A Discovery of Witches Review: The Search Begins (Season 1 Episodes 1-3)
A Discovery of Witches has finally aired in the states and I can’t express how excited I truly am. It’s one of the best series I saw last year and I’m excited I get to review it now that it’s reached the States.
One thing I can’t do here that I would normally do in my other reviews is that I can’t make predictions. It would be unfair because I’ve already read the books so unless there’s a drastic change there’s no need for them.
For those that don’t know A Discovery of Witches is based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It’s the story of a witch and a vampire who fall in love while searching for answers about a mysterious manuscript. I’m quite aware that’s an oversimplification of the plot, but I don’t want to give the plot away for those that haven’t read or watched.
(Which, by the way, you definitely should do.)
The show stars Teresa Palmer as Dr. Diana Bishop and Matthew Goode as Professor Matthew Clairmont with Alex Kingston, Aiysha Hart, Owen Teale, Valarie Pettiford, Edward Bluebell, Malin Buska, Trevor Eve, Lindsay Duncan, and Louise Brealey rounding out the main cast.
Episode 1
A Discovery of Witches is actually really good at setting up things not only for the first season but for the series itself. We meet most of our main characters during the first episode and it sets up the drama for the season.
It sets up the quest for the manuscript, Diana’s problems with her magic, Matthew’s research – vampires being unable to sire -, Peter Knox as the villain and of course Matthew and Diana’s relationship.
We get to learn about Diana’s past, how her parents were murdered for being witches and how that’s made her step away from being a witch. Her powers have a tendency to go a little haywire and she sees herself as a historian first and foremost.
Also, she was raised by her aunts Emily and Sarah who are a sapphic, interracial couple. So there goes a point for representation.
For Matthew’s case, we learn little about him in this first episode but we know what’s important. He’s a professor of biochemistry who has been looking for Ashmore 782 for centuries, and he’s a devout Catholic.
Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode have the kind of chemistry that only comes around once in a while. Every time they share a scene together you can just feel the magnetism between them. You see the way the characters are drawn to each other but are still holding back.
When Diana opens Ashmore 782 she sets up a chain of events that no one could have seen coming. Palmer does a wonderful job at portraying her fear and shock at everything that is happening. All she wants is to finish up her paper and now all the creatures are interested in her and in the book.
Matthew Clairmont: Ashmore 782 has been missing for centuries and yet you were able to call it up. Aren’t you curious why? That book has never appeared to me or anyone else no matter what we’ve done, only to you. It could be the key to our survival, so isn’t it strange that the only creature who can summon it is a witch who can’t control her magic?
Adaptations are a tough cookie, especially when they’ve got devoted fans. Goode and Palmer’s characters though?
They’re basically lifted from the pages of the book.
They’ve joined the ranks of Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark, Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister, Pedro Pascal’s Oberyn Martell, Matthew MacFayden as Fitzwilliam Darcy and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet as actors that truly feel like their book selves. Or in some cases are better than their book selves.
It’s a great pilot because it gives you just a hint of what’s to come but also leaves you wanting more.
Episode 2
Episode 2 gives us a deeper view of Matthew’s character. We get to see the lovely friendship between Matthew and Hamish Osborne, portrayed by the wonderful Greg McHugh. It’s a friendship between a vampire and a daemon.
Hamish: What? Fucked up? Look at the two of us, a vampire friends with a daemon.
We find out more about the third creature in the show, the daemons, and why the manuscript is so important to all of them. The witches want it because they think it’s their key against vampires, the daemons want it to understand their origins, just like the vampires.
Hamish: There is more to the game than protecting your queen.
This is the episode that sets Diana on a route against the Oxford witches when she learns she’s been betrayed by Gillian. Gillian’s jealousy causes her to go against Diana, so much for a ten-year friendship right? Which leads Diana towards Matthew.
While the first episode had our two leads meeting and talking this is the first time they actually see each other.
Instead of seeing a witch Matthew sees Diana a woman that holds no prejudices against vampires and is very interested in history. Instead of seeing a vampire Diana sees a man who has dedicated his life to studying creature history.
Diana Bishop: You can hear my heart?
Matthew Clairmont: Yes, all the time.
It’s the moment they realize that despite being different species, they have more in common than they thought, which Goode and Palmer portray beautifully. For those who love shipping, there are a few swoon-worthy moments.
Not to mention the beginning of Diana being attracted every time Matthew mentions a historical character he’s met in the past. Diana Bishop has a history kink confirmed.
Diana Bishop: You knew Charles Darwin?
Matthew Clairmont: Yes, I met him on a number of occasions, particularly when he was building up to the publication of Origin.
It is through these scenes that we find out more about Matthew’s actual research. Creatures are dying out and he wants to figure out the why of it all. To do that he needs the manuscript. This sets up why the quest to find the manuscript is so important to Diana and Matthew.
Matthew Clairmont: Although as far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world turning. One is desire and the other is fear.
Diana Bishop: Magic is desire made real.
Episode 3
If the previous two episodes were set up and explaining the motivations behind the search for the manuscript, Episode 3 is where they’re set in motion.
One of the most hilarious parts is when Diana decides to go with Matthew for the day just because Gillian says she shouldn’t. It’s kind of petty but it’s also iconic.
There’s a lot of wonderful scenes in this episode and I wish I could talk about all of them. So I’m just going to give an overview of the pivotal moments and then talk about the two best scenes in the episode.
Miriam: She’s a witch, you’re a vampire. You know the rules. It’s forbidden by the terms of the Covenant.
In terms of pivotal moments, we get the vampires learning about Diana, hear about the Covenant, the witches accusing Diana of turning against her kind, and the first real scenes between Marcus and Diana.
Marcus is Matthew’s vampire son so his relationship with Diana is really important, and having Marcus help her out regarding Matthew’s tastes is a great change.
Another pivotal moment is the introduction of Nathaniel and Sophie. They are the only main characters that still needed to be introduced and the way it happens is flawless. Having Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” playing in the background of us meeting two important daemons? Wonderful music choice.
That’s the thing with this show, it’s not just that the plot is good and the acting is great but everything else works too. The cinematography is to die for, as is the music that is chosen for the show. The songs are extremely fitting especially in Episode 3.
Which leads us to the best scenes of the episode, the witch wind scene and the final moment.
It’s rare when there’s a scene that surpasses its source material. The witch-wind scene in the show though is definitely better than its original incarnation. Not to say the original isn’t good because it is. While the original moment is more intimate, the television version is more powerful.
The entire scene from the blocking, the effects, and the acting is incredible. Palmer does a wonderful job at portraying the anger and later the confusion and fear as the witch-wind bursts out of her and her aggressors are pushed back.
She’s angry about the photos, she’s angry about Sean getting hurt and it just unleashes.
Her face just grows confused and the use of the slow-motion as Matthew runs towards the library is perfect. Then he finally manages to reach her and she finally feels safe. It’s one of those moments where the chemistry between Palmer and Goode just shines.
The final scene of Episode 3 is so far one of my favorites in these three episodes. If not my actual favorite. It’s soft and yet emotional. Diana wakes up from the witch wind and Matthew tells her he is taking her to his home.
Matthew Clairmont: I’ve never felt so protective over anyone.
That is important in itself because he cares for her that much that he is willing to take her home to where his mother is. Like he tells Marcus, all he wants is to protect Diana. It’s in this scene we get their first kiss.
The scene would be gorgeous by itself but it’s even better by having Lissie’s stunning cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” in the background. We see them kiss as the first verse sings out and the lyrics could not be more fitting or powerful.
We then see them walking apart and coming together. Holding hands as they leave Oxford knowing they are facing this together.
Verdict
No adaptation will ever be word perfect. What matters is that the adaptation captures the heart and soul of the source material. I think that A Discovery of Witches has nailed that. There are things that are simplified for television but it still works because the story is there.
Not to mention the fact that while the books are just in Diana and Matthew’s point of view the show gives you the full story. It shows you what Knox is doing and what the witches are planning. We see Domenico plotting and Juliette’s obsession with Matthew, which will come into play later. This makes the world of All Souls feel more well-rounded.
There are things for both new fans and old fans. There’s a lot of foreshadowing in the first episode that you only catch on to when you’ve read the books. But it’s nothing too drastic that you’re lost if you haven’t. It’s just like “oh I see what you did there”.
One of the marks I will take off this adaptation is the removal of Diana’s anxiety. Diana in the books has a big problem with anxiety that’s tied to her magic, and it would have been powerful to see on screen.
Stray Thoughts:
- Show of hands who sees Owen Teale and knows he is going to be a bad guy. I’m sorry Teale but Game of Thrones has made it so I can only see you as a bad guy.
- If you are a fan of vampires and witches I absolutely recommend reading All Souls Trilogy. It gives you a lot of background for the motivations of the characters. Not to mention it’s an easy read, I read the first book in two or three days after I saw the first two episodes.
- I really like the way they’ve translated certain aspects of the show, instead of dedicating a long time to the creatures in the library it’s just a mention and we see Diana researching wolves.
What did you think of these episodes of A Discovery of Witches? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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A Discovery of Witches is streaming now on Sundance Now/Shudder.
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Maii Trueba de Buen
Maii is a 28-year-old writer who can be slightly invested in characters and their stories. She tries to give credit where credit is due but isn’t afraid to be honest in her writing. It's probably best not to ask about Lucifer or A Song of Ice and Fire, because you'll never hear the end of it. She graduated in film and has a certificate/minor in Art History. She brings that into her writing because, well, she’s a nerd. The only thing that beats her love of writing is her love of Pandas.