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Salem - Midnight Never Come - Review: "Now THIS Was the Best Episode Yet!"

Jun 22, 2015

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2.12 - "MIDNIGHT NEVER COME"
Directed by Alex Zakrzewski
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.



'MIDNIGHT NEVER COME' REVIEW

"How does it feel to lose everything you've ever had?" 

Was this not just a truly spectacular hour of television? What a thrilling episode to have as the penultimate episode of the season. Just wow. Yet again, there is so much to talk about so I am jumping straight into it. I'll start with Mercy. She's been pretty absent lately, but apparently she's making a name for herself in the town too. I'm glad her kidnapping of children is being noticed in Salem and I would have loved to have seen more of that. I loved her scene with Mary too as she sort of taunts Mary about her failings. "It seems all my sins have returned to me." This season has delved into themes of choices and consequences, and Mary is feeling that in full force as we have seen her falling down to Earth every episode. What I also appreciated too was Mary's questioning of Mercy's morals too. Mercy started the season with the idea of protecting the weak but has so far derailed due to Mary's burning. I missed the interactions between Mercy and Mary actually as they are both complex characters that have a deeper connection due to Mary turning Mercy into a witch. The scene with Mercy and Sebastian also makes me think that Mercy may go back to Mary to help her as it appears Mercy's wishful thinking is just that. Sebastian really puts her in her place. I did feel a little sorry for Mercy to be honest as she's so naive and Sebastian was really mean, especially when he said nobody wanted her. But Sebastian also said something interesting, about how the Countess has a daughter, which leads us to...

"I already killed one mother. Who's to say I won't kill another one?"

Anne Hale. You really surprised me in this episode Anne Hale. I did love it though as it further cements the idea of her unpredictability as she develops her craft. She was totally the one to watch out for in this episode, and in all fairness to Anne, she really didn't do anything with malice. I was first taken back by her when Little John was crying for his mother and Anne shouted at him to shut up. That was a very intense moment and I was unsure of what was going to transpire between the two. It was nice of Anne to keep Little John protected in her attic, even refusing to give him up to the Countess at first. I honestly didn't expect the Countess to be Anne's mother, but it does make sense. They're both gorgeous flame-haired beauties and we all knew the Countess knew Magistrate Hale in the past. It also explains why Anne is so powerful as I always thought she was way more powerful than her father, and her mother was mortal so where did it come from? Now we know and it was a really neat twist. I loved that she already knew and she really didn't care very much about it, even threatening to kill her. Loved the scenes between the Countess and Anne. "This changes nothing." Anne protecting Cotton through it all though was sweet, and I can understand why Anne did what she did in the end (I'll be getting to that amazing consecration scene very soon). I could see that Anne was trying to remain good and pure, her ideals of a fair world at stake and the Countess played her like a fiddle. The Countess said she loves games, well I think Anne unknowingly played her game.

"These are trivialities compared to being orphaned, enslaved,
sent across the ocean from hand to sweaty hand."

The scene with Anne and the Countess visiting Tituba was also a great scene. I started to feel like I was siding with the Countess here and seeing Mary as a bad person, just like she was trying to make Anne see that. The Countess is so beautifully written, it seems effortless and it translates to the audience. I'm sure I wasn't the only one agreeing that Tituba has had a harder life than Mary will ever know and that her past drama pales in comparison with Tituba's. I didn't actually blame Tituba for siding with the Countess in the end, she spoke directly to her soul. I love that the Countess has kissed every single female witch on the show and I loved when she kissed Tituba and Anne was looking at them with a weird but curious expression. And another shout-out to the writers, the part with the Countess talking about Genesis - "What kind of a God plants a tree bearing the fruit of true knowledge, only to forbid his creation to partake?" - is a question I have been pondering very recently actually as I have been studying transformations on a module at University. As soon as she said that, I preached. This was a very female-empowering episode actually.

"Could you do me a favour? Be careful."

Onto the men of the hour. Sebastian stole the show with his hilarious line I mentioned previously, and I was very happy that John survived his ordeal after the cliffhanger of episode 11. We saw in the promo for this episode that John tells Cotton about Anne being a witch. I was anticipating his reaction and it was just what I thought it would be. Denial. He sees the good in Anne and wants desperately for everything to be perfect and pure. It wasn't a nice way to find out your wife is a witch but better to hear it from his bestie than someone else I suppose. I'm glad he knows the truth though as he was confident his wife was not a witch, and I loved that he wanted to give her a chance to respond. It's went from Poor Isaac to Poor Cotton now I think. Watching his wife twist the head off a bird then squirt its blood all over the wall must have ripped his heart out. Being stuck in the attic isn't good but at least now he isn't in the dark and he'll learn so much from the book of shadows. I can't wait for the confrontation in the next episode as we see a glimpse of it in the promo. And Isaac. He is definitely not Poor Isaac anymore. I am so happy for him and it's the first time I've appreciated Hathorne on the show. I still want him dead for what he said to Mary in the episode before but what he did for Isaac in this episode was lovely! I was so touched when the woman gave Isaac the bread. Goodbye Isaac the Fornicator, hello Isaac the Truth-Teller.

"Fail me... and we are all doomed."

My love for Mary's scenes knows no bounds. I love when more mythology is explored and the part of Mary going to the Essex Tree was off-the-wall amazing. The Hag's face on the spider was so creepy and weird and awesome. The whole tree thing was awesome, I mean what a beautiful set piece! It opened Salem up to a whole bigger world and meeting the old ones in the tree helped scale how big this witch war is. They seem to be on Mary's side though it was dangerous for Mary to enter that place. They all looked different and authentic and they really creeped me out. The whole scene creeped me out. Mary was so brave for doing that and threatening to abandon her oath. The thing that took me by most surprise though was that Mary was sojourning while she visited that place and then John. At least, I think she was while she was in the Essex tree. I doubt she'd run home to sojourn to John, so that explains why Mary was so daring when she entered. It was still brave of Mary though as she could still suffer the consequences. Loved knowing more about Mary being the Samhain Witch too.

"You were not born for this. You were born to be loved. And I do love you."

The last 7 minutes of the episode was non-stop excitement. It was the moment we've been anticipating since the Countess stepped foot in Salem. The moment we've been anticipating since we realised Little John is the sacrifice needed for the consecration to happen. And what a scene! It really didn't disappoint. I expected Anne to bring Little John though Mary was surprised. I wonder if that's going to make Mary get her vengeance on her in the future. And Tituba too, they were all there like a much-needed reunion. The Countess was just deliciously perfect in her role here and my mouth dropped to the floor when she said any avowal of complete and total love was needed at the moment of sacrifice. The Countess tricked Mary and it was so devastating yet beautiful to watch. I wondered why John didn't shoot sooner, but it looked like he and Mary knew there was nothing they could have done to stop the consecration so they would have made the ultimate sacrifice in killing their son who was then completely taken over by the devil. That moment between Mary and Little John though brought me to tears. Mary's words were so affecting, and I think even Anne and Tituba were touched by it. I hope they both help Mary in the finale after realising what they did was wrong. Even Sebastian is on the verge of fighting back due to his mother slapping him. But my God, the final moment with Little John growling and staring at his mother was so scary.

"My Lord. Oh, My Lord."

EPISODE VERDICT

I sound like a broken record at this point but "Midnight Never Come" is literally the best episode of Salem yet. I've said that about so many of the episodes to date in season two, but this one blows them all out the crags. We have been building up to the consecration all season long and we've been rooting for Mary and John to save their son. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Mary as she completely failed in her mission to stop the consecration - and I love it! As much as I wanted Mary to be happy and whatnot, I knew that stopping the consecration would mean stopping the most exciting thing that could possibly happen to Salem. Why would I want that? Now the finale is going to be all sorts of epic and this episode could not have been more awesome. Just wow, I am so impressed. Shocked at times but completely enthralled. I want the finale so bad, but I don't want this heart-attack-inducing season to be over.


EPISODE AWARDS

Winner of Best Witch:
Mary
Best Witch: Mary. 2 episodes in a row but to be fair, all the other witches were very naughty in this episode.

Naughtiest Witch: Anne Hale. She took Little John to the consecration as she was manipulated by the Countess. Got some making up to do.

Best Gentleman: Little John. The poor buggar went through Hell and delivered in every regard.

Best Spell: "The Essex tree is deep and wide, but unseen as any breath. I'll pay the price to come inside, though it may mean my very death."

Best Line(s): "Yes, if I liked waking up to a dog nuzzling my bollocks." - Sebastian Marburg. What a line, I laughed for a solid minute. Delivery = on point.

Most Bewitching Chemistry: Mary and Little John. The scene at the crags with Mary telling Little John of her love for him was truly poignant.

Best Moment: The entire consecration scene, from the moment the Countess leads them in the woods to Little John hugging the Countess while staring at his mother.

Most Romantic Moment: Mary and John. "You must stay in this world a little longer."

Creepiest Moment: Little John staring at his mother at the end of the episode. He looked so scary.

Vilest Moment: Seeing the hag's head on the spider body. Was totally weirded out by it.

Sweetest Moment: Same as what I said for the Most Bewitching Chemistry. Honest to God tears in my eyes.

What did you think of 'Midnight Never Come'? Let me know your thoughts on the episode in the comments and be sure to watch the season two finale on June 28 on WGN America at 10PM!



About the Author - Gavin Hetherington
Award-winning author of 'Abyssal Sanctuary: Remnants of the Damned'. Gavin joined SpoilerTV in August 2014 and reviews 2 Broke Girls, Mistresses, Orange is the New Black, Pretty Little Liars, Salem, Scream Queens and Sleepy Hollow. Gavin will write previews for Devious Maids and Shadowhunters, and backs-up Empire, The Flash, iZombie, Once Upon a Time, Reign, Scandal and Supergirl. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)

26 comments:

  1. I may say it all the time but that's because every episode delivers - the penultimate episode of season two was the best episode yet. Do you guys agree? Let me know your thoughts on this epic final hour before the season finale.

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  2. There was so much to love about this ep. I love the hidden Essex witches and their strange world. Yes, the spider thing was so wonderfully alien and creepy. I really want to know more about all of them and their hidden place. If we get another season, I hope we get more of that.

    I wasn't expecting little John to get taken over. I really thought there would be a last minute save of some kind. But even the bullet didn't work. So what does this mean for the finale? That promo looks awesome. The ultimate catfight. I can't wait.

    Cotton finding out he's married to a witch. He's even more freaked out than when he spoke to the ghost of his father. Can't wait to see where this leads.

    Isaac finally gets some respect. Wasn't expecting that.

    Mercy nearly got herself killed by messing around with Sebastian. He's alot creepier than he seems.

    I also loved how John was able to use his own magick to become invisible and kill those guys.

    All around a great ep. And I'm just sorry we're only getting one more so far. I hope they announce if we'll get another season soon.

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  3. The hidden Essex witches were such a treat in this episode, I was so happy they showed us more mythology. They're so interesting, it would be a waste to not explore them in season 3 should we get one.


    If they stopped the consecration, there wouldn't be much going into the finale this Sunday and then season 3. So much possibility now Hell is on Earth. Just the sound of it makes me excited. The Mary v Countess fight is going to be epic. I keep saying epic a lot too but I really mean it.


    Most shocking thing to happen was Isaac finally getting some respect haha, I agree I wasn't expecting it either. About time too, and very shocking that it was Hathorne that gave it to him. I forgot to mention how awesome John was in his fight with the guys in the woods. I like it when he can use his magic to his advantage and it had Sebastian running scared.


    I'm both happy and sad this season will be over - happy because it's been an amazing season and it was a job well done for everyone involved. Sad because next Monday will be my last Salem review for a year (or forever if it isn't picked up). Don't want this to be the end (and I'm sure it won't be).

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  4. And I left out, the best reveal was Anne being the Countess' daughter. I never saw that one coming.



    I hate it when shows end, either season endings or series endings. This show has been an epic wild ride. Has there been mention of them attending any of the Cons this summer? I don't remember if Salem was mentioned.



    Looking forward to the finale. I hope we get a sneak peek before then. That promo is so epic.


    You should do reviews for Teen Wolf. This season is going to be amazing. We have a few good returning shows coming up, The Strain is starting up soon, too.

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  5. I do agree with you. It’s getting better at each episode and I cannot wait for the finale. I hope we’ll soon hear about season 3 being confirmed.

    The characters developments are so good. All of them are complex and interesting.

    I love the cast, the story, the images, the costumes, the way witchcraft is portrayed… This season 2 is great and Salem is most definitely one of the best show I’ve seen in years.

    Countess Von Marburg is a fascinating villain, and whoever had the excellent idea to ask Lucy Lawless to play her is a genius. She's a killer. Each scene with Marburg is delightful and – although I love the other characters - I’m sad that she will certainly be defeated in the finale.

    About this episode:
    - Sebastian is getting more and more interesting and I hope he’ll be there for next season (maybe fighting against his sister for their mother’s legacy…).
    - Hidden Essex Stronghold: Excellent!
    - Anna being Marburg’s daughter: Didn’t see it coming and absolutely love it.
    - I’m very happy that the Dark Lord is here. It’s good for the season 3 we all dream of.
    - I must be paranoid but I see the Countess’s hand behind Isaac’s new role. I mean isn’t Hathorne her puppet?

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  6. That was an awesome reveal! I didn't expect it either but it explains so much about Anne and where her powers came from as the Magistrate wasn't nearly as powerful as Anne.


    Salem is going to be at Comic-Con so I do imagine that the show will be renewed. They can't set up a panel for the show over the summer just to cancel the show.


    I would have loved to have done reviews for Teen Wolf and The Strain, but Dahne and Melissa are doing the Teen Wolf reviews and Geo N is doing the reviews for The Strain. Their reviews are awesome. At the minute I'm only reviewing Pretty Little Liars and Mistresses over the summer, then Sleepy Hollow and Scream Queens in the Fall, and previewing Shadowhunters when that starts up in 2016. Oh, and 2 Broke Girls whenever CBS decides to put it on their schedule. Wish I could review and do more but life just gets so busy :(


    Also, I forgot to mention, there was a little delay in the interview with Adam Simon (Brannon was locked in the editors' room working on the finale since he directed it so he couldn't make it unfortunately) but the interview should be up tomorrow or Wednesday. So excited to write the article on it, it's going to be amazing!!

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  7. Yes! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts on this awesome episode. So glad we agreed on a lot of points. It makes me so happy to see that you think Salem is one of the best shows you've seen in years - I couldn't agree more. Costumes, settings - just perfect!


    Lucy Lawless is literally the Goddess of actresses and the fact that she has been a part of Salem makes this show stand out even more. Her casting was done by a genius, you are so right. I hope they find some way of bringing her back but you could be right about her downfall. Either way, she's been glorious to watch and the season benefitted from her presence. Nobody could have played her like she did.


    Good idea for Sebastian's storyline next season, that would be awesome! He's a series regular isn't he, and so is Little John and maybe they could all die in the finale, but I'm thinking they'll find some way of incorporating both into next season.


    If Season 3 explores Hell on Earth with the Dark Lord wreaking havoc on the world - I will be made for life. And you have an excellent point about Isaac and the Countess. Yeah, Hathorne is her puppet now and the fact that he has, out of the blue, given Isaac the respect he deserves is suspect. I hope we see more of that in the finale and see it explained as Isaac is coming back swinging.

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  8. BEST. EPISODE. YET.
    My word, what an amazing, juicy, exciting, intense, exciting episode. I could praise this episode to the high heavens, it was truly a wonderful episode and definitely my favourite episode of the show ever. I loved every minute of it.

    I'm gonna have to start with Anne. I did not expect that twist with her being the Countess' daughter. My jaw dropped and I literally said "WHAT?!" out loud while watching it. LOVE this twist!! I love how we saw a kind of inner struggle within her still, her power and now her lineage are taking her down a very dark path but she's trying to remain moral and sweet and I love her for that. I felt awful for her being in the position that she was but I'm glad that she was because it means we got more screentime for her and I think taking John to the crags is gonna be something that leaves a lasting effect her on. I cannot wait to see the confrontation between her and Cotton though!! I'm also hoping we'll get a scene between Anne and Sebastian and see how they act around each other now that Anne knows they're siblings, I mean does anyone think Sebastian even knows? There's bound to be some resentment from him when he hears that Anne is to inherit everything from the Countess (whether she wants it or not). I LOVE this twist, have I mentioned that?

    Mercy is back and I love how she was revelling in Mary's pain, I hate to see Mary so tortured but it made for a delicious scene between these two, their bitter chemistry works wonderfully in every scene they have. I was torn on if I felt bad for Mercy during her scene with Sebastian though to be fair, it kind of had me thinking "HA!" after how she taunted Mary and tried to rub it in that she was "intended" for Sebastian. I know Mary really doesn't care but it just felt kind of satisfying to see Mercy rebuffed so cruelly.

    The Countess is seriously the best villain you could hope for on this show! (sorry Increase), she is just so evil and I love every word that comes out of her mouth, Lucy Lawless is just amazing. I know I've said it before but she is! I really hope she doesn't die in the finale. I was giggling away at her fawning over the now possessed John (can we even call it possession? I mean is it even his body anymore?), just the "oh my lord! my lord!" was so cute. The strain between her and Sebastian is now even more evident thanks to the slap so I'm assuming he's gonna turn on her in the end and while it'll make for dramatic TV, they did have a very interesting and twisted relationship that I'll miss.

    Mary has been through the ringer emotionally, hasn't she? But I'm glad that she was so set on her goal and wasn't letting anything stop her! My heart literally shattered for her when the Countess revealed that her confession of love for her son was enough to seal the deal with the consecration. It was devastating to watch her break down and see everyone else stood by watching. I think you're right about Anne and Tituba, they'll definitely feel guilty, possibly enough to put them both on Team Mary. I also loved the little moment with Mary and John when she told him to hang onto this world a little while longer, their story is so broken but beautiful and you can't help but still kind of root for them even though you know there's no hope.

    I'm gonna have to stop myself babbling on even more but I cannot wait for the finale, even if it means the season is over because I'll just try and watch it all again! Brilliant episode! The writers really hit it out of the park with this one but the cast did a phenomenal job of bringing it all to life.

    I'm so ready for this finale! BRING IT!

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  9. DAMN!!!!! What an episode. Just finished watching it moments ago.

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  10. Oh it's already been brought-ed! Haha. Thanks for your awesome comment Adam!


    Sebastian knows he has a sister, but maybe he doesn't know it's Anne? We'll find out soon I imagine, but I can totally see them two battling it out over how Sebastian is so jealous of everyone. And yeah, he's gonna hate that she'll get everything. Haha you did not mention you LOVE that twist, you must say it again.


    I know what you mean about Mercy too. I was glad in a way that she was getting put in her place, and it might just spark Mercy to go back to Mary. I'd kind of like that, to see how they've hurt each other so much but then move forward. Gives me hope that it could happen between Mary and Tituba too. Everyone just needs to kiss and make up.


    About the Countess and the words that come out of her mouth, she always delivers some amazing lines. Really poignant, thought-out lines. I feel like I learn from her in every episode. What a villain! Don't know exactly the extent of Little John's infliction now but I think he's completely taken over by the devil now. But haha yes the Countess being all over the Dark Lord was a little funny and it was actually quite nice seeing the Countess so happy over something. As much as she's a villain and against my Mary, I love seeing that side of her.


    Ahh can't agree more about what you say about Mary and John and their beautifully broken relationship. So sweet, so tragic. Thanks for joining me on this Salem season 2 journey. 1 episode to go and it's going to be the best episode ever Adam, I just know it.

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  11. Right!! I was pretty speechless once it was over. I literally had to lie down and recover before writing my review. You must still be recovering haha :D

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  12. This episode was great. I kinda loved how Mary and John both screwed up in the end- Mary unwittingly said what she needed for the ritual and John should have shot their son before he got baptized in hell. He couldn't shoot the Countess, because without destroying her original body first, she can't be killed, so really, killing their son is the only last minute plan to 'save' him and stop the ritual. Now I'm curious to see what happens in the finale, I still wonder if my theory might be right and we get the dark lord jumping bodies, or somehow the good doctor returns from hell at the last minute. We'll see.


    I liked the Mercy-Mary talk and Mary reminding her what she used to stand for and how far from it she's gone. But boy was she delusional about the Marburgs, especially Sebastian who put her in her place in a very cruel way that made me a tad uncomfortable, something I never thought I'd feel for Mercy. I wonder if Sebastian will survive the season. Will he finally turn on his mother and side with Mary? He's an interesting character to watch.


    I'm glad John is still hanging in there, but his goodbye with Cotton (which I loved) sounded final, I wonder if one or both of them won't survive the season. The obvious answer would be John, who is fatally wounded, but I wouldn't discount Cotton dying tragically so Anne can go even darker next season (which would mean every finale she loses someone, poor thing). I didn't see the twist of her being Ingrid's daughter coming, though I did predict her handing over Little John. I get why she did it and appreciated that at least she was crying while it was happening, but she's got to realize the severity of what she did- not just killing a child, but finishing the ritual and dooming everyone (who isn't a witch) in Salem.


    Can't wait for the Cotton-Anne confrontation, I hope he finds out he's under a love spell as well, because that's something that needs to be addressed. Was happy to see Tituba again, I wonder about what Marburg wanted from her- the secret Essex stronghold, whatever that is. Is she going to kill all the Elders or is that something different than the magical tree?


    I'm assuming what's happening with Isaac is somehow part of Marburg's plan, so I wouldn't count my blessings just yet if I were him.


    Gotta say it once more- Oliver Bell has been doing an incredible job on the show as Little John, he's been toeing the line between innocent, sheltered child and creepy, demonic hellspawn. I have no idea if he'll survive the season/continue as the Dark Lord, but he deserves major kudos for his work this season. And you've sung Mary's praise for both of us, she's such a great, dynamic character and I've... Not enjoyed, but it's been great to see her getting beat down these last few episodes and expose her raw, humanity, it's allowed Janet to really shine and I enjoyed that aspect of it.


    Can't wait to see the finale and see how they end things.

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  13. Yep indeed. I think I will need some time to process everything. But I can't stop fretting over Mary's misfortune. She was done in by everyone. She tried hard and tried everything and in return couldn't save her son. Leave Tituba and Anne Hale's treachery aside for a moment, even the Essex elders ditched her and refused to help her. Cowardly as*holes think that they will get some reward once their Dark Lord emerges. Something tells me that the Countess has something very different planned for them.



    Tituba, by nature is duplicitous so I am pretty sure she has revealed the location of the tree to the Countess.


    The revelation of Anne Hale being the Countess' daughter was awesome. But I was disappointed in her too when she was so easily coerced into giving up the child when the Countess threatened to kill Cotton.



    Mercy continued to be a pompous dumbass and she got a hard dose of truth at the hands of Sebastian. There's still time for her to pick the right side.


    Mary's plan to have John end the boy's life was a heartbreaking one and they would have succeeded if John was able to take the shot before the Countess plunged him in the hell mire. Once the boy was submerged, I knew it would be too late and it indeed was.


    So, we go into the finale with our main protagonist, Mary having seemingly lost everything. The love of her life is at death's door, her son is a vessel for the Dark Lord and all the witches betrayed her. Will she come back from this? Is there any victory for her? Or is survival the only victor here?

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  14. Love the questions you asked at the end there, it makes the stakes so much higher in this finale where we really don't know how everything is going to transpire.


    If anything, all the betrayals and beatings Mary has had the past few episodes just proves how strong she really is. She is so tough and strong and I can't admire her enough as a character. She started out so evil until she had a reason to be good. Having the child come into the show was such a good thing for her to grow as a character and it's shown the strength of a mother beyond all things. It was so heartbreaking when you could see Mary and John realise what they must do. As I mention in the review, the show has so much female-empowerment and it shows us how strong women really are. It's one of the reasons I love this show - it's not just about witches, it's about women.


    Tituba most likely did reveal the location as the Countess played to Tituba's weaknesses. She appealed to her like she did Anne and in the process made both succumb to her words. It's not too late for both Tituba and Anne to do the right thing as they both looked pretty guilty when Mary was giving her love avowal. Mercy, too, seems to be pushed down again. As you said, there's still time for her to pick a right side.


    Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts though DebraFan!

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  15. Looking forward to your Sleepy Hollow reviews. I can't wait for the show to start up again. And I'll look for your interview. Another thing I forgot to mention is the clothing on Salem is fantastic. I love all the dresses and costumes. Even Sebastian's clothing reminds me of Pinhead from Hellraiser.

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  16. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts as always IvyB! I agree so much with your analysis. The two parents did screw up and it showed just how new they both are to parenthood. They tried so hard to protect their son, failed, but still try to the very last minute. You could see the force behind John trying to put his son down but couldn't do it. It's so heartbreaking for both of them and I am glad it actually happened as now there's so much to explore in this finale.


    Totally agree about Sebastian. He is totally unpredictable and that's what makes him so interesting to watch. Just what is he going to do next? I feel like that with Mercy right now too as she seems to be in a bit of a limbo. I'm guessing Sebastian is going to betray the Countess but maybe we'll be surprised? I feel like him betraying his mother won't be much of a surprise anymore as we've thought that for a few episodes now.


    I liked how now things are reversed with Anne. She condemned Mary in the beginning for the Grand Rite because she started it. Now it's Anne who started this new age of horror in Salem. The synopsis of the finale puts Anne on the darkest path she's ever been on and I can see this now becoming the crux to her undoing. If Cotton was to be killed, it would be so shocking and amazing and it would mean Anne will have reached the point of no return. I can see it happening now you mention it, though I do love Cotton and the actor Seth Gabel, you have to think of what more Cotton will offer going into season 3.


    I was happy to see Tituba too! She didn't disappoint. The Secret Essex Stronghold was the Essex Tree that Mary entered later in the episode, so she wanted the location for it so she can probably kill all the Essex witches. It would have been a bit random to introduce the tree and the Essex witches within if it wasn't the Essex Stronghold.


    I almost forgot Hathorne is the Countess's puppet so the sudden love for Isaac is a little suspect. Happy for him though because that woman gave him the bread, I thought that was so sweet and kind of renewed my faith in the people of Salem. Can't agree more with your assessment of Oliver Bell and Janet Montgomery. Salem is such an under-rated show - it has gorgeous sets, amazing costumes, fantastic writers and a cast that delivers way more than expected from a little-known cable network. I wish the show got the recognition it deserves which is why I sing its praises week in, week out with my reviews for this site. More people need to know about it.

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  17. Looking forward to Sleepy Hollow starting up again too, so interested to see how it continues with 2 main cast members down. I am excited for more Abbie/Ichabod. They have the best chemistry on television.
    Totally agree on the costumes for Salem too :D

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  18. Holy moly! What an episode. I too keep saying best episode ever every week. This season has been one hell of a roller coaster ride. I've loved every second of it.


    I just.. I was actually shocked that Anne is a Marburg. Even when Sebastian said my mother already has a daughter.. I STILL didn't even think Anne. Never even crossed my mind!


    And I just can't get over the beautifully tragic love story of Mary and John and their love for their son. All I want is for the three of them to be happy together, even though I know it won't happen. I root for it every episode. Mary telling John to just hold on a little bit longer and her kissing him trying to get him to stay awake. It was a nice moment in an episode where everything was going so wrong for them. Can I just say, that moment that both Mary and John looked at each other and decided that they need to kill their son broke my heart. Just thinking of the horrible torment for them to feel. John pulling the trigger and Mary having to watch.


    I LOVED the scene with Mary and the Essex witches. I cannot believe they wanted to just give up and turn on Mary. She was like, "you've got to be kidding me!" Hope we see more of that dynamic.


    The Mary-Mercy scene was amazing. I enjoyed Mary putting her in her place about what she was doing. And this exchange..
    Mercy: "How does it feel to lose everything you've ever cared about?"
    Mary: "You'll know soon enough."


    It's weird..? I love defeated Mary as much as I love strong Mary. Janet has been killing it this season.


    I also loved that Anne told the Countess that she was sure Mary started out pure and wanted to change things also. Glad Anne recognizes that.


    This episode was amazing... can't wait for the season finale.

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  19. So glad I'm not the only one saying that every week then haha really am starting to sound like a broken record :P


    Never crossed my mind too, what a way to punch the audience with a new twist. I double-taked when Sebastian said the Countess has a daughter and I was like "ooohh I wonder if we'll meet her" then that happened and I was like "wait what?!" Haha. Was so good. You are totally right about Mary and John - they have one of the most heartbreakingly beautifully broken love stories on television.


    I think maybe Tituba told the Countess of the Essex Tree and its location, so maybe those witches won't live long enough to see any more of them. I don't want them to be wiped out just yet as I would love for that world to be explored. Is that where they raised Little John then, because Tituba was always returning him to the witches in the woods.


    Loved that Mary/Mercy scene too, and that quote you mentioned there. They have such bitter exchanges and I think both are going to end up needing the other. Janet has delivered her A-game this season and proved to us why she leads this show. I understand your conflict about Defeated Mary and Strong Mary. Both provide dimensions to her and now we can enjoy her rise from the ashes. Mary will be back on top ;)

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  20. My pleasure, I always love reading your reviews and commenting here, lots of good discussion to be had. I get why John couldn't emotionally pull the trigger until he saw his son was possessed, but that's still a major screwup, but I get it. They both tried so hard to save their son, I still wonder if all is lost or if there's still somehow something to be done.


    Yeah, Sebastian betraying his mother wouldn't be much of a surprise, but who knows. Maybe it'll be Mercy. I'm wondering how many casualties we'll have in the finale, I think Mercy can certainly die (maybe by turning on the Countess) and obviously both Marburgs can end up dead...


    I love Cotton as well, but there are several characters I wonder what would be the point to them moving forward- Isaac, Mercy, Cotton and even John, if the Dark Lord rises and the witches take over Salem (unless that's a whole season story line and they work slowly) what would be the point of non-magical people? And with Mercy I just feel like she's run her course. Cotton dying would sever Anne's ties to her humanity and would definitely free her to walk a much darker path, which could be interesting. I do like Cotton, I wouldn't be upset if he survives and they find a purpose for him, same with John (and to a much lesser extent- Isaac).


    Yeah, I think Marburg will butcher the Essex witches in that tree, which would serve them right for not siding with Mary when she warned them of their potential demise.


    You do realize Hathorne may have told that woman to give Isaac that bread, I'm not saying there aren't kind people in Salem who might pity him and give him food, but it also could be a decree by their Magistrate.


    Definitely agree about the show being underrated and deserving more love and praise.

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  21. BEST. EPISODE. EVER. This season has not stop delivering goof episode after good episode.
    I never trhought Anne would do it, i thought she had somekind of plan and that she will show it in the end but that never happened, she really delivered Little devil to be the sacrifice lamb.
    And Tituba, i quite didnt get one part, who is that "HE" that The Countess was talking was the one that it was supposed to come after the ritual?.
    I hate how Hypocrites the people in Salem are, the moment the Magistrate said good things about Isaac now everyone is saying good things too. I do wonder agains who is Isaac's revenge gonna go, to the countess, Mary or Marcy....
    John and Cotton, two sweet stupid guys that are too in love their one another to do anything kinda good. John You had to kill the kid before NOT after. And Cotton YOU DO NOT ENTER A WITCH PROTECTED ROOM, You stupid thin cow. btw how in hell is he reading the family book if only the Hale's blood can make it visible?
    The Dark Lord has come DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD: I do not know what they gonna do but im excited to find out next sunday.

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  22. There's just so much to talk about Salem. I feel like I have more to say in the comments than I do in the actual review thanks to you and the others that
    comment on here.

    You raise a good point about the future of non-magical people in the town of Salem and I think you may get some answers to that in the interview I did with Adam Simon. Gonna be writing the article and publishing it later today so keep an eye out for it ;)

    Totally serve the Essex witches right. And I didn't think about Hathorne telling the woman to do that. It would certainly be a huge manipulation of Isaac by making him think he's starting fresh and that people are that genuinely kind to him. Maybe that will be answered, but I'm kind of hoping there are some genuine people in Salem besides some of the main characters.

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  23. Yay high five!



    I think the Countess was talking about the Dark Lord, the devil, as "He" who will come after the ritual? Unless she was talking about someone else, I'll have to go back and watch it.
    I hope Isaac will forgive Mary. They used to be so close growing up and Mary loves Isaac dearly so I'm hoping for forgiveness between the two. The people of Salem are huge hypocrites!



    Ahhh you raise a good point about the blood thing to reveal the words in the book of shadows. Maybe just using his blood the once makes it permanently visible, or Anne did something to make it permanently visible? Because sooner or later she'll run out of his blood from the wall and then never get to read any more of what was written inside it.


    Sunday's finale is going to be INSANE! Looking forward to discussing it with you in my review on Monday :D

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  24. Yeah, same, I tend to have more to say when I riff off of something someone else writes. I can't wait for your interview! It should definitely be interesting to see what the future could hold for non-magical people and what exactly the dark lord coming will change. Personally, I'm ready for them to wipe the whole town out, this plague isn't working that fast and I'd hate a whole extra season of some new ritual where they all have to pretend with the Puritans until the last few episodes, then a new ritual, etc. I want to change the status quo, I want big events.


    Well, maybe Hathorne told the town people to show Isaac kindness and that's how she chose to do it. But even if Hathorne told her to do it, it doesn't make her a bad person. That was a big loaf of bread and I don't think that woman was so rich, would it make her such a terrible person to want to save it for either her family or be able to sell it to provide for her family, rather than hand it for free to Isaac? I'm just saying.

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  25. I totally feel the same. Season 1 was about the witch trials and beginning the Grand Rite, then season 2 has been the Consecration. It seems like they've followed a nice structure to keep things in shape, but I'm guessing they will shake the status quo up quite a bit. There's some great stuff to take from the interview so I won't reveal anything about what they have in mind for the future of the show ;)

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  26. I'm enjoying the show, but they need to shake things up, because if next season is about another ritual while the town folk slowly die away, it'll be a bit much for me. Sorry town folk, I prefer you to be completely wiped out and for us to start a new chapter in the show, rather than rinse and repeat story lines.


    Can't wait for the interview!

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