Mayfair Witches Recap: If I Only Had a Brain

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The episode titled ‘Julien’s Victrola’ was quite a workhorse. Despite Jojo and Daphne still being under someone’s control, the house continuing to deteriorate, we haven’t received any new information about Sip or the rest of the Mayfairs yet. However, we did discover a lot about Scotland, which is exciting! And let me tell you, it’s been quite enjoyable.

We’re all set, we’re eager, we’re putting our creative minds to work… except for Rowan, whose mind seems stuck in Julien’s old phonograph. Instead of forcing us into a 45-minute adventure solely with Julien and Rowan, as in season one’s “The Thrall,” thankfully, Julien (thank goodness) divides Rowan’s personality into two parts when she tries to escape from this experiment early on. This way, we can share our time between Rowan’s intellect, which is now trapped with eerie Julien in his underworld, and Rowan’s emotions, which have returned to the world of the living but without her brain.

In Rowan’s shoes, I could feel slightly hurt if, all of a sudden, my ability for intricate reasoning disappeared and no one seemed to notice. For an entire hour, she wandered around the house, appearing as though the Scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz” had come to life, yet not a soul among her loved ones paused to remark, “Ro, you seem unusually simple-minded today.” Granted, it’s understandable given her current state, she doesn’t really show any signs of distress.

In simpler terms, Rowan appears more like a flat, one-dimensional character rather than a complex one. She can be dressed, spoken to, and even made to perform, but she seldom displays unique characteristics that make her stand out. Currently, her personality seems to oscillate between two opposite ends, neither of which is significantly different from how she was this morning.

For example, Lark forces his way into Mayfair’s house without a knock, filled with anger over Rowan’s peculiar genetic makeup. Interestingly enough, he acquired this information secretly and conducted tests on her without her knowledge or approval. When Lark, along with all 600 of his red flags, invades her home like this, one might expect Rowan to be overcome with tears. However, she remains calm. The series has led us to believe that they are in love, but it’s important to note that anger and love can coexist. Instead of breaking down, Emotional Rowan merely states that Lark’s actions are illegal and unethical.

Enthralled by soft, affectionate gaze, it seems, Rowan swiftly confides in Lark the entire truth about her being a witch with a demon-seed child. She then demonstrates her injuries such as ruptured discs and broken tibias to authenticate her claims. Momentarily forgetting Jojo’s name, she then drops to her knees and initiates an embrace with him. “This isn’t like you,” remarks Brainy Rowan, observing from above. However, sweetheart, you were sending this man plenty of questionable, intoxicating messages not long ago; this behavior is quite in line with your character.

Instead of “Rowan could erase herself from Lark’s memory using the elixir,” you can say, “Rowan might choose to remove herself from Lark’s memories with the concoction.” And instead of “she should …”, it can be rephrased as “it would be more prudent for her to…” So, the sentence becomes: “It would be more prudent for Rowan to remove herself from Lark’s memories with the concoction, as it is the best way to protect the family. However, Rowan is too preoccupied at the moment, naming their unborn children in her thoughts.

Instead of letting him drink the mind-altering tea, Lark is more prudent than Rowan because she recognizes the potential in using Lasher’s baby teeth’s genetic material for a different purpose. Specifically, Lark intends to extract and multiply these cells into a concentrate, hoping it will yield enough Lasher essence to restore Rowan’s powers. Remarkably, this approach almost succeeds! Essentially, we’re talking about the marvels of science at work here.

Regarding that memory-erasing potion, it was what Julien employed to eliminate a significant incident from Cortland’s mind. Fortunately, Moira, utilizing Deirdre’s remaining Thorazine and magical abilities, plans to guide Cortland through a hypnotherapy session to reclaim these lost memories. It turns out that this is the only scenario where I would find recovered memories credible. The exploration of Cortland’s subconscious mind proves challenging but rewarding.

In young Cortland’s recollections, his father led him to Donnelaith – a place with a physical existence in Scotland, yet steeped in myth – much like Narnia being part of England. In his mind, Cortland remembers a girl, numerous sheep, and his brother Ian, who was oddly menacing in a stylish, knitted sweater. It turns out that this terrifying figure was indeed Cortland’s long-unacknowledged sibling. The revelation came as a surprise to Cortland himself. The brothers were pitted against each other by Julien, a compulsive gambler, in a gruesome game of “chicken,” where they had to appease ancient deities through blood sacrifice. In the end, Ian slaughtered all the sheep and the girl, emerging as the winner. Though one might think calling Dr. Phil is in order due to Cortland’s trauma, it seems that concern for his emotional wellbeing isn’t a priority at this moment. The essential takeaway is that we’ve gained insight into their peculiar upbringing.

Meanwhile, ensnared within the peculiar setting of the Victrola, fashioned by Julien as if it were a Victorian tavern, Rowan finds herself effortlessly expounding upon ancient lore due to her newly liberated mind. As she awaits the realization of her absent counterpart that she’s gone missing and rescues her within an hour—the sole means of escape without meeting a fatal end, as per Julien’s newly conceived regulations—Rowan engages in various mental exercises to decipher Julien’s malevolent scheme. Additionally, it is advantageous for Rowan that Julien has a miniature replica of the actual Mayfair manor, allowing her to observe and listen to events unfolding on Earth simultaneously while she continues her investigations.

Essentially, the traditional Mayfair members such as Julien, Ian, and Rowan’s great-grandmother Marguerite practice magic in a more conventional manner by venerating (or sacrificing virgins, etc.) ancient deities known as the Taltos. These Mayfairs are situated primarily in Scotland, and they run a distillery producing scotch in Kilbride, which provides a useful reference point for locating the legendary Donnelaith. In a dramatic turn of events, it is revealed at the last moment that Rowan is only partially human, and she manages to escape from Julien’s dreadful pub mere moments before disaster strikes.

However, that’s not the interesting part. The intriguing scene unfolds within a Scottish castle, where it’s clear that Albrecht has brought Lasher. Despite being puzzled by why Lasher is dressed for a Renaissance fair, I’m trying to focus because Ian, the grown-up version of the boy from Cortland’s recollections who was both knitted sweater-wearing and a sheep killer, has just entered. Before Albrecht could finish giving instructions on how to care for Lasher, Ian suddenly acts like Lady Macbeth, slashing Albrecht’s throat in the stairwell. What an impressive debut!

Additional Questions, Comments, and Concerns

Have you thought about reaching out to Dolly Jean for information? It seems like she could be a valuable source that we’re currently not utilizing, and I find this situation rather frustrating.

• “Lasher” in Scotland is “Alshar.” Interesting.

• Bold of Lark to let Rowan give him stitches in this state.

I appreciate how Dolly Jean stores her spells in a similar compact countertop box as where my mom holds our family’s sugar cookie recipe collection.

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2025-02-03 07:55