Ep 5. Burn, Witch. Burn!

The episode "Burn, Witch. Burn!" is the fifth installment of season three of American Horror Story. Set in the small town of New Orleans in the 1830s, it's the story of a coven of witches who are under threat as a result of society's prejudice against them.

The episode starts with the coven gathering at their boarding school, Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, to perform a ritual designed to find out who among them is the next Supreme, the witch who possesses an extraordinary amount of power and will ultimately lead the coven. The ritual involves each witch ingesting a potion that will reveal a vision of what awaits them in the future.

As the ritual begins, the visions the witches see are both enlightening and disturbing. Meanwhile, Madison, one of the witches, seeks out Kyle, a young man who was bought back to life through magic by the coven's former Supreme, Fiona. With nowhere else to go, Kyle accompanies Madison back to the academy.

Meanwhile, Zoe, another witch, is still mourning the loss of her lover, Kyle, who died tragically in a bus accident. Her grief is compounded when she finds out that his mother has come looking for him and wants him home. Desperate not to lose him again, Zoe seeks Fiona's help.

The episode takes a dark turn when Fiona, who is dying from cancer, becomes increasingly erratic in her behavior and seeks out Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen who serves as an adversary to the coven. Fiona seeks to form an alliance with Marie Laveau, but the voodoo queen refuses and warns Fiona that she'll pay a price for crossing her.

As tensions escalate between Fiona and the rest of the coven, Queenie, another member of the coven, is brutally attacked by a racist gang outside a fast-food restaurant. Despite the attack, Queenie, who has the ability to cause harm to others when hurt, shows remarkable resilience and finds comfort in a mysterious figure who appears to her in the hours following the attack.

The episode concludes with the coven strengthening its bonds as they prepare for the arrival of a witch hunter who has been sent to New Orleans to take them down.

Overall, "Burn, Witch. Burn!" is a spellbinding episode that balances character development with plot progression and deftly explores themes of prejudice and exclusion in a way that is both chilling and evocative. With its strong performances, imaginative storytelling, and deft pacing, it's an episode that's sure to thrill fans of American Horror Story and anyone who enjoys dark, engrossing storytelling.