The following analysis is solely my own. Some of it offers an opinion while recapping portions of the episode. I impart a little satire within the recap. For this post, I’ll recap by topic rather than as the episode unfolds. It may not recap every moment and may not cover every character of the episode. Anything written for this post is created by the blog's author who is an inspired fan with the intention of promoting the work. If you enjoy reading this, please leave a comment here or on Instagram @thataddamsgirl.
Search for The Missing Pages of Ashmole 782 aka The Book of Life
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| Diana (Teresa Palmer) creates a cloaking spell though she doesn't describe that she created a disguise. It's quick. She hides what she's doing so she looks like she's reading and not like she's pulling the letters out of the book. |
Phoebe and Diana make efforts to find the missing two pages. Together they determine that she can find a book that may have it and she has to go to The British Library. She learns from a spell about the book that Father Hubbard last had, therefore he must have one of the two missing pages.
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| "H" appears on Diana's wrist in the same spot where she previously cut it open using her witch magic to extract a single drop of blood to drop into Hubbard's mouth. This action not only represented a pact that they secretly had between them to ensure he would care for Jack, but it also allowed Hubbard to see her secrets. He learned she timewalked with Matthew and was able to realize they were not returning when they fled London back in 1591. |
We arrive at a place called Hubbard’s of Houndsditch in London. He welcomes a newcomer to his flock while Peter Knox waits patiently to see Hubbard. Knox seeks out the missing page from Hubbard and learns that Hubbard knows he was banned from The Congregation. Hubbard says, “Even someone as jaded by creature politics, as I know that you’ve been removed from The Congregation, I offer no judgment for your crimes. Only salvation.”
Knox wants what he wants. He attempts to activate his witchcraft tool on Hubbard, but he’s not fast enough. Hubbard chokes Knox and threatens him that he won’t make it out alive if he tries to hurt Hubbard. "H" still blesses Knox when he tells him to go.
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Father Hubbard gets a little handsy
Peter Knox (Owen Teale) and Father Hubbard (Paul Rhys) |
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| That's a good boy. Bless you and be on your way. |
Diana finds Father Hubbard who lets her know Knox was just there. She tells him that Knox will try to still get that page. If Knox gets the page, he will try to use it to his advantage. This puts Hubbard in a quandary because he wants his followers protected. The point she makes is that Gerbert and Knox are using The Covenant to divide them now, but with the page, the lives of creatures are endangered. Hubbard hands her the page, which he hid cleverly on the back of a framed image of Christ on the cross. He tells her he trusts her to “have the courage to do what has to be done. Whatever [she] has to sacrifice," and she tells him she “won’t betray that trust.”
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No, you cannot have the blood of my twin babies.
[However, it's the secrets they hold that he really wants.] |
Further research leads to the name of someone who has owned another book by John Dee, T.J. Weston. Diana has to find out if he still has the third missing page.
Recall in S1 when Diana woke from a nightmare of her hands wrapped in a spider web? She couldn't comprehend that her power was suppressed, that she was spellbound, and her subconscious was reacting to what was going on around her. As a result, she'd have nightmares about feeling incapable of controlling her magic.
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| Spiders create a web made of silk in which its main component is protein. This article claims spider web silk, in strength, is a cross between steel and rubber. |
The writer and director are giving us the character arc that depicts Diana mastering her powers; having control of her magic. E4 opens with Diana weaving her spells in bed. The opposing images of these two episodes is one of the reasons I enjoy the TV series.
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| There's no circle of protection ever cast in ADOW's rituals when Diana weaves a spell. It’s television so I’m letting it go. |
She went from having nightmares tied to her being spellbound to being able to put her power to use in a moment of crisis. Look at how far Diana has come to understand how to weave spells.
She decides that she has to form a coven for a locator spell. It needs a witch for each element. Everyone is against it because Peter Knox is going to figure it out.
Diana, Sarah, and Gallowglass seek a location in the city of London. She finds the alley where she believes she met Goody Alsop. She calls for the "streets of old to appear" and encounters a witch who says “We’ve been expecting you.” This is Linda Crosby and this is covered well in The Book of Life.
There are three dozen members of the coven. Diana explains the task and Linda says that they’ll help her. Sarah gathers materials from around the room.
The witches representing all of the elements perform the spell with Diana and a map eventually assembles to show a location written on a parchment paper with the latitude and longitude of Weston's location.
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| Natural light has always been a trademark of the production design of "A Discovery of Witches". |
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| Coarse salt can replicate a satellite image of The Cotswolds pretty damn good. |
They drive out to The Cotswolds. Gallowglass takes the lead to check the safety situation. He senses that someone inside is in distress and they enter through the patio doors to a very cluttered space. T.J. Weston is holding a baseball bat to defend himself. He is an anxious daemon; cautious, sensitive, and feels threatened by these unexpected visitors.
Recall when we met Sophie and Nathaniel in S1 -- also daemons. Both were much more confident and certainly have blended in with society. Agatha, a member of The Congregation, and also a daemon, projects confidence.
Diana explains to Weston that she’s looking for the page that was in John Dee’s collection. He takes her to another room for which he dramatically plays piano. There’s quite a lot of items he’s hoarded over many years. He doesn’t want to give up the page, the page with the tree. The skin of his ancestors of which it is comprised is one of his most personal possessions. They leave because Diana doesn’t want to force him to give it up, understanding that he has been traumatized.
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| If you want to compare the TV series to the book, refer to chapter 27 in The Book of Life. The TV series has improved the introduction of T.J. Weston and allows him to find a connection with another daemon. |
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| Phaldut Sharma plays the eccentric, agoraphobic T.J. "Timothy" Weston |
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Daemons can often be afflicted with mental illness and in Weston's case, he has resulted in hoarding manuscripts for coping with it. In the book, the question is asked: “Why do manuscripts interest you?” When trying to get answers from daemons and undergraduates, it was best to ask genuinely open-ended questions.
“They’re like the house—they remind me of something I shouldn’t forget,” Timothy said, as though that explained everything.
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Diana knows she can ask Agatha to help convince Weston to give up the page. Diana talks to her about what she needs. Witches and daemons make friends again, like Sophie and Daniel helping her with the statue of the Goddess Diana!
Back at the place where the coven met, Knox strolls in and is his usual asshole self and uses his witchy tool to throw around his power. He gets his hands into the materials and finds the location for T.J. Weston.
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| Knox gets a rush from discovering where the third missing page is located. Timothy Weston is in big trouble. |
The TV series has made small efforts to depict the daemons who are lacking connection. There was such a scene in S1, E3 when Nathaniel shows Sophie how he created a way to have daemons meet other daemons.
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"They've spent half of their lives thinking they were freaks."
"Now you've got them talking to each other."
"Some are gonna want to meet face to face."
Daniel Ezra as Nathaniel and Aisling Loftus as Sophie. |
It’s a relief to see Diana and Agatha return to Weston’s place. Agatha convinces him that they’ll take care of the page. This is the chance to prove that daemons matter. She’s sympathetic to his preference of living in isolation. He knows that Diana can put a stop to “the blood, the death, and the fear.” He finds the page with the tree, which is similar to what Diana saw in her nightmare in S2. The tree in her nightmare was made of screaming creatures. Diana thanks him. Agatha reassures Weston that he has a whole community and herself to support him.
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| His home is always dark. Here he cowers by the window afraid to let in the light. It may reveal too bright the darkest and deepest troubles he has caged up inside himself. |
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| Made from the skin of Weston's ancestors |
Diana and Agatha walk back to the car. Seeing Weston in this mental state of unrest had upset Agatha. She infers that daemons are often neglected by The Congregation--their existence so seldom acknowledged and it implies they are the most vulnerable. The sight of him suffering compels her to fight for the daemons... to have them be treated just as equally as witches and vampires. “That’s why I want to repeal the Covenant. We need more than a fight, Agatha. We need a revolution.” says Diana.
Diana starts to feel contractions. BTW, it’s a 2-hour drive from The Cotswolds back to London.
After Diana is safely received in London, Agatha returns to Weston's home. His door is wide open. He’s in pain and she finds him lying on a table surrounded by the ritual salt. It is the salt that Knox took with him so the evidence is clear that Knox attacked him. Weston breathes his last breath -- same as the way Emily appeared as in S3 E1.
Scion Formation
Matthew is in New Orleans with Marcus as Marcus meets with his vampire daughter Geraldine (Genesis Lynea) about forming a scion with Matthew de Clermont. He’s been showing up to talk to her each week. She knows about the blood rage disease. She lets Marcus know that the whole family knows of the proposal to form a scion. She tells them to leave New Orleans. Ransome Fayrweather (Parker Sawyers), Marcus’ oldest vampire son, is completely against it.
Marcus turns up to gamble with his vampire family later. His children don’t trust Matthew because he slaughtered many of Marcus’ vampire children.
Looking back at E2 of S1, Matthew vaguely makes a comment about things he's done when Diana wistfully says. "The things you've seen," in this scene.
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"The things you've seen."
"And done." |
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| Matthew shares the burden of being infected with blood rage and has learned to control it. He's teaching Jack (Toby Regbo) techniques to help him suppress it. |
Matthew is facing the legacy of having tried to cull the disease about two centuries ago. He executed vampires – the vampire children of Marcus – who need him to admit he murdered their family and friends. [He possibly saved the slaughter of more humans if any of those vampires were to sire new vampires who'd show signs of blood rage. But the time it would take to get into hypothetical matters would take an entire episode to address.]
Marcus phones Phoebe and she says that she thought she’d “have to be immortal” to accomplish so much reading. He says, “I know. We need to talk about that.” This hints at the idea that Marcus may want to marry Phoebe and she may want to have him sire her – make her a vampire. He was unsuccessful with siring a friend who was hit by a car back in S1. In addition, Matthew had killed Marcus’ children to control the genetic continuation of blood rage.
Marcus tells Phoebe about the scion formation not going so well – “Matthew would rather die than admit he’s at fault.”
Marcus heads over to the French Quarter and talks with his son Ransome. They talk about Matthew forming a scion so that there’s no way for The Congregation to intervene again. This refers to when Matthew’s stepfather, Philippe, ordered him to slaughter vampires with blood rage. Philippe had formed The Congregation to rule on how species are to remain separate from others, avoid contracting the blood rage disease, be exposed to humans, and minimize the risk of extinction. Marcus explains, “There are elements of the Congregation that want to use blood rage to grab power, to frighten other creatures into submission. Baldwin could order another massacre tomorrow.”
That’s true. Baldwin even wanted Matthew to kill Jack until Matthew stood up to Baldwin in refusal. He goes on to say that Matthew intends on finding a cure to end blood rage and that Ransome could help in supplying a sample of blood to determine why they don’t experience blood rage. Ransome asks Marcus if Matthew owns up to his past actions.
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| In The Book of Life, Ransome owns The Domino Club on Royal St. in the French Quarter. It's a gambling business. There is no sign of this being the case here. |
All of Marcus's family are gathered to hear what Matthew has to say. Ransome says that “according to the Congregation it is his duty to kill [Jack]”.
Matthew responds with, “Well, then, you’ll have to kill me, too.”
It becomes heated because Ransome calls Matthew a hypocrite. Matthew throws back that The Congregation could wipe all of them out as they always want the creatures to live in fear. The scion would prevent such a thing, which is why he’s there. Ransome asks Matthew to admit what he’s done, to “comprehend what we lost.”
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| Matthew Goode as Matthew de Clermont or Matthew Clairmont. |
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| Ransome Fayrweather (Parker Sawyers) |
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| The skull art could be a tribute to a bar called The Dungeon in New Orleans, also located in the French Quarter. The Dungeon is nowhere near as minimal in aesthetic as Ransome's business. |
Matthew says, “I am sorry for what happened.”
Ransome says it didn’t “happen” and that it was “done to us.”
In a moment of reflection, Matthew recites the name of each vampire he murdered. He recalls in detail how he met them in the street and then killed each of them: Malachi Smith, Suzette Boudrot, Sandrine Lachellier, and it continues. Fabien Guidry, Sophie Mathieu, Jacqueline Lascelle – she was Ransome’s mate. Matthew describes in detail how he followed her and then killed her. “I see what I did and cannot change it. … I am sorry for what I did.”
Ransome stands and walks towards Matthew, puts out his hand, “We’ll join your scion.” Matthew shakes Ransome’s hand and he thanks him. He leaves to go back to the New Orleans residence. On his way, he phones Diana to check on her and tell her the good news.
His grey hairs are coming in, much like he mentions in chapter 33 of The Book of Life.
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| Dawn, the time of day that symbolizes a new beginning. |
Matthew tells Marcus that there’s a great deal of work to be done to gain their respect. “Marcus, I deeply regret what I did here. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you,” replies Marcus.
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| Edward Bluemel as Marcus Whitmore |
After Miriam bestows Matthew with her analysis session and then tells him to return home to be there for Diana, he then phones Baldwin. He tells him to meet him.
Baldwin appears in New Orleans knowing that Matthew wants Baldwin’s blessing to form a scion. Matthew tries to convince Baldwin that Philippe would allow this option for Matthew to split from The Congregation to do what’s right for his family. Baldwin says that it is in his right to take away all de Clermont assets that Matthew owns and say that he can never return to Sept-Tours. Baldwin asks Matthew what it was like seeing him again. He doesn’t make eye contact with Matthew. Baldwin is the second son sired by Philippe, after Hugh. “As you’d expect,” is Matthew’s answer.
Baldwin won’t support Matthew’s plan to form a scion; doesn’t have any respect for Matthew’s decision.
Jack Blackfriars
In E3 when Marcus and Matthew return from visiting Geraldine at the courthouse in New Orleans, they can see the furniture has been upended. Jack suffered another moment of blood rage and Matthew senses he’s in the nearby cemetery. The sound dept. recreated the authentic sounds of the insects; likely cicadas. Jack is being coached by Matthew. They discuss what triggers his need to express his rage, and it is his seeing himself on Benjamin’s video attacking humans.
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| Toby Regbo portrays Jack Blackfriars in a moment of losing control. |
Later Matthew finds Jack outside in the yard sketching. He constantly sees the faces of those he has killed. Matthew looks through the sketches and says that Benjamin was the murderer but that Jack was the weapon. Jack tries to compare this with how Matthew was to Philippe, but Matthew says that this is no comparison because Matthew was “relied upon” by Philippe “to eliminate any threats to the family.”
Jack is back in the cemetery and he senses a vampire nearby. He discovers that Ransome is there. Ransome observes the onset of blood rage so he asks what is so special about you to Jack, “He’s slaughtered everyone else.” Jack reports back to Matthew. Matthew agrees to meet with Marcus’ children.
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| "I'm learning to control it." |
Matthew Considering What it Means to Become a Father Again
Matthew's face is pensive while he reflects on his role as a father and a husband. His thoughts cover the past two seasons from being a predator with Diana when he feeds on her to heal his wounds from Juliette’s attack, to his duel with Philippe, and the blood rage he experiences as a result. The clip of Philippe telling Matthew “Your conscience is a handicap.” Matthew craving and loving Diana, Jack’s blood rage, Baldwin commanding that Matthew kill Jack, Ransome trying to believe that Matthew was truly remorseful, and it leads him to worry about solving the endless problems in order for them to have a future.
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| Flashback to E6 of S2 with James Purefoy playing Philippe de Clermont. |
Sarah
E3, Sarah (Alex Kingston) has made a grilled cheese sandwich and she and Diana recall this very snack was something that Em would make for Diana when she’d be up late studying. Sarah addresses that Diana needs to trust her intuition as well as her intellect in creating a spell for finding the missing pages.
Sarah tries to go back to Madison much to Fernando’s protest and then she encounters Gallowglass. He and Fernando talk Sarah out of leaving because Diana needs her. Sarah asks how does Gallowglass know how Diana needs her from his knowledge of past experiences.
“I’ve seen her spend hour after hour in the bloody library. Every time things were tough for her she read her way out of it. Book by book. And when she got things straight in her head, where would she go?”
“To me and Em.”
“Aye. And she’ll need to come to you again,” he tells her. “You do know that.”
“I do. But I don’t understand how you know that.”
Fernando answers her by saying that Philippe saw Diana’s importance to the vampires. Gallowglass admits that Philippe asked him to keep watch over Diana until Matthew meets her. Sarah calls it spying.
"No. No, I was there just in case. Not that you needed much help from me, if I'm honest. And that it was down to you and Em. But neither of our jobs are over yet," says Gallowglass.
This doesn’t mean we should re-watch S1 and look for Gallowglass. The timewalking with Matthew hadn’t taken place and so they altered the outcome by timewalking and then meeting with Philippe. We don’t get a replay of S1 to observe Gallowglass in the corners of libraries, hidden from Diana, yet, making sure she doesn’t get off the path to Oxford – off the path that leads her to find Matthew. He is a protector and there's not anything harmful about his role in her life that should be further discussed.
Gallowglass: Finding a New Purpose
A vampire protecting a witch. It’s Philippe’s assignment to Gallowglass. That’s what we know in E3, and indeed, he’s protecting her from Benjamin while Matthew is in New Orleans. However, he does tend to hover. She descends a staircase and it is not as if Gallowglass cannot hear her and seems to round a corner just as she’s hitting the landing. Odd, indeed, if not awkward. He studies her instead of doing what regular fellow housemates do which is go about their own business.
Fernando (Olivier Huband) goes outside to chat with Gallowglass near the beginning of E4. Turns out that Gallowglass has a smoking habit. It reads so much of the character of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer when he became interested in Buffy. He’d smoke outside her house. Fernando says, “No good can come of this.”
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| The nicotine patch doesn't work on vampires. |
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Some quit smoking with the help of hypnosis.
But what if the hypnotist has a way to tell my brain to bark every time I hear a word? That would be really embarrassing if the word was "Gallowglass". |
“It isn’t only Matthew and Diana who deserve happiness. You deserve to be happy too, mio figlio.” (“my son” in Italian)
“Do I?”
Fernando seems terribly worried for Gallowglass.
This dialogue is in chapter 29 of The Book of Life in a different kind of context, but it still means the same. Fernando begins talking about what Gallowglass was assigned to do, saying:
“When I next see Philippe de Clermont—and he is no doubt toasting his feet before the devil’s fire—he will answer to me for asking this of you.”
Fernando knew that Philippe enjoyed making other people’s decisions. He should have made a different one in this case.
“I would have done it regardless.” Gallowglass stepped away. “I don’t seem to have a choice.”
“You always have a choice. And you deserve a chance to be happy.” There had to be a woman out there for Gallowglass, Fernando thought—one who would make him forget Diana Bishop.
“Do I?” Gallowglass’s expression turned wistful.
Gallowglass and Diana are alone in Weston’s yard and she tells him that she can work on getting the book’s missing page on her own. He says, “You don’t think I know? You had that same look of determination on your first day at Yale.” It’s quite an admission that he looked out for her at Philippe’s command so that she’d find her way to Matthew. She says “You would have waited centuries. He had no right to ask that of you.”
“Diana, I did it gladly.”
He openly tells her that he knew she wasn’t meant for him. He looks past her into the distance. He’s struggling a bit to hold back his emotions. She’s sad to know this and says she’s sorry, but he doesn’t want her to apologize. “Oh, Gallowglass, I couldn’t have asked for a better guardian.”
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| Steven Cree is Gallowglass. He is quite fun to watch as a character who is strong, yet sensitive, and also very cool. |
He tells her that Philippe had “an unholy ability to give you a job that you couldn’t refuse.” She touches his hand and she thanks him. It is remarkably a beautiful scene with a musical score of strings playing throughout their conversation (“Diana & Gallowglass” is a track on the S3 soundtrack, but if you look at the song titles, you'll be spoiled about what happens before you watch the remaining three episodes). He ends his thoughts quietly without her hearing, “But it would cost you a piece of your soul.” This is his response to his agreeing to do it and having to finally move on; end his protection of her because she’s with Matthew now.
It’s important to read the passage in chapter 23 of The Book of Life. He elaborates on what he hoped would happen.
“I won’t have you feeling sorry for something you couldn’t prevent,” Gallowglass said, silencing her with a wave of his hand.
“I knew you could never be mine. It didn’t matter.”
“Before I was Matthew’s, I was yours,” Diana said simply.
“Only because I was watching you grow into Matthew’s wife,” he said roughly.
“Granddad always did have an unholy ability to give us jobs we could neither refuse nor perform without losing some piece of our souls.” Gallowglass took a deep breath.
“Until I saw the newspaper story about Lady Pembroke’s laboratory book,” he continued, “a small part of me hoped fate might have another surprise up her sleeve. I wondered if you might come back different, or without Matthew, or without loving him as much as he loves you.”
Diana listened without saying a word.
“So I went to Sept-Tours to wait for you, like I promised Granddad I would. Emily and Sarah were always going on about the changes your timewalking might have wrought. Miniatures and telescopes are one thing. But there was only ever one man for you, Diana. And God knows there was only ever one woman for Matthew.”
“It’s strange to hear you say my name,” Diana said softly.
“So long as I call you Auntie, I never forget who really owns your heart,” Gallowglass said gruffly.
“Philippe shouldn’t have expected you to watch over me. It was cruel,” she said.
“No crueler than what Philippe expected from you,” Gallowglass replied. “And far less so than what Granddad demanded of himself.”
The context is that he likes her and would do anything for her. Anyone who thinks that Gallowglass watching Diana from a distance for anything other than to protect her needs to let go of reading into it as something creepy. [
Read about the character archetype known as The Protector.] He presents as being someone who was possibly a loner with a life's calling as serving as a protector.
Gallowglass is a character written by Deborah Harkness with love and she wanted him to unconditionally guard Diana so that she would meet Matthew. I interpret the attraction that he developed as a platonic need to be near her while they're living under one roof. She's a witch and vampires hear their blood "singing"; they emit a scent of "chamomile honey". These details are covered in the first book; first season E3. It's of no use to make it bigger than what it is.
Diana, Sarah, and Gallowglass are in London and pull up to another house. He doesn’t look at Diana and he stares straight ahead. He rolls down the window to keep watch. She tells him through the window that she’s glad that he told her.
Later in E4 when Diana births twins, Fernando hands a glass of what seems to be whiskey to Gallowglass who’s standing at the front door. He’s giving Diana and Matthew space while she gives birth. He’s not at the door to just observe the rain after centuries of having endured gloomy weather. He’s able to be in earshot of what’s going on upstairs.
“Matthew will never leave her side again,” says Gallowglass. Fernando nods and offers a hand to his shoulder.
A few moments later, Gallowglass is in the background hearing Marcus announce that there’s a girl and a boy. Gallowglass looks at everyone being in their own world together, silently slips towards the hallway, and then walks out. He looks up at the window seeing Matthew holding a baby. Gallowglass is on his motorcycle. His brow is full of emotion. He puts on his motorcycle helmet. From inside we can see through the window past Matthew, with a view to the street. We watch Gallowglass look up at the window and then drive off into the night out of frame. Back on the street his taillights in view.
Gallowglass side note: most would not think about how many lives and identities someone needs to have as an immortal creature. He’s a mercenary in 1590. If he had to spend three to three-quarter centuries waiting for Diana to be born, well, that’s got to feel like an eternity. Once she is born, he has to be completely covert and inconspicuous. He doesn’t have a profession we can discern; he’s not a scholar or a scientist such as Matthew, Marcus, Miriam, Baldwin (who’s involved in finance). [How did Sarah and Emily earn money, btw? I have to read over the first book, but I think they had a way to make money selling something.] If he got to know anyone who is mortal, he had to always look the same age around them.
This is also not the last time we see Gallowglass in S3. I would never make a promise like this normally, but I know from the trailer that we have not seen the last of him. In fact, we'll see a little more than one may expect of his physical appearance.
Research into the Blood Rage Disease
Chris (Ivanno Jeremiah) and Miriam are stalled by needing more blood samples and waiting on more from Matthew.
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| Cool jeans; the quality of denim is essential, I agree. Miriam, we're still talking DNA, at least I think so. |
Chris has determined that the vampire DNA overwrites human DNA when a human transforms into a vampire. The gene charts of Ysabeau, Matthew, Jack, and Ransome are all analyzed. Chris finds that when Matthew was reborn as a vampire, his non-coding human DNA possessed a gene that reacted to the new genes from a vampire’s DNA and it overwhelmed his system. Miriam then explains that a vampire’s DNA “pushes what’s human in order to dominate the newly modified cells.” Chris says that he’s got genes combined with his human parents and Ysabeau. Human genes contain the activating material to allow the disease known to cause blood rage to be present in his body.
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| The framing of this scene with the sculpture's outstretched wings foreshadowing the freedom Matthew shall gain in forming a scion. |
Miriam arrives in New Orleans and Matthew is learning what Chris had figured out about Matthew’s human genes causing the blood rage to be expressed upon his transformation into a vampire. The cure is nowhere in sight so the hope for Jack and the twins has fizzled out.
Matthew is stewing in his guilt on the porch. Miriam analyzes Matthew saying that he does this – feels guilty over what he’s done, can’t change, and fear what he might decide to do as a result. Miriam reminds him that he has to deal with leading a scion, Diana needing him, they’re about to have twins. He bitterly responds that they will be likely afflicted with blood rage. He is thinking of the worst-case scenario. Hiding the twins or them being “exterminated because they have blood rage.” She has quite an optimistic attitude about the idea that Matthew and Diana can “find a way to make sure they lead long and fulfilling lives.” She tells him to get back there for the birth.
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| Everything in the south happens so much slower. It feels like I have been waiting for days on this porch for the wine delivery. |
Satu as a Weaver
Satu is in The Congregation’s library and in walks Benjamin. She is invited to join him to take on Diana. Satu says that it’s her intention to meet alone with Diana. Benjamin is “sad to hear that.” He leaves.
S1, Satu confronts Diana to study the burn and tries to sense her power. Later she opens Diana to discover what Diana is capable of as a witch. She determines that Diana is a weaver after Diana is sent down into the oubliette. In S2, Satu visits her own mother in Finland, and though we don't see this storyline, we can gather that Satu renewed herself by returning to her roots. She sets out on her own as a solitary witch.
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| | Jacob Ifan as Benjamin Fuchs |
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| Malin Buska as Satu |
In E4 Satu is attending a party in Venice and recites the prophecy to Gerbert. He tells her "just enjoy yourself." Domenico and Benjamin are also at the party. Benjamin approaches Satu out on the balcony and he brings up the original proposal of helping to take down the de Clermonts. She accuses Diana of not knowing how to use her power. This contradicts somewhat something she said in the last episode about Diana having learned how to use her power. Satu thinks she’s the witch from the prophecy, not Diana. “Who actually is that witch?” is what she’s asking Benjamin who listens without responding.
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Satu, should I try shipping him a bottle of aperitivo with a formal invitation to join me here?
Sure, but don't try to serve him Baccala’ Mantecato. A cod dish in Portugal really turned him off. |
Benjamin Seeking to Take Down the de Clermonts
Benjamin and Gerbert are together in Venice. Benjamin learns that Diana is pregnant with twins and seems to think it is because she’s some powerful witch. Gerbert is of the opinion that this shouldn’t have happened and Benjamin schemes that they could make their first move to taking down the de Clermonts. Gerbert points out the fact that Baldwin and Matthew are growing further apart and that this can play out to their advantage. Benjamin thinks this can keep Matthew busy so that they can act now. Gerbert thinks that they can see the de Clermonts ruining their own lives without them interfering. Benjamin prefers to be the one responsible for their destruction.
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| Matthew constructed baby cribs to take back to London. |
Birth Matters
The streets are wet, the skies are opening up like tears of joy and a clap of thunder, which reminds me of Philippe. I’m just gonna say that Diana’s got a great doula in Aunt Sarah. That’s witches for you.
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Here's some catnip.
Is it too late for an epidural?! |
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| The doctor who can ascertain everyone's heart health could cure the world. Instead, he broods on about just how he can no longer sire a vampire. How is he going to break the news to Phoebe? (ref. S1 E1 when his friend gets hit by a car and Marcus tries to turn him in order to save his life.) |
Matthew, and Dr. Marcus Whitmore, whom Miriam reminds has handled many births as a medical doctor, arrive from New Orleans. Keep in mind that they knew she was in labor when they took off. She’s had contractions for 6 hours… at this point and she was 5-min. apart upon returning from The Cotswolds and then she’s 4-min. apart when Matthew arrives. It’s as if he timewalked from New Orleans to London. The song “All Through the Night” is the score for the entire scene. We watch as Diana goes through different stages. She has the first baby, a girl. Then the boy.
The conversation turns later to Diana wishing her parents were there. She says, “To Em and Philippe.”
Matthew adds, “If Philippe was here he would be shouting in the streets and waking up the neighbors. Terribly proud.” Philippe was represented by the sound of thunder that welcomed Philip and Rebecca into the world.
I felt my eyes welling up with that image of Philippe doing this and certainly as James Purefoy playing him, it would be quite a commotion of excitement, toasting with bottles of champagne, and lots of hearty laughter.
They name the twins Philip and Rebecca.
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| Miriam is on the phone with Ysabeau whom once declared that Diana could never bear any children of Matthew's. |
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| In S1, Ysabeau tells Diana about Matthew's history as a human while showing her the church that he built. They visited it again in S2 when she told him that she wanted to give him a family. |
Marcus announces to the other members of the house that they have a girl and a boy.
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Soon I'll be surrounded by dirty nappies.
(see above for Gallowglass's needing to leave) |
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| it'syay imetay otay amscray in Pig Latin (It's time to scram) |
Daemons
On the road to The Cotswolds, Agatha gets out of the car and walks into Weston’s yard. She sees his door wide open. He’s in pain and she finds him lying on a table in a circle of the salt -- the same salt that Knox took with him, so the evidence is clear that Knox attacked him. Weston breathes his last breath much in the way we saw how Em takes her final breath.
These past two episodes were packed with a lot of details and yet some of the other characters who were in the book are not in the TV series thus far. Diana's firedrake, Corra, has not made an appearance. Converting the book to TV has proven that there is not enough time to cover everything, but the writers are doing a fine job in trying to satisfy the needs of the story.
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