Mayfair Witches – A Tangled Web

By: Mariah Thomas

We pick up with an uncomfortable moment of one of Ian’s (Ian Pirie) daughters crawling on a sleeping Lark (Ben Feldman). He wakes and both gasp while two other Mayfair women perform what looks to be a ritual. This happens as Rowan (Alexandra Daddario) continues her walk through the basement tunnels. Her phone is at 1% as she runs looking for a way out. Everything happening seems to be a bigger play from the Scottish Mayfairs. The women of the family are unleashing a plan on Lark. Rowan was locked in the tunnels by Hamish (Cameron Fulton). Cortland (Harry Hamlin) is being driven away from the house by Ian. While they drive, Ian recounts a memory he had with Cortland when they were younger. Trying to keep the act up, Cortland pretends to remember. Ian halts the car to a stop and reveals it was a fake story.

Lasher (Jack Huston) is in a room with one of Ian’s sons as he learns more about his origins. Lasher still struggles with the deaths that have happened due to his presence. In this life, he still has no memory of his life and actions. He once again requests to see Rowan because she is the only person he feels he can trust. Ian’s son reveals the intent for the family wanting Lasher in Scotland. His blood is magic and his offspring will help restore the land and bring life back to Kilbride. He is to wed a woman who is like him in his supernatural standings and together their children would be more powerful. He shows this to Lasher by pricking his finger and having him touch the ground. His blood instantly grows a tree. This action helps him remember his original past life.

Back in the car, Cortland finally tells Ian that their father wiped his memory of Kilbride and Ian. Ian believes him and insists it must have been done for a reason. Cortland states “sometimes he did things just to be cruel.” After silence, he inquires about what the family wants with Lasher. Ian is very vague in describing the magic that is to come. He says he wishes he could share with his brother, but it’s time he and the others get back to New Orleans.

Rowan continues to walk the tunnels and she feels her power slowly getting stronger. This means Lasher is nearby. She discovers a locked green door. On the other side, she finds Ian’s wife and youngest daughter. It is clear now, this is why Hamish locked her down in the tunnels. The child hands her a vial of blood and her mother insists it is Lasher’s blood. Given her power strengthened as she got closer to it, this confirms that it is. Ian’s wife tells her now that she has what she came for, they need to leave. Rowan refuses and hands the vial back. She wants to know more about Julien’s plan after the wedding. After she insists she knows nothing, Rowan asks about Moira. She is told she will be returned to them once they are outside of Kilbride and on their way home. She takes Rowan to see Moira (Alyssa Jirrels) who is revealed to have been locked inside the house with one of the daughters. Moira reveals that they have kept her apart from most people so that she is not able to read their minds and learn anything about the wedding. Rowan tells Moira about the blood offer to leave and she grows excited. Only to be immediately disappointed learning it was turned down. Rowan tells Moira to stay while she figures out why they don’t want her there. She returns to Ian’s wife and demands to see Lasher. When told no, she shows off her power by opening other nearby doors and insists she will tear down the whole house to find him. Ian’s wife is persistent in saying she is trying to help Rowan and has nothing to do with Ian and Julien’s (Ted Levine) plan.

Cip (Tongayi Chirisa) is told he will be promoted to the head of the New Orleans division of the Talamasca. Now that he has what he wants, he agrees to help. They have the preserved body of Lasher’s original physical body. Cip is able to confirm it was him and this excites the women as it has only been a theory until now. Cip reveals based on the timeline of the body, this was well before Lasher’s time within the Mayfair family. Before touching to read through memories he asks for a moment. “You are asking me to bear witness to a lifetime of great brutality.” Once he does he can feel that Lasher’s intentions and purpose are pure and good. He says he needs to go where the body was recovered.

Back in the Mayfair residence, Rowan finds Lasher. They reunite in a hug showing the complexities of their relationship. On one hand, there is anger from his killings of Mayfair women. On the other, he is technically her son in this life and that bond remains strong. Rowan insists they need to leave and Lasher reveals his memory came back of his past life. He refuses to leave feeling like this is where he belongs. He recounts his memories to her. He was born to a king and queen as the first son. He was born deformed and the queen tells her maids to get rid of him. One of the maids takes him to his father, a lord of the village. His mother had been having an affair. Once the baby is handed over, he has clearly grown from a newborn to a toddler. He is described as an angel by his father who is knowledgeable on his power. He raises Lasher and teaches him about their land and people. Once discovering the infidelity, the king sends his men to torch the village Lasher was being raised in. As he grew, Lasher became a priest using his blood to heal and protect the youth. He met a beautiful young woman who was similar to him. He felt drawn to her and the strong urge to have children. His belief is, having children will bring life to the world destroyed by humans. Rowan tries to convince him he is only being used by Ian to which he says, “That is what you do.” He tells her to prove to him she cares by staying for the wedding.

In his room, Cortland hears Ian yelling downstairs. He gets a call from Rowan who tells him something awful is brewing but they all need to stay for the wedding. The two finally have a father-daughter breakthrough moment when Rowan asks Cortland to prove his intention in changing his sinister ways of the past by helping her now. He agrees to try and get more information from Ian. Cortland checks on Ian who is pacing his study angrily. He tells Cortland of Julien’s plan to return to a physical body by using his son, Haymish. This means that Julien would live as Hamish and Hamish would be trapped in the victrola. Cortland offers to go in with Ian and talk some sense into Julien. They have Hamish be their rope to pull them out. Once inside, Cortland quickly learns this was a ploy to trick him inside. Cortland has the gift of immortality so this was the body Julien really wanted. To spare his son, Ian was willing to utilize his small growing bond with his brother and trick him. Hamish pulls Ian and Julien out, leaving Cortland trapped inside.

Before the wedding, Rowan tries once more to convince Lasher to leave. As he refuses she walks to be seated for the wedding. She sits next to Cortland, unaware that it is actually Julien. She tries to talk about Julien’s plan and “Cortland” tells her there is really nothing else going on. Lark is brought out by Haymish and is seated away from her. Lasher and his bride begin their descent to each other. There is such a magnetic pull between them, both need to be restrained and held back. As the priest officiates the wedding, the ropes are let go and the two run into each other as curtains fall shielding them from prying eyes as they immediately fornicate. immediately gets up to stop what is happening and Ian curtly grabs her and cuts his hand. He is not hurt, Lark is. Revealing that Lark has been “stitched” into the family so any pain inflicted on them will happen to him.