FX’s American Horror Story: 13 closed its Coven versus Devil story on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with a finale that reversed the Devil’s plan, sent Mallory back to Salem, and turned the Antichrist into the spell’s fuel. The episode, titled “Devil of a Good Time,” ended with Satan locked inside The Last Supper painting and Ben Pollari reduced to a pile of ash. Here is how the finale played out, what Mallory’s spell actually required, and how viewers responded to the show’s thirteenth season closer.
The Devil Walks Away From His Own Bet
The finale opened with Mr. Phibes, played by John Waters, completing the ritual that would push Satan’s human body to 100 years of age and settle the wager with God. Phibes had gathered 13 men at the Apollyon and drugged them with cookies, killing them one by one to move the clock forward. The plan stalled at 99.9 when Mr. Nas spared the final man and refused to finish the ritual.
Nas then destroyed his own human body and killed Phibes by throwing him into a fireplace. He travelled to Cordelia’s personal hell, where she was forced to euthanize puppies for eternity, and freed her. He told her he no longer wanted to rule Earth because managing billions of lives did not appeal to him. As a peace offering, he handed Cordelia his New York penthouse and revealed that she is his granddaughter. Before leaving, he warned her that they would meet again.
“He’s now stuck in the painting and watched over by his kin, essentially his granddaughter and daughter.” — Paul Anthony Kelly to TheWrap
The mercy did not convince the witches. Queenie returned from hell after Ben pulled her out, and Cordelia told her the fight was not over. The coven treated the Devil’s retreat as a pause, not a surrender.
Mallory Goes Back to Salem for a Spell That Costs a Life
Mallory, played by Billie Lourd, never accepted the Devil’s exit as a victory. She used her time-travel power to go back to the Salem witch trials, where she stopped the trials and learned a spell from Sarah Goode, the woman who had trapped Dorian Gray inside a painting.
The spell could seal a soul inside a portrait forever. The condition was brutal: it required an unwilling sacrifice to power the magic. Mallory brought the spell back to the present and told Cordelia the cost. The sacrifice had to be Ben, the 13th Antichrist and Satan’s son.
“Mallory revealed that Sarah Goode’s spell would work if the 13th Antichrist sacrificed himself. This was brutal, as Ben had just become a father.” — Soap Central finale breakdown
Ben’s life had changed hours before the request. Madison Montgomery, played by Emma Roberts, gave birth to their daughter after a one-night encounter. The baby appeared dead at first, and Mr. Nas revived her. The child is Satan’s granddaughter, and the Devil visited the newborn right after the birth.
Cordelia and Mallory summoned Ben to the penthouse and asked him to give up his life. Cordelia assured him that Madison would understand. Ben accepted that 13 was his destiny.
Ben’s Sacrifice and the Painting That Trapped Satan
Satan arrived at the apartment while the witches were still making their case. Mallory and Cordelia held him off long enough for Ben to act. Ben stabbed himself in the heart with a sword and declared that he was no longer afraid of the number 13. His body turned to ashes.
The death gave Cordelia and Mallory the power to complete the spell. Satan’s soul was pulled into Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the painting that had been stolen and kept inside the penthouse. The Devil became the 13th guest in the painting, a fate Constance Langdon had hinted at earlier in the season.
“Ben ultimately agrees and stabs himself in the heart with a sword, turning to ashes and defeating Satan. Young Mr. Nas is left trapped inside The Last Supper painting.” — The Hollywood Reporter finale coverage
The victory came with an uneasy detail. The pile of ash that had been Ben’s body floated off the floor and drifted into a fireplace before the credits rolled. Paul Anthony Kelly told TheWrap that the painting is not a permanent prison.
“He’s just stuck in a painting. You can always break out of that at some point.” — Paul Anthony Kelly to TheWrap
Fan Reactions to Mallory’s Spell and Ben’s Death
Viewers on Lipstick Alley and Reddit focused on Mallory’s impulsiveness and the speed of Ben’s decision. One forum user wrote, “Chile these witches are all so impulsive and hard-headed! I Now Mallory wtf have you gone and done?” Another comment questioned the timeline Mallory travelled to and whether her trip changed the outcome.
The birth of Madison and Ben’s daughter drew a separate wave of discussion. Fans pointed out that Madison had been told earlier in the season that only one of her eggs could be frozen, which made the pregnancy feel like a deliberate story choice rather than a throwaway twist. The baby’s survival, followed immediately by Ben’s death, left the coven with a newborn tied to the Devil’s bloodline.
Queenie’s return also drew attention. Her rescue from hell happened off-screen through Ben, and some viewers wanted more explanation of how he pulled her out. The finale kept the focus on the painting and the sacrifice rather than the mechanics of every rescue.
The Cast Behind the Coven and the Devil
Sarah Paulson returned as Cordelia Goode, the Supreme who spent the season trying to keep the coven together. Billie Lourd played Mallory, the next Supreme whose time-travel power became the season’s final weapon. Emma Roberts returned as Madison Montgomery, whose pregnancy gave the finale its emotional weight. Gabourey Sidibe played Queenie, and Joey Pollari played Ben, the Antichrist whose death powered the spell.
Paul Anthony Kelly played Mr. Nas, the Devil in human form. John Waters played Mr. Phibes, the medical specialist who ran the ritual. Jessica Lange appeared as Constance Langdon and Fiona Goode, twin sisters and daughters of Satan, a connection revealed in the penultimate episode. Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, Leslie Grossman, and Ariana Grande were also part of the season’s returning ensemble.
The finale was written by Ned Martel, Charlie Carver, and Brad Falchuk, and directed by Crystle Roberson Dorsey.
Where to Watch the Season 13 Finale
American Horror Story: 13 aired on FX in the United States and streamed on Hulu the day after broadcast. The finale, “Devil of a Good Time,” arrived on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX. Viewers in the UK can watch the season on Disney+ under the Star banner. Canada viewers can stream through Disney+ Canada, while Australia audiences have access through Disney+ Australia. India viewers can watch on Disney+ Hotstar.
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FX renewed American Horror Story for a 14th season on the same day the finale aired, according to The Brief. The renewal keeps Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology running beyond its thirteenth installment.
For more finale breakdowns and TV recaps that skip the filler, keep reading VvipTimes.
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