‘American Horror Story: Coven’ Episode 3.09: ‘Head’ Recap

It’s 1991, and a young Hank is at Chattahoochee National Forest hunting with his father; only they’re not hunting animals –- they’re hunting witches. His father flushes one out, but Hank hesitates to shoot her. The witch falls to the ground, setting it on fire. Hank’s father’s arm catches fire, and he shoots her. Hank apologizes, and his father tells him, “No mercy. Never forget what they are.”

Fiona comes to Cornrow City for a chat with Marie. She brings Delphine’s head with her, and Marie says she can keep it. She says Fiona thought she could use Delphine as a bargaining chip, and Fiona says she came to talk terms –- not of the truce, but an alliance. She gives Marie the silver bullet, and Marie says witch hunters don’t concern her because they are “white women’s worry.” Fiona tells Marie that she is kidding herself if she thinks they won’t come after her when they’re done with the witches. Marie tells Queenie to burn Delphine’s head, much to her relief.

Cordelia is trying to make breakfast and drops the eggs. Myrtle offers to help her, but Delia says it’s her mess. Myrtle says she needs to know if Delia believes she’s the one who blinded her. She remembers when Fiona sent her to Miss Robichaux’s, and how Delia asked her, “Will you be my mother now?” Myrtle says she always loved her as a daughter, and Delia says she knows she couldn’t have done it. She knows Fiona set Myrtle up. It took losing her eyesight to have real vision, but it’s no good because there are witch hunters afoot. Myrtle says if she could pluck her own eyes out and give them to Delia, she would.

At Delphi Trust – a reference to the Oracle of Delphi, perhaps? – Hank meets with his father, who says they’re unhappy with his progress. Hank says a lot of things were out of his control, and his father asks if aligning himself with Marie was out of his control. Hank says he took initiative to bring the witches and the voodoos down. But he wasn’t supposed to get his hands dirty, just gather intelligence. Hank says he’s more capable than his father thinks, but he tells him that he was sloppy by using a credit card and killing a witch in a hotel room. Two innocent people died because of it, and his recklessness puts the Corporation at risk.

Hank’s father says he needs to get back into the house, and Hank says he can’t because Delia was blinded by an unknown attacker. David, his father’s right hand man, says the Corporation authorized the attack to make sure Delia would need him. Hank is shocked that his father disfigured his wife, and his father is upset by the fact he has feelings for her. He asks if Hank forgot what she is and what he is, and Hank recites the Corporation’s creed. His father says he knows how confusing it can be to pretend to love someone who is his enemy. But, one day, he’ll have to put her down.

Myrtle is serving Pembrooke and Quinton and they are thrilled that she’s alive. They say maybe they should look into selling Misty’s magic mud, but Myrtle says she is much more sophisticated than she appears. Pembrooke (or Pemby) toasts Myrtle, for her spirit of… and then loses her ability to speak. The two have been temporarily paralyzed by monk’s wood. Myrtle hasn’t really forgiven them for burning her at the stake. She says she won’t kill them — or maybe she will after dessert, since she put so much into the key lime pie. She says she knows they’ve wanted to eliminate her for years so they could control the Council. She brought them there to help the Coven, and her beloved Delia. She uses a melon baller to scoop out their eyes, one from each of them, giving Delia one blue eye, and one brown eye.

Fiona comes home and realizes Delia can see again. “You couldn’t find two that match,” she asks. “Why do they looks so familiar? Myrtle says the generous donors wish to remain anonymous -– she cut them up and dissolved their body parts in a vat in the greenhouse. Fiona says she must have done it out of guilt for blinding Delia, but Myrtle says she can stop lying. Myrtle knows she killed Madison, but Fiona counters that Madison isn’t dead anymore. Fiona says she can have Myrtle banished, exiled to Paramus, New Jersey, and says she can call an emergency meeting of the Council. Myrtle tells her to go right ahead. “I hear they’re not seeing anyone!” Delia tells them to stop yelling at each other. Myrtle needs to respect Fiona because she is the Supreme, and Fiona needs to stop accusing “Auntie” Myrtle because she isn’t the one who blinded her. The real danger is outside the Coven. Myrtle hugs Delia twice, and she realizes that now that she has her eyesight back, her visions are gone.

Madison and Zoe go to the hospital to get Nan, who says Joan won’t let her see Luke. They go in and Joan tries to throw them out, but Nan says Luke – who is in a coma – says not to have a fit like she did at the lake. Joan asks when he told her that, and she says “now.” Joan doesn’t believe her, and calls her a lunatic. Madison tells her Nan is clairvoyant, and Zoe says she isn’t talking to demons, she’s talking to Luke. Joan says they are mocking her grief. “Not your grief, maybe the outfit … God works in mysterious ways, Joanie. Deal with it,” Madison says.

Nan tells Joan that Luke likes a song she sang to him before, and Joan says she didn’t sing; she read from Deuteronomy. Luke’s spirit tells her it was when he was 8, after he broke his arm, she sang, “A Closer Walk.” Madison explains that they’re witches, and Zoe says Joan doesn’t deserve their help. As they leave, Joan begins singing. She holds out her hand and Nan takes it. She hugs her.

Queenie has taken Delphine’s head, and says she’s going to learn sensitivity training. She brought Roots and its sequel. She also brought Mandingo, The Color Purple, and — her personal favorite — BAPS, starring Halle Berry. Delphine says she’s ready to die, and Queenie says she’d love nothing more than to melt her ugly face right off her skull, but not until she educates her about the people she tortured — her people. She turns on Roots and Delphine says doesn’t want to hear “that jungle music,” and asks Queenie to turn it down. Queenie leaves with lowering the volume. Delphine shuts her eye and starts singing “Dixie.”

Hank is eating Chinese food when, suddenly, his wrist is cut. He is then slammed against the floor as Marie works voodoo on her. A man comes in and says “Marie Laveau sends her regards.” Hank is feeling the wrath of broken promises, and Marie calls him and says the witches die tonight, or the next needle she uses will put a hole in his heart.

Misty and Delia are in the greenhouse, making a mud to put on a plant. Stevie Nicks’ “Kind of Woman” is playing in the background. Delia says not to use it unless it’s an extreme circumstance. Misty wants to say the incantation. The first time does nothing, and Delia tells her to use “stronger intent.” Misty reads the incantation again and makes the plant bloom. Misty tells Delia she’s an awesome leader, and she has so much to learn from her, but Delia says Fiona is the leader of the coven.

Hank comes in and realizes Delia has her sight back. He’s drunk, and says his heart is bleeding. He wants her back, and asks what it will take. She says more than he’s got. Misty comes in and he realizes she’s the one he tried to kill in last week’s episode. Delia tells him to leave and says she’s filing for divorce. Hank says he’s trying to protect her, and that it’s all he’s wanted to do. She tells him to get his stuff and get out, but he is blocked by a German shepherd. Fiona comes and calls the dog off, and Hank is surprised because she hates animals and all other living things. She asks if he knows why she got a female attack dog. “Because b*tches stick together,” he asks. Because females are more loyal. The dog scratches at Zoe’s door and Fiona finds Kyle. He hugs the dog, and then snaps her neck.

Joan tells Nan that she can never repay her for the gift she’s given her. She questioned her faith after Luke was shot. Luke says there is a God and he’s judging her. She thinks it’s because of her lapses in faith, but Luke says it’s because of what she did to his father. She says he died of anaphylactic shock, and Luke says God showed him the truth. His father tells her that he still wants to be in Luke’s life, but she can’t accept that. There’s a bee in the car, and Luke’s father tries to get out, but Joan locks the car with a remote starter. She knew he was allergic and that she’d get away with it. His father was in love with another woman, and she caught the woman performing oral sex on him — tying back to “Kind of Woman,” which talks about a man cheating on his wife, and the wife being the “kind of woman that’ll haunt you.” God says she’s going to pay, and Joan says Nan isn’t speaking for Luke, and tells her to get out.

The girls come home and find Fiona playing gin with Kyle. She says she spruced him up since none of them can play cards. She says he isn’t all there, but it’s OK. They need a guard dog that will attack on command.

Delphine says she kept her eyes closed the whole time Roots was playing. Queenie says it’s OK, because she can’t keep her ears closed. She puts on a video of the civil rights movement with “Oh, Freedom” playing.

Queenie goes downstairs and Marie tells her she’s late. Hank comes into the shop and begins shooting. He shoots Queenie in the stomach and kills several employees. Queenie grabs a gun he dropped just as he’s about to shoot Marie. She puts the gun in her mouth, killing Hank.

Upstairs, Delphine begins to cry as she watches the video.

Hank’s father has been sent pictures of his dead son and cries.

At the hospital, Luke’s tube is taken out and he wakes up. The first thing he says is, “You murdered Dad.” Joan tells him to go back to sleep as he cries. She takes a pillow and smothers him.

Marie comes to the Academy, and Fiona lets her in, knowing she was right about Hank.