Concurrently, viewers will get a glimpse into New Orleans' past, where the evil Madame LaLaurie (Kathy Bates), inspired by the real-life 1800s serial killer, was the No. 1 enemy of Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), a real-life practitioner of Voodoo. Bates' character, whom Murphy describes as "eight times worse" than the actress' infamous Misery alter-ego, becomes the catalyst for a present-day war between the Salem witches and those who practice Voodoo.