2.07 - "THE BECKONING FAIR ONE"
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Donna Thorland and Adam Simon
Reviewed by Gavin Hetherington
THE CHARACTERS
SEASON GUIDE
Click on a title to be taken to the review for that episode. Need a catch-up of season one before starting season two? Be sure to read the
ultimate catch-up review of season one.
2.01 - "
Cry Havoc" (April 5, 2015)
2.02 - "
Blood Kiss" (April 12, 2015)
2.03 - "
From Within" (April 19, 2015)
2.04 - "
Book of Shadows" (April 26, 2015)
2.05 - "
The Wine Dark Sea" (May 3, 2015)
2.06 - "
Ill Met By Midnight" (May 10, 2015)
2.07 - "
The Beckoning Fair One" (May 17, 2015)
2.08 - "
Dead Birds" (May 24, 2015)
2.09 - "
Wages of Sin" (May 31, 2015)
2.10 - "
Til Death Do Us Part" (June 7, 2015)
2.11 - "
On Earth As In Hell" (June 14, 2015)
2.12 - "
Midnight Never Come" (June 21, 2015)
2.13 - "
The Witching Hour" (June 28, 2015) -
Advance Preview
'THE BECKONING FAIR ONE' REVIEW
"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.
Every Man Feeds the Conqueror Worm.
I Eat Your Flesh, So Obey, You Must.
By My Command, Moist Earth Turn.
Give Up Your Dead, Their Secrets to Tell.
Increase Mather, I Call You From Hell."
Who else thinks the writers of season two of
Salem are giving viewers everything they want? I couldn't have been the only person desperate to see the return of Stephen Lang as Increase Mather. He was such a formidable foe in season one and he had such incredible screen presence, just like Lucy Lawless has at the minute. Ever since finding out the two have crossed paths in the past, I have been wondering what it would be like to see both of them together. We don't see that in this episode but it's certainly going to happen since it looks like Increase Mather isn't just going to disappear anytime soon. I love that Mary summoned him and the way it happened - it adds a whole new crazy level of terror in the show. He is uber-creepy and it chilled me every single time he appeared. I love that the episode ended with him appearing to Cotton, his son. Not only did I want to see Increase and the Countess, but I also wanted to see Cotton face-to-face with the father he killed. That's going to happen in the next episode but already I'm petrified.
As we mentioned in the previous review in the comments, we wanted some progression for the bigger story and here we got some explanation. The bodies of those killed by the witch pox turns into Hellblood which will open a new gate of Hell. Waiting for a comet, the Devil is already inside the boy and the comet will let the Devil out. Since the bile from the dead bodies is opening up the gate of Hell, the purpose of that must be to let something else out of Hell - maybe a lot of things out of Hell. Can you actually picture it if they succeed at the end of the season - Season 3 will literally be Hell on Earth! Tell me one person who doesn't want to see that? I am so pleased they showed us what is going to happen - we had hints here and there before but now we have a set goal and a deeper understanding of what Mary is trying to achieve.
The pace seemed to slow down a little in this episode compared to the episodes before it and it's certainly a welcome change. It's that part of the rollercoaster where you've risen to a high level and dropped down a huge dip at full speed, and now the rollercoaster is beginning its ascent before yet another butterfly-inducing drop. It was important to get some story moving along instead of constant action. In terms of Mary, she continues to backstab the Countess as the Countess does to her. They are both incredibly smart and deceptive - Mary has Increase to scout for the Countess's secret object that maintains her life and could destroy her while the Countess wants to use Anne to get Magistrate Hale's Book of Shadows to learn its secrets. I did love the scene with the Countess and Mary watching the black bile in the woods. They would make a fantastic pair and I think they know that - they just choose to let their massive egos to power their decisions. The dinner that Mary invited the Countess, her son, and others to was a nice little touch to get the characters all together and my, what a dinner it was. In regards to just Mary and the Countess, their telepathy was great and fun to watch, though discussing who will live and die was unsettling as the new Magistrate we all loathe seems to be safe, while our Cotton could die, as well as the good old doctor.
Cotton is gradually becoming worse in his love for Anne. As he reveals, he can't eat, sleep, read. This 'mad love' that has been spelled on him is definitely becoming a problem, even though it's still early days and I don't think we've seen the worst of it. Anne has her reservations at first when she's talking to Jenkins, but it seems she's more wrapped up in her own fairytale that she can't see what her spell is doing to Cotton. I'm sure something drastic will happen between them that will snap Anne back to reality. I do love the idea of these two getting married though - I want to see a wedding in Salem, I think that's an awesome concept. Just imagine the drama and what could go wrong on the wedding day. I also love how Cotton wooes the ladies - "They are a pale shadow of your own beauty". Cotton is the smoothest character I have ever seen when it comes to romance. He is actually my ideal man, I can totally understand why Anne has fallen into her own rabbit hole. It was also great to see Cotton and Samuel sort of team up for the inspection of the man riddled with witch pox - and very, very disgusting to see what's inside him. It's good to know the good guys are hot on the witches' tails about this plan.
Tituba is also becoming far more interesting independently than when she just does what Mary commands. We all knew her relationship with Mary was strained but I thought, in this witch war, they were sort of on the same side. What I find so interesting though is how the Countess looked at Tituba during her telepathy with Mary - just what was the Countess thinking of her? I love that Tituba has John tied up (in Mary's own house of all places, talk about being right under your nose) and that she will use him when the time suits her. Isn't that just simply delicious? This is actually a huge bomb that's ready to detonate when it comes to Mary, so when Tituba decides to use John to her advantage, we can all guarantee a huge fallout. I don't know if Tituba is in over her head right now, but Mary should have listened to her when she wanted to hide John from the dinner party. Now the Countess knows about him and plans to get Mercy and her new Pied Piper skills to kidnap him.
And speaking of Mercy, just how wonderful was she looking after she bathed herself in Dollie's blood? We didn't find out if Dollie is definitely dead or not, but I would say she is considering Mercy now has a full head of hair and just looks fantastic again. She hasn't looked this good since the show started so I'm pleased for her, even if she is a naughty, disobedient little devil. I loved the burned Mercy phase but I'm loving this Pied Piper phase more. The Countess really outdid herself with Mercy and she's very smart for using Mercy to her own advantage. It looks like there are tensions between Mercy and Sebastian though, and even Sebastian and Samuel, the doctor. Sebastian wasn't as prominent when the season started but after his arrival in Salem in the last episode, and in this episode, he has really come out to play. He's so intriguing and I love that silent look he gives where he could literally be thinking anything. The revelation that he took care of George by adding him to the dinner menu at Mary's party was deliciously evil - kudos to him for disposing of George in a very creative and vile way.
EPISODE VERDICT
'The Beckoning Fair One' slowed the hundred-mile-an-hour season long enough to get some much-needed reprieve from the constant action that has happened in the first 6 episodes. In doing so, we get a great understanding of what the witches are trying to achieve, who is on what side, and what the characters plan on doing next. Every storyline had some progression here and it was with a steady pace that it was executed brilliantly. Not only did this episode include moments that have been long anticipated (like basically every episode this season because it has been a truly amazing season), such as the return of Increase Mather whom I
love, and even the return of a powerful Mercy, this episode also opened up more intriguing storylines to move forward with - Increase with his son, Mercy's influence over children and what the Countess is going to make her do with it, Anne's and Cotton's engagement, Tituba's plans for John, and Mary's blindness to several things going on around her. I love my Mary but watching her struggle between the several witches that oppose her is going to be delightful. Great episode yet again.
- Joe Dante directed this episode - he also directed
Gremlins and
Gremlins 2, among other great films. And also an episode of
Witches of East End which is, of course, amazing.
- "No one can imagine or bare the torments of one's own worst acts." - Wise saying on
Salem this season #47.
- "You are becoming what you hunt, witch hunter." - John is turning into a witch himself? Or some kind of magical being? Interesting.
- "And my gratitude could raise the dead." - 17th Century sexual innuendos are pretty marvellous.
- Wow, Mercy is looking
great! Full head of hair and everything.
- It's hilarious how coy the Countess is and how she really flirts with being outright bitchy.
- Love the telepathy between the Countess and Mary.
- They ate George?! Oh wow.
- The black bile inside that man is in the top ten list of most disgusting things seen on
Salem. This list is getting extremely long.
EPISODE AWARDS
So I've changed things up a little so the episode verdict is included in the body of the review, and I've now added an awards section like I did with my
Pretty Little Liars reviews. Let me know if this is a feature you like or if there is any other content you want me to include in my
Salem reviews.
 |
| Winner of Best Witch: Mary Sibley |
Best Witch: Mary Sibley - not only is she my favourite, but she brought back Increase Mather! What a woman!
Naughtiest Witch: The Countess - for her very bitchy "to absent friends... like dear George Sibley... resting peacefully... upstairs."
Craziest Witch: Mercy. I feel she might win this award every episode though.
Best Gentleman: Cotton Mather. Fellas should take a lesson from this one on how to sweet talk the ladies.
Best Spell: The incantation to summon Increase from Hell.
Most Exciting Return: Increase Mather, with Mercy being a close runner-up.
Most Bewitching Chemistry: Mary and Increase.
Best Moment: The opening with the spell - I just loved how Mary summoned the dead Increase.
Most Romantic Moment: Cotton with his smooth moves and words, giving Anne the flowers.
Creepiest Moment: Increase in the Countess's room, then appearing behind that man who goes inside the room. Ghosts are freaky!
Vilest Moment: The opening up of the man riddled with witch pox and the bile that poured out of him like a broken tap.
If you think of any other award categories I could include, suggest them in the comments!
What did you think of 'The Beckoning Fair One'? Let me know your thoughts on the episode in the comments and be sure to watch the next new episode on May 24 on WGN America at 10PM!
About the Author - Gavin Hetherington
Award-winning author of 'Abyssal Sanctuary: Remnants of the Damned'. Gavin joined SpoilerTV on August 9, 2014 and will be reviewing 2 Broke Girls, Mistresses, Orange is the New Black, Pretty Little Liars, Salem and Sleepy Hollow. Gavin's favourite shows include Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Desperate Housewives, The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Scandal and much more. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.
With an episode awards section added, my reviews of Salem will be bigger and better than ever. What did you guys think of last night's Salem?
ReplyDeleteI like the award section, nice addition. I think this episode (and last one to some degree) was a transitional episode, setting everything up and moving all the players for the second half of the season. I'm interested to know what Tituba has planned for John- unleash him on The Countess and her son? On Mary? Use John for the sacrifice? Hopefully this story line gives John a little something to do, because I've been scratching my head this season, trying to figure out what they're doing with him and why they're sidelining him so much.
ReplyDeleteMercy had a great makeover and now that she's with the Countess, I'm enjoying her scenes more. I love that just like last season between her and Tituba, Mercy this season has an antagonistic relationship with Sebastian, while The Countess may have to make sure Mercy's leash is secured tight, because she's a loose canon.
I love Increase so I'm happy he's back, I loved that his torment in hell was a worse version of what he did to others. I wonder if he can communicate with Cotton or if Mary's spell to let him speak, using her blood, means he can only talk to her. I want someone to clue Cotton in to what's going on in town, but him and the good Doctor seeing the witch pox and realizing it's unnatural is a good start.
I'm glad we got a bit of the main plot this episode and devil child is indeed devil child. I wonder if he's already the dark lord or if he's a regular, creepy kid with a dormant evil entity inside of him, ready to come out and play. Should be interesting to see what happens with him, now that Ingrid knows about him.
I think Sebastian may end up killing the doctor, he was mad jealous at him and Mary. Oh and I kinda chuckled at finding out they were having George for dinner and Mary's reaction to the reveal- I've been watching too much Hannibal, cannibalism (that's cooked and eaten like normal food) in tv/movies now doesn't phase me too much.
Good episode, finally we got some info and I can't wait to see what happens next with Mary-Increase-Ingrid.
Very relieved you like the awards section, thanks for the positive feedback :) It feels more personal for Tituba with John, she won't sacrifice him as part of the grand design with the whole opening Hell aspect. He is her weapon against Mary, so whatever she has planned isn't going to be something that will help Mary open Hell. I have no idea what it is she will do but it doesn't sound promising for Mary at all.
ReplyDeleteMercy really is a loose canon, I couldn't have said it better myself. I didn't realise the comparisons that you've made there between last season - Mercy always seems to rub people up the wrong way. The Countess is far more controlling than Mary ever has been and she's appealing to Mercy in a very big way, so as long as the Countess keeps enticing Mercy, I think Mercy will be a very obedient girl for her. The blood thing at the end for instance - when Mercy is on the bed and the dead girl on the floor - was kind of glossed over by the Countess. It shows Mercy's still disobedient behaviour but it also shows the Countess is pretty lenient in that regard, and so she might even become more of a mother to Mercy.
Again I never thought about Increase not being able to talk to Cotton since having Mary's blood allowed him to speak to her. You open my eyes every episode. Even if he doesn't speak, I'm still excited to know what Cotton is going to do next knowing his father is now haunting Salem which is a very scary thought. Who knows what Cotton will do to try and remedy that.
Ahhh you've seen Hannibal, that explains your reaction. I never got the chance to check the show out so my reaction was a little different haha. It was such a good, evil little twist. I think you're right about Sebastian wanting to kill the doctor. He would probably kill Mercy too. He's so... mysterious. I want to see more of him just to know what's going on inside that head of his.
Tituba definitely has special plans for John that have to do with Mary, has she finally turned on her mistress? Will she just use John to keep her in line or as an insurance policy in case Mary turns on her or doesn't want to complete the ritual (like, for instance, if she has to sacrifice the boy so he can become the dark lord?).
ReplyDeleteWhile I think Ingrid has a pretty good handle on Mercy so far, Mercy is being disobedient and a loose canon, so we'll see if she manages to keep her under control long enough for her plans to succeed. Then there's the whole rivalry with Sebastian, who I wonder if he might end up being a threat The Countess doesn't see coming- she constantly belittles him, ignores him and at some point he might get fed up and go against Ingrid, Mercy or the good doctor. He's definitely an interesting and enigmatic character.
Maybe Increase can communicate, I was just speculating, we'll see next week or in the promo if he can. I'm hoping this is Cotton's wakeup call and he starts looking into the witches' current activity and tries to stop it. I see him and the Doctor having a bromance like he did with John in S1, so hopefully they'll be a bit useful and try and stop the evil plan (and yes, I'm hoping they fail and we get the devil/dark lord, but I'd like the good characters to put up a fight and not just leave it to witches' internal politics and fighting).
LOL, Hannibal has desensitized me a great deal and has warped my sense of humor a bit, it comes in handy when I'm watching some anatomy videos (for my class) and I make weird jokes. So having George be the main meal was like "oh, that's cool" and then when I saw Mary's reaction "haha, OMG her face". *shrugs*
I thought it was so awesome, too. I will be devastated if we don't get a season three.
ReplyDeleteYes, the spell to raise Increase was excellent and I love that his hell was his own torture chair. Very fitting.
I think Anne could end up either killing Cotton or definitely revealing herself as a witch. She isn't ready to sleep with him, and if it gets too far and she gets scared, she might unleash her power on him. Even if it's a psychic push across the room, he'll then know she's a witch.
Best ending was Cotton screaming his head off :)
This ep had alot in it. The thing with that they ate George was done so subtley. You could almost miss it.
Mercy's transformation is just amazing. She beautiful. We haven't heard of Dollie or Isaac's fate's yet. I'm sure Isaac must be around to suffer more.
I'm not sure if the Countess is planning on sacrificing little John or what. Probably. Mary has her hands full with so much to do now.
If you haven't seen the promo yet, there's a scene of Tituba looking to have sex with John. She's planning on using him as a sex toy for now. Not too much more stood out to me in the promo, Cotton and Increase will get to talk. And the crows come because of little John.
I think she finally has turned on her mistress and there may be no coming back from it - the whole frenemies thing will probably turn into just enemies when Mary finds out, she will be so pissed! Ingrid strikes me as the kind of person who will not accept disobedience. She might be lenient here and there, but I would hate to be on her bad side. Sebastian seems like he is very unstable and a loose cannon like Mercy, probably why they clash. Too similar personalities, might end up fighting for Ingrid's attention.
ReplyDeleteI really need to see this promo for the next episode and hate that they take ages to come online. It would be helpful for me to see the promos before posting these reviews so I can make a little comment on what to expect in the next episode. I also want Cotton and Samuel to put up a good fight against the witches, but only to have them fail haha. Cotton hasn't been the same since Boston and his purpose from S1 has been extinguished but hopefully this does fuel something within him. Will Increase tell Cotton that Mary is a witch, and a powerful one at that? Will Cotton finally learn the truth? All exciting possibilities with the appearance of Increase.
Haha I will have to check Hannibal out one day, maybe when the show ends so I can have a huge marathon like I did with Breaking Bad. You have definitely built up a tolerance over what people would class as gruesome.
If we hear no news of a renewal anytime soon, I'll see if I can stir up a campaign to renew Salem on the site. Season 3 needs to happen!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah Anne could definitely end up doing something bad to Cotton which will make her snap out of it. We haven't seen her really use her powers in a while, maybe she's getting a handle on them? Haha poor Cotton, but yeah, very good ending of him screaming :P
I did have to double take on that eating George thing. Couldn't quite believe it haha. I would like to see what happened to Dollie and Isaac in the next episode, see if Dollie really is dead or if she's knocking on death's door. I kind of want some goodness on this show to spark some hope. But yes, wow, Mercy really is beautiful so it was quite shocking to see after she's been through hell in S1 and first part of S2.
I think the Countess is planning on getting Mercy to kidnap little John as he appears to be the key to releasing the Devil who could very well be inside him. That will mean the Countess wins in completing this ritual like she wants, whereas Mary wants to do it first. Could be a fight over him?
I haven't seen the promo so wow, thanks for letting me know! Gosh, Tituba! That will be so interesting and weird to see. I love the title of the next episode too, 'Dead Birds', so the crows thing sounds so cool! Glad Increase and Cotton get to talk, Increase knows so much now and could spill Mary's secrets.
I've never seen an ep of Hannibal yet. I loved the movies, but I skipped the series so far. Always planned to check it out someday.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen Silence of the Lambs which is an incredible film. I guess the witches have already done some cannibalistic things on this show already, such as eating eyeballs, so it's not like it's totally new to Mary haha.
ReplyDeleteThere's a scene of little John telling Mary he can't control the crows, but they come because of him and they seemed to be everywhere. I don't know if the Countess did a spell or if there's some other reason for it.
ReplyDeleteTituba is essentially going to rape John. He's not into her and she has him tied up.
I don't remember what was said with Increase and Cotton because it was so brief a promo scene, but they do talk and Cotton is very freaked out over it.
I find crows so scary. Have you ever seen Hitchcock's The Birds? I'm always apprehensive of winged creatures now haha. If Tituba rapes John, then there's no going back for her character. Mary will flay her alive.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever get time, the other movies in the series are very good. The one with Julianne More and the other one, I think it was called Red Dragon or based on it, very good, too.
ReplyDeleteYup, it definitely seems that way, which is pretty exciting, since Tituba has always been there for Mary and had her back, even if Mary felt betrayed, I think Tituba truly believed everything she did was for the grand rite and also for Mary's benefit. So the two becoming enemies could be fascinating to watch. Yeah, I doubt Ingrid suffers disobedience, she'll let a few things slide, because with Mercy she's going with the carrot and not the stick, but if Mercy keeps it up, she'll probably suffer her wrath. Sebastian is definitely a loose canon, which makes him exciting to watch.
ReplyDeleteI also hate having to wait 2-3 days for the promo. I want Samuel to believe in witches and Cotton to figure out what the witches' plans are, so they can put up a good fight. Cotton hasn't been the same since S1 and has been a bit purposeless this season, while John has gone full on witch hunter which was more of a character shift than development. I wish John had told Cotton about Mary, so in case Increase can speak to him and says so, he'd have two people telling him this and not just the father he killed, whom he thought was going to kill an innocent woman.
I loved S1 of Hannibal, but I was really disappointed with S2 in a lot of regards. I'm hoping the upcoming season renews my love for the show, otherwise I might just be done with it, which is a shame, since I loved the show so damn much. I have built up a tolerance, yes, but there are still scenes on Salem or Hannibal that make me flinch or look away, especially anything to do with needles, eyes or nails. Oh and skin being ripped off, thanks Hannibal for that one.
I'll check them out over the summer, definitely. They sound like my kinds of film, though I must admit I do love a good Disney to balance out the twisted sorts of films.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she's doing it so she can stick it to Mary.
ReplyDeleteThe Birds was a great old movie. I loved alot of the old Hitchcock stuff.
Have you ever watched old Disney? Try Child of Glass if you've never seen it. It's one of the best ghost stories.
ReplyDeleteI love Disney movies too and musicals, nothing wrong with a bit of variety. ;)
ReplyDeleteSotL was great, Hannibal was just ok, I didn't read the book but I know what happens and I have a whole lot of issues with it, but the book and movie ending are different.
There are two movies based on Red Dragon- 'Manhunter' with William Petersen which is kinda dated but has great character development to Will Graham (except for the absurd action hero ending), but almost none for Dolarhyde. 'Red Dragon', the newer movie had way too much Hannibal in it (compared to Manhunter and the source material), Will was terrible, but Ralph Fiennes as Dolarhyde was amazing and had lots of development. The ending was also a bit closer to the book. So it's a bit of a toss up as to which I recommend.
Didn't see 'Hannibal Rising' , nor do I plan to. The last thing I want is to ruin Hannibal as a character by explaining him and making him a protagonist in a revenge movie.
Carrigon has seen the promo and Tituba wants to use John as a sort of sex toy for the time being - maybe even to the point of raping him. Mary will kill her on the spot when she finds out. Also, Increase does talk to Cotton but not sure what he says just yet, so that's going to possibly open Pandora's Box. So much to look forward to in this next episode. You have a point about John and he should have told Cotton because he may be apprehensive to believe his father and Mary is very good at bullshitting her way out of any situation. Master manipulator.
ReplyDeleteSeason 2's of shows usually do disappoint and suffer that sophomore slump, so while it happened with Hannibal, I'm glad it hasn't happened with Salem. Show is stronger than ever. The things you mentioned as well make me look away in horror haha. Skin being ripped off - my worst nightmare. I hope S3 of Hannibal gets better for you. I'm really interested to know if it does improve!
I haven't seen that, I'm definitely going to check it out. Love Ghost stories so this will be interesting if it's from Disney!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I'm sure she's doing it for a spell of some sort, since she quite clearly implied she was a lesbian and not into men, but rape is something that's an issue for me, especially if the show doesn't treat it that way, since some media tend to pretend that male rape isn't an actual thing or traumatizing.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm happy Increase and Cotton have a chat, regardless if Cotton believes him, he needs to start being clued in to what's going on.
There's also a book series it was based on called The Ghost Belonged to Me. I read the first two books and loved them. I only recently found out there were even more.
ReplyDeleteHaha exactly, variety is the spice of life, and gotta love a good musical too. Imagine a musical episode of Salem, that would be bizarre to say the least!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the rundown of the Hannibal films. I think what makes Hannibal great is that he doesn't need to be exploited to convey the true terror he really inflicts. There's more terror in what is implied rather than shown explicitly.
I don't really like villain redemption when they make awesome villains. I loved Maleficent as a villain but wasn't a fan of humanising her in the 2014 film starring Angelina Jolie. For entertainment value, I did enjoy the film, but I preferred to think of Maleficent as an all-evil, all-powerful villain. I think the only exception to this that I can think of is the Wicked Witch of the West, as I absolutely love the Broadway musical Wicked and what they did with the character.
Interesting, I forgot about her implication of being interested in women. I wish we could have seen more of that to add a depth to her character. The promo may just be implying something it isn't, as some promos tend to do to add suspense in seeing the episode. I'd hope if the show does go that route, that the writers will handle it appropriately.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Tituba implied she was a lesbian, is she using him as a sex toy or is she casting a spell and as per usual, it involves sex/arousal? It's still rape and disgusting and I hope is treated as rape and not brushed off because he's a guy.
ReplyDeleteYES at Increase talking to Cotton, even though I'm sure Cotton won't believe him, but he still needs to know, that way he can start noticing the signs/realize the truth and figure things out.
Yeah, lots of shows have S2 slump, thankfully Salem and Vikings didn't, but a lot of other shows disappointed me. I think it hurts more with Hannibal because it was one of my favorite shows in S1. I hope S3 is better, especially because they're dealing with the Red Dragon arc, which is my favorite of the Hannibal books (because Will's in it) and I'm worried it won't measure up to my hopes.
Tituba actually told John that she never had much use for men, but she goes for being all over him anyway. I don't think it's entirely for any spell, she wants to stick it to Mary and be able to tell her she had sex with John.
ReplyDeleteJust checked and the book isn't on the Kindle :( I'll just have to buy the physical edition.
ReplyDeleteShe definitely loved Mary and in the last episode she told John she had no use for men, so that pretty much implies lesbian. I also hope that if the writers go that route they'll treat it appropriately and not either sell it as "sexy" or brush it off afterwards.
ReplyDeleteGonna be waiting for this promo now to see if there's any hint of it being part of a spell as that makes sense. Spells on this show are very bizarre and dark and twisted so that will explain it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with the Red Dragon arc in relation to Hannibal. Sounds awesome though, and if you go in with normal expectations and don't set your hopes up too high, I'm sure it will be as good as you hope. I kind of set my hopes up really high for Once Upon a Time when they introduced the Frozen arc, and I did enjoy it but I thought it could have been done much better than it was.
That would be very cruel and evil of Tituba to do, to just rape John just to use it as a hurtful insult to Mary. If that's the case, my respect for Tituba will go way, way down.
ReplyDeleteEvery show should have a musical episode, though we might have to be drunk to properly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteDidn't see Maleficent, have no intention to either, I don't think every villain needs to be humanized or redeemed. I need to one day manage to see Wicked, I don't live in the US or the UK, so I have no way of seeing it right now.
I've got it as an Epub file if you want it. Message me on Facebook. I an attach it for you if you like.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1242215728
I have faith the writers will give this the appropriate attention it needs. It's definitely not sexy, but it's on line with the twisted things that have happened on Salem.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I remember her saying that, I guess we'll have to see what exactly is she doing or why, maybe it is to stick it to Mary, but personally I'm hoping it's magic, because raping John is a pretty despicable act, so I hope there's at least some payoff to it.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, I mean Mercy replaced mens' penises with crows, which is pretty disturbing as well, though I don't think the victims (including her father) really got to show how horrific a thing that is to do, so I don't know.
ReplyDeleteHaha you could have a point about being drunk to appreciate musical episodes of shows. Only one I've truly enjoyed (of shows I've watched) is Buffy's. I was so distraught by Grey's Anatomy's musical episode - not every show should have one as that demonstrated haha, but I am always curious to see how every show I watch would handle a musical episode. It's pretty outrageous.
ReplyDeleteAw that's a shame, everyone needs to see Wicked one time in their life. It's so amazing, honest to God my favourite musical ever. So deep and powerful and beautiful. Adds great perspective on a character we all know with a backstory that could totally make sense.
Thanks! Sent you a message, think it will appear in your Other folder in your Inbox :)
ReplyDeleteYeah we always see the horrific acts, but not really how a character deals with them. Human psychology is a tricky thing to portray on TV shows but if something of this magnitude happens to a main character like John, I'd very much hope it's not just brushed off.
ReplyDeleteSpells on the show are very sexually charged or involve sex, like Mary's astral projection spell involves a dildo. I think the spells are all blood and sex.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if my problems with Hannibal will just be high expectations, they did a lot wrong in S2 and messed up characterization and used the closest thing they have to a female lead as a prop, so I'm not just worried about how they'll handle the story arc, which I'm already disappointed in, because originally Bryan Fuller was talking about doing some set up and showing the Will/Molly romance and what he's like in a relationship, but now we're going to have a time jump and go straight to the two married, without ever meeting her beforehand and she'll only be in 4 episodes. Why should anyone care about her or their relationship?
I'm glad I never saw OUaT, since I've been hearing so many people complain about the show, I feel like I dodged a bullet.
Buffy's musical episode was great, my brother still has the soundtrack, I don't watch Grey's Anatomy.
ReplyDeleteI want to see it, but it'll never play here and I can't bank on seeing it the next time I go to the US or UK, cause who knows when that'll be. *sighs*
Ahh I see what you mean about Hannibal S2 then!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Once Upon a Time is that they have awesome ideas, but half the time they aren't executed very well so you always feel some sort of disappointment no matter what they do. Feels very disjointed at the minute so yeah, you probably did dodge a bullet, but I'm glad I watch as I do find enjoyment in it still.
I agree, though I'm not sure how much of a main character John's been this season, but if something like that happens to him, I hope we see him having to deal with it, rather than just pretending it never happened or him being "changed" means he doesn't see anything to deal with. I don't expect him to talk about it to anyone or seek therapy, but we need to see that it affects him and he doesn't just shrug and moves on.
ReplyDeleteGot it and sent you stuff, enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteOh that's just the tip of the iceberg with my Hannibal S2 problems, but I'll save you the rant.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoy it, but I get really into the shows I watch (I can't casually watch) and then it takes me forever to quit them once they start to suck, so I'm pretty picky about shows I start watching. So I'm glad, from what I've heard and read, that I didn't decide to check this one out.
Man. I love this freaking show. The chapter tho slow it was pretty cool to watch, the little things that happened here and there made it for a good episode. I need it renew. PLEASE WGN! PLEASEEE.
ReplyDeleteThe revelation that teh devil hismelf was going to take form in the kid was what we all were expecting, right?. Kid has "devil" wrttten all oevr his face xD.
How good Mercy is looking. She is really hot and Sebastian is so jealous of her, i think this two will end up killing each other if Mary doesnt get to him first.
The opening was great, teh speel, Increase looking for his head and the ending going for Cotton was really good. I hope that if they get to talk, he is not as bitchy as before.
Tiituba is looking for a way to shake the earth if you knwo what i mean :v
Great review gavin. I dont have to tll you that
I rewatched it earlier. There are scenes in the promo with Anne, but it went by fast. And Cotton and the doctor were standing in I think the same place Mary and the Countess were over the pit. It seems Cotton and the doc have teamed up.
ReplyDeleteAw thanks for reading Ron! Yeah it's not about quantity in this episode, but quality, and there was an abundance of quality moments that made this a still great episode despite being a little slower-paced compared to previous episodes. Definitely expecting the Devil being in the kid, as he really is a devillish little shit and I love it haha.
ReplyDeleteMary could get to both Mercy and Sebastian first and I'd love that. I want Mary to unleash her biggest potential and regain control over Salem in a boss way. Dispatching of both Mercy and Sebastian would be huge for her to do, though I do see Mercy and Sebastian maybe being the death of each other.
The promo is on the WGN America site now, and I love it! It looks so intense and creepy and awesome. Damn this is truly the most exciting show on TV for me right now :D
ReplyDeleteOK, here's the promo-
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHflHVFVLyw
Looks like I might have been right about Increase not being able to talk to Cotton, since he asks Mary to let him speak to him, in exchange for telling her how to destroy Ingrid. And I'm sorry, nothing in the promo told me that Tituba is about to sleep with John, he's still shirtless from last episode, she's touching him with a knife and talking about what they can do for each other, it could be anything.
Thanks for sharing, that is such a great promo! I feel so excited about the birds and how terrifying that could be. Hmm there could be a sexual undertone to her but I guess it seems more sinister to me, maybe she's just imploring him for help to benefit her and she will help him?
ReplyDeleteIt really is a great promo, can't wait for more creepy things with devil child. Like, it could be sexual- he's shirtless and she's admiring his chest with a knife, but it could also be sinister (the knife) and it could simply be her bargaining with him. The way the poster was talking about the promo, I thought it showed her straddling him or kissing him or something more overtly sexual.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously in love with how amazing this show is. I know it kinda slowed down with this episode but when you look at the things that happened in it, it's setting it all up for some seriously juicy storylines and I cannot wait to watch them all unfold.
ReplyDeleteMary really needs to be careful now, she's very vulnerable but I'm glad that George's corpse won't be a problem for her...him being gone however will most likely come back to bite her. The dynamic with her and Tituba's relationship and their trust/non-trust in each other is wonderful to watch but now the little devil spawn has been seen by the Countess and Mary can only blame herself for the possibility of losing him, if she'd only listened to Tituba.
Speaking of Tituba, I loved the scenes with her and John. When she said he's becoming what he's hunting I didn't see it as him becoming a witch but in fact a monster, well that's how I took it. I think John sees the witches as true, very evil monsters and Tituba was kind of throwing it back at him that he's now no better, using magic to kill others.
Anne's story is gonna be very interesting with Cotton. I think you're right about not seeing the full ramifcations of the spell on him just yet, He's gonna end up doing something very drastic and big that will most likely destroy Anne, she will be devastated at what she's done to him. But then, did she really have a choice? Hmm. I do hope the Countess doesn't turn her wrath on Anne for telling Mary who she is, after all Anne did just steal her father's Book of Shadows for her.
Mercy was looking much better with her longer hair and I quite enjoyed how deliciously evil she looked when the Countess and Sebastian found her covered in some poor girls blood. Saying that though, I can't forgive her for letting Dollie die :( and I do hope she doesn't succeed in destroying Mary (but do we really think she even has a chance? Mary is who we're supposed to root for, right?)
The Countess is seriously the best thing to happen to this show. I absolutely love how wickedly evil she is, she's very manipulative and downright sinister and I love every second she is on screen. I cannot wait to see when she comes face to face with Increase again, it's gonna be explosive and I know that, realistically, she has to die for Mary to succeed (unless they do actually team up in the end...I can hope, can't I?) but I really hope if it does have to happen, it's not until Season 3 if we get one, which we should!
Sebastian is fast becoming a very intriguing character with his obsession with Mary and he's odd relationship with his mother, I wonder if his attraction and interest in Mary might sway him to her side in the end if it comes down to picking between her and his mother? He seems far too interested and drawn to her that his own mother seems to be beginning to doubt him (I don't know if it's just me, but something has changed with their relationship since he met Mary and the Countess took Mercy under her wing.)
Wonderful review again though Gavin, I'm so ready for the drop after this ascent on this crazy rollercoaster that is Season 2! Bring it on Salem.
You don't know how great I feel knowing you're loving this show as much as I am. We have AMAZING taste in shows!
ReplyDeleteLook at you being all smart haha, yeah you could totally be right about John turning into a monster rather than a witch. Makes more sense. I think Anne is forgiven by the Countess now but I think the Countess will keep a close watch on her. Anne is just as unpredictable as Mercy since she's new to the fold and easily swayed, very vulnerable. Mercy has no chance against Mary, no matter what. She has a chance of doing serious damage, but yeah, we are totally Team Mary!
Couldn't agree more about the Countess. She is truly lighting up the screen in every scene she is in, so wicked and so deliciously evil - can't help but hope just a little that she will stay around even though that's impossible if it means she's opposing our main character. Someone has to go down between them, unless they do team up and become frenemies - like Mary and Tituba. They kind of are like frenemies now but I think they're more enemies than friends.
Sebastian looks like he could work against his mother if she continues to favour others before him. He seems like that kind of character - easily jealous and quick to act out of revenge. Thanks for reading Adam, we can definitely drop together haha.