I honestly thought for a minute that George’s death from last week was going to be a fake-out. It was a wise decision to make his resurrection in this episode’s opening moments a fake-out though, as it showed that Salem has balls. This is the most devastating blow Mary has experience since the series began last year, and the opening tag of “Ill Met By Moonlight” was a fantastic look into her desperation. While the episode wasn’t as strong as last week’s, there were plenty of great moments to make it one of Salem’s better episodes.
Countess Marburg was the centerpiece of the episode, since she finally (finally) made her way into Salem. With the exception of John, she basically met every single character on the show. Let’s start with Mercy, who might actually become less annoying than she has been in the past. While it was sad to lose Dottie, the show doesn’t really need another character to keep track of (even though I mentioned how I would like to see more adventures of Isaac and Dottie last week).
It is yet to be known whether Mercy will be a partner or a henchman to Marburg, though Salem (and Mercy as a character) would benefit more if it was the former. Special mention should also go to the bathtub scene with Marburg, Mercy and Dottie. It was creepy, sexy and gross all at the same time.
Marburg also got to meet Cotton and Hathorne, though not under the best of circumstances. After having a drunken fight, the two men were thrown in jail, only to be released by Marburg the next morning. Not much headway is made with these relationships, but it’s clear that Marburg will be involved in the political aspects of Salem as well as the witchy ones.
Speaking of Cotton, he is completely in love (lust?) with Anne. Her spell worked! After having a sex dream about Anne (and then nearly having sex with her late in the episode), Mary approaches him to discuss his father’s defeat of Marburg years prior. Cotton seems to have no interest, so Mary takes matters into her own hands, goes to the woods and digs Increase’s head out of the ground and takes it with her. If this is all a ploy to bring Stephen Lang back to the series, I’m 100% for it. The show is getting crazier and crazier, but there’s reason and motivation behind it, which makes the show all the better (unlike another witch show I despise).
Anne is quite pleased with herself that her love spell worked. It’s doubtful that she will be able to get out of her arrangement with Hathorne, but we’ll have to wait until next week to find out what happens there. I’m more concerned about poor Brown Jenkins. He goes all red-eyed and evil-looking halfway through the episode. We have yet to find out what it means when a witch kills her familiar, but since Mary had to kill hers in her attempts to save George, I’m betting we will find out sooner rather than later.
We are nearing the midway point of Salem’s second season, and it shows no signs of slowing down. While “Ill Met By Moonlight” was more of a setup episode (and thus less exciting than last week) now that Countess Marburg has arrived in Salem, it was all done exceptionally well.
Random Notes
- I cannot reinforce enough how wonderful the opening tag was. It was just perfection.
- Those Carrie 2 tattoos on John just aren’t calming down, are they? But Tituba does catch him! Maybe his reappearance in Salem will finally become known.
- I was really hoping Cotton had killed Hathorne. How about you guys?
- That hood on Lucy Lawless was EPIC.
- “The look of open affection and gratitude in your face is repayment enough.” -Lawless’ delivery on this was perfection. Just full of venom.
- “Isn’t it exciting. Either your life is about to truly start by my side, or it may be over in an instant. Your choice.” Seriously, I could go on and on about the Countess’ zingers.
- “Your first lesson is simple: practice the art…of losing gracefully.” -Alright, I’ll stop soon. Promise.
- “Bravo. Rome itself never had two such distinguished gladiators.” -Good callback to Lawless’ time on Spartacus (it’s amazing, just so you know).
- “You are free to go. I have paid the fines for your public drunkenness and mayhem.” -The Countess, to Cotton and Hathorne.
- Wait, so Anne JUST realized that Brown Jenkins was her familiar? Way to be smart Anne.
- So George’s corpse is clearly going to pop up again at the worst possible moment. That can’t be good.
- Salem-speak for being rich: “I have means!”
