As this episode of A Discovery Of Witches begins, Matthew (Matthew Goode) says goodbye to Diana (Teresa Palmer) before driving toward Poland to deal with Benjamin. After the intro, Diana tells Marcus (Edward Bluemel) she wants everyone to be clear about what happens next. He suggests everyone stays put until Matthew returns and Benjamin (Jacob Ifan) is out of the picture. However, Diana wants to go to Oxford to get the Book of Life and nothing Marcus says is going to change her mind. Then, Miriam (Aiysha Hart) and the others learn about Matthew going to face Benjamin alone. Diana insists she isn’t going to pace the halls until he returns. She says they all have a role to play and she needs to go to Oxford to get the book. Hamish (Greg McHugh) agrees to make the arrangements for her. Furthermore, Diana will be taking Sarah (Alex Kingston) and Fernando (Olivier Huband) with her.

She asks the others to stay and watch the babies since Peter Knox (Owen Teale) will do whatever it takes to get the book. Diana uses her magic to replicate her library card and change the picture to Sarah’s so she can enter the library with her. Sarah wants to make sure she is ready for this since they’re going to attract a lot of attention. In Venice, Gerbert D’Aurillac tells Osamu (Leo Ashizawa) and another man he thinks they’ve reached an understanding. When those two men leave, Domenico (Gregg Chilingirian) says he didn’t think Gerbert believed demons were worthy of his time. He admits he wouldn’t under normal circumstances, but he needs their support now if they’re going to reform the Congregation. Since the Covenant is broken beyond repair, Gerbert says chaos will follow unless the vampires provide leadership. He argues to Baldwin (Peter McDonald) that a hard line must be drawn.

The demons have already agreed that Agatha must go because her support of Diana has made her a liability. Membership reform will ensure that the balance of power remains with the vampires as it should. Baldwin counters by saying the Congregation wasn’t designed that way only for Gerbert to claim his brother’s flagrant disregard for their laws has endangered them all. Furthermore, he believes his plan will guarantee their collective survival and protect Philippe’s legacy. Gerbert says they need to act now and he hopes Philippe’s only remaining full-blooded son will support him. Baldwin agrees to support him. Marcus tells Fernando he needs him to do something for him. He explains he is asking him as Grandmaster. Once Diana retrieves the pages, Sarah tells her the vehicle has arrived. Fernando has left already and will meet them in Oxford later. Marcus approaches Phoebe (Adelle Leonce) to discuss what is going to happen next. He believes he’ll have to flee to New Orleans to hide if Matthew doesn’t stop Ben and Diana doesn’t get the book.

Marcus will take the twins and hide until it is safe to be a de Clermont again which could be centuries. She asks about being sired. Marcus tells her she’ll still have a choice if she doesn’t change. She is confident she wants to be with Marcus who she calls her life. Gallowglass (Steven Cree) gets a tattoo of a firedrake before Fernando enters to talk to him. He tells Gallowglass about Diana and the Book of Life. Marcus wants Gallowglass to be with her. Gallow says his days of being at the beck and call of the de Clermonts is over. Fernando tells him to do this because he is the man he knows him to be. Gallowglass meets with them in Oxford after that. He hugs Diana before telling her they should finish what they started. Matthew stops his vehicle, grabs the watch, and walks into the woods nearby. As they reach the library, Fernando and Gallowglass agree to stay outside to keep watch. Diana tells Sarah it feels right to be back before she asks the receptionist for Ashmole 782.

The note is sent so the book can be picked up and placed in the lift. After the lift returns, the receptionist tells Diana the book she requested isn’t here since it has been marked as missing. Diana turns around and uses her magic to make the book appear in the lift. She asks the receptionist to check it again and it is there. As Diana sits down with the book, Sarah says it was the masking spell. Diana begins using her magic to conceal her actions as she attaches the missing pages to the Book of Life. The lights begin flickering throughout the library as Diana moves from one page to the next. Gallowglass and Fernando feel it outside once Diana secures the last page to the book. Another man does too and he quickly walks away with bad intentions. The pages begin turning rapidly before Diana stops them. Then, the book’s words and symbols seem to move onto her hands and arms.

She tells Sarah it is the story of them. Diana says here lies the lineage of the ancient tribe known as the Bright Born. Their power was as boundless as the night. Their love began with absence and desire as two hearts became one. She begins crying as she says fear overcame them. Sarah insists they need to get out of here. They step outside where Sarah tells Fernando they used the disguising spell to hide the Book of Life. Gallowglass checks Diana’s palm and sees the content flowing through her as she says it is all right here. They reach the vehicle before Sarah uses her magic to reveal the Book of Life, but its pages are empty. They realize everything is now inside Diana. As they drive away, the man from earlier calls Peter Knox to let him know they’re on the move. Meanwhile, Matthew enters the old hospital where he expects to find Benjamin. He walks into one of the rooms and finds the restraints on the bed. Matthew walks into another room and finds a chair in the middle of the room.

It looks like an examination room. Domenico visits Gerbert who asks him if he has been celebrating, but he doesn’t think there is anything to celebrate. Gerbert explains he is going to enjoy bringing an end to the de Clermont family and their sense of superiority. While Philippe has been dead for decades, his disease-riddled family still wears him like a shield against their hypocrisy. Gerbert admits it has taken centuries to position his pieces on the board and it all started when he met Benjamin. Philippe thought Matthew killed him, but he only weaponized him. Gerbert likes the fact that Benjamin was the last thing Philippe saw before he went mad. He tells Domenico he played his part and he couldn’t do it without him. When Benjamin enters the room, Matthew says the watch still keeps perfect time. Matthew says he didn’t concoct this charade to get him there and instead believes it is due to his cruelty and obscenity.

They talk about the hospital which is where Philippe was and they could hear his screams in every room. Benjamin calls it some of his best work before claiming he got excellent information from Philippe. Matthew says he got nothing of value. He says Benjamin has been living a lie and one that he invented himself about being the wronged son. He knows what Benjamin did to those women although Ben says he is exactly what Matthew made him. Matthew says his only regret is not ending him. Ben claims he didn’t have the courage to kill him so he destroyed him one drop of blood at a time. Matthew turned him and left him in a city full of warmbloods at a time when he was unable to control his blood rage. When Benjamin asks if he knew he’d pass on his affliction, Matthew admits he prayed for it because he wanted him to be cursed for betraying his family.

However, Benjamin thinks blood rage was a gift and the only thing of value his father gave to him. He goes on to say he waited until Matthew was happy because it would be pointless to end a miserable life. Once Diana gave birth, he knew a witch could give birth to a blood-raged vampire like himself. In his experience, witches are too fragile so he hopes Diana is more robust. Matthew says he guesses he’ll never know before attacking his son. They fight into the hallway. Benjamin kicks Matthew into one of the rooms and the fight continues there. Before long, Matthew drags him back into the hallway and tells him to stand up. He does and scratches him across the face. Matthew throws him down the hallway. He walks over to Benjamin’s body, kneels down, and says it isn’t his fault. Matthew says he wasn’t a good father before he is taken by Satu’s magic. Once Benjamin recovers, Satu (Malin Buska) asks what has been going on in here.

He responds it is nothing that should concern her, but she knows he has been hurting witches here. Benjamin says they were barely witches compared to her and none could’ve brought Matthew de Clermont to his knees. Satu believes it is best to kill Matthew although Benjamin thinks he will need him for some reason. Satu says Diana will come looking for him whether he is dead or alive so it is better for him to die. She offers to kill Matthew for him, but he reminds her about their agreement in which he gets Matthew and she gets Diana. Satu warns him that Diana is not going to come alone and recommends getting ready. Meanwhile, Diana and the others arrive at the plane so they can return. When they get out, they’re approached by Peter Knox who knows about the book. Gallowglass offers to handle it, but Sarah steps up instead. Sarah accuses him of being a murderer although he claims it was just pest control. He goes on to say her family was always an inconvenience but never a threat.

Sarah begins using her wind magic to trap and squeeze Peter. Diana touches her hands and nods as Sarah says for Emily. She pushes her hands together causing Peter to be transformed into a small ball on the ground. They return to Jack (Toby Regbo), Phoebe, and the others immediately after that. Diana shows them that she has the Book of Life in her. Although it is complicated, she thinks they have the missing piece of the puzzle. In Venice, Baldwin tells Domenico his father designed the Congregation to ensure no species could dominate, but he thinks Gerbert might be right. Domenico says he has mostly done what he thought was right and felt the creatures were well-served by then. He doesn’t think that will be the same under Gerbert’s leadership. Domenico warns him they won’t be able to stop Gerbert once he reengineers the Congregation. Baldwin isn’t sure he can do anything about that.

He thinks Matthew has undermined his position, but Domenico says that is what Gerbert wants him to believe. He suggests Benjamin’s return and the blood-raged killing were caused by Gerbert who has been cooperating with Ben for centuries. Although Baldwin says he has no idea what he has unleashed, Domenico claims he doesn’t care. Domenico has played his part so it is up to Baldwin to do something with that information. He admits it is surprising that he doesn’t want anything in return. Diana continues writing down the information she obtained from the book as Christopher (Ivanno Jeremiah) calls that information extraordinary. Miriam says it could unlock everything. Diana explains it says they’re all connected although she hasn’t figured out how yet. They recommend Diana check on Sarah to give them a chance to catch up and they’ll try contacting Matthew too.

Sarah thought she’d feel better about killing Peter Knox, but she knows she never wants that kind of power again. Diana tells her she did that for everyone and not just Emily. Marcus interrupts with something Diana needs to see on his laptop. It is a video of Benjamin talking to Diana and telling her Matthew isn’t doing well. When he moves away, we see Matthew tied to one of the chairs. Ben explains he is draining Matthew while keeping him alive. He calls it a drug of his own design. Benjamin is afraid he doesn’t have very long left and he thought she might like to say goodbye.

 

A Discovery Of Witches Review

The 6th episode of A Discovery of Witches was much better than the others this season because the story finally jumped forward and things started coming together. I’ll say I wish they would have gone into more detail about Benjamin’s operation. While it is a touchy subject, they knew this before the series ever began. I suppose it could be explored in the final episode although there will likely be more important things to worry about.

Without really showcasing the horrors Benjamin has inflicted on witches, it puts both on the same level. After all, Matthew is partly responsible for everything Benjamin has done since he sired him and unleashed him in a city of humans. I’d imagine many viewers questioned what Benjamin was actually doing since the show was so vague about it. I might be the only one who feels this way, but I am not too concerned about Matthew’s wellbeing. It is either that I’ve lost empathy over the past few episodes, or I suspect he’ll be fine regardless.

It was also a bit weak that a central figure was so easily killed in just a few seconds. Peter Knox has been a vital figure since the beginning so he deserved a better death. At the very least, he could’ve put up some type of fight. Still, this was a better episode that set up the final showdown. I am eager to see how the finale plays out and I hope we get some twists and turns. The episode scores a 7 out of 10. All recaps of A Discovery Of Witches are available on Reel Mockery here. Follow this link to learn how to support the Reel Mockery project.