S01.E13: All Fall Down

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

Alden learns Mary's biggest secret, and Mary discovers a new one of her own.

[KYBlonde]

My mind is officially blown.  I think I need to watch it again.

[Amberosia]

Holy giggity, I know, right? Things went so soooo off the rails, I didn't see any of that coming.

 

I don't think I was supposed to, but I really felt bad for Mr. Hale... he kinda grew on me when I wasn't looking, I guess.

 

Comparing Mercy's attack on Increase (with a major assist from Mary, at that) and Mary's attack on Increase, I feel it safe to say Mercy has no idea what she's talking about feeling as though she can assume that whole Queen of the Night title. Plus, you know, she's nuttier than a bucket of squirrel turds. 

 

Poor Cotton, can't catch a break. Poor Issac, neither can he. 

 

I do so hope John Alden's just mostly dead, he's gotta feel pretty lousy already thinking Mary stood him up.

 

ETA: I didn't realize the title of the Ep was All Fall Down... how very apropos. I can't remember the last time I've known an episode title to be so on the nose.

[OakGoblinFly]

What in the frak did I just watch?  I, well, words fail me.  That was all kinds of twisted and wonderful at the same time - and color me surprised that this show got picked up for a second season (and boy won't that be fun considering all the threads left dangling at the end).

 

Mercy is a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket, isn't she?  She redefines cray-cray ..... though I do wonder if her "followers" will be spared from the plague unleashed by Mary (was it unleashed or did poor Issac mess that up) because they weren't in Salem when the malum was opened and if they are spared will they think that Mercy is their savior.

Edited July 15, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[KYBlonde]

 

Mercy has no idea what she's talking about feeling as though she can assume that whole Queen of the Night title. Plus, you know, she's nuttier than a bucket of squirrel turds.

 

BWAH!!!  In our neck of the woods we say, "nuttier than a pecan pie" but I LOVE your version!!

[spidermiss2426]

What in the frak did I just watch?  I, well, words fail me.  That was all kinds of twisted and wonderful at the same time - and color me surprised that this show got picked up for a second season (and boy won't that be fun considering all the threads left dangling at the end).

 

Mercy is a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket, isn't she?  She redefines cray-cray ..... though I do wonder if her "followers" will be spared from the plague unleashed by Mary (was it unleashed or did poor Issac mess that up) because they weren't in Salem when the malum was opened and if they are spared will they think that Mercy is their savior.

 

Good question!!  I had not considered that possibility!!  I'm very interested to see how that turns out. 

[pasdetrois]

I'm distracted by how modern-sounding is the actress who plays Mercy. I feel like I'm listening to a next door neighbor talking, not someone from centuries ago.

 

I love Mary's jewelry. It would be nice if the director would tell the actress to stop welling her eyes with perfect pretty tears in every single scene. It's her actress party trick.

Edited July 16, 2014 by pasdetrois

[KYBlonde]

Who is the boy at the end??  Mary's????  AND we have to wait until April 2015 for the new season?? This is like Mad Men but with witches.

[millennium]

I liked that a lot!    Hooray for the Indians!    Very authentic-looking too.  

 

Who knew Mary had those acting chops?   The show's been under-utilizing her.

 

I'm glad the show finally threw away the history book and abandoned all pretense to historical reality.   

 

I was sorry to see the Hales die.    I kinda liked them.    

 

Surprised they killed off Increase.   I would have thought they'd want to milk the fanatic storyline for at least another season.

 

The one truly sour note:  Mercy.    Crazy's fine.   No problem with crazy.   But hammy?  Nope.   The actress sucks.   I've seen better acting in high school plays.

 

Pound me the witch drums and bring on season two!

[Ravenya003]

I don't think I've ever been so torn on whether or not I like a show. I was prepared to be offended at first, what with it taking the very real lives (and deaths) of people who endured the Salem Witch Trials and throwing them into a weird sort of supernatural gore-fest, but after the struggle to put all that aside, there were bits and pieces that I really enjoyed. Mary Sibley is an all-too rare example of a not-really-good but not-entirely-evil female character (and it's nice to see Janet Montgomery FINALLY get a break in her career), and Increase/Cotton Mather were more entertaining than they have any right to be.  

 

It's a pity that the Hale parents are dead, but Anne tapping into her hereditary powers could turn out to be an interesting development. Does this make her more powerful than Mary Sibley? And since she seems so determined to side with Salem, does this mean she'll be fighting against the coven?

 

Mercy on the other hand, is a complete headache. I suppose every teenage girl goes through that phase where they plan on fighting for the rights of everyone else as a form of self-expression (with themselves as the beloved and self-proclaimed Queen of the movement, naturally), but Mercy manages to be even more annoying than my little sister (and myself no doubt) in actually doing it.

[Anela]

I'm distracted by how modern-sounding is the actress who plays Mercy. I feel like I'm listening to a next door neighbor talking, not someone from centuries ago.

 

I love Mary's jewelry. It would be nice if the director would tell the actress to stop welling her eyes with perfect pretty tears in every single scene. It's her actress party trick.

 

I've been catching up with the show, thanks to my DVR, and I agree:  but enough with the tears.

 

I'm also surprised by how much I liked later episodes - I was interested at first, but some of it was getting on my nerves. My DVR didn't catch all of the episode in which Cotton was crying over his lost girlfriend - did they kill her after all? I'll have to check other threads here.

 

So Isaac is now sick. I don't like Mercy - she was stupid to believe in someone who tortured her in the first place, but I don't entirely like Mary, either. The way Alden could overlook all of the innocents' deaths and run off with her, also boggled my mind. I don't care if they've been in love for years - the woman helped to coerce villagers into killing their own.

[Anela]

I also liked Anne's Carrie moment, even though I liked her mother. It would be nice to see her go after those who really were evil.

[Deodand]

Just binge watched these, so late to the party.

 

The concept was great and production ("Salem village," interiors, costumes, etc.) was top drawer. I thought there were some weak episodes in the middle of the run, but the show, and actors, really found their footing in the last few episodes.

 

I look forward to the conflict among the main witches (Mary, Mercy, Anne, Tituba and the "old ones), as well as seeing if any newcomers turn up now that the Rite has -- supposedly -- helped lay the groundword for a Republic of Witches. Quite a few loose, and intriguing, threads: Alden and his native rescuers -- maybe we'll get some insight into his past with them as well -- and how Cotton will react when he realizes Mary really was behind it all and manipulated him into killing his father. Unpleasant zealot or not, Increase was in fact correct, and he almost become the first witch-hunter in history (one imagines) to derail the Grand Rite on two separate occasions!

 

Gah -- it's months and months till the next season.

[natyxg]

Who knew Mary had those acting chops?   The show's been under-utilizing her.

 

I was sorry to see the Hales die.    I kinda liked them.    

 

The one truly sour note:  Mercy.    Crazy's fine.   No problem with crazy.   But hammy?  Nope.   The actress sucks.   I've seen better acting in high school plays.

 

1. I did! I thought Mary had lots of acting chops from the very beginning! Lol. I really, really liked Mary. Overrall she made the show for me, even though there were places where I thought she was weak (as a character, I mean). I really, really loved how wicked she was with Increase. This is an interesting show for me because I am rooting for the villains hardcore.

 

2. I was pretty shocked by the death of the Hales. And I was sorry to see them die, too. I thought they were too horrible. I was fine with Anne till now, but I fear she will start to annoy me now.

 

3. Terrible. Mercy is terrible. I hate, hate her and Alden because I think their acting is terrible. Alden has to charisma, and has no chemistry with anyone. And he became surprisingly weaker as a character as the season progressed, he couldn't even save himself, the damn indians had to save his ass. Zzzzzz. Mary is too good for him (as a character, I mean).

 

Mary Sibley is an all-too rare example of a not-really-good but not-entirely-evil female character (and it's nice to see Janet Montgomery FINALLY get a break in her career),

 

Exactly! That is why I love Mary. I thought they were able to maintain a pretty good balance with, a good duality with her. And it made sense and didn't feel forced. I thought the actress was pretty good, too. As much as I hate John and kept wanting him to die, I thought her love for him made her interesting. My one gripe was how they threw Mary/Tituba under the bus. I think they deserved to have an interesting relationship as well, so I was annoyed that Mary didn't even try to help Tituba but then was all  predictably 'Increase MUST DIE' when John was arrested. If she love hates tituba because she got her into witchcraft, then show that, damn it! I always lean towards female characters, so I wanted to see more of them, even though the actress who plays Tituba needs to improve a lot.

 

 

I'm also surprised by how much I liked later episodes - I was interested at first, but some of it was getting on my nerves. My DVR didn't catch all of the episode in which Cotton was crying over his lost girlfriend - did they kill her after all? I'll have to check other threads here.

 

So Isaac is now sick. I don't like Mercy - she was stupid to believe in someone who tortured her in the first place, but I don't entirely like Mary, either. The way Alden could overlook all of the innocents' deaths and run off with her, also boggled my mind. I don't care if they've been in love for years - the woman helped to coerce villagers into killing their own.

 

1. Gloriana was banished, not killed.

 

2. Well, in Alden's defence, he didn't know that Mary was the leader. And he didn't know that they were framing the innocents and stuff. And she did go back to stop the Grand Rite... while he sat around the woods all day and did nothing. Yikes, how his character fell.