20 TV Villain Performances That Are Practically Flawless

Jessica Lange's ability to combine villainy and tragedy into her performances was one of American Horror Story's finest attributes. She's haunted and cruel in Murder House, torturous and broken in Asylum, but her best work can be found in Coven.

The third chapter of Ryan Murphy's once-great anthology series follows a group of young witches thrown head-first into a life of spells, murder and secrets. Lange's supreme witch Fiona Goode acts as both their mentor and their enemy.

Portraying Goode as a powerful sorceress who's losing her powers and succumbing to the painfully human rigors of age, Lange once again finds ample opportunity to blend her character's evilness with her tear-jerking weaknesses.

Goode is bitter, cynical, power-hungry and, deep down, a loving mother and teacher who's lost her way. Lange sells the witch from her ominous introduction to her haunting farewell, and the results are utterly divine.