A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES: Thoughts on Episode One

A Discovery of Witches premiered tonight – 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.

This week on Discovery of Witches:

Things get creepy for historian and closet witch, Diana Bishop, when she calls up a magical manuscript. Her discovery is about to throw her back into the world of magic and into the path of Matthew Clairmont, a centuries old vampire.

THE GOOD

Roz:  I appreciated how well this show did of showing and not telling us about the world that we’re about to live in for a season. Diana and Matthew are shown in ways that you can see the tension but you still want to give them room to figure out what’s going on and how it should affect each of them.

Christie: A great tease of what’s to come! You can practically see the tension between Diana and Matthew in waves, and I love the fact that the episode condenses the story to exactly what you need, without losing any of the emotion or story richness.

Leah: What a well done pilot. The chemistry between the leads, the setting up of the big mystery, even the introduction of seconds players, was all done in an informative but compelling manner. Excited to see if they can keep this up for the entire season.

THE BAD

Roz:  Some of the exposition felt like they were over-telling what the world is, but that’s really minor all in all. Though I think that the show is amplifying how evil Satu is for reasons that are not for the good of the series.

Christie: I’ve rewatched the first episode several times and the one thing that always drives me nuts is the awkwardness of the vampires in that first scene with Ashmole 782. The acting just feels off, like they can’t quite understand what is bothering them so much. I also feel the same about the last scene with Matthew and Diana.

Leah: I’m hard pressed to find a bad in the pilot. It was honestly a very well done episode. If I had to nitpick something it would be the pace of the episode. I could have used a little more…urgency.

HISTORY & BOOK COMPARISONS

Christie:

History: The first woman to be executed in the Salem Witch Trials was Bridget Bishop in 1692. She was accused of bewitching five girls. Some of the witnesses at the trial testified that they found poppets (tiny dolls used in witchcraft) in her home. Her final words when she was hanged were, “You will keep silent.” Bishop was the name of Bridget’s last husband (out of three). It’s believed maiden name was Playfer or Mangus.

Book vs. TV:

Diana’s experience with Ashmole 782 in the book is different — not nearly as frightening for her, and it doesn’t leave her with a scar. She never even touches the Alchemical Child illumination. And it certainly doesn’t seem to hold the same sway over the creatures in its vicinity as it does in the show. But it gets to the point about the book and its importance.

Marcus Whitmore’s introduction is completely different from the book. There’s no failed siring. And it’s an interesting decision given events to come in future seasons/books.

Gillian Chamberlain is also no friend of Diana’s in the books. They are longtime acquaintances but from the beginning Diana seeing Gillian does not feel like “coming home.” And Gillian is not as concerned about Diana’s well-being.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Roz: I’ve been on the ride before and I can’t wait for it once more!

Christie: I was thoroughly hooked after the first episode and I keep coming back for more. It’s a great introduction to this magical world.

Leah: I’m looking forward to watching this show dole out the overriding mystery of the Book of Life.

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

Discovery of Witches airs Sunday 9/8c on BBC America and AMC