American Horror Stories S2 Finally Explains Spalding's Coven Origins
WARNING! This post contains SPOILERS for American Horror Stories season 2, episode 1!
The American Horror Stories season 2 episode “Dollhouse” tells the previously untold origin story of the American Horror Story: Coven character Spalding. Serving as a spinoff to American Horror Story, FX on Hulu’s American Horror Stories tells a new terrifying tale every episode as opposed to every season. While American Horror Stories season 1 brought back characters from AHS: Murder House, season 2 is reviving at least one mysterious narrative from AHS: Coven.
Set in 1961 Mississippi, “Dollhouse” follows Coby (Kristine Froseth) after she is kidnapped during a job interview with doll maker Mr. Van Wirt (Denis O’Hare). Coby is brought back to Van Wirt’s large estate, where he has created a life-size dollhouse for the women he kidnaps to perform “tests.” While forcing the women to dress up as dolls, Coby and the other women must take part in different housekeeping tasks; if they fail, they’re pushed down a well to their deaths, but if they “win,” they become the new mother to Van Wirt’s son, Otis. After “winning” the contest, American Horror Stories season 2, episode 1’s ending sees the magically-powered Coby and Otis escape with the help of two witches from Miss Robichaux’s Academy.
Related: AHS Finally Delivers On Its Best Season Theme (But Not How You Thought)
The true connection to American Horror Story: Coven is revealed in the ending of “Dollhouse” when Coby tells Otis he must go by a new name, choosing his middle name, “Spalding.” While it was already suspected that American Horror Stories’ season 2 episode would connect to Coven due to the dollhouse obsessions, Denis O’Hare’s casting, and Coby’s magical powers, “Dollhouse”
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