Motherland: Fort Salem Review: Brianna’s Favorite Pencil (Season 2 Episode 5)

During Samhain, Raelle, Tally, and Abigail are allowed to speak with one soul from the dead. Meanwhile, Scylla and Anacostia save a fellow witch on Motherland: Fort Salem Season 2 Episode 5, “Brianna’s Favorite Pencil.”

Since the death of Charvel, Abigail’s actions have been consistently leading her in a downward spiral. The guilt that she feels for Charvel has not allowed her to keep tending to herself, allowing the flame inside of her to dwindle. And the added-on stress from worrying about Adil does not make anything easier. 

“Brianna’s Favorite Pencil” is the final breaking point for Abigail; however, thanks to support from Charvel, the fire in her eyes has returned. Abigail has been digging into herself, blaming herself for things out of her control, letting it affect her relationship, and allowing it to consume her whole. 

Without Charvel being the bright light in Abigail’s world of darkness, there’s no telling how long it might’ve taken to get through to her. Charvel’s words of wisdom and courage are something that Abigail has been longing for since her death, and she should be the one to help Abigail out of her tough spot.

It’s a pleasant sight to see the old Abigail back, even if just for a second. It restores the faith that she can overcome her sadness and get back to the old Abigail, the one who kicks ass first and takes names second.

Abigail’s storyline is playing out beautifully, showcasing an accurate portrayal of guilt and grief. Too often in TV shows do we see characters watch their friends/loved ones die and only deal with that trauma for two or three episodes. While it may get tiring waiting for something non-sad to happen for Abigail, the validity of her journey is appreciated.

General Sharma and her advisories being murdered is no coincidence, but could it be connected to more than just the Camarilla? The Camarilla has been around long enough and has enough hatred towards witches to have the motive, but how could they have known Khalida and Adil would be on the train?

Something smells a bit fishy. 

My working theory is that Alder is somehow behind the attack on General Sharma in India, and as crazy as that might sound, hear me out. We’re first introduced to the weird black goo killing the Tarim in Season 1 when Khalida is infected, but the origin of the substance has not been located just yet. What if Alder is the one who engineered the goo to be a weapon?

The possibility that Alder is behind everything could be substantial after analyzing the dreams Tally’s been having. Valda Esterbrook revealing to Tally that she surrendered to the military BEFORE Alder’s attack only solidifies Nicte’s thoughts that Alder’s heart is black.

Nobody is aware of how things truly began for Alder. The only people that know the truth are the ones that are dead, which is why it’s so easy for people to believe what she says. There is no accurate fact-checker for what comes out of Alder’s mouth because of how old and manipulative she is. 

Alder’s goal is to make her military and herself as robust as possible, which is where the Tarim comes into play. Alder’s actions prove that she’s not afraid to do what she see’s fit, the president being a prime example.

Not only does Alder puppet the president and use magic to force her hand, but it looks like she’s also into kidnapping. Her face, when asked by Anacostia about the president, says it all, there doesn’t need to be verbal confirmation. It’s only a matter of time before Petra begins to catch on to her mischievous ways. 

The journey to taking Alder down is a fun storyline to weave throughout the season, and most viewers highly anticipate the endgame, myself included. Alder has been a villain since the beginning, but now people finally see through the lies. Alder would never guess in a million years she’d lose power, but now things are tumbling around her, and she’s grasping for straws to stay afloat. However, there’s no way that Alder will step down quietly and things will more than likely get bloody. 

Scylla’s redemption storyline is interesting and, understandably, receives many mixed reviews because, from the get-go, she’s a villain. Scylla has killed thousands of people working under the spree, but does that mean that she can’t find peace and forgiveness?

Scylla is trying to turn her life around and is working hard to do so, so drastically that she’s being accused of turning soft by other spree agents, but is it enough? This moment, in particular, is an excellent indication of just how far she’s come. The old Scylla would’ve taken the insult and returned it tenfold using her powers, but now she brushes it off and continues about her business.

While Scylla may be working on her issues, it’s hard to say if that fully exonerates her from past actions, even if she was spiraling from her parents death. Thousands of innocent lives will never get the chance to come back, and she enjoyed killing them. She may not feel the same way now, but the feeling of pain used to bring her pleasure and joy. 

Killing still brings Scylla pleasure, but at least in this instance, she’s getting the satisfaction of helping keep the world safe and avenging Tiffany by murdering her kidnapper. Jonas had that and a lot more coming for him, so in reality, he gets lucky with a quick death.

Whether Scylla can be forgiven or not is questionable, but what’s not doubtful is how badass she and Anacostia are this season. Their team-up is one of the most unexpected occurrences but ended up being one of my favorite pairings on the show.

The two of them accentuate each other well, the other filling in places where the other may not be expertly skilled. Their team-ups are a highlight to the season.

Other Thoughts:

• Sooner or later, Raelle will have to take the hints and realize her mother is not dead. The thought of her believing her mother didn’t want to speak with her is heartbreaking.
• I hope that Raelle confronts her father about the inconsistencies with her mother’s death on Season 2 Episode 6, “My 3 Dads.” 
• Gregorio is introduced as the potential love interest for Abigail, but I see him and Tally becoming a thing. I mean, c’mon, he took an arrow to the chest to save her.

What did you think of this episode of Motherland: Fort Salem? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Motherland: Fort Salem airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on Freeform. 

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