A Discovery of Witches – 2.7

By: Ellie Yates

Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) arrive in Bohemia and travel through the snowy mountains to Emperor Rudolf’s (Michael Jibson) castle. They are greeted by von Rumpf (Simon Thorp) who tells them that Rudolf is tired of Queen Elizabeth’s ambassadors. Matthew explains that he is “no mere ambassador” and that he will hear the answer from Rudolf himself. Matthew and Diana disembark and he asks one of the horsemen to find Gallowglass (Steven Cree) and Pierre (Milo Twomey).

Matthew and Diana are taken to the castle and are granted a brief audience with Rudolf. Rudolf suspects Matthew has come as a spy. Matthew explains he’s there to speak with Edward Kelley (Tom Mothersdale) and Rudolf tells him he’s in Prague. When Matthew questions this, Rudolf says he knows Matthew is a vampire. Sensing the tension, Diana intervenes and apologizes saying Matthew was asking on her behalf as she is keen to speak with one of England’s most esteemed alchemists. Rudolf is impressed by Diana’s interest in alchemy, a little too impressed for Matthew’s liking. Matthew explains Diana is his wife, but Rudolf says his spies would have notified him if the Queen’s shadow has married. When Matthew advises him to get more useful spies, Rudolf tells Diana to enjoy her time in Bohemia and use it to teach Matthew some manners.

Later that night Matthew and Diana are reunited with Gallowglass who instantly notices that Matthew and Diana have mated and says he should call Diana by “Auntie” now. Gallowglass takes the couple to their lodgings where they are greeted by an excited Jack (Joshua Pickering). As Francoise (Holy Aird) tries to explain that Jack wasn’t sleeping and tried to follow Matthew and Diana to Bohemia alone, Matthew loses his temper. Later, Gallowglass, Diana and Matthew discuss how to get The Book of Life from Rudolf. Gallowglass says that once Rudolf sets his heart on something that he will stop at nothing to get it. Right on cue there is a knock at the door and a gift from Rudolf is delivered to Diana – an automaton of The Goddess of the Hunt. Whilst getting ready for bed, Diana tells Matthew that they should use Rudolf’s interest in her to get what they want. Diana reassures him she will take Gallowglass with her.

Diana and Gallowglass arrive at the castle the next day with a gift for Rudolf and are told to wait at the back of a very long queue. Whilst waiting, Gallowglass explains to Diana that now she and Matthew are mated that Matthew will find it harder to control his blood rage. Realizing that they will likely be there until midnight, Gallowglass heads off to try and speed up proceedings. When he leaves Diana is approached by Benjamin (Jacob Ifan) who says he can tell she is recently mated and explains he was banished from his own clan and is now a collector for Rudolph. He says he finds himself more comfortable around “other creatures” before leaving. The waiting crowd are suddenly dismissed and Gallowglass takes Diana to meet Rudolf.

Diana hands Rudolf a book which he is disappointed by, seeing as he believed she had a valuable painting. Diana apologizes for the “miscommunication” and tells Rudolf, “Nothing is worthless to an enquiring mind.” This kind of wisdom earns Diana a look around Rudolf’s kunstkammer – objects he has collected on his travels. Diana compliments Rudolf on his collection and tries to ask about the Philosopher’s Stone, but he dismissively says it’s yet to be found and shows her another artifact.

After some snooping around the grounds, Matthew and Pierre finally find Edward being escorted by two guards. Matthew explains he just wants to talk and realizes Edward is a prisoner. Edward tells Matthew that the book speaks to him. A distressed Edward is carried away by the guards as he raves about The Book of Life. He proclaims that the book “begins with the discovery of witches.”

The next day Matthew and Diana meet with Rabbi Loew (Anton Lesser) who Diana describes as one of history’s most esteemed scholars. She explains to Matthew that Rudolf brought Loew to decipher books and they can trust him. When they mention The Book of Life to Loew, he shares that he couldn’t read it but he daren’t tell Rudolf for fear of losing his life. Back at the lodgings Diana has been invited on a pheasant hunt with Rudolf and Gallowglass suggests that both Diana and Matthew go and he will sneak into the kunstkammer annexe whilst they are gone and take the book. Matthew says that they also need to leave with Edward, but Gallowglass reminds him that, without the book, Edward will be no use to Rudolf.

On the hunt Rudolf tries his best to get under Matthew’s skin, but Matthew gives as good as he gets and Diana tells him to play nice. As Rudolf continues to wind Matthew up and flirt with Diana, Matthew’s falcon takes out Rudolf’s in mid-air. Fuming that Matthew’s bird has “broken” his, Rudolf screams that he wants Matthew and Diana gone from his lands.

Back at their lodgings Gallowglass explains that The Book of Life wasn’t in the kunstkammer, but he shows Matthew and Diana the severed witch hand he found amongst other parts of vampires and daemons. Matthew loses it and struggles to control his blood rage. After conjuring a wall of fire to stop him leaving, Diana manages to calm Matthew down and remind him that he is stronger than this.

The next morning Rudolf sends his apologies to Matthew and Diana and summons them to the castle. Matthew tells Pierre to ready the horses and make sure Francoise and Jack are ready to leave as he doesn’t believe they will be staying much longer. However, when they get to the castle they find that Rabbi Loew has been working alongside Rudolf all along. Rudolf accuses Diana of being a spy and a charlatan, so she conjures up a snake on his hand. In shock, Rudolf agrees to show her The Book of Life.

Rudolf takes Matthew, Diana and Gallowglass to an underground dungeon where Edward is chained and rocking, clutching the book. He refuses to let Diana see it, so she summons it from his grasp and opens it to reveal the magical Rowan Tree. Edward becomes distressed and shouts that the book won’t stop screaming in his head. As the Rowan Tree continues to light up the dungeon, Rudolf tells Matthew he can have Edward – he doesn’t need him now he has Diana. A fight breaks out as Diana is seized and, in the commotion, Edward takes back the book and starts ripping out pages. Diana manages to retrieve the book from him again, this time taking the less magical approach of punching him in the face. Matthew, Diana and Gallowglass manage to flee the castle with the book. Matthew tells Diana the book is made from the skin, blood and hair of creatures and is more like “The Book of Death.” As the group ride off, Benjamin enters the dungeon killing the guard and ominously tells Edward that he’s interested in what he has to say about the book.

The episode ends in the present where a tour guide (Kirsten Foster) is explaining that Rudolf’s collection includes writings from the imprisoned Edward Kelley. The tour guide explains that the “screaming book” he mentions has never been identified. We see the reflection of Knox (Owen Teale) looking through the glass at the letters.