A Discovery of Witches: Season 1/ Episode 8 [Season Finale] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
As it becomes clear the congregation is losing its power, so comes new factions ready to take its place or continue to undermine it. [adinserter name=”General Ads”] Network Sky One Director(s) Sarah Walker Writer(s) Kate Brooke Air Date 11/2/2018 Images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, if a purchase is made…
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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As it becomes clear the congregation is losing its power, so comes new factions ready to take its place or continue to undermine it.
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| Network | |
| Sky One | |
| Director(s) | Sarah Walker |
| Writer(s) | Kate Brooke |
| Air Date | 11/2/2018 |
Images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, if a purchase is made from those sites, I may earn money or products from the company. Most affiliate links contain an upward facing, superscript, arrow.
It’s Time To Make A Move: Domenico, Gerbert, Peter, Satu, Baldwin, Agatha
Once more Satu finds herself being the bridge between vampires and witches for with Domenico, as usual, wheeling and dealing, he reveals Satu’s location to Gerbert. With this, Gerbert meets with her and learns of Baldwin’s assistance in rescuing Diana, with Matthews help, and thus wheels start turning in Gerbert’s head. The kind which leads him to speaking with Peter and they decide to plan for Baldwin being ousted and even killed.
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Problem is, as their plan gets put into motion, they forget the demons. So, of the 9 member council, only the witches (Satu, Peter, and the third) as well as Gerbert vote for Baldwin being ousted. The demons are against, as well as Domenico, add in Baldwin and they have the majority. Leaving Gerbert exposed in ways which show there is a lack of balance in the congregation over an internal struggle.
Yet, with his ouster failing comes the question of what will be wanted in return? Domenico is likely to haggle for something later as his knowledge increases his power, but what about the demons? As seen in the next topic, Baldwin’s family is going to do a great favor for Agatha’s grandchild but will that be enough? For that doesn’t really do all that much for her associates.
Commentary
Just because I don’t get it, who nominated Domenico for the congregation? Assuming only the head of the creature can nominate, why did a Clermont nominate Domenico? Gerbert makes sense, since he is an old vampire and was around when the congregation was formed. However, what led to Domenico being chosen? Then again, the same question could be asked of the demons. They are still such a large mystery to us, like how long they live and if they have any talents. For all we know right now is that they aren’t allowed to interact for, apparently, that leads to disastrous results.
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But that’s not the only thing to keep in mind. There is also the question of whether Baldwin can remove Gerbert and whether it is safe to do so. As of now, with Diana killing Juliette, it isn’t clear what are the numbers of Gerbert’s family and their power. So is his seat purely because of being around since things were established? Clearly, he no longer holds all vampire interest when speaking but just himself, at this point. In particular, his jealousy over what the Clermont family have.
One last thing, upon the discovery that Diana killed Juliette, can and will there be a punishment for that? Especially considering Gerbert made her for the specific focus of seducing and infiltrating Matthew and his family? Granted, a life is a life but she also tried to attack Diana and nearly killed Matthew. So how would that crime be handled?
Prepping For What’s Next: Sophie, Nat, Diana, Em, Matthew, Hamish, Baldwin, Marcus, Miriam, Juliette, Sarah
With what is going on in Venice combined with Juliette’s attack, Diana finds herself really attracting more attention to her person than ever. For when Juliette attacked Matthew, she took a huge swipe at his neck and it looked like she took his heart. Leaving Diana praying to the goddess for help and, with her blood, Matthew healing. Something which seemingly isn’t supposed to work.
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Yet, no sooner than Matthew being back in action, Miriam is ready to do a DNA test since she believes Diana’s powers go beyond the witches they have previously studied. So, when better, Diana allows a swab to be done. Thus giving Miriam something to do as it is agreed that the best thing for Diana and Matthew might be to time jump. Something Em takes on, since Sarah isn’t the best teacher, and with a 25-day practice jump working, it seems they might be ready to head further back in time.
However, before they do that, Hamish brings Sophie and Nat to Sarah and Em’s home and Sophie gets to hand the white queen to Diana. Thus leading to us finally understanding why this had to happen: Long story short, Matthew lost that chess piece in a long time ago in a wager during all hallows eve. But, with having that chess piece, it will make it easier on Diana to time jump them into the past for you need a recommended three items to do so with ease. So with the chess piece and the house, through a poppet, coughing up Matthew’s mother’s earring, from the same night, they are ready to go.
Commentary
So, who in the past made sure Sophie’s family had that white queen and also put Ysabeau’s earring in Em and Sarah’s house? There has to be a vampire involved since witches don’t live for hundreds of years. It can’t be Phillipe, since how would he know Matthew lost a chess piece in a wager or even know Matthew would meet Diana one day? Granted, Gerbert has had Meridiana for centuries and maybe even around the time Phillipe was alive, but with vampires not being able to have that kind of foresight, it is hard to understand how these coincidences match up.
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On top of that, who or what was that goddess that Diana prayed to and got her wish from? Also, was her making that barrier another supreme witch power or can other witches do that as well?
1590: Satu, Peter, Gerbert, Diana, Matthew
Despite failing to get Baldwin off the board, they at least learned where Matthew and Diana were so off Satu, Peter, and Gerbert go. However, as they try to sneak their way into the house, Matthew and Diana are prepping a ting jump. Leaving us to wonder if they completed it on time and, will they end up at the same time and location considered the distraction?
Commentary
We’re left with so many questions. For one, did Diana complete the spell and, if she did, what does that mean when it comes to the cast? Of the people we’ve met, will we see their younger selves or will a whole new crop pop up when Diana and Matthew end up in 1590s England? Secondly, if it was incomplete, what happens then? Oh, and when it comes to Peter, Satu, and Gerbert, how close would they have to be in order to get sucked into the time vortex?
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One thing which kind of bothers me about A Discovery of Witches is that it is very selective in explaining how magic works. Em and Sarah stress how much it is about feeling, but with Diana’s magic – it’s hard to understand how it manifest. What I mean by that is, yes, it happens when she is upset, or her adrenaline is pumping but how does it create a flaming bow and arrow, like when she killed Juliette? How does it make it possible for her to make a force field and things like that? Is her power from a second entity within her taking over when it needs to?
Hopefully, all this, and more, is revealed in the already confirmed second and third season.
Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments
- It seems Em, Sarah, Nathaniel, and Sophie will be moving into Setp-Tours. Meaning Ysabeau will now not only have witches but demons in her home. Yay?
- In his stead, Matthew makes Marcus the grand master of the Knights of Lazarus.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- So many…
Highlights
- We finally learned why it was so important for Sophie to see Diana and the reason wasn’t an outright let down.
- Gerbert got exposed – finally.
- All the politics of the congregation, alongside the Knights of Lazarus situation, and Nat seemingly wanting to make a modern congregation.
- Juliette is dead.
Low Point
- This has a cliffhanger.
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