S01.03: Second Line

[Mr. Sparkle]

Rowan searches for safety in a strange city; Sip provides Rowan with a safe house; Lasher makes contact with Rowan but not in the way one might expect.

Streaming on AMC+ 23.01.19 and airing on AMC 23.01.22. 

Proceed at your own risk for spoilers before the AMC airdate.

[Glade]

Lasher looks exactly (same hair/face/facial hair/clothes) like the ghost villain in the film 'Practical Magic,' which is unfortunate, especially since he can shapeshift.  It's good to see Ciprien getting developed more, and I do like him with Rowan.  It sounds like he's saying Cortland was the one who got onto the elevator and killed Deirdre? 

[Eeksquire]

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It sounds like he's saying Cortland was the one who got onto the elevator and killed Deirdre? 

I don't know, even in universe, it sounds like he knows the Mayfair family, so he'd know if it was Cortland.

This show is bad. There's no other way to say it. AMC should probably stop the episode insiders for this one, because the showrunner explaining what just happened in the episode, like the audience needs cliff notes, makes me feel like SHE knows that the adaptation is bad.

[snickers]

This episode was horrendous - next weeks looks better and it better deliver 

for me it’s the acting - so bad!

 

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Yes, related to the two comments above, this is pretty bad. And I agree it's the cast. The only one with any charisma is Ciprien, and I don't see him carrying the show by himself. It's hard to not compare this to the Vampire series, which had 2 fantastic leads in my opinion. This show is severely lacking that. 

[nodorothyparker]

Gods, this show is a mess. As someone who lived in New Orleans for a long time, although not recently, the geography didn't even make sense. It's like they took a bunch of things that are unique to very different parts of the city and ran them all through a blender in the name of "spooky." 

The problems start with the casting of Rowan. Casting a character doesn't have to be a straight from the page sort of thing to work. Interview's Jacob Anderson is so far off the book version of the character I was sure from reading about it that it would be an epic disaster. But that show was made by people who obviously took that series to heart and understood it enough, including what was being said between the lines, that his Louis is still fundamentally the same character reimagined. This Rowan just reacts to things. Telling me she has incredible power while she's stumbling around big eyed and helpless being infantilized and rescued over and over by the supporting cast doesn't do anything for me. We're still given no explanation or parameters for Lasher beyond ooga booga scary scary. It's also almost like the showrunners here looked at how deftly Interview incorporated the racial component of reimaging that story and decided to go as far as possible the opposite direction in adapting a book that has a fair bit to say about New Orleans classism and old money.

[Eeksquire]

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Gods, this show is a mess. As someone who lived in New Orleans for a long time, although not recently, the geography didn't even make sense. It's like they took a bunch of things that are unique to very different parts of the city and ran them all through a blender in the name of "spooky."

I am not an expert in New Orleans, but honestly, even as someone who just loves the city, it definitely seems like the cartoon version of the city. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

"Easy Rider" was a more interesting take on New Orleans on drugs. The only thing I'll give them is they haven't shown a terrible N'awlins accent yet, cher. 

[nodorothyparker]

Harry Hamlin wants to go there. You can see that he's just itching to. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

Harry Hamlin wants to go there. You can see that he's just itching to. 

The line between ascot-wearing rich Southern guy and mid-century rich Cajun guy is very thin. 

[peridot]

The poor caretaker!  She's been with the family for 40 years and they treated her like that.  The close-up of her face in the basement made me gag.

I don't understand though, if she's wearing the key, how did Lasher go out and talk to Cortland and torment Rowan?  I felt awkward watching Rowan's awkward dancing.  It's like she didn't want to move.

I cringed a bit when Ciprien touched his face and Rowan with the same hand that he touched a dead body.

[AnimeMania]

Keyara Miller as Odette Grieve

Geraldine Singer as Millie Mayfair

[ChelleGame]

Any idea what song that was during the second line pictured above?

[dramachick]

Never work for witches. 😧

Damn, Carlotta. I know you want to get rid of Lasher, but you go too far.

Rowan has been in a fog all her life because why else would she be a young, beautiful and successful neurosurgeon living on a freaking boat in San Francisco doing one-night stands for companionship? Ciprien is a great character to help her get out of that fog and master her powers, especially since it looks like she's going to be in the middle of a tug of war between Carlotta and Lasher. And no telling what Cortland is up to.

Such a nice touch to have Ciprien and the maintenance man speak Creole. 

Medieval days were hell, but at least you could die high if you had a good midwife.

I like this show. I find it eerie and entertaining, which is all I can ask of a TV show about witches in New Orleans. 

Tongayi Chirisa is a beautiful man. 🥰

[dramachick]

8 minutes ago, ChelleGame said:

Any idea what song that was during the second line pictured above?

The answer might be on the web page for The North Side Skull and Bone Gang: https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/mardi-gras/history-and-traditions/the-north-side-skull-bone-gang/

[Love]

Who was the woman at the beginning who died of the boar attack?  Was she someone significant?

[Anela]

6 hours ago, ChelleGame said:

Any idea what song that was during the second line pictured above?

They might have it on tunefind.

[AnimeMania]

6 hours ago, Love said:

Who was the woman at the beginning who died of the boar attack?  Was she someone significant?

She seemed to be the mentor to the other Witch/Midwife.

[Kiss my mutt]

Signature song Skull and Bones 

I found this on YouTube. Thirty second acapella snippet. It’s a place to start anyway. I was telling my husband the way NOLA does funerals might be worth dying for. That is my favorite scene. 
The housekeeper bashing her head in…needless to say, least favorite scene but they sure did it up!

[iMonrey]

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I don't understand though, if she's wearing the key, how did Lasher go out and talk to Cortland and torment Rowan?

I don't even get what the key does. If it binds the wearer to Lasher then why the hell didn't Deidre take it off as soon as she woke up? 

How stupid is Rowan supposed to be anyway? Ciprien told her it wasn't safe for her to leave. When the fire alarm went off her first thought should have been that someone was trying to force her outside. So she wanders off by herself, meets a stranger and accepts a tube of God only knows what and gulps it down? What is she, Alice in Wonderland or something? 

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Ciprien is a great character to help her get out of that fog and master her powers

Ciprien isn't doing a bang-up job keeping her safe so far. He tells her not to leave then goes running off and leaves her alone. 

I have to concur with the majority, this show is a mess.

[Mr. Sparkle]

11 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

How stupid is Rowan supposed to be anyway? Ciprien told her it wasn't safe for her to leave. When the fire alarm went off her first thought should have been that someone was trying to force her outside. So she wanders off by herself, meets a stranger and accepts a tube of God only knows what and gulps it down? What is she, Alice in Wonderland or something? 

What got me is that the organization had about 10 people de-spooking the building, but didn't leave one person standing in front to keep an eye on her? 

[anoninrva]

On 1/21/2023 at 12:05 PM, nodorothyparker said:

Gods, this show is a mess. As someone who lived in New Orleans for a long time, although not recently, the geography didn't even make sense. It's like they took a bunch of things that are unique to very different parts of the city and ran them all through a blender in the name of "spooky." 

Am I wrong in thinking that the Vodun quarter of New Orleans, the above ground cemeteries, and the Garden District are in entirely different parts of the city?  It's been forever since I've been there - mostly in the French Quarter and UNO area.

21 hours ago, Love said:

Who was the woman at the beginning who died of the boar attack?  Was she someone significant?

That was Suzanne Mayfair's mother - the first witch. 

[Grammaeryn]

I’m jumping ship on this. I really tried but the show is so bad. Muddled storyline, poorly acted lead, and horrible pacing. Like there was a second great aunt? Where the heck did she come from? The lead is just a breathy bubbly girly with zero personality or power.

[DanielleBowden]

I'm not sure I've recovered from Lasher and Rowans sexy dance/walk.  I so wanted to love this but it's really lacking and terribly miscast. 

[Dream Boy]

Lord, I thought this would be a fun guilty pleasure. But instead it's just bad and not even in a fun "so bad it's good" way. Y'all have touched on most of my issues but Rowan is definitely being written as an idiot. At this point, she's almost too stupid to live. 

 

[Eeksquire]

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Rowan is definitely being written as an idiot. At this point, she's almost too stupid to live. 

I assume that the show is going to take a turn at some point to show Rowan "stepping into her power" as a witch, but honestly it's not going to work. We're three episodes into an eight episode season and the characters are still flailing around. Eps 2 & 3 could have (and should have) been condensed into one.  On another note, this show seems to think we Cortland Mayfair is remotely interesting and he's not. 

[AuntieMame]

On 1/23/2023 at 9:34 PM, Grammaeryn said:

I’m jumping ship on this. I really tried but the show is so bad. Muddled storyline, poorly acted lead, and horrible pacing. Like there was a second great aunt? Where the heck did she come from? The lead is just a breathy bubbly girly with zero personality or power.

I felt these things watching the first episode. I decided to build up a few episodes and have a mini binge to see if things got better. Reading your comment and all of the other comments here has convinced me not to bother. Thank you for that. The bad adaptation of juicy, gothic material broke my heart a little so knowing not to rub salt in the wound is helpful. 

[Scarlett45]

My mom and I had been meaning to watch this, and although it’s got some world building holes we are enjoying it. Ciprien is our fav character so far. I recognized the actor who plays Lasher (I think he’s Jack Huston) from Pride & Prejudice & Zombies!

[tennisgurl]

I have never read the books this is based on so I came into this blind, and I do quite like most of it so far. I love New Orleans so I am a sucker for exploring its history, culture, and architecture, so I hope that we will get more of that in the future. The plot has a lot of holes and I am still confused about most of the world building with the magic and who's using it, but I am still interested in what happens next. 

The main issue I have is Rowen. I am glad to hear from other posters that the character in the books is a lot better, because the version we have feels like a mash up of random character traits that don't add up. She's supposed to be this brilliant surgeon but she's also supposed to be this hard drinking free spirit who lives on a boat and sleeps around, and also she's this wide eyed innocent who is getting jerked around from one faction to the next. She just isn't working, she doesn't act like a smart determined doctor or a sexy independent woman, she's this doe eyed waif who is being sheparded around by a thousand people without asking questions or figuring things out on her own. She acts like a scared teenager, not an ambitious grown woman.  

Edited January 31, 2023 by tennisgurl

[txvoodoo]

On 1/23/2023 at 9:23 PM, anoninrva said:

Am I wrong in thinking that the Vodun quarter of New Orleans, the above ground cemeteries, and the Garden District are in entirely different parts of the city?

They are, though as cities go, it's not massive. But it's not "10 blocks" from the French Quarter to the Garden District. If the funeral of the Second Line was going to St Louis Cemetary No 1, that's just a few blocks from the French Quarter. 

However, Lafayette Cemetery, where the Mayfairs are buried is in the Garden District, so entirely feasible to walk there from/to First Street. I've done it. 

The turquoise circled house is the First Street house.

Edited February 19, 2023 by txvoodoo
added a sentence

[nodorothyparker]

I've made that walk from First Street to Lafayette No. 1 too once upon a very long time ago. It still doesn't explain how Rowan wandered outside of Ciprien's building, which looked very much like the Warehouse District and not exactly easy walking distance to First Street for a woman alone at night who doesn't know the city, through what appeared to be a French Quarter or Treme second line that somehow magicked itself into ending up back in the Garden District.

The poster is probably thinking of the better known St. Louis cemeteries, which are Quarter and Treme adjacent and I know when I lived there were popular on the tourist trap tours.

[anoninrva]

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

I've made that walk from First Street to Lafayette No. 1 too once upon a very long time ago. It still doesn't explain how Rowan wandered outside of Ciprien's building, which looked very much like the Warehouse District and not exactly easy walking distance to First Street for a woman alone at night who doesn't know the city, through what appeared to be a French Quarter or Treme second line that somehow magicked itself into ending up back in the Garden District.

The poster is probably thinking of the better known St. Louis cemeteries, which are Quarter and Treme adjacent and I know when I lived there were popular on the tourist trap tours.

I was thinking Ciprien was near the Superdome.  Google says that's about four miles to the French Quarter, back, and to Lafayette Cemetery.  Not impossible, but not an easy walk, especially when heavily under the influence..

[txvoodoo]

On 2/19/2023 at 8:19 PM, nodorothyparker said:

through what appeared to be a French Quarter or Treme second line that somehow magicked itself into ending up back in the Garden District.

I think the Second Line was headed towards St Louis No 1, whereas Diedre's burial was at Lafayette.

Of course, by not being specific about Ciprian's apt location, they can be vague.

I used to walk all over that city on every visit. Now, I'd need a scooter! 

 

[badhaggis]

I had to quit this is such a disappointing mess. Rowan is a strong character not a baby voiced, wishy washy dish rag. I just can't bring myself to watch this anymore.