American Horror Stories S2 Finally Explains Spalding's Coven Origins

Published Jul 22, 2022

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WARNING! This post contains SPOILERS forAmerican Horror Stories season 2, episode 1!

The American Horror Stories season 2 episode “Dollhouse” tells the previously untold origin story of theAmerican Horror Story: Coven character Spalding. Serving as a spinoff toAmerican Horror Story, FX on Hulu’sAmerican Horror Stories tells a new terrifying tale every episode as opposed to every season. WhileAmerican Horror Stories season 1brought back characters fromAHS: Murder House, season 2 is reviving at least one mysterious narrative fromAHS: 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.

The true connection toAmerican 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 thatAmerican Horror Stories’ season 2 episode would connect toCoven due to the dollhouse obsessions, Denis O’Hare’s casting, and Coby’s magical powers, “Dollhouse” established itself as an origin story by revealing Otis was, in fact,Coven’s butler character Spalding. Much of Spalding’s background had been a mystery inAHS: Coven, with the Miss Robichaux’s Academy butler being notable for his cut-out tongue, unrequited love for Fiona, and unsettling obsession with dolls. Nearly a decade afterCoven debuted,American Horror Stories’ “Dollhouse” character, Otis, reveals an even more terrifying backstory for Spalding.

How American Horror Stories Retcons Spalding's Coven Role

Spalding from American Horror Story Coven

WhileAmerican Horror Stories’ season 2 episode gave intriguing context for mysteries about Spalding’s origins, the spinoff also retconned a few details from his past that were revealed inAHS: Coven. Alongside explaining that his real name is Otis Van Wirt, with Spalding being his middle name,American Horror Stories’ “Dollhouse” changed his true connection to Miss Robichaux’s Academy. InAmerican Horror Story: Coven, Denis O'Hare's Spalding explained that he had come from a family line of servants for the witches, having lived atMiss Robichaux’s Academy all his life. However,AHS: Coven retcons this fact to confirm that Spalding arrived when he was already a child, with Coby telling him to lie in order to cover up his past.

American Horror Stories season 2, episode 1 also retcons Spalding’sCoven backstory in regard to his collection of “living dolls.” Toward the end ofAmerican Horror Story: Coven, Spalding takes the baby that was meant to be sacrificed to Papa Legba, declaring it his first living doll (as Madison was already dead when he used her as a doll).American Horror Stories’ “Dollhouse” then reveals that this was another lie, as Spalding had several “living dolls” during his childhood when his father kidnapped women. AlthoughAmerican Horror Stories season 2 makes Spalding’sAHS: Coven backstory more unsettling, it also explains that much of his odd obsessions and behaviors were ingrained by his father.

Next: AHS Coven - The Powers Of Each Main Character Explained

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