Welcome back!!! Whether you've already watched the season on streaming or are tuning in for the first time on AMC traditional cable, it's been too long.

Our full season of reviews has already been posted, but we're rerunning them along with the latest drop. No matter how or why you're here, we're happy to see you!

It's only moments after the events of A Discovery of Witches Season 1 Episode 8 that A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 1 begins.

Peter Knox, Gerbert, and Satu are confounded in the wake of Diana and Matthew's doing the timewalk together, but what they've done doesn't escape them, either.

Diana and Matthew have landed a good 60 miles from their destination, but they are on time. Matthew is proud of his Diana.

During the ridiculously long break between A Discovery of Witches Season 1 and A Discovery of Witches Season 2, I read all of the books sans the outlier following Marcus, so I'm ready to dig into the visual interpretation!

So how did the premiere of the new season match up to what came before? It's a little slow. There is an entirely different feel in 1590 than we enjoyed in the present, and there many reasons for it.

Matthew introduced Diana as his wife to his longtime friend, poet Christopher "Kit" Marlowe, and his staff on the fly.

Of course, he loves her enough for them to be wed, but the reality of it is that she cannot have his protection if she's anything but his bride, especially because she's a witch, something everyone smelled on her without a moment's hesitation.

Trouble followed Diana during the first season, and while she and Matthew connected during tough times, they didn't have enough time together for him to feel Diana could adequately protect herself.

Considering she's known she was a witch for one hot minute right now, you'd think he'd give her the benefit of the doubt. She did need an assist now and then, but she also saved him on her own when an old lover of his slashed him down.

By this time, Diana bears the scars of her encounter with Satu and from Matthew feeding on her to rejoin the undead. So, he has reason to fear for her safety in 1590, a time he was part of a group responsible for the hunting of witches.

Given his predilection for that and spying on his fellow Catholics, he might not be the best advocate for her amongst her kind, but his friends made short work finding one of Sophie's ancestors to begin teaching Diana to hone her powers, which, in turn, should help them to locate the Book of Life and return to the present.

They're no sooner in town than they meet Jack, a child who will play a significant role in their lives. They're covering a lot of ground very fast. Yet, as fast as time flies, it still feels slower than the previous episodes.

A part of that is because, as with any on-screen romance, a lot of the fun and tension is in building to the relationship. Watching two people in love being in love without anything in their way can become boring.

Kit isn't going to make their lives easy. He nearly brought Diana to tears with his insinuation that as well as she believes she knows the man she loves, she really knows very little.

That much should have been apparent as she stumbled into his man cave, as it were. It's a place where he can be himself and allow his Catholicism and his pursuit of fellow Catholics to coincide.

Diana was shocked to discover his secret, but it has been rattling around in her brain already that there was a lot more to his Elizabethan life than he'd shared.

Given all of this, it shouldn't be surprising that Matthew is in protective mode once again, but it diminishes Diana's strengths. Even so, she does speak well with his friends and manages to get through to the witch frightened of her power.

As the episode ends with Matthew presiding over a death, it sure gives the impression that Diana might be in over her head with not only the man she loves but her entire task to build her powers and track down the Book of Life and everything that goes along with it.

Oh, who am I kidding? This IS a love story, after all, with a supernatural bent.

Everything I just said proves that although our super hot and supernatural couple is madly in love, there will still be a lot for them to overcome together and apart before they can see themselves safely home again.

A story like this thrives on conflict, and there will be plenty ahead this season.

There were a couple of moments when Diana, who loves and studies history, took a minute to soak in the awe of what she had done and where she was, but if it were me, I'd have had a lot harder time tempering my joy at walking the footsteps of history.

She has been aware of Matthew's connections and how much he has seen and experienced, but to be standing toe-to-toe with historical figures in their own time must inspire awe in her. But she seemed to be taking it in stride.

The enormity of what she'd been through in recent months likely had a lot to do with how she reacted. Still, when we're talking about magic, there's nothing like the wonder of visiting a time you once didn't imagine possible.

Those are little quibbles, though. I expect we're in for a grand adventure right to the very end of this new season.

If you are a fan of the books, you will be overjoyed when Matthew and Diana meet Philipe de Claremont, Matthew's father. The casting is perfection, and of the seven episodes I've seen so far, it is that time that swells my heart.

What did you think of the premiere?

Is there any specific part of Shadow of Night that you're looking forward to seeing on screen?

Please drop me a comment below!

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.