day mentioned Stevie in the episode when she went to the Coven house, fearing for her life. “I knew the world could be a dark and evil place. Throw me in my haven in the swamp. I had my Stevie, my garden. I tried to disappear into nature. But I have been found.”
Episode 9: Head
(Aired: Wednesday, December 11, 2013)
Summary: Cordelia’s attacker is revealed; Fiona looks to form an alliance with Marie Laveau; Nan learns a disturbing truth about Luke’s past.
Featured Song: Kind of Woman
As Cordelia emerges as the unlikely leader of the Coven house, the witches prepare for battle with the witch hunters. This scene starts off with Cordelia and Misty in the botanical garden preparing a special magical concoction that is only to be used “under extreme circumstances.” Misty hums along to Stevie’s song “Kind of Woman” (from Bella Donna), which plays in the background. Cordelia spreads the magical paste on a dead plant and Misty reads an incantation to incite the limbs of the dead plant to regenerate. Misty becomes excited when the spell starts to work and the plant suddenly sprouts purple flowers and red berries. Cordelia and Misty eat the berries, and Cordelia tells her that they “need to make more of this for everyone,” which suggests that the plant will be used in the future to protect the witches against something still unknown.
Recaps
- American Horror Story: Coven Recap: The Life and Death of Almost Everybody (Buddy TV)
- American Horror Story recap: That Darn Head (Entertainment Weekly)
- American Horror Story: Coven Episode 9 Recap: ‘Head‘ (Flavor Wire)
- American Horror Story: Coven’ Episode 9 Recap: A New Enemy (Huffington Post)
- American Horror Story: Coven episode 9 recap: An Eye for an Eye (Hypable)
- American Horror Story: Coven Recap: Episode 9, ‘Head’ (Slant)
- How Queer Is American Horror Story? ‘Head’ (Slate)
- American Horror Story: Coven Season 3, Episode 9, ‘Head’: TV Recap (Wall Street Journal)
Episode 10: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks (Stevie appears in this episode)
(Aired: Wednesday, January 8, 2013)
Featured Songs: Rhiannon & Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You
Stevie kicked off the winter return of American Horror Story: Coven, appearing as herself in Episode 10, aptly titled “The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks.” In the episode, Stevie sang “Rhiannon” and “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You” while playing the piano and acted briefly in the scene, in which she presents Misty Day with a special shawl that had “danced across the stages of the world.”
The above video includes all of the important and relevant scenes that deal with Stevie!
Summary: Fiona attempts to out the new supreme with a visit from Stevie Nicks; Cordelia learns the truth about Hank and the witch hunters; Madison tries to eliminate her competition for the supremacy.
Spoiler Summary: In the aftermath of the slaughter of her people, Marie Laveau seeks a truce with Fiona and the Coven… but her dark master, Papa Legba, demands his annual due. The next morning, Cordelia is horrified when she finally learns that Hank is a Witch Hunter… and Marie confesses hiring him to kill the Coven. Fiona is forgiving of Marie on the grounds that she was doing what she had to do, but is furious with Cordelia for having married Hank and letting him turn her against her own mother. They learn that Hank’s father, Harrison, was his primary employer, and they cast a spell to make his corporation begin losing money, the better to weaken him. Later, Fiona attempts to out Misty as the next Supreme. When Misty proves uninterested in the position, Fiona tempts her by inviting a White Witch… Stevie Nicks, Misty’s favorite singer. All the girls are enraptured by Stevie, except Madison, who is upset that Misty is the new Supreme-apparent, and, in her jealousy, goes to extreme lengths. Meanwhile, as Fiona becomes ever more ill, she asks Marie for the secret of her eternal youth, and Marie tells her the terrible price. As Fiona brings the Axeman a proposition and learns a startling truth about herself, Nan, wielding her growing powers, confronts Joan about Luke’s death. And later, Marie and Fiona make a terrible deal – a deal involving a most unexpected betrayal.
Recaps & Reviews
- The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks recap (Agents of Geek)
- AHS: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks (AV Club)
- TV Review: AHS Coven – The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks (Bad Ass Digest)
- AHS Coven recap: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks (Baltimore Sun)
- Review: AHS 3.10 (Big Shiny Robot)
- Stevie Nicks sings ‘Rhiannon’ while everyone else twirls, twirls, twirls (Bustle)
- Stevie Nicks visits the Coven (The Celebrity Cafe)
- AHS Coven review (Chicago Now)
- AHS Coven recap (Collider)
- AHS Coven: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks review (Den of Geek)
- More AHS mayhem as Stevie Nicks plays (Fabulously Entertaining)
- AHS Coven Episode 10 recap (FlavorWire)
- Stevie Nicks serenades witchy fangirl… (The Frisky)
- AHS Coven 3 x 10 review: The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks (The Geekiary)
- AHS recap (HitFix)
- AHS Coven recap: PlotSouls (Hollywood.com)
- AHS Coven Episode 10 recap: Soul food (Huffington Post)
- You two together big trouble (IGN)
- AHS Coven Episode 3.10 recap (Inquisitr)
- 10 ‘The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks’ (A Mad Man with a Blog)
- Stevie Nicks bringins her magical delights… (PerezHilton)
- AHS Coven recap (Slant Magazine)
- AHS Coven, Chapter 10… (Spoiler TV)
- It’s Stevie, bitch (Television without Pity)
- AHS review (TV Fanatic)
- AHS Coven: Photo recap (TV.com)
- Stevie Nicks on AHS made no sense, but it was still great (UpRoxx)
- AHS Coven recap: ***Flawless (Vulture)
- AHS Coven recap (Wall Street Journal Speakeasy)
- Witch witch Stevie Nicks rules… (Yahoo! TV)
Episode 11: Protect the Coven
(Aired Wednesday, January 15, 2013)
Summary: Fiona and Laveau have a deadly face off with The Corporation. Cordelia makes a desperate sacrifice to protect the Coven.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode.
Episode 12: Go to Hell
(Aired Wednesday, January 22, 2013)
Summary: Cordelia’s latest vision puts the Coven’s future in question. With the end of Fiona’s reign approaching, the girls manifest powerful new gifts. Queenie’s search for Marie Laveau leads her to Hell and back.
No Stevie Nicks music was featured in this episode.
Episode 13: The Seven Wonders (Stevie appears in this episode)
(Aired: Wednesday, January 29, 2013)
SEVEN WONDERS
Summary: A new Supreme arises.
Stevie returned to American Horror Story: Coven, appearing in the final episode of the season. The episode, aptly titled “The Seven Wonders” starts like a music video with Stevie entering the Coven, singing along to her 1987 song “Seven Wonders.” The clips shows the other witches engaged in various activities in the house. Toward the end of the song, Stevie says “good luck, girls” and turns to exit the house. Fleetwood Mac’s classic song “Silver Springs” was also used for the episode.
Other Stevie Nicks references
Seven Wonders — which bears the same name as the 1987 song that Stevie co-wrote for Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night album — are the seven special powers of the witches that are required to be The Supreme. In Episode 10, Stevie, appearing as herself, tells Misty Day, “Good luck with the Seven Wonders.””The ‘Seven Wonders’. Seven acts of magic so advanced, each pushes the boundaries of craft into art.” (Revealed in Episode 12)
Seven Wonders
- Telekinesis
- Concilium
- Transmutation
- Divination
- Vitalum Vitalis
- Descensum
- Pyrokinesis
Myrtle Snow
Myrtle Snow’s present-day hairstyle resembles Stevie’s root-perm, Street Angel-era hairstyle. Myrtle Snow is played by veteran actress Frances Conroy. With the intent of bringing her back to life, Misty Day recovers Myrtle’s charred body after she is burned at the stake by Fiona.
Zoe Benson
In Episode 5, Zoe rocked this familiar Stevie-outfit at the witch-burning ceremony of Myrtle Smith.
Misty Day
Stevie Nicks’ fashion influence on hippie swamp witch Misty Day is readily apparent. The show has depicted her to fit the profile of a typical Stevie Nicks fan in appearance and attitude.
