A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Witch Wind
Carissa Pavlica
at
.
If the witches really want to score one for the team, they're going to have to try a lot harder.
But after A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 3, there seems little point to the witches attempting to draw Diana nearer because they've done too much to turn her away.
You'd think if they were so concerned about where a witch of Diana's capabilities spends her time they'd lure her with honey instead of acid rain.
But when Diana is about to head to the Bodleian, it's not a friendly witch who catches her attention, it's Matthew.
Matthew knows what awaits her and wants to treat her to a day away from creatures hunting her down, and Gillian drives Diana into his arms by calling him "that."
Related: A Discovery of Witches Review - ASHML 782
Their stupidity knows no bounds, it seems.
But Matthew doesn't have a lot of well-wishers at his side, either.
We learn about Dominico and the Covenant's concern over Matthew's behavior, too. And instead of helping him to find his way (if they believe he really is harassing a witch), they hope to capitalize on his potential misdeeds.
The more outside pressure that gets applied, the closer Matthew and Diana become. Hey, it works for me!
Matthew and Diana have barely known each other, but they're more interested in how the other operates than anybody close to them.
Matthew's proposed day for Diana included a trip to his home, one he's owned for a very long time even if he doesn't get there too often because of the centuries-spanning version of nosey neighbors.
The historian in Diana can't help but be intrigued by everything Matthew offers. His collection of household goods is like a personally curated museum, and I guess it is.
Matthew reveals a bit about his family and his early life. His stories span times most people couldn't even imagine, and even during casual conversation offers tidbits about historical figures.
Diana: And you?
Matthew: I was born human. We didn't keep track of birthdays back then, but I'd estimate it was in 500 and then I was reborn as a vampire in 537.
Diana: The things you must have seen.
Matthew: Mmm. And done.
Diana: Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?
Nothing Matthew does fazes Diana; instead, the more the mystery unravels the more she wants to know about him.
Related: A Discover of Witches Review - Constant Craving
That infuriates Sarah and Emily, as it does Marcus and Miriam. From all sides, Matthew and Diana are on the attack.
Diana: Living without magic isn't bad. I've survived without it.
Matthew: Well, that's not quite true. You use it all the time. You can feel me when I look at you.
Diana: It feels cold, like ice growing under my skin.
Matthew: Witch power is in your blood, it's in your bones. You were born to be a witch just as you were born to have blonde hair and those blue eyes.
But it's Matthew who realizes that Diana's magic is instinctive and borne from necessity. Just as she unwittingly stopped her paper from flying to the wind on A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 1, so too did she call the book upon which she would need to rely for her research.
He never seems to be bragging, though, as with all of the good he's entertained, he's also done things he regrets.
Diana willingly offers her blood to Marcus and Miriam in exchange for Marcus' expertise on Matthew's palate.
Things heat up exponentially between the two when Matthew arrives at Diana's house for dinner.
Starting the evening with a visit from Peter Knox threatening her only made Matthew more protective of Diana. He admits to Marcus he's never felt more protective over anyone before, and considering the length of his life, that's a significant statement.
The way Matthew rushes to Diana's side when she's in danger is a tremendously virile and masculine thing to do, and it works very well on Diana.
She continues to be charmingly inquisitive, but Matthew's answers to her questions often leave her nearly breathless because of the care with which he shares information.
Related: Edward Bluemel on his Roles on A Discovery of Witches and Killing Eve
He only speaks when he has something of value to say. A simple discussion about taste becomes sexually infused because of the care Matthew puts into the conversation.
Matthew: What do you taste?
Diana: Flowers and spice. You?
Matthew: There's violets in there. The purple sugared ones. Elizabeth Tudor absolutely adored them. Ruined her teeth. Also, blackberries from hedgerows, cigar smoke, red currants, and brandy. I could go on.
Diana: What would I taste like?
Matthew: Don't ever say that to me.
Diana: I only asked to understand.
Matthew: It would only take but a moment. You wouldn't be able to stop me if I struck, and I wouldn't be able to stop myself.
Diana: I'm safe with you.
Matthew: [grabs her] The smell of you… Willow sap. Chamomile honey. Frankincense. Lady’s mantle. Ancient things I thought I’d forgotten. It’s not only your scent. I can hear your witch’s blood moving in your veins. When I touch your skin and it rushes to the surface.
Instead of that type of response scaring Diana in any way, she instantly attracted to him as if she was put on the earth with his desires in mind.
They fit so well together that it is inherent in her to trust him. As much as he thinks he can hurt her because of their difference in species, she trusts him with her life as she wouldn't those closest to her at the time.
And like Diana, I have such a visceral reaction to watching the two of them courting each other and pushing all the right buttons, that I tend to well up with tears during their more significant moments.
Their chemistry is a living entity, and Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode bring the characters to life with such ferocity that I get lost while watching.
There is something authentic about their love because of the natural way in which the two communicate. Diana teasingly asks questions that she doesn't for a second think would be harmful, and because the words come from Diana, Matthew can't find harm in them.
They're actively exploring every crevice of each other without having rushed into bed, and there is nothing sexier than falling in love slowly and deliberately.
They will soon have a better understanding of each other than anyone could by acquiescing to their carnal desires.
Maybe that's why it feels so real. Once upon a time, relationships took time, and each action and reaction had deep meaning. Too much entertainment skips the classic dance between two people.
Related: Killing Eve Review - Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body
On BBC America right now there is a thorough examination of that type of courtship on both Killing Eve and A Discovery of Witches to very different ends.
The evening has the potential to be emotionally exhausting, but instead, it's liberating as the programming goes to great lengths to prove that the sexiest organ of the body is the brain.
But while the hero and heroine of A Discovery of Witches are feeling their way around their relationship, other forces at work hope to squash it before it goes against everything they hold most dear.
And dammit, why can't everyone see Ashmole 782? The witches are getting a little whiney about it.
Were Diana's parents killed by vampires? Is that the mortal danger that the open-mindedness of Diana's father put him and his wife? To what end did Satu find the redacted documents and the photos? Why did Knox feel it necessary to slip them under Diana's door?
It only further aggravated the situation between Diana and the witches. I cannot stress enough how little they understand how to treat their fellow witches well.
At the very least, Miriam and Marcus seem to have his well-being at heart while they let him know it would be best not to see Diana.
Matthew: Hello, Miriam.
Miriam: You're craving her.
Matthew: Miriam, how I feel about Diana Bishop has absolutely nothing to do with you.
Miriam: She's a witch. You're a vampire. You know the rules. It's forbidden by the terms of the covenant.
Matthew: The Congregation is not going to enforce a four-thousand-year-old rule.
Miriam: Does Diana even know about it? Because Marcus doesn't seem to think so.
Matthew: Bye, Miriam.
Marcus likes Diana and even offered to protect her on Matthew's behalf. He's concerned that Matthew's actions are going to put the entire family into jeopardy.
Related: Killing Eve Review - Nice and Neat
Like Hiram, though, they prefer to gently remind him than to rub his nose in it.
The witches are so dead set on getting Ashmole 782 that they're using brute tactics to do it. But did any of them expect Diana's powers to be so all-encompassing?
There are all kinds of references to witches and wind (even witches and windows, if you live in Vermont), but from what I can tell, a witch wind might be exclusive to A Discovery of Witches.
Whether anything else will come from it, I don't know, but that Diana can pull one out of thin air (funny in reference to wind) had to scare the pants off of the other creature in the Bodleian.
What's scary is that her considerable strength as a witch could push the other witches even closer together to bind their powers to defeat hers. Will this come down to witches wanting to defeat a witch?
I have no idea, but that crossed my mind.
We have to talk about the way Matthew took flight when he sensed Diana's circumstance.
Is there any woman in the world who wouldn't melt at the prospect of sharing a love with a man like Matthew? They may be different species, but they are very in tune with each other.
Related: Killing Eve Review - The Hungry Caterpillar
For those who waited a lifetime to find something similar and came up empty handed, well, that might be enough to withdraw their support. Not everyone revels in the happiness of others.
Creatures are joining forces to keep Diana and Matthew apart. They want from Diana what they can't have themselves, whether it's Ashmole 782 or the kind of love that pulls you in and lets you know you're home.
Diana: Matthew. What time is it?
Matthew: Five O'Clock. You were asleep for ten hours. You were exhausted from the Witch Wind.
Diana: Witch Wind.
Matthew: Mmm. No witch has summoned it for centuries. You have to leave Oxford.
Diana: No. I can't leave.
Matthew: Peter Knox will come after you.
Diana: I can deal with Peter Knox.
Matthew: Not yet, you can't. Your power is extraordinary, but it's undisciplined. You have to come to terms with it somewhere safe.
To protect Diana, Matthew is taking her to Sept-Tours in France, his ancestral home as a result of getting sired.
The way they decided that would be best was done without any argument, and they happily clasped hands as they walked off to the next part of their adventure.
And people, my heart melted at that scene.
Holding hands in public is incredibly meaningful, even if it was on the dark side.
Ridiculously, every time I see these steps in their relationship, I'm more taken than I was the first time. It feels like their love is alive and it keeps growing with each viewing of an episode.
So, are any of you as weiRelated: Get Sundance Now via Prime Video Channels for Proof that Entertainment doesn't have to be Mindless.rd as I am about A Discovery of Witches at this point?
I'd love to know your thoughts, so hang out in the comments!
It's a special Sunday for religions all around the world, so thank you for taking the time to hang with me tonight.
Until next time!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
