"A Discovery of Witches" | S2:E1 | An Analysis (contains details of E1)

The following analysis is solely my own. Some of it offers an opinion while recapping the episode. Anything written below 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.

Episode runtime 44 minutes including S1 recap

Shudder TV episode description: "Matthew and Diana arrive in 1590’s London and are confronted by a face from Matthew’s past." 

If you have not watched episode 1 of season 2, please do not read further to not be spoiled.

Two years after the release of season 1, fans are finally getting to see where Matthew Clairmont, a vampire, and Diana Bishop, a witch, have gone when they time walked out of the present to Elizabethan England in 1590. We don't see a wormhole or the actual process other than they hold each other's hands, never to let go, and then pick up their foot and simultaneously take a step together. 

The menacing trio of Gerbert, Peter and Satu, arrive from Italy and are up in the attic bedroom searching for the couple but are too late. They realize Matthew and Diana slipped away. The powers of deduction help them determine that they time walked. They don't know anything else, but the intention to find them is strong.

London 1590 and there are three witches at a bonfire for Halloween. The oldest witch played by Sheila Hancock says she senses a witch is arriving that night.

It wouldn't be a compelling drama if everything went according to plan. When Matthew and Diana land, it's a few steps from a house that Matthew knows, but they had intended to go to the countryside, perhaps Woodstock, outside of Oxford, England. They end up in London and encounter a very shocked and protective Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (Tom Hughes) entering with lethal hostility directed towards Diana. Kit is a daemon and immediately senses that Diana is a witch. Shocked servants Francoise and Pierre, also vampires, greet the two at the same time. Matthew has to quickly create a cover story for their relationship and tells all of them that she's his wife and the lady of the house. 

Matthew and Diana didn't know each other 3 weeks ago.
Wife? (S2, E1, Diana portrayed by Teresa Palmer)

Holly Aird as Francoise and Milo Twomey as Pierre, servants at The Hart and Crown

The TV adaptation from the second book in the All Souls Trilogy, Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, moves the story forward as Diana is intrigued by what she's learned in a short introduction that Matthew Clairmont is really Matthew Roydon, the mysterious member of the School of Night, which includes Sir Walter Raleigh (Michael Lindall) and the Earl of Northumberland aka Henry Percy (Adam Sklar, a deaf actor cast as a deaf character). However, Matthew is suddenly contemplating what this identity means for his role during this time period.

It's 1590 and Diana doesn't know what she doesn't know. She thinks it's the best place to be to locate The Book of Life. It was idealistic of Matthew to think that they can, "Lay low, get what they need, and get out again, no mess." He hates complications. It's why he wanted to escape with Diana into another time to avoid having to confront being put on trial by the Congregation, an organization that forbids interspecies relationships between witches and vampires. 

Tom Hughes as Christopher "Kit" Marlowe
Worried his bromance with Matthew is coming to an end.

Kit challenges her; she's a threat. Watch the methods he uses to divide Matthew and Diana (Hughes is brilliant in his delivery and physicality). Kit can't believe that Matthew would marry a witch because, in 1590, witches and vampires are enemies. He leaves temporarily, saying to Matthew, "Until you are you again, I shall imagine you a stranger." But he's back within a short time, drowning his bad mood with the house wine in the dining area. 

Percy and Raleigh meet Diana. Matthew explains that Diana needs a teacher having missed out on receiving any witchcraft teaching as a child. Kit grows even more irritated by her needs and tries to gaslight the situation on the matter of finding a "book of mysteries"... "if it exists," says Kit. Diana speaks assuredly, matter-of-factly, "It exists." She's a woman beyond the times.

Oh, the friction between Kit and Diana.
Gulp copious amounts of red wine.
(Matthew Goode as Matthew Roydon)

Gillian (Louise Brealey) in season 1, discriminates against vampires, but especially Matthew, and refers to him as "that" in S1 E3. Kit Marlowe does the same and calls Diana "that" in season 2. 

Dashing off to re-orient himself. Gone are the blue suits of the present seen in season 1. His color palette is black; slimming black leather, doublets, cloak, hat, cape; rings on the fingers.

Diana agrees to lay low, closing with, "But no one is keeping me anywhere." She whips around as Matthew says he's going out. Ever the man of mystery, he also holds back the details when she asks, "What for?" 

While Diana settles in for the night, she discovers, a "new way of seeing and knowing," she later says. She spots outside the house Sophie (Aisling Loftus), or so she thinks; the daemon woman from season 1 who had given her the chess piece to help them time walk. She follows and then loses her. Diana quickly realizes the woman is a witch and an ancestor of Sophie, Susanna Norman, who possibly can teach her to master her magic.

Matthew returns and loudly livid at the idea of Diana following Susanna; Diana possibly could have been lured by this witch's magic. He's impatient. We're seeing how much he's excessively protective like she's something fragile. This is the Matthew Roydon of 1590. He accuses Diana of not sharing things with him, but he held back information and the double standard seems suitable to him. She reiterates that she's not going to stay locked up in there and she'll go "find that witch herself" if he won't find her. It's an "a-ha" moment for her as he teeters on losing control. But he softens by the morning in a sweet moment, of course, shirtless, and flashing the bicep, makes everything sweeter. We're back on even ground for a moment. He tells her he's going to show her around the city as long as Francoise has her new dress. Some poor seamstress had to be up all night getting the garment sewn for her. Indeed, it is beautiful with embroidery and accessories.

The first stroll down Water Ln. is spectacular in every way. The production designer's attention to detail makes London in 1590 its own star of the new series. Diana's beaming smile, her thrilling energy, and her astonishment at seeing St. Paul's Cathedral are what we've been waiting for as we live through her joy. Teresa Palmer is incredibly watchable in emitting natural confidence and enthusiasm. "I keep thinking, now it finally feels real." Matthew is refreshingly light-hearted; teases a turn back to go home. Their outing lifts the weight of all that they're tasked to accomplish. However, the happiness is short-lived, artfully demonstrated upon rounding a corner. He realizes that he's been spotted by a man who we learn works for Cecil Burghley at The Tower of London. This puts a dour cast on the rest of the afternoon for Diana. She has to wait at The Hart and Crown for him and it stretches past the dinner hours.

Matthew is the master of manipulation and gets information from a local spy, hinting that it possibly is William Shakespeare even though he first calls him Master Pole (Simon Meacock) and later softly calls him William. The Matthew Roydon that got displaced when they showed up was up in Berwick steering the King of Scotland's focus on more than the witches being rounded up; "sowing the seeds of chaos." Matthew tells Burghley he left Berwick when he finished his errand because he didn't want to be caught. Burghley commands more out of Matthew; he's "missed his methods of persuasion." Notice here how Burghley's word choice in saying, "No slipping away without my leave," is just like when Gerbert, Knox and Satu were sensing he was slipping when he and Diana time walked out of Madison, NY. Matthew does, indeed, have a way of being slippery.

Meanwhile, restless and being kept at home, Diana does what any other lady of the house with idle hands would do. She goes snooping and finds in Matthew's study what really he's been up to, much to the concern of Francoise. It comes down to the fact that he's a spy for Queen Elizabeth I, her "trusty shadow," and that he's been betraying his own faith of Catholicism by identifying Catholics for the Protestant queen. When she confronts Matthew asking, "Why do you do it?" he says, "Because it is my duty," and Diana finishes the thought with, "To your father." 

Matthew reacts to the sheer mention of Philippe de Clermont as if he can push the thought of his father out of his mind by tightly shutting his eyelids. He says, "Come to bed," in hopes she'll just let it go, but this does not sway her focus. He further explains that he fulfilled his father's wishes to be the spy in an English court despite his faith. We can see he's compartmentalized his life -- this duty of 400 years ago crept back with his return. Matthew is troubled by the unavoidable truckload of treachery. As he feels satisfied he's answered enough questions for the night, his last words are spoken warmly, "You're the one thing that makes sense," and the conversation is over... or at least for now.

Cut to the fresh morning of Kit begrudgingly leading the witch Susanna Norman with Henry Percy and Walter Raleigh trailing her. She's not happy to be in the presence of a vampire and Matthew is cold towards her, too; distrustful. The witch doesn't want to admit she senses Diana is a witch while testing her, but Diana cannot perform like she did in Madison with lighting candles inside the pumpkins. She only ends up causing the fruit in front of her to rot. Matthew has to intervene to stop whatever she's doing. The witch blames Diana's misuse of her powers for the reasons that the witches in Scotland are being hunted down by people like Matthew, "her husband," she says. Uh, so how did she know that he was her husband? 

People on Water Ln. appear to change direction at the sight of Matthew or avoid any eye contact with him as they hurry along. Diana seeks to find out how people know they are husband and wife. Who's been spreading the information around? They encounter a child named Jack (Joshua Pickering, perfectly cunning in this role) just as he's about to pickpocket Diana. Jack divulges that he heard that she was a witch from the tavern called The Lamb. During a meal around the table with Diana, Kit, Matthew, Percy, and Walter, Matthew casually asks who's recently been drinking at The Lamb. Raleigh steps up without suspicion as to the reason for the question and says that only Kit who would step foot in that place.

Kit's standing beneath the word "MUTATIO" which means "change." Is this like a headline alluding to already some impact Diana is making by being there? Will her actions change more than Kit and Matthew's relationship? Kit just glances back to Matthew and Walter without saying a word. Walter and Henry are told to leave until tomorrow while Matthew slowly moves to not signal his intentions and simply sets his wine goblet on the mantel while saying that he knows Kit has been talking to people about Diana. Instantly, Matthew's hands are on Kit's neck, choking him. Kit tries to explain that Matthew is meant to be up north with Gallowglass, whom we've not met, yet. Matthew warns him that he's going to end him if he continues to spread rumors. Diana convinces Matthew that they have to tell him about what they've done or he'll continue to cause problems until she's gone. She explains that they both time walked and that's why Matthew is not the Matthew he knows. It's soul-crushing for him to grasp that the Matthew Roydon he knew is displaced and, as much as she tries, he appears deceived.

Recall for a moment that Matthew has been alive for over 1,500 years, a vampire for all but about 37 years. Vampires "mate" forever, but he has never mated even though he's been able to love other women, even admitting as much to Diana. It was The Book of Life that united Matthew and Diana. But Kit and Matthew's history precedes them. Kit is a poet, and he can wield words as if they're daggers. He wrote in Hero and Leander, "Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight?"

Diana later at night ascends the stairs hoping to find Matthew and it is actually Kit; he can sense her missing Matthew. He chances to question Matthew's loyalty to her. "He's gone out. He didn't wake you?" They've only been together a few weeks. She hides her feelings and maintains her position of knowing Matthew's tendencies. Kit attempts a gesture of false sympathy, warning her that this Matthew is different; her Matthew is gentler. He was nearly choked to death and still thinks he's gentler? Matthew's other daemon friend Hamish, in the last episode of season 1, warned her that going back in the past will change Matthew. She didn't want to listen. She cautiously joins Kit by the fire. He plainly tells her that she's out of her depth and she replies saying that he doesn't know her. Up until now, her optimism has driven her belief in Matthew that he is good and safe to be with because she has projected an idealized image onto Matthew. She's always observed that he is in control. She tells her aunts and herself that he's incapable of hurting her. They're mated to each other--that's all that matters. 

Drinking wine together, Tom Hughes is incredibly adept at portraying Kit in a smooth and cool manner of speaking, unveiling Matthew's technique, using familiar phrases he knows Diana cannot deny are her own experience.

Knowing he can't penetrate Matthew's heart, he instead picks on the one who's closest to Matthew's heart. Kit's words leave a long-lasting pain of disappointment as if she's seeing for the first time the man behind the curtain in the land of Oz. 

The Tower of London is a formidable structure, but especially at night. The episode ends with Matthew dressed like a master of the craft of dominating someone into submission, and with a nod, orders a prisoner to be killed. His face curiously watching the prisoner scream in pain. The scene allows us a side of a man we haven't met until he arrived in 1590.

Watch the show on Shudder or Sundance Now for free until January 18, 2021. In the U.S., subscribing to AMC+ provides four networks in one bundle that includes those two mentioned as well as AMC and IFC Films. More photos, videos, and other updates on the A Discovery of Witches Facebook site.

Recap of Season 1 - A Discovery of Witches

Whether you are watching Season 1 – “A Discovery of Witches” for the first time, or re-watching to prepare for the second season premiering on Sat., January 9, 2021, here is a quick summary for each episode--not meant to be a complete account. Watch the show on Shudder or Sundance Now for free until January 18, 2021. In the U.S., subscribing to AMC+ provides four networks in one bundle that includes those two mentioned as well as AMC and IFC Films. If you enjoy reading this, please leave a comment here or on Instagram @thataddamsgirl.

Each episode summarized gets a rating based on this rating system: Sensuous, Ravenous, Heart-racing, Bewitching, Charming

Episode 1:  Initially, this author thought that her Shudder subscription wasn’t getting enough use and searched on one slow day what other series was on this app. Finding “A Discovery of Witches,” and having never heard of it, investigating the trailer and the short description, I skeptically worried that it could be some CW-network of a young adult, formulaic, vampire show. Yes, this author has a significant history with having watched the earliest films and read the first books written on the subject of vampires. It was an adjustment to throw out everything I had previously seen about vampires, witches, and daemons. There’s no rule that these characters always have to be derivative of their legendary traits. Once you get past the difference in mythology, it is quite acceptable that vampires prefer red wine, don’t need fangs to drink blood, or don't have to remain indoors during daylight. The creatures have adapted to blend in with humans.

The TV series is based on Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy and season one covers the first book, A Discovery of Witches. In fact, the author is in attendance at the talk at the beginning seated on the left from the perspective of the speaker.

Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) is a historian with a specialty in alchemy and is preparing to write about a book at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, which she called up that’s magical perhaps protected by a spell. Ashmole 782 aka The Book of Life hasn’t been retrievable for several hundred years, yet, somehow it appears for Diana. It triggers a wave of energy with sounds of whispers and unusual elements such as text leaving the page and visible under layers of the paper. There are penciled lines added at the beginning, and there are pages obviously sliced out of the book. Most significantly, the energy released sends signals to the vampires in the vicinity of and their blood reacts to this book being retrieved. We learn quickly that she actually a powerful witch, having been denied full access to her magic (more in episode 6).

One of those vampires is Matthew Clairmont played by Matthew Goode who is perfectly cast in the lead role of the vampire. Contrary to typical mythology, he's is praying in a Catholic church when we first see him. Matthew Clairmont is appropriately extra pale, English, moody, intellectually driven; possesses agility, strength, and can move with incredible speed. Also, as the story explains, vampires are no longer able to successfully sire another vampire. Deborah Harkness’s description of this character, in the third book, is that he has a “hooded expression caused by the lowering of his eyelids.”

What else is attractive? The costumes for Matthew consist of a fitted blue suit, button-down gray or Aegean/steel/stone blue shirts, with fitted slacks or dark fitted jeans, and sometimes an outer long coat or jacket. He doesn’t dress like a biochemist/geneticist. He fits the description of a spy as he keeps a watchful eye on his favorite witch. The quality of the voice is it is deep, quieter in some scenes, which draws the viewer into him. The way he talks to his sires, Miriam Shepherd (Aiysha Hart) and Marcus Whitmore (Edward Bluemel) is often more familiar in tone than when he speaks with Diana, or even his mother (whom we meet in episode four). Observe how Matthew is keen on looking into the eyes of everyone he addresses, often more intensely with Diana than anyone else. He seldom blinks and only takes a deep breath as a matter of emphasis. Otherwise, he is perfectly still in moments he’s speaking the carefully chosen words.

Diana Bishop’s friend Gillian Chamberlain (Louise Brealey) sadly is still grading undergraduate essays. She comes off as a genuine friend to Diana, but her own self-interest is at play in revealing to other witches how she witnessed Diana’s powers in calling up Ashmole 782. Gillian appears to be the type of person who follows the whims and wishes of those who are a bad influence on her. Peter Knox (Owen Teale), for example, has little abilities as a witch and uses others like Gillian as a means to an end.

Towards the end of episode one, the obvious danger is Matthew’s pursuit of Diana for the book and he is intoxicated by her witch’s scent so much that he is about to lose control. He will not let go of her jacket she dropped as she is warned to leave the area and not run because he’s a predator and she’s his prey at that moment. 

Here is where Teresa Palmer portrays Diana as a confident, bold, and unwavering woman who can stand on her own against someone threatening in physical stature. She's fascinated and does not fear Matthew. It's this kind of scene that intrigues the curious viewer to go immediately to the next episode. 

Rating:  Charming

Episode 2: We meet Hamish (Greg McHugh), glamorously outfitted in the attire of modern-day pantaloons aka cropped pants and maroon knee high sox. Hamish is Matthew Clairmont’s confidant. Matthew enters the mansion admitting he’s craving the witch Diana Bishop. Notable moments w/Hamish: Hamish and Matthew’s chess game in which Hamish wins and says, “There is more to the game than protecting the queen.” Hamish mentions Eleanor and Cecilia in Matthew’s past. 

Diana has to contend with witches Satu (Malin Buska), Gillian, and Peter Knox nagging that she retrieve the book, Ashmole 782. 

Clever are the scenes juxtaposing Knox pursuing Diana, and Matthew pursuing a gorgeous deer. Witches can telepathically speak to other witches.

Juliette Durand (Elarica Johnson) and Gerbert D'Aurillac (Trevor Eve) are both vampires: we learn that vampires get images when they drink from another person or vampire. Gerbert trained Juliette to have a fixation on getting Matthew Clairmont to fall in love with her solely for Gerbert who is trying to infiltrate the de Clermont family and acquire more power as a vampire.

Diana goes to the only person on the campus whom she can turn to for advice. But Matthew, having just fed to curb his cravings, seems a little shocked and unbalanced upon seeing her. 

We learn Matthew can smell adrenalin and he’s barely in control of attacking her when he asks her to calm down. He also can hear her heart.

GIF collage by Wednesday

Matthew gets possessive when he introduces Diana to Whitmore and he breathes in Diana’s scent, "AB negative!"

Matthew’s senses are triggered like he realizes something about Diana at the end of the episode and Diana’s reaction is that she’s seemingly taken with his charm and her senses are reacting to his gesture. 

(sniff) He lent her his coat and she will leave her yummy scent on it when she ever returns it.

Rating: Sensuous

Episode 3: There’s a chronology of events bringing Diana’s troubles to a head in which Matthew has to intervene to keep her safe. The witches are against Diana and Matthew becoming too close. Matthew sees that the Bodleian Library is full of creatures waiting for Diana to call up the book again. He waits for her to leave her rooms and invites her to spend the day with him at his house in Woodstock, a place near Oxford. 

Gillian confronts Diana before she can leave with Matthew; gets into her face about associating with a vampire, which annoys Diana because she trusted Gillian as a friend. The backstabbing in Gillian reporting Diana’s powers to Peter Knox is an ultimate betrayal.

Upon arrival at Matthew’s house, she observes a painting of a woman whom Matthew reveals as his sister Louisa de Clermont. He tells her he became a vampire in the year 537 A.D. She invites him to dinner the next night. Matthew arrives just in time to get rid of the witch, Peter Knox, who continues to harass Diana about her being too friendly with a vampire. 

Diana tells her aunt Sarah Bishop (Alex Kingston) and her partner Emily Mather (Valarie Pettiford) that she’s safe with Matthew and she’s meeting him for dinner. The face Emily makes about this plan is so priceless. Of course, following the meal, emotions quickly escalate as he describes her smell:

GIF created by Wednesday

Watch at how intense, yet full of self-control Matthew is while Diana presses him for details; she asks how would she taste?

Knox delivers her horrific pics of her parents after they were murdered. Matthew finds Diana not at home while she takes off to confront Gillian and sees Knox at Gillian’s. Matthew had seen the photos and detects Knox’s scent. Diana is off to the library to try to get the book and settle the matters.

We also learn that daemon Sophie Norman (Aisling Loftus) has a figurine of Diana and there begins a plotline that will play out significantly later.

We see a congregation meeting that puts everything out in the open about rules regarding interspecies relationships.

Gerbert tells Juliette to seek out Matthew.

Knox antagonizes Diana once more and we learn about her ability to call up witch wind. Matthew runs to help Diana and takes her back to her room. She sleeps for the rest of the day and he decides he’s going to take her to France, while telling his sired son Marcus, “I’ve never felt so protective over anyone.” The end is what hooks you into their relationship. If you are not melting into the floor by this episode’s end, then you probably are not alive.

Rating: Heart-racing

Episode 4: We meet Matthew’s mother, Ysabeau (Lindsay Duncan) not his real mother, but the woman who sired him in 537 A.D. She despises witches, but it’s Matthew’s home, too. “She’ll be staying in my tower,” says Matthew as to where he can control and keep safe Diana. And we also meet Marthe (Sorcha Cusack) who can sense Diana's power, also a vampire, and has been with the de Clermont family for centuries.

The dance sequence is probably the best scene in season one as far as their chemistry and body language with each other. This episode displays the ingenuity in actors who shine best in experimenting with how to have fun with action.

When Matthew and Diana are taking a walk around the grounds, we see how much Matthew loves Diana and he admits that he is bewitched by her. From the end of episode 3 until this moment, they haven't kissed. The rush of music and the dark cover of the night heightens this romantic scene soon to be turned around with the arrival of a vampire. 

Domenico (Gregg Chillin), a vampire, arrives at Sept Tours in France to bring Diana back to Venice, Italy on the orders of the congregation on the powers she’s using and her ability to call up the book. Matthew is revealed to be breaking the covenant which is the law that forbids interspecies from having a relationship. It is all about not upsetting the balance of power. Domenico threatens to kill them both and Ysabeau wants Matthew to turn her over to them so they both live. Matthew decides to not break the covenant, fear of exposing creatures to humans. He tries to scare Diana off and then learns he has to return to Oxford because someone broke into the lab. Diana pleads with him to tell her how he feels and to forget the congregation and the covenant. When he abandons her, she chases after him and we find a key new element to Diana’s powers. Witch water.

Rating: Bewitching

Episode 5: Juxtaposing Ysabeau hunting for her dinner, it being a red fox, red-headed Gillian is hunted down by Matthew for breaking into his lab and she is barely left alive. Her smell is all over his neck and he rubs his hand over that spot she touched later with some sense of regret as he phones Diana; tells her not to worry anymore about Knox or his lab.

Hamish meets Matthew at his rooms at Oxford.

Matthew: She loves me.

Hamish: And do you love her?

Matthew just looks at Hamish without answering, but the look is all he needed. Matthew had hoped that the Congregation wouldn’t care anymore about interspecies relationships because the law is so dated.

Hamish is a daemon and has a relationship with a human for which he says that the Covenant hasn’t stopped him. But it is different for a vampire and a witch. It’s, again, two powerful species of different kinds forming a relationship that can upset the power of all the rest of the creatures. He tells Hamish “she’s astonishingly powerful.” We’ve yet to understand the impact of the two species having children together. But then he says, as if he is a teenager again in love for the first time in 10 centuries, “She is clever and funny.” Hamish gets to the nut of the matter. Matthew reveals that she’s a historian and that he is her latest research subject. “If you love her, then don’t let anything get in your way,” says Hamish.

Meanwhile, Diana goes on a field trip in the village near Sept Tours and finds the church he built. Ysabeau tells a side of the story to Diana to help her understand who actually is Matthew and his history while being human. Diana also learns that Matthew is the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of Lazarus, a secret organization for vampires.

collage created by Wednesday

Running another analysis of Diana’s physical DNA, he discovers that her markers are like that of 11th-century witches. Powerful, indeed.

The witch, Satu is seen going to seek out Gerbert in Venice. Gerbert opens the box where he has held captive the head of a masked witch, Meridiana (Chloe Dumas), and she utters a prophetic phrase, “Beware of the witch with the blood of the lion and the wolf, for with it she shall destroy the children of the night.” 

Matthew and Diana are now one and he declares that he loves her. Ysabeau is in support of Matthew and Diana’s fight against the Congregation. Hearing this from Ysabeau is a moment in which she recognizes that she has to accept the reality of Matthew mating with Diana. “Mating” is the term used for when a vampire declares his love for someone.

Ysabeau to Marthe: You think lighting a fire and pouring some wine will help them?

Matthew to Diana: I need to talk to you about Oxford, Diana.

Diana to Matthew: I don’t want to hear about Oxford, Matthew.

Someone took the extra time to light candles in the corners of the bedroom of his tower which contains his canopy bed. Strategic old-world bundling going on with Matthew’s eye contact, the sensual hands-on manipulation, and all while Diana’s still dressed, and he is shirtless, turns into a thrilling intimate moment.

Diana: I don’t think that’s bundling.

Matthew: Well, it is in France.

And then she wakes to momentarily admire him, and obviously, he doesn’t feel her eyes watching him continue his deep sleep in the early dawn hours. Of course, she gets out of bed and goes for a jog around the castle leaving him to his slumber.

Rating: Ravenous

Episode 6: Does your vampire lover sleep in nothing but black boy cut briefs? Well, thank you to the costume dept., producers, editors, directors, and cinematographers as this image is never tired.

However, the episode truly begins with Satu and Gerbert attempting to open up Diana at an abandoned castle near the mountains south of Sept Tours. We continue to see how her aunt Sarah’s partner Emily scries her magic to detect the well-being of their niece Diana. 

Satu is unrelenting in the torture to get Diana to reveal her secret powers. Throws her into an oubliette, essentially, a hole that no one human can get out of. Throughout the series, Diana has had spiritual visions of her parents Rebecca and Steven. While she’s trapped, they help her understand what has happened to her.

When Matthew wakes to the warmth of sunlight, he realizes Diana is missing, he frantically tries to detect her last known whereabouts. At this same time, his vampire brother Baldwin (Trystan Gravelle) arrives by helicopter and they fight like humans until Matthew bites him. Sarah and Emily help them figure out where she could be transported to and they rescue her. Diana compels herself to fly up towards the opening of the oubliette and her scars soon revealed that Satu branded her with Matthew’s insignia.

Oooh, that Satu's such a bitchy witch!
(The scar is depicting a star and a crescent moon)

Ysabeau and Matthew determine that Diana had her powers suppressed as a child – that she was spellbound.

In the end, it is decided it is safer for Matthew and Diana to travel to her aunt’s house in Madison, NY where it would be a bigger effort for the witches to track her down.

Rating: Heart-racing

Episode 7: 

Matthew and Diana arrive at the house of her aunt Sarah and Emily, and it is haunted. But once the house adjusts to a new visitor, that being a vampire, it seems to accept them. Tabitha the cat meows in greeting Diana and Matthew. 

The Congregation seems to focus still on Diana and her ability to retrieve the book. Baldwin perpetuates the idea that Satu has Diana and Knox confirms that there are two signatures of two different witches, not knowing that Satu actually has taken possession of the head of Meridiana.

Diana, Emily, and Sarah discuss her being spellbound. We have more flashbacks as insight as to what her parents, and also witches, Rebecca (Sophia Myles) and Steven (David Newman) had to do to protect Diana from Peter Knox. The spellbound her when she was seven years old. The story that they tell her is that she is wrapped in invisible ribbons to protect her from witches jealous of her power. They’re in her attic bedroom conducting a spell, and Rebecca, who is a seer, tells her a story of the magic ribbons and the Shadow Prince. This prince is Matthew. When Knox visits, he cannot sense she has any magical power because they spellbound her. Somehow her spell was tied to Diana’s need for Matthew.

Satu confronts Knox and tells him that she knows his big secret that he killed Diana’s parents to try to find the power hidden in Diana. Satu figures out that Diana was spellbound and Peter Knox said that Rebecca could have led the Congregation and that Steven convinced Rebecca to run because Knox was envious of the power in them both, but mainly he was in love with Rebecca. Satu tells Peter that the prophecy about the end of the vampires has to do with Diana and that means that they have to get her away from Diana. They want to use her power to their advantage.

Matthew discovers a wooden box owned by Steven and its age and condition tells him that her father was a time walker. The formula is to have three objects that you take with you to travel back to the time period of those objects.

Juliette leaves Venice to hunt down Matthew. Domenico gives her some hints that he believes Diana is still with Matthew and where she could be staying. She and Gerbert attend Sunday mass in Venice, talk with Baldwin in church. Juliette abandons Gerbert and sets off to find Matthew because she no longer can obey him for his own self-interest – her longing for Matthew is relentless.

There’s a playful moment in the woods with Diana training with Matthew. He’s trying to help her sense where the danger is and she realizes that she can only use her instincts if she’s truly in danger and scrapes her hand. As a result, her antagonizing Matthew with the scent of her blood triggers him to treat her as prey and at that moment she flies into the air before he can capture her.

Strategic camera angles lead us to believe that Matthew and Diana took their romance up a notch. Speed and dexterity seem to factor in a lot plus a little less clothing, but probably still on a young adult level of fooling around. Cuddly Matthew tries to divulge his history with his former lovers and how he hurt them (in actuality he killed them both). Diana is convinced that she is too powerful for him to hurt her.

The next morning, Miriam and Marcus arrive for extra security and the house delivers through the wall one of the three extracted pages from the book. It is the picture of a wedding and it’s clear that it was set to be delivered by her father Steven from the writing on the envelope.

When Diana and Matthew are out by the barn training her to be able to sense danger, she mistakes a feeling that she’s close to a vampire as being close to Matthew and runs into Juliette in the barn.

Rating: Sensuous

Episode 8: Juliette is fiercely jealous of the witch’s power and attacks Matthew, making a fatal mistake. Diana uses witch fire and kills Juliette. 

To save Matthew, Diana calls on the Goddess with, “Maiden, mother, crone, I call you Goddess. Help me! I will do anything to save him.”

“If I help you there will be a price,” and the voice of Goddess commands, “Give him life!”

Matthew searches his memories as he drinks from Diana’s carotid artery and stops drinking when he reaches the moment he recalls that he loves her. Marcus and Miriam as well as Sarah and Emily all witness this without any ability to intervene and protect Diana. She loses a lot of blood, but Marcus can transfuse blood to save her life.

Matthew puts forth the idea that they time walk to hide in time from the Congregation. 

Cut to the chase, they meet Sophie who brings the figurine of the chess piece that Matthew lost in a bet with Christopher Marlowe; the figure of Diana the warrior. The house delivers a poppet with Ysabeau’s earring attached to it. And Matthew has Hamish deliver from Sept Tours the book of Dr. Faustus that Christopher Marlowe gave to Matthew. They have the three objects to time walk and escape from the Congregation to go back to 1590.

The Congregation wants to hang Baldwin for treason. A vote shows that he lives, but has little time to warn Matthew that the witch Satu and Peter Knox, as well as Gerbert, are on their way to NY to take Diana and Matthew back for trial.

Sarah and Emily are escaping to Sept Tours along with their cat Tabitha. Miriam and Marcus depart, but before doing so, Matthew appoints Marcus as the Grand Master of the Knights of Lazarus.

Matthew and Diana with the three items in hand time walk to 1590 just as the vampire Gerbert and the witches Satu and Peter Knox appear at the front door of the house. The episode ends season one with the viewer not sure if they escape.

Rating: Tied for Sensuous, Ravenous, Heart-racing

Watch the trailer for Season 2 here. Season 1 video recap here.

GIFs by Wednesday: Season 2 premiere of "A Discovery Of Witches"

The GIFs below are by this blog's author, and were created using PowerPoint animation tools; made as part of a countdown to celebrate the upcoming premiere of season 2 of "A Discovery of Witches" -- posted on the facebook discussion group.

Counting down from 23 December

Counting down from 21 December

Counting down from 19 December

In the U.S., stream it using AMC+ (consists of Sundance Now, Shudder, AMC, and IFC Films), or the individual apps Sundance Now, and Shudder. A new episode is available on each Saturday beginning January 9. 

Take Notice of The Little Princess

A few posts back, I mentioned that for preparing to watch S2 of "A Discovery of Witches," airing this January on AMC+, that I've sought films and TV series of new cast members. There are several films and TV series I could spend hours watching in order to get a sense of Steven Cree as an actor. He has been posting photos of himself on social media about his character, Gallowglass, appearing in the second season. Steven Cree is well known to fans of Outlander in his portraying of the character Ian Murray for, so far, two seasons. Unfortunately, seeing I'd need some hours to invest each day in a new series, or that some film titles couldn't be accessed immediately, the choice was obvious. Outlander is such a popular show and it helped him get the funding to complete his own project. Watch the quick, 10-1/2 minute film, The Little Princess, for which he not only starred, but also wrote and produced in 2018.

Watch this before reading the next section. The Little Princess:

The film demonstrates that there is always a way out of that tunnel vision of doom thinking. A child character appears from out of nowhere to the man on the platform appearing sad, and she breathes some happiness into the space that they share. It'd be cruel of him to ignore her. Newly occupied with her presence, how could he actually still follow through with his plan to end his life, and have this innocent child be a witness? She's there to act like a vessel delivering a new thinking pattern; jarring him out of this stuck state of mind. It's brilliant with its simple workaround because of their language differences. Kindness is universal. Amazing and beautiful, thought-provoking and hopeful, this is all I needed to understand who and what makes Steven Cree someone to look forward to watching in S2 of "A Discovery of Witches."

An afterthought: 

For this writer, that same stuck thought process the man has at the beginning, indeed, happens to those dealing with the loss of someone they love to suicide. A friend's life ended too abruptly 18 years ago on Christmas. They were unable to wrangle themselves out of the deep abyss, which was rooted in depression and masked with irrational anger. The emotions never cease to resurface and did again with the viewing of this short film. The photographic memories along with recalling the sensation of my friend's hands pressing into the back of my shoulders; their fingertips firmer and different than anytime we hugged before that night. The timeline hovers over me, from the last time we shared an evening together, and every extraordinary minutia of detail revealed about what happened next. Closure is impossible, but accepting this fact is helping each year's holiday season become less daunting. This film reinforces the message of not giving into ruminating -- shaking one's self out of spiraling despair. When something wonderfully special happens, I'll grant myself five minutes of joy and I try to remember it when I need it again later. Christmas and New Year's are now treated as a regular day, but often to seek out peace and self-care. The end of the year definitely can feel like I'm arriving at the end of an endurance test.

Please reach out, if depressed or lonely, and call this number 800-273-8255 and do not be alone, stuck in your thoughts. No judging; always a person who understands and listens.

Season 2 of "A Discovery of Witches" - Escape to Elizabethan England

 "A Discovery of Witches" returns January 8 (UK), January 9 (US) for Season 2. Season 1 "A Discovery of Witches" is available now on AMC Plus. Or purchase it on DVD/Blu-Ray. View Season 1's trailer.

 

Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop
(IMDB) (Instagram)

Matthew Goode as Matthew Clairmont/Matthew de Clermont

Based on the All Souls Trilogy novels by Deborah Harkness, season two should follow closely the second book, Shadow of Night.

Is this the unaltered Ashmole 782?

James Purefoy as Philippe de Clermont,
Matthew's father, a vampire, and lord of Sept-Tours

Steven Cree as Gallowglass, a vampire and Matthew's nephew 
(Twitter) (Instagram),

Full cast and crew credits & series' stunt team credits

This may or may not be the

vampire king of London.

(links below were added courtesy of Wednesday's Korner)

** OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE **

The highly anticipated supernatural thriller returns

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, Season 2

Exclusive North American Premiere on Sundance Now and Shudder on Saturday, January 9, 2021 — one day after the UK Premiere, with a new episode premiering every following Saturday.

Starring Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) and Emmy-nominated Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey)

Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London – where they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life.

Featuring stunning lead performances from Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey), the most successful series in Sundance Now’s history, supernatural thriller A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, Season 2 makes its highly-anticipated US and Canadian premiere on AMC Networks’ streaming services Sundance Now and Shudder. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and one of Sky One’s biggest dramas, A Discovery of Witches, Season 2 will be available to stream exclusively on Sundance Now and Shudder, including their offerings within the AMC+ bundle, beginning Saturday, January 9, 2021, just one day after its UK Premiere, with a new episode available every following Saturday. Adapted from Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, the 10-part second season finds Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London – here they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Sundance Now is AMC Networks’ premiere streaming service for engrossing true crime, heart-stopping dramas, and fiercely intelligent thrillers from around the world. AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers, and the supernatural.

In Elizabethan London, Matthew and Diana’s romance faces a barrage of new threats. Diana’s unleashed magic takes a dark and frightening turn, while Matthew struggles to re-inhabit the dangerous life he led over four centuries ago. They must overcome deep personal fears and jealousies, baring their darkest secrets to one another if they are to stay alive, stay together and find a way back to present day.

While Matthew and Diana hideout in Elizabethan London, back in present day, Diana’s beloved aunts, Sarah (Alex Kingston, Doctor Who, ER) and Em (Valarie Pettiford, Half & Half), must take shelter with notorious witch hunter Ysabeau de Clermont (Lindsay Duncan, The Honourable Woman) at her ancestral home, Sept-Tours. Meanwhile, in Oxford, Marcus (Edward Bluemel, Killing Eve) and Miriam (Aiysha Hart, Line of Duty) take on Matthew’s mantle to protect daemons Nathaniel (Daniel Ezra, All American) and Sophie (Aisling Loftus, War & Peace), whose pregnancy is advancing. And Gerbert (Trevor Eve, Waking the Dead), Knox (Owen Teale, Game of Thrones), Satu (Malin Buska, The Girl King) and Domenico (Gregg Chillin, Da Vinci’s Demons) are determined to hunt down every clue they can to Diana’s and Matthew’s disappearance, and the secrets their allies are keeping from them.

Also starring James Purefoy (Rome, Pennyworth), Steven Cree (Outlander), and Adelle Leonce (Black Mirror) as new characters introduced in Season 2.

Made by Bad Wolf Productions, A Discovery of Witches has been adapted for the screen by Pete McTighe (Doctor Who) and Susie Conklin (The Musketeers), who are also executive producers. The co-founders of Bad Wolf, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, and Lachlan MacKinnon are executive producers along with Deborah Harkness and Farren Blackburn. Farren Blackburn (The Innocents), Philippa Langdale (Harlots) and Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man) are the directors. Filming took place in South Wales and on location in Oxford and Venice.

** Trailer **

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Don't Panic About the Great Conjunction

We finally have someone admitting that they were behind the mysterious monoliths, but have you heard about the 2020 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn? According to Graham Jones of TimeandDate.com, "Over a period of one thousand years, from 1600 to 2599, there are only six great conjunctions where the minimum separation between Jupiter and Saturn is less than 0.2 degrees: 1623, 1683, 2020, 2080, 2417, and 2477." However, noticed only from Earth in 1226. On December 21, you may need to find out if in your time zone you can see Jupiter and Saturn brightly and appearing to be touching one another in the night sky, only separated by 0.1 degrees. The visual below may help explain it. "If you wish, start watching a few days prior. On December 16, soon after sunset, look for the crescent Moon in the southwest sky. Right above the Moon are the two bright planets. You can’t miss it." (the Old Farmer's Almanac)

On December 21, 5 pm Pacific time, there will be a viewing event with Chabot Space & Science Center.

Don't panic, the planets are not remotely close to each other in reality.

Check out this video, which has an explanation from a Qabbalistic Astrology P.O.V. At about the 7:53 mark, there are other constellations being discussed in the context of current events with planets in the sign of Taurus (Earth sign), Capricorn (Earth sign), and Aries (Fire sign). At about 9:45, it covers the Winter Solstice. The solstice marks the beginning of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere and December 21 has the least amount of daylight. At 12 Noon, stand in the sun to see your shadow be the longest noontime shadow out of the entire year.

 

I dare you to try out some puns for your solstice/conjunction party; dad jokes, too.

Voice of Alan Rickman as Marvin in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

Hap And Leonard (canceled too soon) - Adapted from Joe R. Lansdale's novels

 

In wanting to understand the versatility of James Purefoy's work as a lead up to his appearance as the character Phillipe de Clermont in the second season of "A Discovery of Witches," I've been watching some of the films and TV shows in which he stars or has some role. One of the films was Churchill (2017) as King George VI, a figure who was previously played by more than a dozen other performers. He doesn't have a significant amount of screentime, but his portrayal was so that one could easily believe he's been King George VI since he was born. He was portrayed with a vulnerability, yet nuanced with the kind of gentle authority to help us understand Churchill and him had experienced a mutual admiration.

James Purefoy as Philipe de Clermont in "A Discovery of Witches"

Currently, I am nearing the end of the three brief seasons of "Hap and Leonard" (based on the novels by Joe R. Lansdale) -- streaming on Netflix. A-list directors and writers adapted the gritty action-filled drama preserving Lansdale's brutally honest, verbal tongue-in-cheek humor for the small screen, but almost every episode has a cinematic quality. They also try to make a difference while facing many obstacles over the course of three seasons. No sugarcoating and being able to tell it like it is may be what makes the show so different than the average formulaic drama.

It's also important to call attention to the excellent stunt performances. I once heard actor Nathan Fillion call stunts such as these the "Harrison Ford" style of fighting. They're actually really good at making it appear as if they feel every punch or kick. The choreography and expert editing obviously helped "Hap and Leonard" be the #1 rated drama on Sundance TV up until it was canceled after three seasons. 

Pairing James Purefoy (Hap) and Michael Kenneth Williams (Leonard) is brilliant because they are opposites on the surface, yet even if their banter tends to get argumentative, they're really working with each other to get through various life dilemmas. I'm enjoying this show for its quality writing and a deeper appreciation of the performances with only four remaining episodes of the 3rd season in my queue. 

Lansdale's novels reflect his own progressive values and his experience of living in one of the poorest areas of Texas. Life in those parts is about scheming for quick money and the struggle to stay out of trouble. In the series, Hap and Leonard have a scene in which Hap uses coupons and asks Leonard for 2 bucks. Lansdale sets up for us in CH. 1 how a money scheme develops starting with Trudy, Hap's wife (Christina Hendricks), who Leonard views as trouble as soon as she shows up. "Here comes trouble"... "Don't come crying over to my place if she does it to you again." Something went down in the 1960s that hurt Hap, which we soon find out. But Trudy is a character who wins our hearts and tries our patience so we, too, feel affected by every critical, heart-stopping moment just like Hap and Leonard.

The Vietnam War is a significant topic in CH. 2 of Lansdale's book Savage Season for which S1 is based, consisting of six episodes. While I could analyze several dozen well-executed scenes, I'm a little partial to one key moment in S1, when we are offered some insight into who Hap Collins is as a person and that he objected to the Vietnam War. We also learn that Leonard is a veteran having served in Vietnam, he's a Reaganite, and throughout S1, we learn about his homosexuality. We're shown the boundaries of this lifelong friendship while hearing the infamous song, "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)," spontaneously coming through on a car radio. We watch Hap as he looks back on his experience with showing up at the U.S. Army's office, answering to being called to serve in the Vietnam War. He's holding the hand of wife Trudy. He chooses to be a conscientious objector and serves his time in jail. 

It wouldn't be a good drama without any villains. In S1 Jimmi Simpson plays Soldier, whose twisted humor is both gutsy and understated. He has varying levels of psychosis-with-a-smile; without hesitation will maim and kill to get what he wants. His partner in crime is Angel (Pollyanna McIntosh), described in the book as having "the constitution of a horse and a head like an iron skillet." Not wanting to spoil it further, there are more well-developed characters we meet such as Leonard's Uncle Chester, who does not accept Leonard's life choices, and we meet MeMaw, who lives across the street and is a significant figure in an unsolved mystery in S2. More gifted actors continue to join after S1 as guest starring roles. S2 is based on the book Mucho Mojo and S3 is based on the book Two-Bear Mambo.

It's a terrible shame that no one really talks about these underrated canceled shows. It's possible to watch "Hap and Leonard" in one weekend, but go back to the beginning and listen to the dialogue because it is too good to be rushed.

Links for further reading/viewing:

• "Q. & A.: Joe R. Lansdale on ‘Hap and Leonard,’ Poverty and Writing a Gay Character," NY Times (March 2016)
• Interview: James Purefoy from IndieWire (March 2016)
• Interview: James and Michael in The Daily Herald (March 2016)
• Interview: Christina Hendricks on YouTube. Another (spoiler alert) from EW
• The style of fiction writing is known as splatterpunk. 
• If you like the show and/or the books, the Threadless store sells shirts.
• Look at the video extras on Sundance TV's Hap and Leonard site.
• If you take a view of the "Inside" page of the book The San Marcos 10 by E.R. Bills, Lansdale writes an introduction and admits he too was on the side of the objectors to the war.
• Here's a point of view of the "San Francisco" song being the worst song that you love in an article written by Keven McAlester. 

Crocs are Not Docs

Do not dare to think you're a goth if you wear these crocs. Please stick to Doc Martens.