A Discovery of Witches – 2.2

By: Ellie Yates

In present day France we see Sarah (Alex Kingston) is worried about Diana (Teresa Palmer). Emily (Valerie Pettiford) reassures her that no one knows where Diana and Matthew (Matthew Goode) have gone. Ysabeau (Lindsay Duncan) still isn’t happy about Sarah and Emily staying with them, but Marthe (Sorcha Cusack) tells her that if Matthew has evolved, so can they.

Meanwhile, Satu (Malin Buska) has returned to Finland to visit her mother (Karin Bertling), who lives in a tent in the woods. Satu questions why her mother never told her who she was and her mother says it was to protect her. Satu says she doesn’t want protecting – she wants to learn. Her mother tells her to stay and become the Weaver she was born to be.

In 1590’s London Lord Burghley (Adrian Rawlins) is interrogating Thomas Caldwell (Louis Maskell) to find out if the witches are turning against The Queen. When Thomas doesn’t talk, Lord Burghley has him brutally tortured whilst Matthew (now sporting a trimmed beard) turns a blind eye.

Diana is struggling to find a teacher, but Francoise (Holly Aird) tells her to be patient. Matthew takes Diana to meet Mary Sidney (Amanda Hale) who is happy to see him. Whilst talking with Mary, Diana accidentally brings the snake on Mary’s funky shoe to life! Matthew explains to Mary that they are in need of a witch. Mary says she knows no witches. She learnt what Matthew was at a young age, but thought it was a fable and that’s how she wants to keep it. Mary says she’ll gladly be Diana’s friend and warns Diana that no one in London should know she’s a witch.

Matthew meets with Lord Burghley and subtly tries to stay on the side of the witches. Lord Burghley tasks Matthew with questioning Thomas to find out what the witches are plotting and wants him to extract a confession from him by any means necessary. On his way out Matthew is surrounded in an alleyway by Father Hubbard’s men. Father Hubbard (Paul Rhys) wants to see Matthew and Diana.

Back home Matthew tells Diana that Father Hubbard is a vampire who rules over the City of London and became a vampire after the Black Death. The priest cared for the sick until he became sick himself and dug himself a grave to climb into and wait for God. When he climbed back out again he claimed “divine resurrection.” No one takes responsibility to have made Father Hubbard a vampire, but since then he has gathered up and helped the lost souls of the city whist controlling them. Matthew says under no circumstances should Diana let Father Hubbard taste her blood. It’s part of his ritual of adoption and reveals the blood-bearers secrets. Diana questions why Matthew hadn’t told her any of this and he explains that there is a treaty between Father Hubbard and the de Clermont family whereby they keep out of each other’s way, but Diana falls outside of their diplomatic immunity.

Diana and Matthew meet with Father Hubbard who notices the bite marks on Diana’s neck. He tells the couple that if the witches find out Matthew has fed from Diana without her consent they will put him to death. On the other hand, if Diana gave her blood willingly she will be cast out of England. Father Hubbard tells them not to fear as he will protect them, but Matthew says he and Diana don’t answer to him. Diana tells Father Hubbard she fed Matthew willingly to save his life, much to Matthew’s annoyance. Father Hubbard says God accepts Diana’s act of mercy, but she must know nothing in London happens without his blessing. Outside Matthew tells Diana what she said was reckless, but brilliant.

The following day Matthew is praying in church when Kit (Tom Hughes) joins him and tells him to join him for some fun. He persuades Matthew by telling him he’s forgetting the other side of Matthew Roydon. Whilst out with Francoise, Diana spots Susanna (Aisling Loftus), the teacher they found in the previous episode, and invites her home. At the house Susanna tells Diana to move the contents of an egg into a bowl without moving her hands. Diana asks if she can do something else as she doesn’t know this spell. Susanna says if Diana’s power is too weak then no witch can help her. Despite trying her best, Diana manages to hatch a chick from the egg instead. Susanna says she will speak with Goody Alsop (Sheila Hancock), her head of coven and England’s most powerful witch.

Matthew and Kit are in the tavern and after a drunken and rowdy game of cards Matthew re-pierces his ear with an earing he won. Outside one of Lord Burghley’s men questions why Matthew hasn’t begun his interrogation of Thomas yet. Matthew says it’s ongoing and he has his own methods. Further along, Kit asks Matthew to tell him about the future and if people still read his work. Matthew says no man should ever know their own fate.

In their attic Matthew is reading through testimonies of  Thomas’ earlier questioning. Diana says his questioning has been unfair and the methods used trapped the innocent and thousands were killed. Diana is worried for their safety, but Matthew says he wouldn’t have brought her here if it wasn’t safe and the Lancashire hunts don’t begin for another twenty years. Diana reminds him that one minute they’re friends with their neighbors and the next they’re running scared. Matthew begs Diana to let him finish his reading and on her way out Diana casually drops that she has found a teacher.

Susanna tells Matthew to wait outside whilst Diana meets with Goody, but he says that he’s not leaving Diana there alone and follows them in. Goody says she’s waited a long time for Diana and tells Diana that her arrival has been foretold for a long time. Goody explains that her, Diana and Susanna are the only three left of their kind- Weavers. Weavers are makers of spells so Diana finds it hard to believe she is one, seeing as she is not so gifted with spells. Matthew tells Goody that he has lived for many years and never met a Weaver, but Goody tells him that they are rare and have been forced into hiding. Diana explains that the witch who attacked her was powerful and knew she was different and wonders if Satu knew she was a Weaver. Goody tells her their greatest threat is their own kind. Diana learns that her father was a self-taught Weaver and Goody can see the last threads of his protection spell still in Diana. Diana asks Goody to teach her, but Susanna says they will need permission from the council of witches. Matthew says this will reveal Diana’s identity, but Goody agrees that consent from the witches is needed.

Upon meeting the council of witches Diana explains she was spellbound and orphaned as a child and now her bindings are gone she’s ready to learn the full nature of her power and needs a community of witches to help. The witches tell Diana she would be best off in another city and Susanna reminds them that Diana is married to Matthew. Goody steps in and tells the witches that Diana’s soul is as clear to her as her own and dark times are coming and Diana has been prophesized to come to their aid. Diana explains that she is a time spinner and has been sent back to find a teacher. She says that she has seen The Book of Life with her own eyes and her relationship to Matthew, the book and magic are woven together and one cannot exclude the other. The witches welcome Diana.

Father Hubbard finds Matthew and tells him that Thomas is innocent and tells Matthew he can use his influence to help him. When Matthew seems to disagree, Father Hubbard threatens to speak with Matthew’s father. Matthew heads home distressed about the mess he has got himself into. Lord Burghley wants him to get a confession from Thomas, but Father Hubbard wants him to free him. Kit advises Matthew to consult his father, but Matthew doesn’t want him finding out about Diana. Kit tells Matthew to dampen Lord Burghley’s suspicions as Thomas isn’t going to survive more than a few weeks anyway. Knowing what he needs to do to protect Diana, Matthew heads to the tower and kills Thomas by snapping his neck.

After mourning Thomas’ death, Father Hubbard hands one of his men a letter to be delivered to Matthew’s father. Meanwhile, Lord Burghley asks Matthew to explain himself. Matthew lies and says he lost his patience with Thomas. Lord Burghley reminds Matthew of the punishment for traitors, human or otherwise.