I Watch TV: The Mayfair Witches (Season 2)

 

The Mayfair Witches (Season 2)

At the end of Season 1 of The Mayfair Witches, Rowan, having learned she was the scion of the Mayfair family and having magic powers, gives birth to Lasher, the source of their supernatural power. She’s the thirteenth generation which is significant for some reason. Her powers vastly increased, she turned Cortland Mayfair, the family patriarch, to stone for raping her mother (and thus fathering her).

She has magically barred Ciprien, an empath who is an agent for mysterious occult society The Talamasca. He, in turn, has had memories erased by his boss Samir, who has his own plans. Lasher grows supernaturally fast, drinking milk and, within a week as a grown man, is out on the town in New Orleans, killing people – including Mayfairs, by stealing their power. He doesn’t know that he’s doing this. Rowan has taken his DNA and sends it to a friend to try and get it analysed.

Arriving in town is Moira, a mind-reading Mayfair, ready to blame Rowan, and everyone else, for the death of her sister at the climax of Season 1; everyone keeps her away from Rowan and Lasher, and keeps putting on music, which disrupts her mind-reading. Ciprien takes precautions against losing his memories, leaving magic clues for himself; meanwhile he learns the Talamasca intend to capture Lasher for themselves. Moira and Ciprien meet, decide to team up, Moira wanting answers, then she’s made magically suggestable to do what they want.

Needing assistance and advice Rowan releases Cortland from his stone prison, where his spirit has been tormented by memories of his father Julien. Events come to a head at the party where Lasher is supposed to be presented to the family. Moira, under Talamasca suggestion, correctly accuses Rowan of concealing that Lasher isn’t the house, to the disappointment of everyone (Lasher’s power should increase everyone’s magic). Rowan admits that Lasher has been killing people, then when two Mayfairs argue and try and leave, she uses her magic, putting them in a thrall, trapping them out of phase/time in the house. She’s more powerful than she thought because Lasher has returned. In a moment of confusion the Talamasca seize Lasher, but Samir tricks them and takes his for his own purposes.

Without Lasher Rowan can’t release the two trapped people. Trying to figure out where he might have gone they realise Cortland has lost some memories. Going to other older members of the Mayfair family they discover that Julien, Cortland’s father, has his spirit preserved in an old gramophone. Going in is almost disastrous but they retrieve enough to realise that Samir has betrayed everyone and taken Lasher to Scotland and the other, secret half of the Mayfair family

The secret and sinister half. Here we learn that Lasher is the reborn last member of an ancient not-quite human race, the Taltos. The Scottish Mayfairs call him Ashlar. He’s attracted to, and destined to marry Emaleth, a female Taltos. This has all been planned a long time ago by Julien. When the Americans travel there they discover that Ian Mayfair, the leader of the Scottish branch, is Cortland’s brother, also they are even more ruthless and vicious that the Americans. Rowan has figured out that a colony of living cells from Lasher will be enough to increase her powers so that she can release the trapped pair in the house (the house is mysteriously and magically falling apart); this lays the ground for the planned blood sacrifice.

The show digs in on the horror elements this season, and as well as spooky gothic New Orleans we also get spooky folky rural Scotland. They threaten to crossover with Interview With The Vampire (Ciprien suggests that rather than supress the book Daniel Molloy wrote, they instead use their influence to dismiss it as fiction; Lasher meets a vampire while trying to figure out how to be human) but aren’t quite there, probably for the best. I found the weird Scottish folk horror stuff okay, the Scottish Mayfairs pretty fun (even more restive under Ian’s thumb than the Americans under Cortland’s bonhomie).

Watch This: Witch horror gets bloodier, weirder and more complicated
Don’t Watch This: Witch horror gets bloodier, weirder and more complicated