AHS Coven Meets Cult: 5 Friendships That Would Work (& 5 That Wouldn't)
From Ally and Fiona to Misty and Winter, and more, which characters from American Horror Story Coven and Cult would get along and which wouldn't?
Likely returning to the network this coming fall, FX's hit anthology series American Horror Story recently concluded its dual narrative in season 10's Double Feature theme. As fans anticipate the return of the beloved horror show, it's always a fun exercise to see which characters, often played by the same actors across each season, might fare if paired together in some hypothetical capacity.
Two interesting seasonal AHS pairings include Coven and Cult, two different types of evil sects that work to obtain power, operate in the darkness, and exact deadly violence in order to ensure their survival. The question is, who among both seasons might be simpatico and which are total opposites?
Both Fiona (Jessica Lange) in Coven and Ally (Sarah Paulson) in Cult are alpha female leaders who make life-altering sacrifices based solely on the love of their children. In Fiona's case, reconciling with her estranged daughter Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) motivates everything she does. In Cult, Ally's love of baby Ozzy drives her to equally extreme measures. As such, these two would make ideal buddies on the beloved horror anthology TV show.
What really makes the two simpatico is their leadership role in their respective organizations, both of which function as a conspiratorial cabal. Cults and Covens may go about their indoctrination differently, but both need supremely strong-willed and dedicated leaders for the cause to succeed.
Aside from being the same age and hailing from a similar background, Coven's Misty (Lily Rabe) and Cult's Winter (Billie Lourd) both possess kind nonviolent spirits who become coaxed to do bad things in AHS. In Misty's case, she wants no part of the coven or being named the next supreme despite her powers. In Cult, Winter tries her best to avoid joining her brother Kai's cult until he forces her to do so.
Both victimized by circumstances beyond their control and their pacifistic will, Misty and Winter are both mildly tragic figures that would make great companions in the underworld in future episodes.
Bonded through their extrasensory psychic aplomb and willingness to betray a family member on behalf of goodness, Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) and Vincent (Cheyenne Jackson) would make ideal mates. In Coven, Cordelia gains physic powers after losing her eyesight and attempts to kill the supreme witch and her own mother, Fiona. In Cult, Vincent is a psychiatrist who crafts a daring scheme to take out his cult leader brother, Kai (Evan Peters).
In both instances, Cordelia and Vincent find the strength to oppose a powerful family member whose odious intentions threaten the greater good. While their results vary, their profound sacrifices come from a place of purity.
Despite being a generation apart, Coven's Madison (Emma Roberts) is a stylish Hollywood starlet who makes millions of dollars per movie. She also happens to be a homicidal witch who once killed her film director. In Cult, Meadow (Leslie Grossman) is equally stylish and wishes she could be just like Madison, spending her days watching RHOBH and her favorite actress, Nicole Kidman. It's no stretch imagining these two together on the town in one of the all-time best horror TV shows.
Moreover, both Madison and Meadow become recruited by their respective sects and are driven to abject murder for the cause, even when they do not fully believe in it. No, these two would rather enjoy a mutual spa day in Brentwood.
In Coven, The Axeman (Danny Huston) is a serial killer that murders people with his trusty ax blade. In Cult, Kai (Evan Peters) orders others to murder on behalf of his twisted occultic beliefs. The abject evil within their murderous intent and willingness to rid as many humans as possible puts these two in a baleful brotherly bond.
The de facto antagonists of their respective seasons without an ounce of redemption, it would be pretty easy to envision Kai and The Axeman reuniting somewhere in hell during future episodes, exacting gory revenge on those they felt did them wrong.
Despite sharing a similar age, the personalities and motivations of Coven's Kyle (Evan Peters) and Cult's Ivy (Alison Pill) couldn't be more disparate. Kyle is a bubbly college frat boy willing to do anything for his beloved Zoe (Taisaa Farmiga). Ivy is a traitorous wife who turns on Ally because she voted for the wrong president.
While both become more aggressive following their transformations occurring mid-season, Kyle atones and is rewarded with the role of Robicheaux's new butler. On the contrary, Ivy is given a dose of poison for her actions. Friendship is definitely not in the cards.
Coven's Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga) and Cult's Gary Longstreet (Chaz Bono) couldn't more different. The former is a shy, timid young witch grappling with severe guilt after accidentally killing her boyfriend Charlie with her powers. The latter is an older inclement rapist who sexually violates Ivy without regret. The two would make one of the most toxic couples (platonic or not) on AHS.
While Zoe does grow more violent and aggressive as she comes into her own and contends for the role of Supreme Witch, she only lashes out to protect her sisters. Gary, on the other hand, joins Kai's cult with glee and carries out barbarous acts of violence on behalf of a leader who does not care about him at all.
As the Guardian of Veracity in the Vernacular, Coven's Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy) is most concerned with the truth. The eccentric orange-haired headmistress of the Academy can sense when others are lying and being honest, a gift she uses to bestow power to young witches. In Cult, Jack Samuels (Colton Haynes) is a deeply dishonest prisoner of his own self-repression. Myrtle would not appreciate the way Jack goes about his business on the popular scary TV show.
Despite being a law enforcer, Jack harbors ugly Nazi beliefs and tries his best to bury his latent homosexuality, acting so dishonestly to himself and others that Myrtle would never reward him if he happened to be a member of the coven.
Sharing deeply opposed political beliefs, Coven's Joan Ramsey (Patti LuPone) and Cult's Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson) would never get along, especially in today's polarizing climate. Joan is a devout Fundamentalist Christian who harbors anti-abortion beliefs and hews to a staunchly conservative lifestyle. By contrast, Ally is an extremely liberal Democrat who lives in a same-sex marriage and supports women's choice.
While friends can definitely differ in their political views, it would be hard for Joan and Ally to reconcile their 25-year age gap and see eye to eye with one being a boomer and the other a Gen Xer. Both do devolve into murderous baddies, but that's about all the two have in common.
Coven's Delphine LaRue (Kathy Bates) and Cult's RJ (James Morosini) couldn't be more different if they tried. The former is the immortal ghost of a voodoo serial killer who thrives on murdering people to attain power. The latter is a young cameraman with such reluctance and lack of conviction to join Kai's cult that he is the first member to be murdered. If that wasn't enough to keep them from being friends, perhaps the near 100-year age difference might.
Moreover, Delphine is an ultra-powerful agent of her own making, whereas RJ is a half-hearted follower of the cause who has no agency whatsoever. RJ voices his aversion to killing and exacting violence, while Delphine proudly boasts her wicked ways as a badge of honor.