Even the best laid plans can be corrupted when you're unaware of your enemies.

Let's face it. In Salem Season 2 Episode 3, things are getting a little bit out of control because Mary has no idea what forces are actually plotting against her. 

Hawthorne may be a pain in the ass, but at least he's a known entity. Mary is currently completely unaware of John's presence, Mercy's survival and has never even heard of Countess Marburg. She could be in for a world of hurt if she doesn't wrap her head around those out to destroy her fairly quickly.

Watch Salem Season 2 Episode 3 Online

In the list above, I didn't even take into consideration Cotton Mather and Anne Hale, now seemingly bonding over the loss of their fathers and feeling alone in life, are also on their way back to Salem with no love lost for Mary Sibley.

Of course, Anne hasn't shared her secret with Cotton, but I'm not sure she's ready to admit to being a witch just yet. It's not all bad, though, as it got them out of a rough spot with the sentries at the town border.

Are we going to reach a point of good witches and bad witches and perhaps some that fall somewhere in the middle? Anne will probably use her powers to fight off evil even though it could be said it was evil that gave them to her. Even Mary has good intentions to fight the Puritan way of thinking, although she has far lost her sense of decency in doing it. 

The more Hawthorne opens his mouth the more difficult it is to give to craps about any of the Puritans, but they are not all horrible people, merely lost following men like Hawthorne. With the right leadership they would see issues through a different light.

Mary and Tituba easily got rid of Corwin after he fell prey to John Alden, who seems to have no redeeming qualities left at all. Surely he knows how easily people can fall under Mary's influence, at least enough that he wouldn't want them to die immediately. He knew her powers were strong; after all, she took them from the town center to the middle of the woods in the batting of an eyelash.

Mercy has taken her father's package so he will do her bidding and first up was to take poor Isaac. When we interviewed Iddo Goldberg and Elise Eberle, they alluded to Mercy using Isaac in her room in some terrible way to annoy Mary. That seems to be coming to pass. 

I thought it was Mercy who sent the girl to the well and then to Mary's water supply, but it was Countess Marburg, who was greatly missed during the hour after her amazing, prolonged introduction in Salem Season 2 Episode 2.

I don't know which of those rising against against her will surprise Mary the most, but it's safe to say that getting to know Wainwright is also piquing her interest. He's rather wicked for a doctor and Mary he has an ulterior motive for being there other than just studying the plague.

Wainwright's interest in finding the soul is interesting and makes him something of a witch among his kind, something that wasn't lost on either him or Mary.

Wainwright: So tell me, how did it feel to be completely in another's control over your very life, your very soul?
Mary: I know such a feeling and this was not it.

• Permalink: I know such a feeling and this was not it.

Mary knows far too well what it means to give your life to another. Perhaps she can entice him to join her and he, too, can learn what it means to face the madness that learned of on the night she gave birth to the boy. If she knew then what she knows now, would it have been easier to have a child out of wedlock or to live the life she has committed to, I wonder.

There were a bunch of issues that I was wondering about as the hour closed. As I mentioned earlier, there is the idea of good witches and bad witches. There is also the thought of who we, the viewers, should side with. 

It appears to be a matter of degree and determined by specific situations. In Mary against the Puritans we want Mary to win, but Anne and Cotton against Mary may be a more difficult call. They seem more righteous, certainly. John is currently so crazy it's hard to cheer him on at all; all he wants to do is kill all in front of him. 

Why can't mercy heal herself? What are the limitations of a witch's powers and is it only by the spells they know in a case such as Mercy's or unlimited in someone like Anne? If Anne was burned, would she heal automatically? Does Mercy have the capability, but not the life force to do it, or is it because she's not a blood witch?

If Mary goes to find the Seer next week, she may start to catch on that there are enemies beyond her hive. She's thinking too close and must think outside the box. Who are you rooting for? In a giant smack down, which witch would you want to reign supreme?

Hit the comments if you've dropped by. Let's get some action going, shall we? You at least had to feel happy for George eating a real meal, right? Haha. I caught all of the best Salem quotes, so go take a look, then come back for the chat!

If you need to catch up, you can always watch Salem online right here via TV Fanatic!!

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.