We’re Ready! A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES: Thoughts on Season 3, Episode 1

The last season of A Discovery of Witches has begun!

This week on A Discovery of Witches:

Matthew and Diana return from Elizabethan England to find tragedy at Sept-Tours. Agatha challenges Knox in the Congregation. Diana learns she’s carrying twins.

So lets talk about Episode 1! Please join us as we share our thoughts on the episode. And while we are at it – there are spoilers below. Lots of them. Read at your own risk.

Teresa Palmer as Diana and Alex Kingston as Sarah in A Discovery of Witches.

THE GOOD

Roz: I’m here for the set-up of the larger stories all season. Between Agatha starting to make it clear there’s a line in the sand between those who support Matthew and Diana and those who don’t and the larger issues going on, I’m so intrigued by the beginning of the end.

I always want to shout out the choices of music that the uses. All these covers turn something so familiar into something different and haunting.

Christie: Agatha challenging Knox and Satu voting against him was *chef’s kiss*. I’m fascinated to see what happens with Satu’s story this season. I also liked that Emily got a proper goodbye, even if that wasn’t really seen in the book. Valerie Pettiford was great in the role, and her death is tragic. I do wish we had gotten to see her ghost hang out with Phillipe’s ghost, but they really haven’t been doing the ghosts — mores the pity.

Owen Teale as Peter Knox in A Discovery of Witches.

THE BAD

Roz: I think this set-up is good, but it also feels like this was a slow-build. I do want to get to the bottom of the issues at hand, but we have so many big storylines to wrap up that the de Clermont dinner felt out of place.

Christie: The new Baldwin (actor Trystan Gravelle couldn’t return to the show and had to be replaced with Peter MacDonald) seems meaner than the old one somehow. Like, Baldwin’s a horrible person but somehow that’s been multiplied. Not sure how I feel about him yet. Still absolutely hate Knox too.

Also… not really a bad because it’s rectified at the end, but I didn’t like the way Sarah lashed out about the twins being vampires at the beginning. I get that she’s grieving, but it felt off-character. Also wasn’t really in the book.

Oh and I dislike the lack of Cora, Diana’s firedrake familiar. Could entirely be a budget thing, and I get that, but still. Cora getting out and Gallowglass singing shanties to try and calm her down was an awesome scene in the book.

Peter MacDonald as Baldwin de Clermont in A Discovery of Witches.

BOOK VS. TV

Christie: 

Book vs. TV: WHOA, lots to cover!

• Diana and Matthew being present for Emily’s death
• Fernando not showing up until London, which is disappointing because in the book he is there at Marcus’ call. It leads to a great scene between Matthew and Fernando at Hugh’s memorial. (Hugh was Matthew’s older brother and Fernando’s mate. He was burned at the stake along with the leadership of the Knights Templar)
• Actually seeing Knox’s ejection from the Congregation.
• Moving Chris’ lab to London (which means we won’t be going to Princeton, I guess, or back to the Bishop home). I’m a little disappointed because then we lose out on Chris decking Matthew when they first meet, which is pretty cool when you think about it.

Matthew Goode as Matthew de Clermont and Olivier Huband as Fernando Goncalves in A Discovery of Witches.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Roz: Let’s go with the rest of this story! I have a mighty need to see the resolution and I’m impatient.

Christie: We are moving really fast through the events of this book. It will be interesting to see how they pack it all in.

You can follow along with our coverage of the show here.

New episodes of A Discovery of Witches will be released each week on Sundance Now and AMC+.