S01.E09: Children Be Afraid

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

Mary struggles to get George back under her control; Mercy and her acolytes flex their power.

 

[Dream Boy]

Mary would be a fool to keep Mercy around. Not only is she too eager to kill and amassing an army of killer sycophants, but she's proven that she can't be trusted either. Tituba was right about her all along. Speaking of which, Tituba looks like she's in for it next week. Increase continues to be a creeper. 

 

My favorite character continues to be Anne. I wanted her to slap the taste out of Mercy's mouth last night LOL 

[spidermiss2426]

first of all... Shirtless shane west= YUM. 

 

Mercy is growing on me, but only because I like the controversy of the Mary/Tituba vs. Mercy storyline.

[Matteo]

Mercy's acolytes literally ripping that man into pieces and tossing his parts aside made me laugh more than it probably should have.  Tituba's gonna have a rough time next week as she gets interrogated by Increase, I'm sure.  Tituba should've at least tried to deflect the blame to Mercy by saying Mercy was just desperate to accuse someone else to cover her own tracks.  Sure, nobody would believe her since she has the spider marks on her neck, but at least she could've thrown suspicion on Mercy the betrayer, too?  Maybe they both would have been arrested then.  I'm sorry, but if Mercy threw me under the bus like that, I would at least attempt to get her in trouble too.

 

The story with John Alden getting the kid to finally speak was a little too quaint for me/this show, but if he continues to be shirtless and chopping wood, then I'll find a way to deal with it.

 

I wonder what those old hag witches meant about having their ways to control Mary.  Curious to see how that whole thing shakes out as she gets closer to completing the Grand Ritual.  I still don't understand the whole Witch Politics and why Mary is the one necessary to carry out the ritual for them all.  It seems like neither the creepy forest witches nor the town council witches care for her very much.  I wish they would explore/explain that issue better.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Matteo

[kwerkee]

I still don't understand the whole Witch Politics and why Mary is the one necessary to carry out the ritual for them all. 

I'm waiting for the exposition too. All I can fanwank is they needed a woman who's young and white to seduce George and get their hands on his money. Have they established that witchery(?) runs in the family? Maybe Mary's ancestors were some of the more powerful ones?

I don't sympathize with Mary at all. She watched former Mrs Sibley gets murdered and made a choice to marry George. She may have sympathy for The Fornicator but she killed good people just so she ccould sacrifice 'innocents'.

The only character I'm rooting for is Mercy. After what they did to her, I'm glad that she gained confidence and turned the tables on them. Not only that, she used her powers to help others. True, she killed someone in the process but at least it was to prevent evil. I consider her a more competent witch too, because she helped recruit at least 5 young girls within weeks of her apprenticeship. Before her, it seemed like the only young ones in the coven were Mary and Tituba.

Also, Papa Mathers rocks.

[Nanda]

 

The only character I'm rooting for is Mercy. After what they did to her, I'm glad that she gained confidence and turned the tables on them. Not only that, she used her powers to help others. True, she killed someone in the process but at least it was to prevent evil.

 

I was rooting for her too till some point of the narrative but now she has crossed the line too far and is beyond salvation. I think she's turning herself on the worst of the witches. I think Mary will deeply regret not having killed her when she had the chance.

I love the introduction of Increase. He seems to be fearsome and competent as a witch hunter. It was a nice surprise that he didn't turn to be the usual  inquisitor cliché, a religious moron completely incompetent and utterly oblivious to human nature. In fact, I'm starting to sympathize with him more and more.

This week the series has taken over a more enjoyable pace. It was turning pretty boring.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Nanda

[kwerkee]

now she has crossed the line too far and is beyond salvation. I think she's turning herself on the worst of the witches.

Interesting point. I would then argue that if Mercy were the protagonist, she would be a revered antihero, a female one at that.

[Nanda]

 

I would then argue that if Mercy were the protagonist, she would be a revered antihero

 

I agree, the protagonist herself is  a little bit bleak. She doesn't have a strong presence as the actress who plays Mercy. Physically or psychologically despite certainly being older. It won't take long for her to steal the status of a revered antihero to Mary.

 

 

My problem with Mercy right now is that she started seemingly as a fairly good girl who was being used and abused. A victim who had all simpathy's. From a victim she became an untrustworthy abuser. What she did to the father's girl was far from helping his daughter. She was feeding her lust and thirst for power. She's using them to raise a power base for herself and dominance over them, not helping them.  And is doing that under Mary's nose. Tabita spotted her and she's trying to eliminate the older witch. She could have used her power even before she became an apprentice, to help other people. Instead, she chose to turn to the dark side and pile up for herself. I never saw her conflicted about it, contrary Mary has several times showed herself conflicted about witchcraft, about choices she thinks she really really didn't do and showed worry about Alden, trying to help him. Not that  it saves her to my eyes, but shows nuances of humanity still in her that I don't see in Mercy at this point who only thinks in killing and rise hierarchically. 

Edited June 23, 2014 by Nanda

[kwerkee]

I see Mercy's turn to witchcraft, organic. She was exposed to evil, not of her own will. She went through hell and back. She had a chance when she was exorcized but she was force fed the snake again. This time she fought back and that's when she realized that she could be strong. She didn't want to be weak again so she made a bargain she thought would strengthen her further.

What she did to the father's girl was far from helping his daughter. She was feeding her lust and bloodthurst for power. She's using them to raise a power base for herself and dominance over them, not helping them.

That wasn't the chain of events. It started when the girls came knocking on her door, literally. They decided they now want to be friends with her. After being locked up for so long, Mercy relished their friendship. Then that poor girl told her story and Mercy felt she was going to lose a friend that she just met. She let them strap her up and she falsely accused the girl's father to stop him.

The girls thought she's cool now and unwittingly participated in witchcraft. Though, I assume it's not full-blown witchcraft because they were not visited by that demon thing.

Then when the girl's father was released, Mercy needed to complete what she started. It was only this time, she employed witchcraft to, I assume, physically strengthen the girls to take him down.

. I never saw her conflicted about it, contrary Mary has several times showed herself conflicted about witchcraft, about choices she thinks she really really didn't do and showed worry about Alden, trying to help him.

I'm afraid I read Mary differently. She knew the coven had a long term plan to take over George's money and even witnessed his first wife's death. Whatever anger she had for George, his wife didn't deserve her fate. She went on to marry him, taking advantage of an innocent's death.

Alden was a reminder of happier times. Plus, she felt guilty because she had sacrificed their child.

She could have left with Alden several times but she refused to. The show has not make it clear why so I assume she's staying to complete the ceremony to gain more power. To wipe Salem off. As far as we see, the town hadn't done a thing to her.

Edited June 23, 2014 by kwerkee

[Nanda]

 

Quote

What she did to the father's girl was far from helping his daughter. She was feeding her lust and thurst for power. She's using them to raise a power base for herself and dominance over them, not helping them.

 

Quote

That wasn't the chain of events. It started when the girls came knocking on her door, literally. They decided they now want to be friends with her. After being locked up for so long, Mercy relished their friendship. Then that poor girl told her story and Mercy felt she was going to lose a friend that she just met. She let them strap her up and she falsely accused the girl's father to stop him.

 

 

You're missing one event in the chain. Mary's visit to Mercy right before the girls came on her door, just to remember her to not fight back bc she belonged to them now, that she was powerless and on and on. When the girls came in and started chattering, she suddenly had an epiphany and realized the power she had over Mary and not the other way around. And she seized it. The girls offered her the chance, in a silver platter, to overpower Mary and  secure herself...and she showed to the witch she was not that powerless as she was saying she was. She wanted to confront Mary in public to tell her- 'be aware or I point you my powerful finger at you'.   To me, even that time it was not a selfless act on Mercy's part to benefit the new friend, it was an act of taking control of her own life, a desperate act of survival.

At the time her motivations weren't clear but now in retrospect it can be seen clearly that she entered a downward spiral of power to initially protect herself, but quickly became a war of power to overcome the other witches whose methodes she  disagrees. She became evil and competitive and  genuinely interested in no one but herself. She had the chance to point Mary or other witches with her beautiful finger and bring peace to Salem and ensure safety for herself, but she chose not to, instead she chose to send the message- 'make me power like you or I start to use my finger. I want to learn'. So, my read out is, that scene at the public square was not to stop the drunk dad but to stop Mary and pass a strong message to her as the show clearly showed on Mary's face.

 

Even that fragility she showed to Mary in Mary's place afterwards, I've my doubts it was genuine. Hum. I suspect  she handled Mary like a true professional. She strung the last of Mary's human cord in order her to make her one of them and not have her killed. At this  point I don't have any doubt she has an agenda but we have to see more.

 

 

I'm afraid I read Mary differently. She knew the coven had a long term plan to take over George's money and even witnessed his first wife's death. Whatever anger she had for George, his wife didn't deserve her fate. She went on to marry him, taking advantage of an innocent's death.

 

And... at that point if she had refused to get along with the plan...she could have gone hapilly with no consequences?

At this point she had no other chance. She had gone too far. She already was a belonging of the Devil. When she realized what she had gotten herself into, she tried to cower, she tried several times to get out in the begining. In fact we saw that she was tricked to get involved in a situation in which she had not the necessary knowledge  to make an informed decision. She was deceived by Tabita and  the organization of witches who used her outrageously to their advantage without actually asking her permission. Mercy was much more informed about what she was getting into herself.

After that Mary fully embraced her new life and seems  to be a faithful acolyte of her religion til Alden came into the picture.

But for me, even here Mary seems to sincerely believe and work to a cause she considers honest whilst Mercy seems to work for herself.

 

However I want to make clear that I do not advocate Mary to Mercy or vice versa. I despise both. They should found the M & M Club and be happy. I only think they were once young, vulnerable, in difficult positions, used and abused by others and with no resources to fight back. But now, they don't need  compassion from anyone.

 

 

She could have left with Alden several times but she refused to. The show has not make it clear why so I assume she's staying to complete the ceremony to gain more power. To wipe Salem off. As far as we see, the town hadn't done a thing to her.

 

Left with Alden to where? To war with him, before witchcraft? And after he returns that was not an option for her anymore, for her own and his sake. The witches have her very well tight. She goes no where they don't want to. From there she only leaves to the tomb and from the tomb to the Devil's arms in hell.

If leaving was an option why doesn't Mercy do it either?