Witches of East End - Episode 1.05 - Electric Avenue - Review

Witches of East End is sure going full speed and firing on all cylinders as its first season progresses!  Sunday night's episode was filled to the brim with shocking and emotionally charged revelations.  

Ingrid seemed a little too peaceful at the very start of the episode, and her adorable little white dress didn't exactly look like mourning.  Truth be told, she was harboring the spirit of her dead love Adam, whom she had conjured.  This was an unexpected and clever twist that neatly side-stepped the problem of ending Adam's plotline too soon with no closure for them as a couple.  Ingrid's journey in this episode, from the romantic fantasy she'd retreated to, through to accepting that Adam had to leave this world for the next, was compelling.  

Ingrid and Adam made such a lovely couple that it's incredibly sad to see him go, and obviously that's the point made so beautifully by this episode.  I wonder if his spirit really is forever to remain in the spirit world, or if - somehow - we will see him again.

Freya was confronted by the ghost of Elise, who revealed (in a way that reminded me of Katherine in The Vampire Diaries) that she, too, had been torn between Dash and Killian.  Although Elise was initially annoyed by Freya and seemed to be out to do mischief and harm to the brothers, ultimately she seemed a sad and lonely soul who could never find the love she sought in her life.  The tragic story of Elise's love triangle with the Gardiners is surely a foreboding example of the kind of trouble that may lie ahead for Freya.  How much longer can the bartender sidestep her feelings for Killian and the complications this will cause with her engagement to Dash?  It's like a ticking time bomb.

Joanna managed to evade a murder charge - with Wendy's help, of course - and also started a new romance with her lawyer, Harrison.  While Joanna feels nervous about potentially committing to Harrison, he seems quite smitten.  Is he as sincere and adoring as he seems, or could he be connected to (or actually be) the big bad shapeshifter?  We know so little about him at this point.  Surely, if he is as wonderful as he appears, Joanna might want to give him another chance.

Wendy has been up to some shady dealings lately.  If anything, her spell on Maura reveals that Wendy is still just as impetuous and risk-taking as Ingrid, despite the fact that it's usually Wendy warning her niece to avoid such behavior.  It takes one to know one!

We have to attribute Wendy's actions to her deep love and protectiveness of her sister Joanna.  It's disturbing that poor Maura had to endure such a horrific ordeal.  Obviously, the worst of it was caused by the murdering shapeshifter.  But when she assumed Joanna was the killer, it certainly wasn't Maura's fault for carrying this incorrect belief.   And now she's basically catatonic (though in a blissful reverie) all so that Joanna won't have to serve time.  As Joanna said, it's not fair or an ethical use of Wendy's magic.  But as Wendy argued, she felt it was what she had to do in order to save Joanna.  This provides a thought-provoking example of the dangerous power of the Beauchamps' magic, and how it can be used to protect their family fold at the expense of others.

The tightly wound suspense, fascinating magic, and romantic interludes keep piling up on this delightful show.  What do you hope to see happen for the Beauchamps in future episodes?  Do you think Adam's gone for good?  Share your ideas in the comments!