I can hardly let the final season of Salem pass by without going hunting for some witches now can I?
Who:
Created by: Brannon Braga & Adam Simon
Starring: Janet Montgomery, Shane West, Seth Gabel, Tamzin Merchant, Ashley Madekwe, Elise Eberle, Iddo Goldberg
What:
Season 3
Why:
A dramatized version of the witch hunts that took place in Salem
When:
Set in the 17th century
Where:
Salem, Massachusetts
The first thing that grabbed my attention for Salem was the awesome poster for season two with the witch on an upside down cross. I had heard of the show but not really paid it any attention. The poster was the catalyst for getting me to watch it.
For those that don't know; the show follows the story of Mary Sibley the self-proclaimed matriarch of Salem who has used her witchcraft to attain her position. Her love interest John Alden is a witch hunter, unaware of Sibley's true nature.
By the time we get to this final season Mary's and John's child who was taken at birth, has had his body consumed and taken over by the Devil who has plans to release all the fallen angels from Hell and make himself a god on Earth. This is the main storyline for the season and at various points Mary and John, along with help from others, will try and thwart the Devil (known as Little John here) and his nefarious plot.
The creators of the show went into this knowing that the show was not being renewed for a fourth season so had the luxury of being able to write this season with an end in mind. The main benefit of this has meant that the show feels like a solid three act structure with each season forming one act. We had the first season set up where we were introduced to all the characters and got an understanding of how they relate to one another. The second season propelled the action along with a great conflict as the Marburg's appear to be the greatest threat. That proves to be more of a red herring though by the conclusion of that season; bringing us to our final resolution in this closing season.
Knowing this was going to be the end; I think Braga & Simon decided to go out with a bang and really upped the gruesome stakes. The blood and gore was far more in your face this season and the makeup and effects work are all top notch. The first season is tame by comparison and it is a shame they didn't go for this level of shock value from the beginning because they carry it off really well.
The set design is something else that is also very well realised. They definitely get the feeling of the times with all the wooden buildings and the muddy streets. It feels like a Quakers village. Added to these wooden structures in Salem is the Sibley mansion with all the gothic trappings of a haunted house. Mercy's brothel is another set with its own distinctive characteristics that suit the madam well. Sets and costumes is something the show has always done well.
One of the characters who benefits greatly from the special effects is the new addition of the Sentinel; or Big John as he is also known. His introduction is fantastically gruesome and something different to the norm. Samuel Roukin instils plenty of menace in this fiend and uses his size to great advantage as part of his portrayal; he is truly frightening.
Sebastian Von Marburg is another person that I very much enjoyed watching this season. The whole time you are wondering what exactly his end game is as he seems to be playing Mary; Little John and the talking corpse of his mother Countess Marburg all off against one another. His arc had me guessing the whole time, even though you know that there will be a final showdown for him come the finale. A glorious showdown it is too once it arrives.
During its three seasons Tituba has been one of the most interesting witches and her double and triple crossing ways go into overdrive. She might be a little underused over the ten episodes but she still packs a punch when she does appear and that is a credit to both the story and Ashley Madekwe's performance.
I did like the romance between Hathorne and Mercy Lewis. It is something that comes from leftfield as you are expecting a completely different outcome to their relationship. From where the story started to where it ends up for Mercy is one of the triumphs of the show. Her story has all the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to it.
It would be remiss of me to talk about the various relationships between the witches of Salem and their respective beau's without discussing Mary and John, after all it has been a story about their love all along. Theirs is a gothic romance and it is most prevalent that is the angle they are going with in this final season. What I will say, without wanting to spoil anything, is that I was happy with the outcome of their relationship.
The other unlikely couple of Cotton Mather and Anne Hale has shall we say its ups and downs. At first I was a bit unsure as to why Anne was even bothering with keeping Cotton on her leash. It was obvious that he wanted nothing to do with her. By the end you can see that he was part of her plans but I was still left a little confused about her true feelings for him. I felt this was a deliberate ploy on the writer's behalf though. Ultimately it the decisions made by Cotton that propels Anne to follow her chosen path.
That brings us to the final episode and did it end on a high or did it fizzle out like a miscast spell? Well a bit of both, but more of the former. The final twists it takes did take me by surprise. For a show dealing with dark magic, it didn't shirk its responsibilities to keep faith with that premise. The shocks kept coming as retribution was meted out to all and sundry. Everyone has a conclusion to their story one way or another. I loved the final scene as I was not expecting to revisit this arc after what had happened earlier in the episode. The decision to close the show here was inspired. It feels so relevant to the material that we should end up in this place...
There is an awful lot of plot crammed into ten episodes. Whereas the first two seasons were both thirteen episodes in length; the third was restricted to ten. It can therefore be a bit confusing following all the threads as they play out. Some of these also feel rushed, such as the Sentinel. I would have loved to see a bit more of an introduction to him. When Big John first appears you are taken aback and wonder what the hell he is all about. But then he just becomes part of the main group and isn't explored in as much detail as I would have liked.
Not only is some of the story rushed for time, some of the storylines feel a bit pointless and don't really go anywhere. Alden and Billy for example feels like a complete waste of time. They spend time creating a bit of interest in Billy only to end it after a couple of episodes. This is time that I felt could have been spent better off fleshing out more of the main plot.
While I am a big fan of Mercy Lewis as I have mentioned; in this season the story arc of both Mercy and Isaac could be from a completely different show. They felt like a bit of an afterthought, as if they had these characters and were building them up to something but didn't really know where to take them. Overall I was a bit disappointed with how their narrative unfolded.
Like Alden and Billy; the subplot of Isaac and Dorcas didn't really grab my attention either. That might have had something to do with one of the stupidest names for a character that I have heard in a long time: Dorcas. Every time I heard this name I thought Isaac was insulting her! Their relationship also has an uncomfortable feeling to it, I am sure it is meant to be innocent but there were times where I wondered if it was heading where it shouldn't.
The whole red mercury plot device feels like a bit of a MacGuffin. It has no bearing in the final scheme of things and once more takes up time that could have been spent on more important themes. All this achieved was to really confuse me! Marilyn Manson's Thomas Dinley, who ends up in possession of the red mercury, was someone who you would look at and think there is something wrong with him. Sweeney Todd had to be the inspiration behind his character. I didn't mind his addition to the series, I just found him to be a bit one note.
Considering Salem has been Mary Sibley's story, for much of the third season she gets pushed to one side a bit so we can get all these different threads coming to the inevitable conclusion. It feels a little jarring after spending two seasons concentrating on her hopes of being with Alden. Come the finale the focus has completely shifted from her and it feels like a left turn.
I did have big issues with her son Little John or I should say Oliver Bell who plays the role. He might not be a terrible actor and it is always tricky casting children in parts. My problem was that I didn't feel Bell was a strong enough actor to carry off such a vital role and one that is so prevalent during this season. He didn't have enough presence to make me fearful of him. Compare him to Big John who does scare the pants off you. I know he is a grown man and it is much easier to imagine an adult being able to hurt you. If you want to compare him to another devil child; I guarantee if I had come across Damien from The Omen that kid would frighten the shit out of me! Bell doesn't have that menace and this role required that fear factor to get the full impact with the audience.
I can't help wondering if The Witch had some influence on the direction the writers chose to end the series with. There are certain parallels I could see between the film and this television show. That isn't technically a bad thing as that film is excellent and if it did inspire the writers that's fine but it did feel a bit derivative.
So while this is by no means a perfect show, and it hasn't been from the start, the third season had its highs and lows but managed to do what a lot of shows can't and that is finish in a satisfying manner.
Are there any witches left for me to hang from the gallows? Approach with caution and find out.
Evidence:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_(TV_series)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2963254/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Salem_episodes
http://salem.wikia.com/wiki/Season_Three
