Mayfair Witches: Season 1
Based on: Lives of the Mayfair Witches 1990 novel trilogy by Anne Rice
Created by: Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford
My motivation for jumping into this one was simple: I love magic and any show with a strong magical presence!
The trailer depicted a protagonist who's successful in her career as a doctor when she realizes she can perform magic and her world is turned upside-down. Not exactly the most original premise, but few plots under the sun are. My eye in a new show is on how much they make me care about the characters and whether it's executed creatively. I was pleased to see this one succeeded on both accounts.
I had very few complaints while watching this one. The only thing that annoyed me--and it was only in the first one or two episodes--was the repetition in Rowan's (the main character) initial discovery of her magic. Mind you, I realize that magic can take vastly different forms per fictional world; in this one, Rowan (and each Mayfair witch) has an innate power they're born with that they can perform more or less at will, not unlike the X-Men. Rowan discovers a control over the human body, but it takes a minute for her to understand and learn to control. When it first occurs, she accidentally gives a higher-ranking doctor a stroke when he makes an unfair decision. This was understandably chalked up to coincidence. It happens again later with someone she's arguing with, and she begins to wonder. But when the same thing--still a stroke--happens a third time, I was surprised to see that Rowan more or less idly allows it to happen, fueled by emotion.
I can understand the sense of revenge and hate, but that's not a reason to allow tragedy to occur when you recognize some sense of control over it. Sure, she didn't really have any idea how it was happening, but by this point, she could see that somehow, impossibly, her emotions were enabling this to happen. I just would have wanted her to try and pull back her feelings, try to focus on thoughts of repairing the damage, or something. But instead, she allowed the death to occur, and still seemed horrified at the result.
Beyond that, everything in else in the show was very well written and executed. It was a pleasantly complex world with complicated characters and a family dynamic that successfully felt old. Rowan was the perfect character to stand-in for the viewer, as a biological Mayfair who had been estranged by both the extended family and her mother since birth. The show's events are catalyzed when her mom, who had been in a coma for years, first recovers, and then soon after dies. Rowan is brought back into the family fold where she's recognized as the rightful heiress of both the family's material wealth and its coven roots.
As I mentioned just above, the sense of 'oldness' was necessarily portrayed well. The house is situated in a historic area of New Orleans--a city which in itself has rich history--and the house looks immensely lived-in, filled with books and décor and memorabilia that spills out from corners and hides within every shadow. Yet it's also well kept; its masses of clutter are dusted and clean, and everything is well organized, a testament to aristocratic housewives and businessmen with servants to spare. The other sense of oldness comes from the family dynamics. Rowan first meets everyone at a pre-funeral gathering, when extended relatives all show up to welcome her (or appear to). Dynamics are all well established, everyone knows each other's intentions and tries to put on a nice face. Of course, Rowan is at the center of it and has to quickly discern loyalties and who truly has her best intentions in mind.
I was impressed by how that last part was done. Rowan initially falls under the wing of a bad egg because the woman promises valuable information about her mother and her death, which she legitimately knows. When the situation gets bad, a couple allies Rowan had previously made come to her rescue and help save her life. From that point, the viewer learns of the existence of a very interesting magical organization which (if I remember correctly) eludes Rowan's own notice. Much about the organization is still kept mysterious to everyone beyond aiding in a pivotal plot point--hopefully something to be explored in season 2.
Through all these events, Rowan has also been learning about the existence of a spirit figure that only she can see. Referred to as Lasher, this figure--with the appearance of a gentleman--has been visible to all Mayfair heirs and holds command over their powers, including the ability to boost them. When Lasher becomes possessive over Rowan's own life and choices, she wants to be rid of him, which leads to a whole ceremony and some jealousy among the other witches. In the series finale, however, Rowan and one of her sisters gets caught up in a deadly plot, and suddenly Lasher's power boost becomes useful.
In the season finale, Rowan seems to choose to allow Lasher into her mind/life permanently, unleashing exceptionally strong powers, but at an unsettling cost. It's a really interesting choice fueled by the need to save her own life and the life of her baby, if I remember correctly, but it's vehemently protested by her closest ally throughout the season--who might now be in danger.
The dynamics of the Mayfair family were one of the most interesting parts of the season. Despite a sprinkling of drama, most relationships held an underlying family loyalty and desire to protect each other. The Mayfair sisters and their spouses and brothers generally seemed to want the common good, though they had different ideas of how to get there. This made for more interesting, intellectual discussions, and many references to family history and tradition that were equally fun to learn about.
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