Diana seems quite sure of her pursuit of a relationship as
she defies Knox’ persistent push to secure the book that might very well assist
in the demise of vampires and argument against even talking to (much less the
eventual dinner with) Matthew. Matthew is very territorial, too. He feels
obligated, it seems, to look out for her and be the one who even draws blood
from Diana for “research” into her heritage. Photos of Diana’s dead parents
reach her possession seemingly from Knox to further convince her to stay away
from Matthew. Diana’s friend, Gillian, continues to try the softer approach.
Diana confides in her but when Knox is revealed to be a confidant with Gillian,
it drives a wedge in the friendship. The clear divisive nature between vampires
and witches allows for this show to echo “Romeo and Juliet”. Granted, I don’t
overtly compare this show and that Shakespeare hallmark, but I felt the
comparison is natural. “The Vampire Diaries” or even “True Blood” somewhat
whisper Romeo and Juliet but eventually go in directions not handcuffed to that
material and outcome.
As the ending of the third episode concludes, clearly Diana
isn’t persuaded by Knox to just to his bidding. She wants to be involved with
Matthew and Matthew obviously is drawn to her. There is a great moment where
Knox assertively looks to emphasize his powers. He tries to show Diana his
powers of persuasion, of the mind and in terms of physical “momentum” (just
whip up contact and mental warning without actual, direct touch), only to be
thwarted by her own incredible, unharnessed rebuttal. It is an effect of Diana’s
unwillingness to use her gifts in favor of living a normal life, only to be
traversed into the direction by the situation with Matthew (and the book so
sought after).
Dinner and a kiss (and Matthew deciding to avoid too much
close contact due to his “craving”) can’t move to the bedroom just yet. Diana’s
mentor and only family, Sarah (Alex Kingston; Dr. Who & ER), has been
trying and failing to urge her towards embracing the witch she is while also
hoping she’d reconsider Matthew as a possible love interest. So we have that
ongoing thread as well.
Chapter One
Dr. Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), Yale grad, author, and witch, returns to Oxford, perhaps up for a professorship, is granted access to the Ashmore manuscript 782, never seen by vampires, of definite interest by them because the words might hold the key to their origin and could even help them if discovered. When Bishop opens it up at the Bodleian library, although not apparent initially on each page, soon she can see hidden words that move from the parchment "into her". Something about this exchange from page to Bishop has witches and vampires alike very interested in learning more about why she had access to the manuscript (we see that the book isn't available when the librarian first looks for it, later finding it in its missing slot upon return). Vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) begins to take great interest in her, confronting her about the manuscript, with Diana making it clear (as she does to her aunt (Alex Kingston) and friend, Gillian (Louise Brealey)) she doesn't have any desire to pursue magic available to her as a witch. Peter Knox (Owen Teale; formerly Alliser Thorne of "Game of Thrones") is head of a particular alchemical sect who question Gillian about the manuscript he has been trying to find for quite a long time (as Clairmont also indicated to Bishop) as well. So the first episode of the series, "A Discovery of Witches", sets up the existence of vampires and witches and how a particular manuscript "chooses" Bishop as its carrier. So she's central in the story, the figure that is the gravitational pull of every supernatural event and character introduced. Vampires realize they can't use their blood to turn others and can tell something's "off" since Bishop held and researched that manuscript. It is also established that witches and vampires are seemingly adversarial but try to conduct a truce against waging war against each other unless provoked. We don't see a vampire necessarily predatorily besiege a human and kill him or her, but Matthew gets a good nose full of Bishop's scent from a jacket and barely contains his urge to attack her. We see a witch also burn alive a human hunter nudged by Knox into hunting her. So provocation can lure out the dark side of witches and vampires. Although, so far, the overall Gothic horror plot isn't overwhelmingly original, with even "The Vampire Diaries" dabbling in a lot of what this series' plot does, I'm willing to give it a shot all the same. Palmer's blond, blue eyed beauty gets plenty of the camera's close-ups (and why not?) while Goode's handsome vampire is her male equal. While the episode serves as an introduction to the characters and British backdrop, it does feature the unease for which witches and vampires harbor, underlying a tension that clearly calls to attention that danger possibly awaits at any moment. The words leaving the page of the book, "merging" with Palmer is quite a highlight. Not a lot of witchcraft and vampire bad behavior as of yet, but previews do offer some exhilarating delights to come.
Chapter Two
The second episode (I really wish there were actual titles for their episodes) elaborates on how Diana's "relationship" with the book, Astamole 782, continues to draw vampires and alchemists to her. It seems this book very well could have the origins of vampires and even tell them if witches were responsible for their creation. Knox wants to verify if the book will allow him to "uncreate" vampires, in order to render them extinct, often accompanied by a powerful witch he brought into the fold in the previous episode, Satu (Malin Buska). Satu tries to "read" Diana and fails. When Knox "gets inside" Diana's head she is able to free him from her mind through an "elemental spell". So already we can see she's powerful and would be even moreso if she decided to embrace her inner witch. Meanwhile, Matthew leaves Oxford for the lodging with a very affluent Londoner currently in the countryside who just so happens to be a dear friend...and demon...named Hamish (Greg McHugh). Matthew has "the craving", yearning to feed from Diana, which is why he has fled for his buddy's lodging. In order to satiate his overwhelming bloodlust, Hamish takes him into the breathtakingly idyllic countryside to feed from an enormous antlered deer. So you have Knox and Matthew both vying for the book's contents, to the point of obsession. So Diana's welfare is in question because of that book. As you might expect the episode also indicates the growing attraction between vampire Matthew and agnostic witch Diana...Matthew shows her evidence of a power-loss due to the absence of usage. Not only that, though, is the abilities that they do have are waning. The desire to not adhere to who you are has resulted in the loss of those unique characteristics that separate vampires and witches from humans. Like vampires ability to sire humans. Witches can't necessarily spellcast with great alchemical effect.
Juliet (Elarica Johnson) is introduced in the beginning, unable to resist her allure for Matthieu (Freddie Thorp), a visiting tourist from France. She draws him to her, seducing him into a little public sex, before taking a bite...and then feeding him to death. Her father, a powerful vampire named Gerbert D'Aurillac (Trevor Eve), is visited by a detective, Domenico (Gregg Chillin), after he "smells" Juliet on the corpse of Matthieu in the morgue. Not sure yet what this all means to the ongoing Knox/Matthew/Diana series arc but I assume it all ties together.
In this episode Diana feels betrayed by her friend, Gillian, because she is aligned with Knox. Knox tries to befriend Diana so he can gain possession of the book, or at least learn of its contents. Diana feels threatened by him, particularly offended at his desire to kill vampires until they are no more. Gillian shares a similar dislike/distaste for vampires. So you can see the prejudice that exists between vampires and witches. If witches created the very species they now despise, that is quite the irony. Knox seems emboldened to make up for his ancestors' "mistake". Matthew, on the other hand, seems emboldened to help strengthen his species before they are merely...ugh...human.
Attractive cast. Attractive locations. Attractive production. Very similar in ways to The Vampire Diaries, though, except this cast is older but still obviously handsome. I have to admit that Palmer is a reason I remain invested in it. The plot is not too overtly complicated which might be nice for some audiences. It's not hard to watch, especially when the camera gives us so many closeups of Palmer.
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