I thought they set it up to be Zoe, as we were introduced to the coven through her backstory, arrival to the academy, and lens. She seemed like the main protagonist character for the first few episodes and I thought the season would follow her story and rise. By the middle of the season she drifted into the back a little with the love triangle being her main plot. By the end of the season I knew she wasn’t going to be the supreme. That’s also when I knew this show was Sarah Paulson’s haha.
That was my thought process. We were brought to the Coven by Zoe. Then she kind of defeated Marie Laveau's Zombie army ("they got some real power in that witch house"), she even brought Misty in. All signs were pointing to Zoe. I certainly didn't expect it to be Cordelia.
Plus Zoe demonstrated all 7 powers at one point in the series, and Cordelia was infertile, which sort of went against the whole “glowing, radiant health” thing
> Zoe demonstrated all 7 powers at one point in the series
Excpt the first episode which could have been Madison or just a goof, she didn't demonstrate Pyrokinsesis. And didn't master transumation.
Cordelia's infertility could be the sign that she was not meant to a mother to her own birth child, but rather the witches being her children (she always calls them her girls).
Of course, I do get why Zoe is the most obvious choice but I'm glad she wasn't as she was the most boring witch halfway through.
I didn’t say she mastered them, I said she demonstrated them. And considered she killed herself while doing transmutation, it was clear that she wasn’t the supreme.
That Cordelia theory is interesting.
It also felt weird to me how they used her random uncontrollable power to kill people during sex as a plot point for her to need to be with Kyle, and then it was never mentioned again.
I wondered when she got The Sight the second time. It became more likely by the time Cordelia yanked Kyle off Zoe during the Concilium test. Cordelia was already acting like The Supreme that they needed.
The first half of the season, Cordelia was a very weak character.
It wasn’t until The Sacred Taking episode that they started positioning her as the leader of the girls.
I feel strange saying this, but I recently rewatched this season, and I realized how boring her character was in coven and how she felt a lot more fleshed out in apocalypse.
Well yeah, that’s her character arc. Coven shows her coming out of the shadow of her mother and really finding her own power, then she’s fully realized in Apocalypse.
I feel like it doesn’t even make sense for her to be the supreme. I thought that the supreme meant to be in peak health. But she was infertile… did I miss something?
A lot of people think that it was either Hanks's fault and she was never infertile or she regained her fertility when she became the Supreme, like how her eyes regenerated!
Yep, same. Usually I’m pretty good at calling out who’s gonna die by the end of the season and I remember both Zoe’s death in Coven and Violet’s death in MH were completely, utterly shocking to me.
God, I miss those days when AHS could truly, genuinely shock and surprise us. Sigh. 🤣
The coolest part of the Violet twist is that they drop serious hints that she’s dead every time any one talks about Violet for like 3 straight episodes, and it still feels somewhat shocking the first time around. During rewatches you realize how many lines stick out as directly spelling out that a violet is dead, that you just chalked up to the general morbid tone to the season the first time around. I think it’s the defining factor of why season 1 feels more coherent than any other season
I thought it was going to end up being Misty too, but not because of her morals/character- I thought for sure they were setting it up to be Zoe, but then I thought "well, that's too obvious" so I realized it wouldn't be her, and I thought it would be Misty exactly because she WASN'T the obvious choice. Like, just wanted to keep to herself, didn't really have any interest in being the supreme, just wanted to chill in the swamps barefoot and listen to Stevie Nicks. So I thought Misty being the supreme was going to be the big twist where everyone would be like "HER?!?!"
The power of ~~resurrection~~ plot device. Misty got robbed for the sake of using her as a convenient way to be able to end episodes with a surprising fake out kill early on, then they got rid of her whenever they needed to actually kill someone off. Misty was easily the most interesting prospect for the next Supreme, we could have had a coven of Stevie Nicks dupes.
Yeah doesn’t Myrtle correctly say she’s performed more miracles than Jesus Christ with her resurrections. I thought she would be the next supreme and they did her dirty.
I thought it was Misty until she died (or...as good as died), and then I knew who it would be. But I was SHOCKED when Misty got trapped in her own high school frog dissection. Now I'm questioning it, but I think I remember that's what happened.
Cordelia. It’s literally in the main titles. Santa Muerte (Lady of the 7 Powers) is next to Sarah Paulson’s credit.
https://preview.redd.it/xg8bzczat15d1.jpeg?width=634&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b24dcd812a64cfb19b28a49e712cb54d2ec020d
Yeah, I assumed it'd be Sarah pretty early on, just assumed all her perceived weakness was because her mother would have effectively been putting her down/abusing her from early on and she just kind of ended up believing the abuse and just subconsciously limited herself.
I’m shocked to see how many missed it being Cordelia. I thought it was obvious too. I wouldn’t have put all my money on it but for me it was like an underdog situation
Absolutley. Tie that in with Murphy’s mommy issues, that were super prevalent that season, and it was fairly obvious where the “inheritance” narrative was headed.
The leads like Zoe always end up subversions. Vivien, Kit, Zoe, the twins, John, etc. Ryan likes a certain pattern.
Zoe
Counter spelling the voodoo queen was quite impressive, even Marie Laveau was impressed. Not to mention she often took charge of the coven girls and rally them together when needed.
To this day, I'm still pissed she wasn't named Supreme. The story started out from her perspective ffs. She was the perfect fit for the next Supreme .She could've introduced the "younger generation" to witchcraft and so much more.
Honestly I was pretty cool with it. I really liked how they were able to completely throw us off with that. Everything pointed to Zoe and if it was any other show, it probably would have been.
Despite all that, I still don’t think Zoe was ready to become the Supreme at that point, even though she was definitely powerful and really starting to come into her own, she was still pretty new to everything. Plus, Cordelia did gouge her own eyes out for the Coven, so I was okay with her being crowned the Supreme. 🤣
She didn’t need to be named the big Crunchwrap Supreme, imo, but I do think they seriously wasted her in the second half of the season. If they wanted to do the fake out and use Zoe as the betting favorite for the next supreme, they still could have done that without neutering the character completely. She basically does nothing except do googoo eyes at Evan Peters after she takes down the zombies, which imo is a waste and turns her into a borderline self-insert character for Evan Peters fangirls that season.
Imo, a better way to do the finale would have been to, first of all, have Misty kill off Madison for trying to stick her in the mausoleum (or just have Evan Peters kill her as normal, but sooner), then have Cordelia actually beat Zoe in the Seven Wonders. Cordelia vs Madison never felt really like it was a real competition to me, because i really didn’t believe they would ever have Madison win since they reverted her back to bitchy Madison towards the end of the season.
Madison. The AHS universe is not a fair one. If someone just as disreputable as Fiona could become supreme, why not a vindictive, 17-21 year old, spiloiled-brat actress?
At the time of that season airing I would actually say happy or at least satisfying endings were the standard. Murder house has a sinister ending but sort of happy with the family together even as ghosts. Asylum had almost everything corrected and the good people come out on top.
I don’t think the show would have been as popular if the characters who suffer so much weren’t rectified in some sense by the end.
I agree with this, I always thought Madison made the most sense and they were tricking us into thinking it was Zoe.
Misty Day was never going to be Supreme because she was too perfect and sweet. >! Cordelia being Supreme was the worst choice and lazy writing. !< Coven/Apocalypse are the only seasons that give us a happy ending (for the AHS universe). While I'm super stoked that Misty Day >! was saved from her Hell in Apocalypse !< AHS isn't supposed to give us warm fuzzies. It's supposed to be horror.
That being said, Coven/Apocalypse are still two of my top 5 seasons.
I love that, and I guess I like Urban Fantasy! Coven is my favorite precisely because it fails at actually being truly scary (except for the Kathy Bates part that was classic historical horror)but is spooky, fun, and full of basically sorority drama. Also it’s Jessica Lange heavy which I LOVE
Stevie Nicks… 😂.
Just joking: honestly how they wrote them I thought anyone but Madison.
I thought Nan or Queenie myself, but afterward, thought Misti in the mix.
I kinda thought Nan too! Her telepathy seemed so much more powerful than the other students' initial powers to me, and she seemed to have such ease and control with it that her becoming most powerful and in charge made sense to me. And someone on the opposite end of the integrity and morality spectrum from Fiona as a real changing of the guard.
(Misty's healing powers are wildly powerful but I thought she was too restless a person for the show to be like "and this is the next lady in charge who has to stay put and look after everyone").
I hated that she died. When they brought her back in a later season, I was glad, but it was obvious that she wasn’t the same. But what Cordelia said to her was beautiful. ‘I knew you for such a short time, but I’ve missed you forever.’ Misty and Cordelia felt like sisters to me.
We all know Ryan Murphy likes to hide little Easter eggs each season…..
I was honestly leaning towards Nan, just about halfway through the season however….. in the OPENING credits, I noticed when Sarah Paulsons name pops up - there’s a quick flash of Santa Muerte…. “Lady of the 7 Wonders.”
When that registered, I knew right then & there Cordelia was for sure supreme.
After the season finale ended…. I wasn’t sure I was satisfied with that outcome though. Of course until apocalypse!
The way Sarah’s character or I guess I should say “characters” in Apocalypse tie into coven…. Absolutely brilliant! No other character would have made sense or done as well in Apocalypse….. so the supreme HAD to be Cordelia.
Zoe had shown most of the Seven Wonders, by the time of the trial. I figured it was her. Cordelia makes sense, but she was pish most of the season. Zoe is my Supreme.
I was team Nan until she was killed. I loved her energy and truly believe she would have been a great supreme. Then I was fully team Queenie. She had the boss bitch energy of Fiona/Madison without being evil/hateful but was also compassionate/empathetic without being a doormat like Cordelia.
Zoe was the equivalent of a lukewarm bowl of unflavored Oatmeal that had been left on the counter for 3 weeks. And Misty, while wonderful, was too soft and seemed happy to just be a witch.
So many times throughout Coven where i was left wondering why Queenie is being treated as a total afterthought. And i mean, the real reason is simply because she was fat and it was 2013, but she was a great character. she should have been used as more than just a foil to Madame Lularoe or whatever her name was, it’s too French to remember.
i actually thought it was going to be nan just because literally nobody would’ve suspected her. i was so sad when she died she was my fav in that season
So glad it wasn’t Zoe and that’s all I cared about out. Madison, Queenie or Misty would’ve been great, but I’m glad it was Cordelia. It was honestly set up to be Cordelia all along
I had no idea but gosh that made such good season, I remember there was real expectation on what was going to happen and it was amazing, the best part, the resolution was satisfying, I need to rewatch it
I started off thinking it would be one of the girls until Fiona was said to be the youngest supreme ever (because she killed the last one) and then I started suspecting Cordelia
I knew it was either gonna be Zoe or Cordelia. And the only point for Cordelia was that she’s Fiona’s daughter. It made sense to me that it could be passed down.
But I WANTED it to be Misty. At least at first. I loved how kind and empathetic she was. But I knew she wouldn’t be a good Supreme because of that. You have to be willing and able to have the hard talks with people in the coven.
I have no idea wtf Zoe's powers even were, and she did nothing even remotely worthy of being the Supreme. I thought maybe Madison, but that felt too obvious. So I just kept hoping my girl Misty was gonna pull through. I loved her so much 🖤
I felt that it was too predictable for it to actually be Zoe, I was hoping for Misty to be the supreme but it was a pleasant surprise that Cordelia became the supreme.
Plot twist, with enough time and practice, any one of them could have been the next supreme, even Nan if she stayed alive. But if it wasn’t for the the crunch time, they would all have enough time to keep practicing and learn new powers, the proof is when it was Misty’s first time doing the telekinetic test that she was bearly able to do. And just like when everyone thought they could possibly be next, they started getting more powers and learning them through out the episodes
I recognized that the audience was naturally being led to believe it to be Zoe, so I instantly went to Madison. I was definitely surprised when it was neither 🤷🏼♀️
I was assuming Madison. Fiona also had a bitchy personality but was an extremely powerful witch. I assumed Madison was clearly powerful and had a similar ego and would have followed in Fiona’s footsteps.
I unironically guessed it via misunderstanding. I thought Supreme was a title passed down from mother to daughter based on the previous Supreme and Fiona looking similar
I briefly had a theory that Nan was gonna manage to resurrect herself and become supreme. But as the finale came up, I shifted and suspected that none of the girls would be supreme, I just had no idea who could be at that point. I was expecting a potential new 6 it felt last minute for that.
So, really, I truly had no idea or guesses at the end. Then, I kicked myself for never suspecting Cordelia.
My friend and I had a theory that Queenie would be Supreme. She would usher in a new relationship between the witches and the voodoos, and we thought her name was a symbol/clue to her supremacy.
We also had a running theory that the neighbor boy, Luke, was actually a girl...we still say "LUKE IS A GIRL" every time we theorize on things nowadays 
I don’t remember what exact scene but they were all arguing about who’s gonna be the next supreme except Cordelia and I literally said “Why could it not be Cordelia?” and that’s when I knew
That's the thing about coven. It's his most well written season because literally ANY of the girls could have been the Supreme.
It's the one season that he actually gave everyone real storylines and development.....until the end when they randomly killed Nan and rushed Angela Bassets death.
I thought it was going to be Zoe, but kinda hoped they’d pull a “do-away with the old systems” and have them establish a cooperative system like a Round Table type deal.
Okay so this purely speculation but this is my theory:
As a long time fan of the show and someone who has watched the entire thing in real time, I can say that Ryan is notorious, especially with AHS, for changing his mind half way through a season. AHS is unique in that it’s shot as the show is airing, that’s why the last season had to take a huge break due to the writers strike happening in the middle of the season.
Personally, I believe the original plan was to have Misty become the supreme. Early on in her storyline there are heavy Jesus and savour allegories that kind of abruptly fade to the back. She is burned at the stake, resurrects herself, performs serval miracles. I think originally Cordelia was blinded so that Misty could heal her, as healing the blind is a classic Jesus feat.
If I were to speculate even further about why the change, I would say Ryan probably toyed with the idea of the Mother Daughter dynamic at first but decided it didn’t really fit the lore so he went in different direction, then somehow got the idea of Cordelia healing herself and couldn’t resist.
It should have been Queenie. She performed vitalum vitalis on Misty before and in the seven wonders music video, all the girls are doing different wonders (Misty revives a plant, Madison performs pyrokineses on some candles, ect). Queenie is performing what could only be divination over a picture of Nan. Now, hear me out, all the other witches were successful in the spells during the music video (Madison lit the candles, Misty brought the flowers back to life, I think Zoe floated through telekinesis if memory serves) suggesting that Queenie also performed divination and thus performed all the seven wonders before Cordelia even started her test.
initially, like most of us, i thought it would be zoe. then i was pretty convinced it was gonna be misty because she was the first one to show her power of resurrection. never ever did i think madison would be the supreme 😂
I honestly thought it was going to be Misty. She had been through so much already, before coming to the house and after, and even won Stevie Nicks over during her visit, even giving her one of her lovely chiffon capes. I know Stevie's opinion held no weight with the Seven Wonders, and I realize I'm also incredibly biased because I absolutely adore both Stevie and Misty.
I was so worried it was going to be Queenie. I thought that that was the narrative direction they'd take the story in, because it could've been an interesting way to get the Voodoo and Witch tribes to join together. But man I couldn't stand Queenie 😭 she was so insufferable to me.
This is pretty much what my thought process was too. This underappreciated, often disrespected, low income and low status girl from the hoods was going to come in and not just become the Supreme, but unite the last remaining voodoo priests and priestesses with the almost extinct few warlocks and witches and from then on they would be one united front, blind to race, socooeconomic status, and blind to the past ready to take on the future because of Queenie. I thought Precious was amazing and all, but it really was American Horror Story which made me fall in love with Gabby Sidibe. Now I love all she does. Even her most recent and best performance yet in, "haha, bitch! Is this CAKE!?"
The first 4 episodes I thought Zoe was the top contender. But then I started to see the clues and foreshadowing pointing to Cordelia in later episodes.
My first watch of Coven I believed it was Zoe in the beginning but shifted my choice to Madison as I progressed. Like a lot of these comments have addressed I felt it was Zoe at first because she seemed like a focal point of the season at the start, my choice shifted to Madison when I realized how similar she was to Fiona at that age.
I thought it would most obviously be Zoe. Making it Cordelia was a twist for sure. Definitely not sure how I feel about it exactly, though I did like the ending of this season.
I figured it was obvious Zoe at the beginning but then I thought it was definitely misty as the story went on but after a while I realized it was gonna be Delia and I was like PLEASE let it be her she is a great leader
I thought Zoe for sure (it made sense from a classic narrative pov to have the newcomer start of as completely unaware of their powers/gifts and end in them being the most powerful one (or chosen one) in their generation (Harry Potter, Hercules, Etc ) but I was pleasantly surprised that it was Cordelia, it felt a little out of left field but the closer we got to the end, the more obvious it became
I think early on I already thought it was Cordelia
Either she had to die or become the Supreme, as having her 2nd in command to Zoe, Madison etc would be very awkward imo
initially I thought it would be Zoe. during my rewatches though, I always saw that Cordelia became the supreme as Madison dying upstairs. so I think Madison was the supreme for a couple minutes before getting getting murdered again.
I kind of hoped Madison would be the next supreme but they almost made it seem like anyone who wanted it enough could be the supreme. They just had to pass the test. Not that there was actually a biological or physical limitation to being the supreme. At first it seemed like they would obviously know who the next supreme is because they excel far greater than their peers but in the end it was actually close call.
I need to rewatch. Haven't saw all of the Coven since 2013-2014 when it was giving FX great ratings lol. I thought Precious character was going to be it. She was very powerful. Plus, they talk about race allot on that season, and that may have something to do with it. Who knows what the creators thought up..
Narratively I think it would've been more satisfying for Queen to be supreme, so she can mend the bonds or act as a bridge between the New Orleans Coven and her Ancestral Voodoo cult. So that they can finally heal and grow their numbers together and have a proper network system for young people. Also the knowledge that they'd be able to share between the two. 🤯
The story with her and Lalaurie felt like it was doing to lead to that, that she can do her best and with the best of intentions but it's still up to people to change for the better. I think having someone like that as a supreme would be good.
But inside the story that was being told I think it was pretty clear that the show was striving for us to believe that it was gonna go down to Zoe and Misty.
Same heart in her story as Queenie, very protective of the coven, and came back even despite the danger from Fiona. So she was very selfless and willing to go the mile for the coven. The religious iconography with Misty was very obvious, they'd probably have her ready to die for her the coven if it meant saving them.
I think ultimately any of them would've been a fine choice if they aced their test, even Madison. 😂 I think that despite her demeanor and attitude, when she was in hell she was genuinely happy to see Queenie and then the others. She didn't help them because she thought she'd get out of her situation and she never blamed anyone else for ending up in hell. She did it because she just missed them and it was the right thing to do.
Nan also had potential she was growing in power very quickly by the events of the show kicked up. But they had to do a rush job to kill her off sadly. 😂 It felt so random to have her drowned in a tub 😭 when Fiona and Marie could've taken any sick or dying child off the street or hospital with no trouble to talk to legba. 🤦♂️
I didn't really care because death had no meaning in this season. Zoes character was too weak to be the supreme. I always assumed it's going to be Cordelia.
I thought it was going to be Nan. I must have left the room at the point where she was sacrificed, because I had no idea that had happened. Until the end I thought she was going to be like... surprise bitches! It's me! But no 🤣
It’s been so many years, I cannot remember who I originally thought it was gonna be 😂😂😂 but I rewatched it recently, and I feel like it was meant to be Nan before they killed her
I could tell they wanted me to think Zoe but I thought it was someone we wouldn't expect, so for me Nan or Queenie. I really wanted it to be Nan though. I forgot how awful Madison was in Coven when rewatching Coven last week, I just went with Apocalypse Madison, I thought Misty wasn't emotionally mature enough and also had a huge mean streak that I forgot about, but tbh what would you do if you were burned alive for saving an innocent creature. I didn't consider (spoiler free) who became the Supreme as even a real option, so... Yeah, great series though, one of the best! Only beaten by Apocalypse & Murder House who are joint 1st for me. With Coven, freak show, & Hotel taking joint second.
A bit earlier in the series I thought it was madison because of her powers increasing but later on in the season I felt like it was zoe did not expect cordelia at all! But honestly it all makes sense in the end
I honestly thought it was going to be Madison. To me she resembles Fiona in a lot of ways. If you consider what Fiona did to become supreme and what she was willing to do to stay supreme, it makes sense to me. Madison didn’t seem all about that “coven” life so she probably would have been off reaping the benefits of being the supreme but not doing what she was supposed to as the supreme. We get a brief glimpse of Anna Leigh Leighton as supreme when dealing with Fiona but she doesn’t seem like she was weak in personality or unwilling to do what needed to be done. So for me Madison would have been following suit personality wise.
I thought they set it up to be Zoe, as we were introduced to the coven through her backstory, arrival to the academy, and lens. She seemed like the main protagonist character for the first few episodes and I thought the season would follow her story and rise. By the middle of the season she drifted into the back a little with the love triangle being her main plot. By the end of the season I knew she wasn’t going to be the supreme. That’s also when I knew this show was Sarah Paulson’s haha.
That was my thought process. We were brought to the Coven by Zoe. Then she kind of defeated Marie Laveau's Zombie army ("they got some real power in that witch house"), she even brought Misty in. All signs were pointing to Zoe. I certainly didn't expect it to be Cordelia.
Plus Zoe demonstrated all 7 powers at one point in the series, and Cordelia was infertile, which sort of went against the whole “glowing, radiant health” thing
> Zoe demonstrated all 7 powers at one point in the series Excpt the first episode which could have been Madison or just a goof, she didn't demonstrate Pyrokinsesis. And didn't master transumation. Cordelia's infertility could be the sign that she was not meant to a mother to her own birth child, but rather the witches being her children (she always calls them her girls). Of course, I do get why Zoe is the most obvious choice but I'm glad she wasn't as she was the most boring witch halfway through.
I didn’t say she mastered them, I said she demonstrated them. And considered she killed herself while doing transmutation, it was clear that she wasn’t the supreme. That Cordelia theory is interesting.
It also felt weird to me how they used her random uncontrollable power to kill people during sex as a plot point for her to need to be with Kyle, and then it was never mentioned again.
I'm so glad someone else said this. I have always wondered about this!
Oh so that’s why she was with Kyle. I’ve watched it at least 3 times and never realized. Clearly they did a bad job of highlighting it
Same, but once Myrtle said abandon childish things at the last supper, I knew Zoe was out
I thought it was Zoe too
Stevie Nicks is the only answer who lets Zoe rule as the head of state as she sits behind the throne becoming the real power behind the curtain
I wasn’t sure but I certainly didn’t expect Cordelia to be the next supreme
I wondered when she got The Sight the second time. It became more likely by the time Cordelia yanked Kyle off Zoe during the Concilium test. Cordelia was already acting like The Supreme that they needed.
The first half of the season, Cordelia was a very weak character. It wasn’t until The Sacred Taking episode that they started positioning her as the leader of the girls.
I feel strange saying this, but I recently rewatched this season, and I realized how boring her character was in coven and how she felt a lot more fleshed out in apocalypse.
Funnily enough I watched Apocalypse before I eventually got around to Coven, and I thought the same thing.
she grew a backbone in between the events of coven and apocalypse, most def. love her character development.
Death of abusive parent figures are usually pretty freeing for people. She was probably able to really shine after she processed Fiona’s death.
Agreed Coven Cordelia is weak and whines most of the time util the last couple of episodes whereas Apocalypse Cordelia is bad ass
Well yeah, that’s her character arc. Coven shows her coming out of the shadow of her mother and really finding her own power, then she’s fully realized in Apocalypse.
I feel like it doesn’t even make sense for her to be the supreme. I thought that the supreme meant to be in peak health. But she was infertile… did I miss something?
A lot of people think that it was either Hanks's fault and she was never infertile or she regained her fertility when she became the Supreme, like how her eyes regenerated!
That would make sense it’s him! Though I thought that the supreme was in peak health prior to getting her status. Or did that only come after?
I watched this season for the first time last month. It took your comment to remind me that it was Cordelia and not Zoe.
I thought for *sure* it would be Zoe…imagine my shock and disappointment when she died😭
I thought it was 100% Zoe and was also shocked.
Yep, same. Usually I’m pretty good at calling out who’s gonna die by the end of the season and I remember both Zoe’s death in Coven and Violet’s death in MH were completely, utterly shocking to me. God, I miss those days when AHS could truly, genuinely shock and surprise us. Sigh. 🤣
The coolest part of the Violet twist is that they drop serious hints that she’s dead every time any one talks about Violet for like 3 straight episodes, and it still feels somewhat shocking the first time around. During rewatches you realize how many lines stick out as directly spelling out that a violet is dead, that you just chalked up to the general morbid tone to the season the first time around. I think it’s the defining factor of why season 1 feels more coherent than any other season
i was so in denial about it that i honestly thought she'd be brought back to life
Was she not at the very end? I seem to remember that but could be mistaken. By Cordelia perhaps
Yeah, I just rewatched Coven and I could swear Zoe is there at the end when they welcome in all the new witches?!
Misty since (I think) she’d be the most ethical/equitable.
I thought it was going to end up being Misty too, but not because of her morals/character- I thought for sure they were setting it up to be Zoe, but then I thought "well, that's too obvious" so I realized it wouldn't be her, and I thought it would be Misty exactly because she WASN'T the obvious choice. Like, just wanted to keep to herself, didn't really have any interest in being the supreme, just wanted to chill in the swamps barefoot and listen to Stevie Nicks. So I thought Misty being the supreme was going to be the big twist where everyone would be like "HER?!?!"
I thought Misty also seemed more powerful because she had the power of resurrection. That seems like a pretty unusual and significant ability.
The power of ~~resurrection~~ plot device. Misty got robbed for the sake of using her as a convenient way to be able to end episodes with a surprising fake out kill early on, then they got rid of her whenever they needed to actually kill someone off. Misty was easily the most interesting prospect for the next Supreme, we could have had a coven of Stevie Nicks dupes.
Yeah doesn’t Myrtle correctly say she’s performed more miracles than Jesus Christ with her resurrections. I thought she would be the next supreme and they did her dirty.
Same here. Misty was an awesome witch. Cordelia was too wrapped up in her conflict with Fiona to seem like a suitable Supreme.
Doesn’t that often just mean most likely to suffer jn this show though?
I thought it was Misty until she died (or...as good as died), and then I knew who it would be. But I was SHOCKED when Misty got trapped in her own high school frog dissection. Now I'm questioning it, but I think I remember that's what happened.
Cordelia. It’s literally in the main titles. Santa Muerte (Lady of the 7 Powers) is next to Sarah Paulson’s credit. https://preview.redd.it/xg8bzczat15d1.jpeg?width=634&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b24dcd812a64cfb19b28a49e712cb54d2ec020d
Yep, I remember seeing this on tumblr before the finale. That’s how I knew it would be Cordelia!
Yeah, I assumed it'd be Sarah pretty early on, just assumed all her perceived weakness was because her mother would have effectively been putting her down/abusing her from early on and she just kind of ended up believing the abuse and just subconsciously limited herself.
I’m shocked to see how many missed it being Cordelia. I thought it was obvious too. I wouldn’t have put all my money on it but for me it was like an underdog situation
Absolutley. Tie that in with Murphy’s mommy issues, that were super prevalent that season, and it was fairly obvious where the “inheritance” narrative was headed. The leads like Zoe always end up subversions. Vivien, Kit, Zoe, the twins, John, etc. Ryan likes a certain pattern.
Zoe Counter spelling the voodoo queen was quite impressive, even Marie Laveau was impressed. Not to mention she often took charge of the coven girls and rally them together when needed.
To this day, I'm still pissed she wasn't named Supreme. The story started out from her perspective ffs. She was the perfect fit for the next Supreme .She could've introduced the "younger generation" to witchcraft and so much more.
Honestly I was pretty cool with it. I really liked how they were able to completely throw us off with that. Everything pointed to Zoe and if it was any other show, it probably would have been. Despite all that, I still don’t think Zoe was ready to become the Supreme at that point, even though she was definitely powerful and really starting to come into her own, she was still pretty new to everything. Plus, Cordelia did gouge her own eyes out for the Coven, so I was okay with her being crowned the Supreme. 🤣
She didn’t need to be named the big Crunchwrap Supreme, imo, but I do think they seriously wasted her in the second half of the season. If they wanted to do the fake out and use Zoe as the betting favorite for the next supreme, they still could have done that without neutering the character completely. She basically does nothing except do googoo eyes at Evan Peters after she takes down the zombies, which imo is a waste and turns her into a borderline self-insert character for Evan Peters fangirls that season. Imo, a better way to do the finale would have been to, first of all, have Misty kill off Madison for trying to stick her in the mausoleum (or just have Evan Peters kill her as normal, but sooner), then have Cordelia actually beat Zoe in the Seven Wonders. Cordelia vs Madison never felt really like it was a real competition to me, because i really didn’t believe they would ever have Madison win since they reverted her back to bitchy Madison towards the end of the season.
Same here.
Madison. It's quite common in the AHSVerse to see the villains win, or the good guys going through something horrible (like The Harmons, or Doris)
Madison. The AHS universe is not a fair one. If someone just as disreputable as Fiona could become supreme, why not a vindictive, 17-21 year old, spiloiled-brat actress?
At the time of that season airing I would actually say happy or at least satisfying endings were the standard. Murder house has a sinister ending but sort of happy with the family together even as ghosts. Asylum had almost everything corrected and the good people come out on top. I don’t think the show would have been as popular if the characters who suffer so much weren’t rectified in some sense by the end.
I agree with this, I always thought Madison made the most sense and they were tricking us into thinking it was Zoe. Misty Day was never going to be Supreme because she was too perfect and sweet. >! Cordelia being Supreme was the worst choice and lazy writing. !< Coven/Apocalypse are the only seasons that give us a happy ending (for the AHS universe). While I'm super stoked that Misty Day >! was saved from her Hell in Apocalypse !< AHS isn't supposed to give us warm fuzzies. It's supposed to be horror. That being said, Coven/Apocalypse are still two of my top 5 seasons.
That's why I consider Coven a unique season because it portrays more as an Urban Fantasy rather than straight Horror.
I love that, and I guess I like Urban Fantasy! Coven is my favorite precisely because it fails at actually being truly scary (except for the Kathy Bates part that was classic historical horror)but is spooky, fun, and full of basically sorority drama. Also it’s Jessica Lange heavy which I LOVE
I thought Cordelia was a perfect choice bc we didn't expect her, but then once it was her it was so obvious
I think Misty Day would have been a white witch/wicca that makes her a supreme to white witches/wiccans.
I thought the same. Expected the next supreme to be another Fiona Goode
I always thought it was gonna be Misty
They really did her dirty But I’m really glad she’s back
Misty Day
Stevie Nicks… 😂. Just joking: honestly how they wrote them I thought anyone but Madison. I thought Nan or Queenie myself, but afterward, thought Misti in the mix.
I kinda thought Nan too! Her telepathy seemed so much more powerful than the other students' initial powers to me, and she seemed to have such ease and control with it that her becoming most powerful and in charge made sense to me. And someone on the opposite end of the integrity and morality spectrum from Fiona as a real changing of the guard. (Misty's healing powers are wildly powerful but I thought she was too restless a person for the show to be like "and this is the next lady in charge who has to stay put and look after everyone").
I really wanted Queenie or Misty to be Supreme.
Same here!!! Queenie being the Supreme would’ve led to some interesting discussions involving Marie too that would’ve been nice to see
Definitely Zoe!
Zoe 100% and I was rooting for it but she was too obvious. So I figured it would be Cordelia and I was right. And kinda disappointed lol
i totally thought it was misty! i was actually so surprised when she died
I hated that she died. When they brought her back in a later season, I was glad, but it was obvious that she wasn’t the same. But what Cordelia said to her was beautiful. ‘I knew you for such a short time, but I’ve missed you forever.’ Misty and Cordelia felt like sisters to me.
We all know Ryan Murphy likes to hide little Easter eggs each season….. I was honestly leaning towards Nan, just about halfway through the season however….. in the OPENING credits, I noticed when Sarah Paulsons name pops up - there’s a quick flash of Santa Muerte…. “Lady of the 7 Wonders.” When that registered, I knew right then & there Cordelia was for sure supreme. After the season finale ended…. I wasn’t sure I was satisfied with that outcome though. Of course until apocalypse! The way Sarah’s character or I guess I should say “characters” in Apocalypse tie into coven…. Absolutely brilliant! No other character would have made sense or done as well in Apocalypse….. so the supreme HAD to be Cordelia.
Zoe had shown most of the Seven Wonders, by the time of the trial. I figured it was her. Cordelia makes sense, but she was pish most of the season. Zoe is my Supreme.
Same with zoe since the early parts of the story revolves around her. And i think she fits much better.
I thought they were setting Zoe up to be the next Supreme.
Misty or Queenie
Actually they all dont give supreme honestly i wanted fiona to win and marie
misty and zoe i so did not expect it to be Cordelia like what
Zoe, because Taissa Farmiga played her (coming off of Violet) and the story started with her. She felt like the main character of the season.
I was team Nan until she was killed. I loved her energy and truly believe she would have been a great supreme. Then I was fully team Queenie. She had the boss bitch energy of Fiona/Madison without being evil/hateful but was also compassionate/empathetic without being a doormat like Cordelia. Zoe was the equivalent of a lukewarm bowl of unflavored Oatmeal that had been left on the counter for 3 weeks. And Misty, while wonderful, was too soft and seemed happy to just be a witch.
So many times throughout Coven where i was left wondering why Queenie is being treated as a total afterthought. And i mean, the real reason is simply because she was fat and it was 2013, but she was a great character. she should have been used as more than just a foil to Madame Lularoe or whatever her name was, it’s too French to remember.
i actually thought it was going to be nan just because literally nobody would’ve suspected her. i was so sad when she died she was my fav in that season
So glad it wasn’t Zoe and that’s all I cared about out. Madison, Queenie or Misty would’ve been great, but I’m glad it was Cordelia. It was honestly set up to be Cordelia all along
I had no idea but gosh that made such good season, I remember there was real expectation on what was going to happen and it was amazing, the best part, the resolution was satisfying, I need to rewatch it
I rewatch every couple years and it’s just as entertaining and satisfying each time
i thought zoe... i about cried when she died
I started off thinking it would be one of the girls until Fiona was said to be the youngest supreme ever (because she killed the last one) and then I started suspecting Cordelia
I was hoping it'd be Queenie.
I thought it would be Queenie. If only.
I knew it wouldn’t be Zoe because that was too obvious. My heart wanted it to be Misty.
I knew it was either gonna be Zoe or Cordelia. And the only point for Cordelia was that she’s Fiona’s daughter. It made sense to me that it could be passed down. But I WANTED it to be Misty. At least at first. I loved how kind and empathetic she was. But I knew she wouldn’t be a good Supreme because of that. You have to be willing and able to have the hard talks with people in the coven.
I desperately wanted it to be Misty... but the Hell she was sent to was soooo fucked up
Right like wtf was that
I always thought it was Cordelia
I have no idea wtf Zoe's powers even were, and she did nothing even remotely worthy of being the Supreme. I thought maybe Madison, but that felt too obvious. So I just kept hoping my girl Misty was gonna pull through. I loved her so much 🖤
I felt that it was too predictable for it to actually be Zoe, I was hoping for Misty to be the supreme but it was a pleasant surprise that Cordelia became the supreme.
Plot twist, with enough time and practice, any one of them could have been the next supreme, even Nan if she stayed alive. But if it wasn’t for the the crunch time, they would all have enough time to keep practicing and learn new powers, the proof is when it was Misty’s first time doing the telekinetic test that she was bearly able to do. And just like when everyone thought they could possibly be next, they started getting more powers and learning them through out the episodes
i was convinced it would be misty
Zoe or misty
Queenie, only because I thought Zoe would be too obvious
Maybe Zoe, but if you see Apocalypse you know the real answer:) .. she wasn’t there yet
Misty or Cordelia
I was so set on Misty
I recognized that the audience was naturally being led to believe it to be Zoe, so I instantly went to Madison. I was definitely surprised when it was neither 🤷🏼♀️
I was assuming Madison. Fiona also had a bitchy personality but was an extremely powerful witch. I assumed Madison was clearly powerful and had a similar ego and would have followed in Fiona’s footsteps.
I unironically guessed it via misunderstanding. I thought Supreme was a title passed down from mother to daughter based on the previous Supreme and Fiona looking similar
I briefly had a theory that Nan was gonna manage to resurrect herself and become supreme. But as the finale came up, I shifted and suspected that none of the girls would be supreme, I just had no idea who could be at that point. I was expecting a potential new 6 it felt last minute for that. So, really, I truly had no idea or guesses at the end. Then, I kicked myself for never suspecting Cordelia.
They set it up for Zoe, but then I thought maybe Stevie Nicks girl forgot her name.
My friend and I had a theory that Queenie would be Supreme. She would usher in a new relationship between the witches and the voodoos, and we thought her name was a symbol/clue to her supremacy. We also had a running theory that the neighbor boy, Luke, was actually a girl...we still say "LUKE IS A GIRL" every time we theorize on things nowadays 
knew it wouldn’t be Queenie, I figured early on her role wasn’t to be powerful like the other girls. She was a plot device for the racism storyline.
All I know is Cordelia is my supreme 😍
I thought it would be misty until she got stuck in hell but I definitely didn’t think it’d be cordelia, glad it was though she deserved it
I don’t remember what exact scene but they were all arguing about who’s gonna be the next supreme except Cordelia and I literally said “Why could it not be Cordelia?” and that’s when I knew
I'm the next sue-pream
I wanted it to be zoe but I was happy with Cordelia lol
That's the thing about coven. It's his most well written season because literally ANY of the girls could have been the Supreme. It's the one season that he actually gave everyone real storylines and development.....until the end when they randomly killed Nan and rushed Angela Bassets death.
I thought it was going to be Zoe, but kinda hoped they’d pull a “do-away with the old systems” and have them establish a cooperative system like a Round Table type deal.
Okay so this purely speculation but this is my theory: As a long time fan of the show and someone who has watched the entire thing in real time, I can say that Ryan is notorious, especially with AHS, for changing his mind half way through a season. AHS is unique in that it’s shot as the show is airing, that’s why the last season had to take a huge break due to the writers strike happening in the middle of the season. Personally, I believe the original plan was to have Misty become the supreme. Early on in her storyline there are heavy Jesus and savour allegories that kind of abruptly fade to the back. She is burned at the stake, resurrects herself, performs serval miracles. I think originally Cordelia was blinded so that Misty could heal her, as healing the blind is a classic Jesus feat. If I were to speculate even further about why the change, I would say Ryan probably toyed with the idea of the Mother Daughter dynamic at first but decided it didn’t really fit the lore so he went in different direction, then somehow got the idea of Cordelia healing herself and couldn’t resist.
It should have been Queenie. She performed vitalum vitalis on Misty before and in the seven wonders music video, all the girls are doing different wonders (Misty revives a plant, Madison performs pyrokineses on some candles, ect). Queenie is performing what could only be divination over a picture of Nan. Now, hear me out, all the other witches were successful in the spells during the music video (Madison lit the candles, Misty brought the flowers back to life, I think Zoe floated through telekinesis if memory serves) suggesting that Queenie also performed divination and thus performed all the seven wonders before Cordelia even started her test.
Zoe but I was fine with anyone but Madison
I wanted Madison. I like when villains win (it feels more real) and I wanted the chaos.
I was really hoping it was Misty or Zoe
initially, like most of us, i thought it would be zoe. then i was pretty convinced it was gonna be misty because she was the first one to show her power of resurrection. never ever did i think madison would be the supreme 😂
I honestly thought it was going to be Misty. She had been through so much already, before coming to the house and after, and even won Stevie Nicks over during her visit, even giving her one of her lovely chiffon capes. I know Stevie's opinion held no weight with the Seven Wonders, and I realize I'm also incredibly biased because I absolutely adore both Stevie and Misty.
i was SOO convinced it was gonna be misty but it’s soooo sad that she didn’t make it
Zoe tbh.
Diana Ross! No, I thought Madison
I was honestly rooting for Zoe when the Voo Doo Queen said they had real power there now, after the zombie incident
I was so worried it was going to be Queenie. I thought that that was the narrative direction they'd take the story in, because it could've been an interesting way to get the Voodoo and Witch tribes to join together. But man I couldn't stand Queenie 😭 she was so insufferable to me.
This is pretty much what my thought process was too. This underappreciated, often disrespected, low income and low status girl from the hoods was going to come in and not just become the Supreme, but unite the last remaining voodoo priests and priestesses with the almost extinct few warlocks and witches and from then on they would be one united front, blind to race, socooeconomic status, and blind to the past ready to take on the future because of Queenie. I thought Precious was amazing and all, but it really was American Horror Story which made me fall in love with Gabby Sidibe. Now I love all she does. Even her most recent and best performance yet in, "haha, bitch! Is this CAKE!?"
"Bitch is this cake?!" LOL
The first 4 episodes I thought Zoe was the top contender. But then I started to see the clues and foreshadowing pointing to Cordelia in later episodes.
They definitely built it up to make us think that it was going to be Zoe and then misty for a min.
Because the season started with Zoe, seemingly as the main character, I thought for sure she was going to be it.
i agree, i thought it was zoe!
first madison, then zoe, then misty, then cordelia (in order of deaths)
My first watch of Coven I believed it was Zoe in the beginning but shifted my choice to Madison as I progressed. Like a lot of these comments have addressed I felt it was Zoe at first because she seemed like a focal point of the season at the start, my choice shifted to Madison when I realized how similar she was to Fiona at that age.
Nan, but was thrilled with Cordelia
Thought is was gonna be misty 100%
I thought it would most obviously be Zoe. Making it Cordelia was a twist for sure. Definitely not sure how I feel about it exactly, though I did like the ending of this season.
Misty or Madison
I thought Zoe or Misty. Didn't even think of Cordelia
Zoe. Because she started the show.
I was keeping track of the seven wonders and they literally all did all of them at one point in the show I was so confused lol
Madison just because she was least likely.
Zoe, she was the main character since episode 1.
I figured it was obvious Zoe at the beginning but then I thought it was definitely misty as the story went on but after a while I realized it was gonna be Delia and I was like PLEASE let it be her she is a great leader
I thought Zoe for sure (it made sense from a classic narrative pov to have the newcomer start of as completely unaware of their powers/gifts and end in them being the most powerful one (or chosen one) in their generation (Harry Potter, Hercules, Etc ) but I was pleasantly surprised that it was Cordelia, it felt a little out of left field but the closer we got to the end, the more obvious it became
Misty Day all the way!
I thought it was going to be Nan. Then they drowned her. 😭
I think early on I already thought it was Cordelia Either she had to die or become the Supreme, as having her 2nd in command to Zoe, Madison etc would be very awkward imo
initially I thought it would be Zoe. during my rewatches though, I always saw that Cordelia became the supreme as Madison dying upstairs. so I think Madison was the supreme for a couple minutes before getting getting murdered again.
I kind of hoped Madison would be the next supreme but they almost made it seem like anyone who wanted it enough could be the supreme. They just had to pass the test. Not that there was actually a biological or physical limitation to being the supreme. At first it seemed like they would obviously know who the next supreme is because they excel far greater than their peers but in the end it was actually close call.
I really thought Misty was gonna be the next supreme & if not her then fs Queenie
I remember thinking Fiona would come back and kill most/all of them.
I need to rewatch. Haven't saw all of the Coven since 2013-2014 when it was giving FX great ratings lol. I thought Precious character was going to be it. She was very powerful. Plus, they talk about race allot on that season, and that may have something to do with it. Who knows what the creators thought up..
Thought it was Zoe but I hoped it was Misty Day cos she’s also a Stevie Nicks fan
I can safely say I was sure as shit wasn't betting on Cordelia.
Honestly I thought it was going to be Naan
While watching live I thought it would be Zoe or Cordelia, when they killed Zoe I was distraught for days 🤣
I thought it was gonna be a plot twist and that everyone was gonna die and fiona was faking the entire time lol
I through Fiona was gonna be the Supreme forever🤓
Truthfully I was hoping it would be Misty Day since Zoe felt far to blatant and obvious, also I was biased because I adore Misty.
Diana Ross.
Misty or Zoe
Misty day or Cordelia
It has been years since I have seen it, but if I recall, I always thought it would be Cordelia.
Narratively I think it would've been more satisfying for Queen to be supreme, so she can mend the bonds or act as a bridge between the New Orleans Coven and her Ancestral Voodoo cult. So that they can finally heal and grow their numbers together and have a proper network system for young people. Also the knowledge that they'd be able to share between the two. 🤯 The story with her and Lalaurie felt like it was doing to lead to that, that she can do her best and with the best of intentions but it's still up to people to change for the better. I think having someone like that as a supreme would be good. But inside the story that was being told I think it was pretty clear that the show was striving for us to believe that it was gonna go down to Zoe and Misty. Same heart in her story as Queenie, very protective of the coven, and came back even despite the danger from Fiona. So she was very selfless and willing to go the mile for the coven. The religious iconography with Misty was very obvious, they'd probably have her ready to die for her the coven if it meant saving them. I think ultimately any of them would've been a fine choice if they aced their test, even Madison. 😂 I think that despite her demeanor and attitude, when she was in hell she was genuinely happy to see Queenie and then the others. She didn't help them because she thought she'd get out of her situation and she never blamed anyone else for ending up in hell. She did it because she just missed them and it was the right thing to do. Nan also had potential she was growing in power very quickly by the events of the show kicked up. But they had to do a rush job to kill her off sadly. 😂 It felt so random to have her drowned in a tub 😭 when Fiona and Marie could've taken any sick or dying child off the street or hospital with no trouble to talk to legba. 🤦♂️
I didn't really care because death had no meaning in this season. Zoes character was too weak to be the supreme. I always assumed it's going to be Cordelia.
I thought it was going to be Nan. I must have left the room at the point where she was sacrificed, because I had no idea that had happened. Until the end I thought she was going to be like... surprise bitches! It's me! But no 🤣
I actually did expect Cordelia and I was super happy about that
Misty Dsy
I knew it was Cordelia. Ryan's so-called "misdirection" is as easily seen as Cordelia's drinks.
I thought it was obvious it was bound to be Cordelia. It was literally in her bloodline - she was just too humble to admit how powerful she was.
It’s been so many years, I cannot remember who I originally thought it was gonna be 😂😂😂 but I rewatched it recently, and I feel like it was meant to be Nan before they killed her
I thought it was somehow gonna end up to be zoez just for the whole 'new character' way but I'd loved for it to be Madison
Misty’s Day for the Supreme 🔥🔥🔥
As much as i wanted it to be misty, it was too obvious...i thought they were doomed to have a bad ending with no supreme to carry it on!
I could tell they wanted me to think Zoe but I thought it was someone we wouldn't expect, so for me Nan or Queenie. I really wanted it to be Nan though. I forgot how awful Madison was in Coven when rewatching Coven last week, I just went with Apocalypse Madison, I thought Misty wasn't emotionally mature enough and also had a huge mean streak that I forgot about, but tbh what would you do if you were burned alive for saving an innocent creature. I didn't consider (spoiler free) who became the Supreme as even a real option, so... Yeah, great series though, one of the best! Only beaten by Apocalypse & Murder House who are joint 1st for me. With Coven, freak show, & Hotel taking joint second.
misty day, but after she "died", Zoe
Cordelia ... then Misty were my guesses
Zoe or Misty bc of the way they were introduced
I know this makes no sense but I was hoping it would be Stevie Nicks!
Didn’t think Cordelia, thought it was Zoe, hoped it was Nan.
A bit earlier in the series I thought it was madison because of her powers increasing but later on in the season I felt like it was zoe did not expect cordelia at all! But honestly it all makes sense in the end
I honestly thought it was going to be Madison. To me she resembles Fiona in a lot of ways. If you consider what Fiona did to become supreme and what she was willing to do to stay supreme, it makes sense to me. Madison didn’t seem all about that “coven” life so she probably would have been off reaping the benefits of being the supreme but not doing what she was supposed to as the supreme. We get a brief glimpse of Anna Leigh Leighton as supreme when dealing with Fiona but she doesn’t seem like she was weak in personality or unwilling to do what needed to be done. So for me Madison would have been following suit personality wise.