A Discovery of Witches – 2.6

By: Ellie Yates

Matthew (Matthew Goode) takes the sword from Diana’s (Teresa Palmer) bloodied hand. Phillipe (James Purefoy) admits that he planned the arrival of Champier as he didn’t trust Diana with their secrets and wanted to test her loyalty to Matthew. Understandably, Matthew isn’t happy and points the sword at Phillipe who tells him that lives will be lost because of his union with Diana and this is just the first. Diana says she doesn’t care who Phillipe is as she won’t be tested like that again. Phillipe grabs Diana’s hand as he notices that she is wearing Ysabeau’s (Lindsay Duncan) ring. He says Ysabeau would never give the ring to anyone as long as he was alive and as he says this he realizes that he is not alive in the future. Matthew tells him that no-one is truly mortal, not even him.

Struggling to deal with willingly killing someone, Diana is out on the lake furiously rowing. Matthew shouts to her and tells her she can’t keep shutting him out. Diana says she needed time to think and if she hadn’t have stopped Champier he would have taken all of her memories and she doesn’t know who she would be without them. She asks Matthew what she is becoming.

In present day France Ysabeau finds Em (Valerie Pettiford) and Sarah (Alex Kingston) where they shouldn’t be. Em explains that they have noticed strange happenings, vibrations, and they’re coming from the books. Ysabeau says that the books were Phillipe’s favorite hiding place for messages to her. We see Phillipe struggling to a pen a letter to Ysabeau in the past as she and the witches frantically search the books in the present.

Trying to pen the letter to Ysabeau has obviously stirred up feelings in Phillipe as he heads outside to start a fight with Matthew. He throws a sword to him and asks how Matthew could leave Ysabeau alone in the future, but Matthew tells him Baldwin is looking after her. A sword fight ensues and Phillipe demands Matthew tells him how long he’s been dead. Matthew refuses, as it could affect the future. Phillipe says Matthew has gone too soft and asks him where his “Mattheus” is with his thirst for blood and might. Matthew growls that he won’t be Phillipe’s pawn anymore.

As the pair continue to fight, Diana lets herself into Phillipe’s study and finds a map on the desk. The maid (Endy McKay) tells Diana that she isn’t supposed to be in there, but explains that the map is of covens across Burgundy and Ysabeau is relying on it for her next witch hunt. Diana asks the maid to leave and uses her magic to remove the markers from the map. Word reaches the castle of the fight between Matthew and Phillipe and Diana finds Phillipe bringing out the blood-rage in Matthew to try and get him to tell him how he dies. Matthew fights back and tells him he can’t tell him and apologizes in French. Phillipe walks away and Matthew explains to Diana that the blood-rage is why they can never be truly mated. Diana holds his hand and when Matthew pulls away Diana asks him if he really thinks she would ever walk away from him. Matthew tells her she’s no idea what he’s capable of and explains that Phillipe used him as a weapon to kill thousands in order to eradicate the disease of blood-rage.

Diana returns to the castle fuming at Phillipe for exploiting Matthew’s pain to drive her away. Phillipe tells her that if she wants a future with Matthew she needs to accept every facet of him and Matthew must be free of the guilt he carries. Phillipe explains that Diana and Matthew’s union is forbidden, even in the future, and they must be united and have unwavering faith in each other. Diana tells Phillipe she is worthy of Matthew and appears to enchant Phillipe. She begins to glow and Phillipe tells of an ancient prophecy of a witch who will change the destiny of all creatures and alter their understanding of life itself, bringing about a new world. Phillipe says he believes Diana is power indeed and Diana agrees, but she loves Matthew and that should be enough.

Matthew and Diana are taking a moment outside when Phillipe approaches them to say that he won’t ask about his future again. He tells Matthew that if the congregation challenged his right to be with Diana and he turned violent he would lose her. Phillipe says that there must be no question that Diana is a de Clermont. As he tells Diana that their family is made through blood, Phillipe cuts his thumb. He draws a mark on Diana’s forehead with his thumb telling her with that mark she is dead without clan or kin. He draws another mark making a near circle on Diana’s forehead and tells her this one means she is reborn and forever a member of the family. Matthew nods his head to Phillipe in appreciation.

Later that night Matthew explains the circumstances of Phillipe’s death to Diana. Phillipe was taken during World War II when he was trying to free allied spies. He was held in a Nazi death camp and, fascinated by the fact he was a vampire, they used witches to extract his memories and intensely tortured him for three months. When Matthew and Baldwin finally rescued him his mind was broken and he begged Ysabeau to kill him. Matthew couldn’t let Ysaabeau live with the guilt, so he killed Phillipe. Diana assures Matthew that he didn’t kill Phillipe, he released him.

The next day Phillipe is riding alongside Diana and asks her how Ysabeau fares in the future, as he knows she will tell him the truth. Diana says she is doing well, but she misses him dearly. Phillipe has brought Matthew and Diana to an ancient temple and tells them that they will be married in two days’ time in a ceremony that honors their ancestors. Phillipe takes a lock of Diana’s hair, symbolizing her maidenhood and ceremoniously asks for Diana’s protection. After a magical gust of wind, a white stag appears and slowly blinks at an overwhelmed Diana. Phillipe says their gifts have been accepted and they have a wedding to plan for. Matthew asks Diana if she really wants to marry him after everything she’s learnt. She says she will if he asks nicely and Matthew proposes.

Two days later, Matthew and Diana are married in a cute, outdoor ceremony and, surprisingly, nothing goes wrong. Phillipe takes the first dance with Diana and refers to her as his daughter. Diana asks how he will keep the marriage a secret from Ysabeau, but Phillipe says if anyone talks they will have their tongues confiscated! However, he does wish Ysabeau was there to see Matthew’s happiness. Diana promises that one day she will tell Ysabeau everything, but Matthew says she won’t believe they had Phillipe’s blessing, let alone insistence. The newlyweds finally sleep together that night.

The next day Matthew and Diana leave for Bohemia. Phillipe hands Diana a purse and tells her that the women in the family look after their own finances. He takes Diana’s hand and says Ysabeau’s ring was her way of sending a message that she approved of Diana. Phillipe takes off his necklace and places it on Diana telling her he’ll be with her always and she will always be his daughter. Phillipe says he forgives Matthew for whatever happens between them in the future and that Matthew is equally deserving of Diana and he needs to stop regretting his life and start living it.

Ysabeau finally finds Phillipe’s message to her hidden in the spine of a bound book. He tells her that he’s at peace with his mortality and that their son is happy at last with Diana. He explains that the couple are journeying to Bohemia to find The Book of Life and, although they will face difficulties, they will return to her and she will forge a bold life for their family. Phillipe writes that he knows there will come a day when they are parted, but until then, as in the afterlife he will hold her in his heart.