On Salem’s penultimate episode of the season, shit went down. I was a little worried that we were going to be faced with a second failed attempt to baptize Baby John (since it was said that they have three nights to complete the task), with a final attempt to be saved for the finale. In a brilliant subversion of my expectations, the episode went ahead and baptized him! I’m getting ahead of myself, though. A lot happened in this episode, so lets get to it.
Almost everything about “Midnight Never Come” worked, with the only weak point being Mercy (again). I love Elise Eberle in the role, but she has been given diddly squat to do all season (other than be burned and sound terrible). Maybe they have more in store for her for next season, or they’ll just put her out of her misery and kill her in the finale. Her heart-to-heart with Mary was a long time coming, and well worth the wait, but everything between her and Sebastian was a little cringey and didn’t feel earned based on what we’ve seen with the two characters all season.
After being absent for two weeks, Tituba finally made a reappearance, albeit at the Countess’ behest. I’m not sure how she had been tied up this long and didn’t look worse than she did (or how she went to the restroom), but I’m glad to have her back. Ashley Madekwe’s scene with Lucy Lawless and Tamzin Merchant was one of the high points of the episode. It’s always interesting to see characters who don’t usually interact with each other do just that, and this scene was no exception. It’s depressing that it’s all but guaranteed that Lawless won’t be in Season 3, because that partnership has much more potential than the Countess’ with Mercy.
The major development of the episode, of course, was the revelation that Anne is actually Marburg’s daughter. It’s a shocker and, like Tituba, I’m surprised I didn’t see if before. It probably would have been a little better if this had been revealed a few episodes would have happened a few episodes earlier to give the relationship time to flesh out, but c’est la vie.
Poor Anne has a lot on her plate. After Marburg’s revelation, she blackmailed her into bringing her Baby John (this was possibly the most screen time Lucy Lawless has had all season, and with just one episode left, I’m extremely grateful for it), and Cotton also found out that she was a witch. There were just so many things going on in this episode that they barely had room to breathe, but it all came together so brilliantly that I don’t find fault in any of it.
Mary, for once, was not the focus of the episode, but she took us back to the Essex Witch Stronghold, an incredibly creepy treehouse that housed the remaining members of the coven. The Essex witches have never been Salem’s strong suit, as they are more plot devices than characters (and very easy to dispatch, according to Mercy), but they were sufficiently creepy and even (dare I say it?) relevant to this episode. Also, that Thing-y spider head was awesome.
Finally, we get to the baptism. The twist that Mary’s proclamation of love was all that was needed to complete the ritual was a clever one. It appeared for the second as if Baby John was going to die (no complaints here), but no, the show actually went there and baptized him so that he would become host to the Dark Lord. This was one of those Game of Thrones Episode 9 episodes that just blows you away. Hopefully the finale doesn’t lose the momentum that this episode built up. If it doesn’t we’re in for a doozy next week!
Random Notes
- “Wasn’t that a nice way to wake up?” -Ugh, Mercy. Just no.
- I’m assuming WGN either can’t show a bare backside or Elise Eberle opted not to, but either way it was some nice editing, camera work and choreography to hide her nudity.
- Isaac (now known as the Truth-Teller) got a win tonight! I have no idea why Hathorne is giving him a second chance, but it was a nice scene nonetheless.
- “She’s my wife.” “Then you married a witch.” -Way to be blunt, John.
- “Neither of you belong with those feral Essex witches.” -Marburg just can’t stop insulting those witches.
- “How did I not see? You are as much serpent as she.” -Not sure if Tituba’s rhyme was intentional, but I liked it.
- I never understand people giving other people bread when they are hungry (I’m referencing Isaac’s scene). It just doesn’t seem like real food to me.
- “Men, even sorcerous ones, are not fit for true leadership. True leadership is the power to wield both life and death.” -Marburg gets some great lines, but I loved this one.
- “A Queen of true witches in love with a Mather?” -The way Lawless said “Mather” was pretty hilarious.
- Lucy Lawless gets to wear some killer dresses in this episode. I’m jealous, and I’m a guy.