S01.E01: Say the Words

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution over 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the burgeoning government to fight for their country, the series follows three young women from basic training in combat magic into early deployment. In this world, the traditional roles of gender and power are flipped, with the more dominant women on the front lines fighting looming terrorist threats that are familiar to our world, but with supernatural tactics and weapons.

Original air date: 3/18/20

[Scarlett45]

What’d you guys think? I know there’s a lot for pilots to do as far as world building goes so I didn’t expect to learn everything in the first hour, but I’m not quite sure how the army conscription works. Must every witch (I’m assuming all witches are female and it’s passed genetically through the female line) serve for at least a time? (Unless your family has an unusual amount of casualties and you are except?) Are they allowed to furloughs for family life/childbirth?

I assume they would want all witches to have children but is it required? If you live long enough can you retire?

[TiffanyNichelle]

I agree there was a lot going on. I don't think I know anyone's names really besides maybe the three main girls? I called the witch that works with the dead who was always in the right place at the right time to temp Raelle (?? blonde witch with the dead mother) as part of the Spree. She didn't seem trustworthy at all and I had a feeling she was there to lure blonde witch to the bad side.

I like the legacy girl, Abigail and the other girl, Tally. Was the head witch in charge immortal? She said something about helping to defend the US before it was the US some 300 years ago. I would like some explanation on that. I tried pausing the tv during the opening theme to get a better look at the map and I noticed things like some states being smaller, the Carolinas, the Dakotas and Virginia aren't split up in two. Would also like to know what the Cessation is. Is this based on a book series?

A little hesitant that this is a witch show about women but was created and written by a man.

[Primal Slayer]

It was an ok opening to the show but not as good as I was hoping it'd be. We kind of just got thrown into this world instead of a proper build up.

Abigail was far too serious and practically devoid of any personality. I was expecting the scene with her boyfriend to play more sad/bittersweet but she didnt care about letting him go.

They already revealed a pretty big revelation, the blonde is already in a new relationship with the brunette witch only for them to reveal that the brunette is evil? 

I love the concept of the show but I'm worried that it'll be very lackluster.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The concept is interesting and definitely has promise but I'm worried about the execution. I usually give pilots a lot of leeway because they have to introduce characters and establish storylines, and shows like this have the additional task of world building. That's a lot to cram into an hour so I'll be back for at least a few more episodes to see how it all unfolds.

I want to like it though. The idea that witches are living openly as such and recognized for their powers is cool. There's a lot of potential so don't let me down, show!

I don't remember all the characters' names yet so for most of this episode I was mentally referring to them as angry witch, other angry witch, and peppy witch.

[luckyroll3]

16 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

What’d you guys think?

I was definitely whelmed, but I'm going to give it my "it's a pilot, and it wasn't that bad, so give it a chance" consideration.  

[UNOSEZ]

I enjoyed it. well enough for a pilot.. Didn't like Raelle... Really didn't like the brunette witch who's obviously bad... 

[Indigo Luna]

I'm really digging the premise so far and I'm always a sucker for alternate history especially if we get to see a map! (Looking at you, Man in the High Castle). So far my favorite is Tally. Raelle seems to have that main character disease where her whole purpose is to further the plot that her personality takes a backseat. Hopefully its just pilot baggage and will get better as the episodes go. Abigail has potential too but I've always loved bitchy Type A characters. 

Totally called that the girlfriend was bad from the first scene. When she said she was Necro and that they kept them away from the rest of the units that definitely had me interested in what other specialties they have and how and when you get assigned. Reminded me of the Physical Kids Cottage in the Magicians. 

 

[GaT]

I wasn't sure about this show, so I thought I would at least watch the first episode. I think it may be interesting, so I'll be back for the next episode.

[meatball77]

So, we have Rich Witch, Overly Excited Witch and Gullible and Resentful Witch who is also SPECIAL.

It was fine for a pilot.  I would have loved more worldbuilding, hopefully we will get that later.  Do the witches just throw tornadoes at everyone except for the bomb balloon terrorists, and there are active wars all over the globe?

[Meredith Quill]

I wanted to like it, fantasy and sci-fi is my fav genre. There are aspects I liked but overall I have a feeling it's going to be too aimed at a teen audience for my viewing pleasure. Not that that is a dealbreaker all of the time for me but often it is. It gave me the same vibe as The Shannara Chronicles and Shadowhunters, both of which on paper I'm all in but on screen seemed aimed at a younger-than-me demographic and I just wasn't able to connect with the show overall. I'll check out episode 2 but I doubt I'm in for the long haul.

Yet shows like The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl etc I can watch easily and enjoy - I think because they know they're candyfloss tv and are fun. I seem to find it hard to connect when the show is 'serious' but aimed at a younger demo. Weird, huh? At this point I'm rambling so...move along!

[Featherhat]

7 hours ago, meatball77 said:

So, we have Rich Witch, Overly Excited Witch and Gullible and Resentful Witch who is also SPECIAL.

Yeah they wasted no time in setting up some well worn tropes. Hopefully they will be expanded on in the coming episodes as this pilot did have a lot of ground to cover. 

I thought it was interesting and definitely ambitious for a Freeform show. The setting themselves on fire was creepy and everyone jumping to their deaths. 

I liked the credits, I thought they were beautiful.

So every witch is conscripted around the world to fight other witches for their country and have a life expectancy of no more than 50 except if you get a dispensation and this has lasted for three hundred years except for a small amount conscientious objectors in communes and "The Spree". 

Interesting that they used the Lord's Prayer as a spell in the beginning.

I thought it was too obvious for the brunette rebellious witch/necromancer to be Spree, I thought it was going to be anyone else or would end up being revealed that the General was secret Spree or the true believer or Abigail Bellweather because she actually disagreed with or resented her mother. And does Fort Salem not have wards up to protect against the suicide balloons?

I could have done without the magical vagina marks that get shiny when you lose your virginity. 

So unlike the Magicians where magic is a combination of elaborate hand gestures and words this is all voice based. I guess it's a deliberate play on speaking up and making your voice heard. 

I'm much more interested in Abigail and Tally than Raelle who does seem to suffer from maincharacteritis. And the older cadet/junior officer who is trying to keep them all in line and not have any of them sent out to die immediately. 

I'll definitely give it a couple more episodes. 

Edited March 20, 2020 by Featherhat

[AnimeMania]

Things I have to figure out:

How do they keep getting so many witches if the witches are sent to fight and die before they are child bearing age?

Are there male witches?

Do witches have male children?

How do witches keep their famous long lineage last names, never marry?, do not take their husbands last name?

If I knew ahead of time what children would be chosen to fight in a war, I would give them extra protection and extra training from birth. Think how much better warriors they would be with some combat training, combat magic training, medical training, war history and war theory.

Here is the map from the opening credits, not sure what it's significance is:

[Featherhat]

15 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

Are there male witches?

Do witches have male children?

How do witches keep their famous long lineage last names, never marry?, do not take their husbands last name?

I kind of assume there are no male witches since it's supposed to go back to the Salem Witch Trials which were mostly against women, although I might be proved wrong or it's a season 2 plotline to realise there are and that they've been hidden or something. And the show's title is "Motherland". 

Probably. I came up with an idea that though male children of witches might not have their powers, they're the fathers of these witches, so it all stays in the community as it were. 

I assume they marry or equivalent and keep their names or their husbands take their names instead.  

Hopefully some of these things will be explained with further world building. 

Thank you for the map.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Featherhat

[AnimeMania]

Just now, Featherhat said:

I kind of assume there are no male witches since it's supposed to go back to the Salem Witch Trials which were mostly against women, although I might be proved wrong or it's a season 2 plotline to realise there are and that they've been hidden or something. 

I just read a post somewhere in the Primetimer Forum that said that there were many men accused in the Salem Witch Trials, but I don't want to do the work to find the post or look up the info.

[HeySandyStrange]

I thought the older guy with the main blonde girl was her dad, so witches probably do marry human men and have children.

Also, I'd bet a crisp $20 that male witches/magic users will be a plot point if this show lasts. Perhaps they've been repressed/hidden/side-lined by their dominant female counterparts. 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Inside the episode:

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clips:

The unit masters a seed together

Raelle & Scylla kiss

Raelle heals a civilian

 

 

[Scarlett45]

On 3/21/2020 at 12:17 PM, HeySandyStrange said:

I thought the older guy with the main blonde girl was her dad, so witches probably do marry human men and have children.

Also, I'd bet a crisp $20 that male witches/magic users will be a plot point if this show lasts. Perhaps they've been repressed/hidden/side-lined by their dominant female counterparts. 

 

Yes he is her Dad. I assume witches have time off for pregnancy/labor and likely naming is matrilineal especially for witches. 
 

I could see witches having male children and those children being able to pass magic on but not being magical themselves (or as magical). 

[ursula]

So I didn’t realize this was a Freeform show because it gave adult content warning before each episode. I thought the Pilot was great at setting up the characters and world e.g. Tally at the airport and the reaction between fear and awe from the “civilians” is the kind of scene that really ‘grounds’ the story.

Rewatching the credits, you can see the bloodlines of the witches - Bellweather, Collar, etc. I wonder how much witchcraft as military influenced the society. Is the world now more matriarchal as a whole? Also, what is the CESSION? 

(Definitely think male witches will be a future plot point. Right now my money is on this being the Scree’s grouse).