As the 3rd episode begins, we are taken to Oxford, England where Domenico Michele (Gregg Chillin) enters a crime scene. He is told that they’ll be there to pick up the body any minute before being shown the man’s face. He asks to see the postmortem when it is finished and the man agrees. After the intro, Matthew (Matthew Goode) tries to explain himself to Andrew Hubbard (Paul Rhys). He promises that Master Caldwell’s death was not his intention. He says Cecil was determined of his guilt so he tried to prevent him from suffering any further pain. He has asked God’s forgiveness and he came to ask for Hubbard’s. Father Hubbard is surprised and believes Diana has changed Matthew. Matthew promises to inform his father of Hubbard’s magnanimity if he lets the matter rest. Hubbard says he will consider Matthew’s plea.
Meanwhile, Diana (Teresa Palmer) hangs out with Jack and watches him eat eels before receiving a note from the Countess of Pembroke. Diana visits Mary Sidney (Amanda Hale) and they perform an experiment while discussing the book Diana has been searching for. Mary suggests asking the Queen’s astrologer since his library is remarkable. Matthew and Diana visit Dr. John Dee (Struan Rodger) after that. They enter his library and are quickly introduced to his new scryer Robert Ainslie (James Allenby-Kirk). They heard that the prior scryer Edward Kelly abandoned him. Diana finds an object that John allegedly uses to communicate with the angels. John agrees to let them browse his collection. Robert interrupts and asks if she is looking for something specific so she tells him about the old book of alchemy she is searching for.
She doesn’t know much about it but believes it might’ve belonged to the magician Roger Bacon. Robert says Dee does have a similar book that he acquired from Emperor Rudolf. They check the book, but it isn’t the one Diana has been looking for. Dee admits he believes Edward might’ve replaced it. Diana asks about the missing book and learns it was a rare text and larger than the one they have. It contained many mysteries and Edward could likely understand them with divine assistance. Rudolf took great interest in Edward and the Book since Edward said it contained a secret method for obtaining immortality. Matthew offers to take the book and return with the one that belongs to Dee and he agrees. Diana believes it has to be Ashmole 782.
They’re not sure how to get the book though. Later that night, Diana hears Matthew console Jack about his nightmare with the tall man. Matthew promises that he is safe since he is part of the family now. Diana tries to get him to come to bed but Matthew is worried about his contact in Bohemia. Diana wonders if they can get the book themselves but Matthew is worried about the witch trials and Rudolf being unpredictable and dangerous. They chat about Jack and trying to be parents. In the morning, Diana meets with Goody Alsop (Sheila Hancock) without Matthew. Goody has asked her gathering to join them because they will help her train. The training session begins and Diana learns more about being a weaver and creating new spells.
They will need to discover Diana’s element. She will need to choose the thread that calls out to her the strongest. Diana tries to grab the threads but she cannot. Goody says enough and Diana wonders if she did something wrong. Matthew finds Kit (Tom Hughes) trying and failing to write a letter. He enters and asks Kit what he knows about Bohemia. Kit admits he only knows it is ruled by a madman. He says the book is lost so Matthew should focus on matters closer to home. They discuss Cecil and Kit knows he realizes Matthew is not himself. Goody tells Diana she needs to be kinder to herself since it will be tough for any weaver to cast their first spells. Goody tells Diana that she saw all of the elements and she thinks Diana knows why. Diana has all of the elements within her.
Later, she talks about missing Sarah (Alex Kingston) and Emily (Valarie Pettiford). Meanwhile, Emily performs a magic spell to close the path to evil. Then she tries to talk to Rebecca but instead sees a woman who scares her. Next, Diana and Matthew visit Cecil. Diana tries to convince Lord Burghley that her kind is loyal to the crown and only want to live in peace. Master Roydon is asked why they kept the marriage secret and Matthew says they only wanted Diana settled before introducing her. They’re told that the majesty expects them both at Whitehall tomorrow. When he leaves, Diana admits she never thought she’d be so desperate not to meet Queen Elizabeth.
Matthew is convinced that Queen Elizabeth trusts him implicitly and William Cecil won’t be able to change that overnight. Then, he approaches Kit and tells him there is no one he won’t betray for money. Kit suggests he has done everything he can to help but Matthew isn’t happy that he told Cecil about Diana. Kit swears that Cecil didn’t hear about Diana from him. Matthew doesn’t believe it and warns Kit to stay away from both of them. Kit approaches Cecil and asks who told him about the witch. He wants Cecil to tell Matthew that it wasn’t him but Cecil says it should’ve been him. After all, that is what he pays him for. Cecil is confident Kit would’ve betrayed Matthew if it suited him. Next, Mary visits Diana and offers to help her with her wardrobe. Matthew tells Diana that the Queen will make them wait and she’ll ask the questions.
He says they should give the Queen what she wants and they’ll have nothing to fear. Then, they’re allowed to see Queen Elizabeth (Barbara Marten) and Matthew quickly apologizes for not presenting his wife sooner. She doesn’t accept that excuse though. The Queens asks to speak to the couple alone so William Cecil and the others leave. The Queen wants to know who the wife is and accuses her of making a traitor out of her shadow. Diana says Matthew isn’t a traitor and compels her husband to adhere only to the Queen’s will. Elizabeth likes that and says Diana is too clever just like all of her kind. She argues that the witches have turned against her but the conversation turns to the buck Edward Kelly has. Matthew says it is only of interest to us creatures but Elizabeth says Kelly has learned to create the stone where thousands before him have failed.
Matthew says that is what he wants you to believe and she says Emperor Rudolf believes it too. She doesn’t want the key of eternal life and limitless riches to fall into a Hapsburg hands. Diana questions if Elizabeth wants to live forward and she says she will if she must. Matthew says he would be glad to prove his loyalty by assisting in the search for the Philosopher’s Stone. Elizabeth confirms she has already sent ambassadors to Bohemia to retrieve Kelly but the Emperor rebuffed them. Matthew promises to bring her Kelly so she can lock him away until he creates the Philosopher’s Stone. She might forgive his past mistakes if he achieves this goal. That night, Diana and Matthew talk about their upcoming journey. Matthew believes he should go alone but Diana doesn’t want that to happen. Diana works with the witches the following day and receives a stand of each element.
Susanna watches as Diana ties the knots. After the third, her hands extend upward and tree limbs emerge from them. Once it finishes, she tells Goody that it was a rowan tree. They say it was a crossing between worlds and a union of opposites. Goody says is a true weaver and she will complete her forespell in time. Then, her familiar will be revealed. Diana wants to learn it all now but Goody tells her she needs to learn patience too. When Diana leaves, Susanna stops her to tell her she is a powerful witch and magic feeds from all aspects of your life. She goes inside and tells Matthew about her spell. They hear something so Matthew gets up and grabs a knife. When Gallowglass (Steven Cree) enters, Matthew puts the blade to his neck and they have a good laugh.
They chat briefly before Diana is introduced to Matthew’s nephew. When he finds out Matthew is with a witch, Matthew admits he has a lot to tell him. In return, Gallowglass gives Matthew a letter from his father in France. Later, Matthew tells them that his father commands him to return to Sept-Tours with Diana. Gallowglass admits Philippe will come to England if Matthew and Diana do not visit him soon. Matthew tells Diana about his dad’s test of loyalty and says it has been a long time since he saw his handwriting. Diana wonders if seeing him will be able to open and heal old wounds. Diana says she can handle the journey before Matthew says Philippe always thought mating was destiny.
He tells Diana he will be choosing her over everything for the rest of his life. Goody isn’t happy to find out that Diana is going to be leaving on a long journey. She promises she will continue studying and will return but Goody warns her she can’t foresee where she is headed. Matthew tells Jack about their trip to Bohemia. Diana and Matthew say they would never forgive themselves if Jack got hurt so they want him to stay and keep an eye on Francoise. Diana gives Jack paintings of herself and Matthew and tells him to keep care of them until they return. Next, Gallowglass tells them that the boats are ready and he’ll escort them to the beach in Mont Saint-Michel. His father was killed by the French so he won’t go into France until he comes to grip with that.
They leave on the boat a few moments later. Then, we’re taken to Venice, Italy. Domenico visits Gerbert (Trevor Eve) who accuses him of betraying him. Domenico believes he has something much better than Matthew’s head and it could bring the whole de Clairmont Dynasty crashing to its knees. He says it is a body and it looks like an uncontrolled feeding. He reminds him of the rumors about the de Clairmont’s infected bloodline but Gerbert says they need more than suspicions. Domenico says he wants Venice since it was his city and Gerbert took it away from him, but Gerbert says he was interfering in human politics. They discuss how Venice has changed since Gerbert took over and Domenico is confident he can save the city.
He promises to give Gerbert what he needs to destroy the Clairmonts in return for Venice.
A Discovery Of Witches Review
Well, I can say one thing about this episode of A Discovery of Witches. I was worried that the time jumps would confuse viewers but they were few and far in between. The biggest problem with the episode was the fact that nothing of interest happened. Sure, we got to see Queen Elizabeth, but that really didn’t have a big impact on the story.
We’re starting to get too many characters and too little action. It feels like A Discovery of Witches is going nowhere and it is getting there very quickly. It doesn’t help that some of the things going on don’t make any sense. What happened to Satu and Peter Knox? Will Domenico waste our time as well as Gerbert’s time?
The season has been mostly disappointing considering the first was mostly entertaining. There is little to like about this season so far besides the off chance that the 3rd season could reverse course and bring back the quality of the first season. This one is likely going to be a season that is better off forgotten. If there is no chance of redemption, it might be best to just end it now.
The episode scores a 6.5 out of 10. Previous recaps of A Discovery of Witches can be found on Reel Mockery.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
