You’d think that the witches of Salem would know better than to mess with forces even they are afraid of. Desperate times call for desperate measures. What could be more desperate than the beginning of their world, which they brought upon themselves. In the season opener, John, Sebastian, Isaac, Tituba, even the devil himself, all mourn Mary Sibley. Without their morally ambiguous compass, everyone splits down the middle between self-serving and generous. If she’s the only one who can unify Salem against the devil, so be it.
Sebastian remains the most dutiful servant of the devil, while maintaining his persona of the good Baron in town. Another part he has to play is that of the good brother. This means pointing out to Anne that her husband is an inconvenience to the devil and their own survival. Because Cotton is absolutely miserable, he kind of agrees with Sebastian on this one. Of course Sebastian is grieving losing Mary, so his reasons for wanting Cotton dead are steeped in just a little bit of misery. It’s not that Anne doesn’t bring up a few good points. She was thrown into this life because of circumstances beyond her control. The second she decided to make her husband her captive she stopped being a captive and became the essence of what the hypocritical townspeople see in witches. It’s not just the immense power, it’s the desire to do selfish, destructive things with that power. Anne can say she loves Cotton, but her desire to test his love when she’s been holding her dear husband prisoner proves just how far she has fallen.
Isaac now has the ear of Magistrate Hawthorne. When Isaac speaks the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, people listen. Outside of Salem’s doors the French and Indian War is in full swing. Villagers whose homes are being burned to the ground seek refuge in Salem, and Isaac uses a political view to sway Hawthorne to allow them into the town. Isaac needs to use his newfound influence on a few other problems, particularly as it relates to his friend John Alden. How does John go on after burying the love of his life? How does he honor the sacrifice she made for him? Getting arrested hours later probably isn’t the best way to start. The good news is that John’s vast knowledge of the Indians and the town’s general affection for him save him from the noose. Becoming the head of the militia would pardon his past offenses and give John something to live for after Mary. In a strange way, Mary gave John and Isaac a purpose, albeit because of her terrible choices. It’s a long way off from the children the three of them once were.
Now on her own, Mercy has taken it upon herself to build a shrine to her self-serving ways. Mercy has always had a talent for drawing in vulnerable, abused girls without telling them the price they’ll pay for her help. Put it this way, if you wanted to discourage people from playing Cat’s Cradle, I think Salem just did it.
Tituba’s been wandering around the woods for awhile after she found the strength to pick herself up from that bloody pecking. Just because she’s now blind, doesn’t mean she can’t see (forgive the pun). When she swallowed the eyes of a Seer last season, she gained his ability to see into the future. The devil will not keep his promises to the witches, he will bring hell on Earth. Their only hope is to resurrect Mary, even if Mary doesn’t return the same as she was. The Essex witches have no idea what they’ve raised, but I’ll wager it’s alot safer than the devil and his company. You see, the devil didn’t come to this Earth alone. He brought along an old friend from hell. Quick, someone grab a bible and start brainstorming!
Were you surprised at the amount of history brought into Salem‘s third season premiere?
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