A Discovery of Witches Review: Episode #2.1 (Season 2 Episode 1)

A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 1 is full of drama and intrigue, but not on account of the plot!

Really, it is the costuming, cinematography and music that captures our attention and makes our eyes widen to saucers.

This first episode loses the momentum from the thrilling cliff hanger on A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 8.

That’s not necessarily an awful thing considering it has been two years since the last time we spent time with these characters (unless you’re like me and have re-watched more than once!).

It is also not a good thing given the situation our two lead characters find themselves. Diana does a witchin time walk to right time, down to the day.

Her power is on point so often, it is getting harder and harder to understand when she tries a simple thing like snuff a candle she can’t do anything. 

But, I digress. 

Her accuracy for place is just a smudge off so her and Matthew end up in London. This presents a big, fat, dramatic, tension-inducing problem.

Matthew exists in this time and place in the past, so he has to become who he was!

Rather than capitalize on this potentially relationship and future ruining issue, the show focuses instead on Matthew’s controlling nature. 

Yes, we learn that Matthew has been a real bad boy in the 16th century. But, we don’t get any real sense of the danger. 

Time travel stories always provide the opportunity for characters to have to decide if changing the past is what they want or if the risk to the future is too great. 

Here, the story is ripe for an exploration of whether Diana and Matthew need to preserve the past. If they don’t how will they know that Diana will come to be Diana and that they will find the Book of Life? 

But, if they do, that means that Matthew has to re-do the terrible things he did in the 1590s, including having witches killed. 

That juicy conflict isn’t even discussed. Diana supposes that perhaps future Matthew displaced past Matthew. But, that’s about it. 

Matthew doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he is with Diana, which is an odd move (that he doesn’t discuss with Diana. Maddening!).

Apparently, the Congregation hasn’t yet made it’s rule about inter-species dating. But, it’s hard to see how this ginormous change to history wouldn’t on its own make a rip in the fabric of time. 

We should at least feel for a second that Diana’s being a witch who wifed up a vicious vampire could put her in serious danger. 

We don’t. 

It is a huge missed opportunity and the whole episode suffers from the failure to really let the stakes of their time travel sink in.  

Another weakness of the episode is that it is confusing. This review is based on having just watched the episode, not the source material from book two of the novels. 

So, it could be that reading the novels is essential for a rich understanding of all the small things. 

Without that background knowledge, the references to Matthew being a Catholic spy, and his meeting with the creepy old powerful man are a big adrift. 

The bold strokes of the plot are clear, and that is enough to understand what’s happening. But, the details are blurry. 

What would have fixed this issues, and allowed us to check-in with our found family back in the 21st century, is a bit of exposition from Hamish to the group.

They are all undoubtedly consumed with worry. It would make sense for them to get a history lesson on what Matthew and Diana are time walking into. 

A Matthew voiceover at the beginning of the episode would also have done the trick. 

Heck, why not both!

Without some of this expository hand-holding the meaning of the details is hazy. 

Luckily, the details of the costuming are in perfect focus. 

Diana’s cloaks and dresses are absolutely stunning. Her dripping broach makes my mouth-water.

The episode smartly uses the scenes of Diana getting dressed to pull her closer to Francoise. The many layers of her garb mimic the layers of her story and identity and it’s a rich visual metaphor that works on all levels. 

Plus, it’s just so splendid to look at!

It is a bit questionable that the series repeatedly implies that Diana is strong and loyal, and therefore love-able, because she withstands torture. Yet, here, it really helps to form a quick allegiance.

This partnership between wearh and witch has a lot of potential. Hopefully, we continue to get to see how Diana is able to build her power by being a good and courageous friend. 

The strongest parts of the episode are the fantastic new characters we meet and the magnetic connection between our leads. 

Kit is brooding, sensitive, and I love him from the first eye-covered-by-his-curly-coif glance. 

The aching conversation between him and Diana is the emotional peak of the episode. Both actors, Tom Hughes and Teresa Palmer, add heart wrenching depth to their characters, just through their glistening eyes. 

Kit has big “what Marcus could have become,” vibes. No wonder we’re charmed. 

Jack is another stand out new character. The young boy is a survivor and manages to deliver the inside scoop Diana and Matthew need. He is a keen reminder that Diana needs to find allies and she needs to find them quick. 

Diana and Matthew have the most romantic chemistry on television right now. Palmer and Matthew Goode just look at each other so dang well. 

The creepy protectiveness is over-the-top, but it never overshadows or diminishes how good they are together. 

It doesn’t waver when they are pissed at each other. 

So, even as Diana witnesses how truly dastardly and foreign Matthew as his past self is, there isn’t an insecurity to her feelings. 

They are always, always going to be seconds from hopping into bed together. 

But, that doesn;t mean Diana is controlled by him or that she has to stay with him. As she grows her powers, she may become more able to differentiate her love and loyalty, from her boundaries with this arguably abusive person. 

This is a land of vampire, witches, daemons and 16th century misogyny. That context matters.

Still, Diana needs to make Matthew understand that he can’t trap her or contain her. As Matthew learns this, he will also become stronger and more worthy of the Book of Life. 

Binding Thoughts

• Is making fruit rot really that disturbing? Seems like a fairly harmless woops to me. 
• The recreation of 16th century London is phenomenal. There is so much to nerd out on out!
• Diana is so clever to use a vampire’s talents as a lie detector test on herself. 
• Sure, her accent is very off. But, Diana has always spoken in such a formal, nuanced cadence that I don’t know her vocabulary would really be all that odd, pray tell. 
• How to these two make holding hands so delightful. Expert hand holders!
• THAT was a court outfit? Wow.

What did you think of this episode of A Discovery of Witches? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

A Discovery of Witches airs Saturdays on Sundance Now, Shudder and AMC+. All episodes are streaming now for UK users on ITV.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Tell-Tale TV’s Top 30 TV Shows of 2020