Do No Harm. Retrospective: Witches of East End - “A Few Good Talisman”

Season 1, Episode 4

Airdate: Sunday, October 27, 2013, 10/9c on Lifetime.

Rating: ★★★★★

“We’re definitely in the right place. We just have to give tonight a new ending.” — Joanna

This week’s Witches of East End episode, “A Few Good Talisman,” is a doozy, full of surprising revelations and life-altering moments as Joanna’s (Julia Ormond) murder trial takes center stage, and Ingrid’s (Rachel Boston) curse rears its head.

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Witch Scorned

Man oh man, never let it be said that Witches of East End doesn’t know how to make a scene. We begin “A Few Good Talisman” with a flashback—but not just any flashback, one that connects with last week’s discovery of the shapeshifter in “Now I Am A Witch.”

The year is 1693 and Joanna is racing through the woods in total panic looking for Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and Ingrid. When she comes upon a clearing, we see the burned bodies of two people tied to wooden posts. Joanna falls to her knees in total despair, and we learn Freya and Ingrid have been burned at the stake. As Joanna remains inconsolable, a man enters the scene:

Vidar: “I’m sorry Joanna but your girls were reckless with their gifts.”

Joanna: “Vidar…you turned them in?”

Vidar: “It had to be done. We had to keep our secret safe, it was the only way.”

Joanna: “No…you took my girls. They were all I had in this world.”

Joanna attacks Vidar (Matt Frewer) but instead of killing him, cuts off his ear when he begs for his life. The scene abruptly changes, and we’re back to the present time where Joanna recounts this story to Freya and Ingrid, who are in awe of their mother. Freya finds Joanna’s action “badass,” whereas Joanna uses the story to make a point of her policy of not killing anyone. An odd piece of advice since we have seen in “Now I Am A Witch” that Joanna has a way of murdering people over the centuries. Aside from learning the shapeshifter’s identity (Vidar), I can’t help but speculate the “we” he references are other witches in East End. If this is true, then the Beauchamps are in for a hell of a time with their enemies since Joanna’s protection spells are not really protecting anyone. Plus, I can’t help but wonder if that same clearing is where the Thatchers were attacked the night of Freya’s engagement. It would make an interesting sort of symbolic gesture on the shifter’s part.

Joanna, Crime Solver…Sort Of

We are reunited with Harrison Welles (Anthony Lempke), Joanna’s immortal attorney-for-hire. As Joanna prepares for her criminal trial, Harrison is there by her side for the majority of the episode. These two have great chemistry, and begs the question: How well do they know each other? Also, this episode allows viewers to see Joanna take more initiative in solving her problems. Quite frankly, it’s a relief because we get to see more of Joanna’s power. If we are to believe her abilities are a true force of nature, it’s crucial for viewers to witness it more often. The perfect example is when she uses her powers at the Thatcher crime scene to predict the shapeshifter’s next attack. It’s brilliant, and the sort of magic I hope we see Joanna do more of as the series progresses.

Freya’s Choice

The ongoing saga of Freya’s love triangle with Dash (Eric Winters) and Killian (Daniel DiTomasso) doesn’t reveal too much this week but it does bring back Penelope Gardinier (Virginia Madsen), the matriarch of her family. In an effort to please her future monster-in-law, Freya attempts some spell work to bring the dueling Gardinier brothers to Fair Haven for a family dinner. There’s an interesting scene where Freya walks in on Killian playing the piano; she interrupts his playing and tells him she’s heard the song before. He responds, it’s “impossible” since he composed the tune himself. And with that, I think an anvil drops suddenly.

For weeks now, Killian and Freya have had an inexplicable attraction to one another—so much so, they are in each other’s dreams. If there are other families of witches in East End, it serves to reason perhaps the Gardiniers could be one of them. If Freya and Ingrid had their memories blocked, who’s to say the same hasn’t happened to Killian and Dash? Or maybe it’s just Killian? From what we know of Freya’s past so far as implied by Wendy (Mädchen Amick), she’s dabbled with people’s emotions and desires through her potions. It’s possible Killian shared a life with her in the past and Dash seems to have some kind of inkling about it, especially when he tells Freya he doesn’t want his brother in their home. Seriously, threatened much? The more Dash pushes the subject of Killian leaving town, the more I suspect he is up to something. Plus, the chemistry between Freya and Killian is great in “A Few Good Talisman” because he’s playing less cocky and more brooding, which, considering his previous bravado, shows a bit more vulnerability. When he sees Dash and Freya in a tender embrace, the look on his face just softens your heart a bit; the boy has got it bad for Freya.

Wendy Gets Some

In one of the more memorable guest appearances on Witches of East End, Freddie Prinze Jr. plays the role of Leo Wingate, a man who loves insects—butterflies being one of his specialties. He also happens to be the one person who can solve Wendy’s problem concerning a rare spell. The way she initially baits Leo in her cat form is both smart and hilarious. When he discovers a very naked Wendy at the top of the stairs, it adds a whole new meaning to the word awkward. Although their scene is brief, these two have a real heated chemistry, and I’m hoping this isn’t the last we see of Leo this season.

The Fallout

The price of Ingrid’s resurrection spell comes to a head when her best friend Barb (Kellee Stewart) suffers complications from her pregnancy, and Adam (Jason George)—who will not give up on a chance to be with her—pays the ultimate price. From the start, Adam and Ingrid’s love story has been the sweetest storyline of the series, and now that their story may be done, I’m sad to see it go—or so the episode would lead us to believe. The great thing about Witches of East End so far is the way it has carefully built each episode without becoming dull or overwhelmed with information. Ingrid’s storyline could have been dragged out but addressing it early on leaves room for her character’s development.

Looks Are Deceiving

In the culminating moment of Joanna’s storyline this week, we learn Vidar is not the one who murdered Mrs. Thatcher’s (Gillian Barber) husband. In fact, he is one of many out to end the Beauchamp bloodline. This was a great twist. The whole time I thought Vidar was the shapeshifter behind all the dark and dirty dealings, but now that we know he’s just another pawn, it means the Beauchamps are in a much more vulnerable place.

I also couldn’t help but notice that each week,a particular enemy for each individual Beauchamp shows up. In the first episode, it was a man from Freya’s past, and this week it’s someone directly from Joanna’s past. Considering how Ingrid will be vulnerable in the upcoming weeks, my bet is that her ghost of lifetimes past will haunt her next.

Overall

What is really interesting about “A Few Good Talisman” is that this is the first episode where the center of action isn’t a total collaboration among the Beauchamp women. And maybe that’s why the episode felt a little off. That being said, “A Few Good Talisman” remains a solid episode with some significant turning points to add to the drama in the coming weeks.