A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Madison
Carissa Pavlica
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On A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 7, Matthew and Diana arrive in Madison to frolic gaily in the woods and the bedroom while arguing here and there with Sarah and Emily only to have their joy cut short thanks to Juliette.
This is one of my favorite episodes because of how together Matthew and Diana are once they're off their home turf.
We also finally get an opportunity to know Sarah and Emily better, while learning even more about Diana's binding.
The change in setting is a good time to remind everyone what a beautifully filmed show we have with A Discovery of Witches.
Everyone behind the scenes makes the most of color and lighting whether by way of costumes, locations, the framing of a scene, the contrasts in lighting, or whatever else I do not understand about the process, watching it is a feast for the eyes.
Whether leaving Sept-Tours or arriving at Bishop House in Madison, the way everything looks is very inviting.
I can't think of another show currently on television that provides such a gorgeous viewing experience. Even when something terrible is about to go down, it's hard to be too upset about it because it looks so beautiful.
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This episode offered a lot of opportunities to make use of scenery, too.
Bishop House is lovely. It has a personality of its own, too, outside of the residents who live inside it or visit. How wonderful to have a house that quakes when you're arguing. It would be a terrific way to quell family arguments before they got too far.
Sarah was counting on the house to dislike Matthew if not dispatch of him outright. She feels nothing for the man but contempt even after learning how much he cares for her.
I have to wonder if that will change now that everyone knows that Diana's been on a collision course with Matthew since she was a girl.
Matthew: There's nothing wrong with you, Diana. There never was.
Diana: Normally, when you're spellbound, that's it. You're bound for life until that person sets you free.
Matthew: But not you.
Diana: No, I think they tied it to need. If I was ever in trouble, I could still call upon my magic and I wouldn't be alone. Matthew, you were in their stories.
Matthew: The spell was somehow tied to me, too.
Diana: To my need for you. [they kiss] They knew I'd fall in love with you.
It wouldn't surprise me if Sarah chose to ignore what her brother and sister-in-law knew was ahead for Diana because, well, Sarah is tough to like, isn't she?
The best thing about Sarah is Emily because if someone as lovely as Emily can love Sarah as deeply as she does, then it's easier to accept Sarah and all of her brash tactics.
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Diana: Did you know that I was spellbound?
Sarah: What?
Emily: I guessed that you might be, yes.
It was unexpected that Sarah wouldn't have known about the binding spell, and surprising Emily never thought to share her concerns with Sarah even when Diana's magic, such that it was, seemed very out of sorts.
Diana: I was half myself for years, and you didn't say a thing.
Emily: I had to trust that she wanted me to keep the secret for reason. I had to trust that what she thought was best.
That's a long time to hold a secret or at least the suggestion of a secret as Emily only had suspicions and not proof.
When Diana reached out to them not so long ago, it would have been a good time to suggest she might be more powerful than she was aware. If nothing else, it could come in handy when dating a vampire.
But the reveals worked very well in the context of Madison and offered an opportunity for Diana to discover as much by herself as possible.
Something was unclear, though. When Diana was viewing her past while walking through the house, how aware were the others of what was happening?
It seemed like they were all just standing around, which would have made it very awkward for Matthew, Sarah, and Emily wondering what the heck Diana was thinking.
She could have been talking out loud about what she saw, or they could have all been able to see it.
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Is that something a magic house would be able to do? Could it project the past right into their paths, so it was like a living history?
It all makes more sense now as Peter Knox was right on their tail when they decided to spellbind Diana.
Her power was too great for them to risk her getting taken for whatever purposes the Congregation might have wanted her.
That Congregation is a pain in the ass, but some are coming around on all the interspecies family issues.
Baldwin: You really believe that Diana is, what, savior of the daemons?
Agatha: Sophie does. There's so much we don't understand. If daemons can be born to witches? If cross-species families are possible, then everything we know about our kind is, well, it's all up for grabs.
I'm still early in the book, so I didn't realize until then that daemons were considered a lesser class than vampires and witches.
It's cool that she wants daemons to get respect, but not at the cost of whatever it is that Sophie has going on with Diana.
Still, hearing Agatha talking about it all was a welcome relief.
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If it was so easy for her to come to terms with the idea the future might be a lot different than their present, then maybe others on the Congregation will be easily swayed, too.
It has to get old constantly battling other creatures when they're all in it together. To have a council like the Congregation only to keep them from cross-producing and starting wars is depressing.
If they all got together, imagine what they could accomplish with the kind of power they all have.
Matthew and Diana are a perfect example of what could be if they put their differences aside and focused on what they share.
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There is so much about their relationship that I love, but most of all it's how well-rounded it is. That's a rarity for entertainment these days, and maybe for couples in general.
In a very short time, Diana and Matthew have learned how to respect each other, care for each other, play together, and protect one another, and it makes their love even stronger.
Matthew enjoys learning about Diana's family just as much as she enjoys learning about his place in history.
He even jumped to her defense with Sarah, which has to be difficult when he was only getting to know Sarah and Emily.
He's lived many lifetimes, but he's still finding new and interesting wonders as a result of being with Diana.
After hearing about Stephen taking Rebecca on trips to the past with him, Matthew was even more engaged.
Imagine if they can go back together and Matthew could show Diana some of his life, an introduction similar to what she just shared with him. Squeee!
Matthew is getting the opportunity to watch a witch learning about magic for the first time as well as helping her to protect herself from others like himself.
Diana is proving to Matthew that if he loves someone enough, he won't hurt them even with the inborn need he has to feed.
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Their scenes in the woods as he was helping her refine her hunting abilities were joyful.
It's crazy watching a man as old as Matthew getting so much pleasure out of a rousing game of hide and seek, and then how quickly his demeanor could change when he thought he had mistakenly hurt her.
Diana's fears have all diminished. She trusts Matthew implicitly, and waving her bloody hand in front of him to taunt him into playing a little rougher was a highlight.
Not only was her cloaking spell connected to him, but her magic itself seems tied to his presence.
The more he pushes her, the higher she'll fly. Quite literally, as they discovered during their romp in the woods.
And if they laugh and play well together, they make love just as passionately.
I know I've noted before how much I adore when they do things as simple as holding hands, but it goes double when they show their lovemaking being about their deep connection and not a quick, lustful jump into bed.
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So much entertainment gets it wrong, but A Discovery of Witches gets it very right.
Diana's pleasure is almost uncontrollable because of what she feels for Matthew and he for her.
Connecting their hands shows how aware they are of one another and how present they are in their lovemaking.
That's the kind of experience that should get featured in all entertainment instead of so many cheap hookups and slams against the wall to sate lust. There is so much more to be said about love.
To that end, I feel bad for Juliette, who I can only guess believes herself to be in love with Matthew.
She keeps telling people they don't understand the two of them, but she's going to have to discover what she doesn't understand about Matthew.
Laying hands on Diana will have to come with a price. Of course, she is also unaware of Diana's capabilities.
Poor Matthew got so lost in the moment that he let his guard down and was completely unaware of another vampire on the property. That's going to leave a mark.
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Other Thoughts:
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I enjoy Marcus more every time he's around. I'm so glad there is an entire book about him!
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Speaking of Marcus, how could Sarah hear he knew her namesake and still be lost in her anger?
- What was on the page from Ashmole 782? I'm guessing the woman with Matthew's insignia is Diana, but was the other character Matthew? It was a man, right?
Now it's your turn to share with me your thoughts on this amazing hour.
I've laid out everything that made my heart flutter, what about yours?
See you in the comments!
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.
