Witch Fights and Bad Magic. Retrospective: Witches of East End - “Snake Eyes”

Season 1, Episode 8

Airdate: Sunday, November 24, 2013, 10/9c on Lifetime.

Rating: ★★★★★

“This snake is a powerful vessel of pure evil. I think we need something a little bit stronger than off the cuff Latin commands!” – Wendy

If you haven’t caught the epic episode of Witches of East End, “Snake Eyes,” I have to warn you; you’re about to enter spoiler country. There have been many pivotal moments this season in Witches of East End, from the identity of the shape-shifter to some unsettling character deaths. “Snake Eyes,” however, takes the cake by elaborating on the series’ mythology; incorporating more plot points from the original source material (Melissa de la Cruz’s novels); and shedding light on Joanna’s vague past. All of the significant moments in “Snake Eyes” gave me a case of emotional whiplash; one minute you’re smiling at the adorbs, which are the Ingrid (Rachel Boston)/Mike (Enver Gjokaj) scenes, and next, you’re on the verge of tears as Joanna (Julia Ormond) and Wendy (Mädchen Amick) exchange a heartfelt conversation. As one of the most memorable episodes of the series so far, written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien, Witches of East End’s “Snake Eyes” proves once again, this isn’t your typical TV brand of witchcraft and wizardry.

Holy Info Dump!

If you had any questions about the Beauchamp clan, don’t worry because you’ll find out more (and then some) in this one hour than we have received to date. Where last week’s “Unburied” left off with Joanna retrieving the serpens clavem (a golden, ruby-eyed snake that doubles as a portal key to another dimension when attached to a host) from a hidden location in a graveyard, “Snake Eyes” picks up with her presenting it to Wendy, who is shocked by its existence.

Wendy: “You lied. Why would you keep that snake? It’s seductive, and corrupting, and poisonous. You and I both know what it does to people. Why would you keep it this whole time? You thought you might use it again someday. Unbelievable! And you call me the reckless one! You know we could never go back there, why would we want to? Our lives are so much better here.”

Joanna tries to reassure Wendy that it will not be used to open the portal, but that doesn’t convince her: “You saw what it did to our father. It killed everything that was good inside of him.”

But, like Pandora and her forbidden box, or Eve and that damn apple, Wendy finds herself drawn to the box that contains the serpens clavem. Oh, did I mention Wendy and Joanna both know the serpens clavem is dangerous and should be destroyed? That being said, Wendy still becomes prey to the allure of its magic when the snake attaches itself to Wendy after coiling around her arm and biting down to release its venom.

As the toxins works their way through Wendy, it soon possesses her to act out in horrible ways. Joanna tries to reason with her, explaining the serpens clavem’s whole goal is to get to the portal. The danger of what may be unleashed is too risky so Joanna does what she does best: kick some ass. A good portion of Joanna and Wendy’s scenes involve fights, but it’s the cruel revelations Wendy spits out to Joanna that are painful.

Wendy: “You don’t care about me. You didn’t speak to me for over a hundred years. I guess you’re a cold-hearted bitch. Just ask Frederick. Oh, that’s right, you can’t because you left him behind. You abandoned your only son.”

Joanna: “That’s not true.”

Wendy: “It’s not? You didn’t abandon him?”

Joanna: “He refused to come with us. You know he was turned against me.”

Wendy: “You know, for somebody so nurturing, all you seem to do is destroy people. That’s why you can’t talk about Frederick because you can’t deal with what you did to him.”

Oh My Gods

[MAJOR SPOILER]

So the biggest drop of the episode is the news that East End is not just a magical place but the portal for the mythical land of Asgard! Yes, as in the world of Odin and Thor.

Joanna: “You know we didn’t leave by choice. Our father banished us to this world when he came into power.”

Wendy: “But—”

Joanna: “No! He said if we ever returned to Asgard, he will kill us.”

It’s an interesting and surprising reveal but considering how well Witches of East End has handled some of the more melodramatic plot points, I have faith this will put a fresh spin on the series.

One of the things I love about this reveal is that it broadens the possibilities for the East End world by giving us a mythically large forum to play with in the future. Also, I can’t wait to see if the other major East Enders, like Dash (Eric Winter) and Killian Gardiner (Daniel Di Tomasso), are part of the same familial lineage considering their mother Penelope (Virginia Madsen) is one shape-shifting force of nature.

But if the use of Norse mythology didn’t shock me enough, the disclosure of Joanna’s son Frederick made my jaw drop. It’s a big revelation but it provides a lot of insight into the sacrifices she made by keeping the serpens clavem intact.

Where My Witches At?

Meanwhile, as WWIII erupts in the Beauchamp household, complete with broken chairs and shattered glassware, Ingrid reunites with Mike while he explains more of his reason for arriving in East End. Apparently, the historical fiction he has been working on is a cover for his real interest: witches. The look on Ingrid’s face is priceless as she tries to mislead him about the absurdity of witchcraft until Mike talks about his father, who believes witches are real.

Boston and Gjokaj light up the screen together as they provide the lightest moments of “Snake Eyes” without such heavy drama as Freya’s (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) estrangement from Dash, and Joanna’s heartache.

Who Is The Fairest Witch of All?

Speaking of Freya, the girl cannot catch a break. Just as she is recouping from the fallout of her brief intimate moment with Killian, mama Gardiner comes at her in full black magic mode. Using some creative methods with roses to drug Freya into coming to Fair Haven, the real cause for concern happens when she uses her witchy skills to literally suck the magic out of Freya.

Penelope is wonderfully evil, and Madsen makes her character so much fun to watch. She really has the whole Evil Queen from Snow White down pat.

Final Thoughts

What I love about Witches of East End is its effortless way of working itself out of the inevitable dead ends its characters face. “Snake Eyes” is definitely a seasonal highlight with great dialogue and dramatic fight scenes directed by Peter Leto.

It was a relief to learn de la Cruz was also a consulting producer on this episode; it probably made a difference in how balanced the mythos and current storyline are. Honestly, the topic of incorporating Norse mythology is somewhat of a hard sell; not many TV series take on this subject. Add to that the current popularity of films like Thor, and this could mean good or bad things for the current storylines.

Amick does an exceptional job of portraying Wendy’s complex feelings towards Joanna in one of the most memorable performances of the season. As much as I love sweet and fun Aunt Wendy, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her dark side!

The strength of the series, however, is the way it allows itself to keep the focus on the Beauchamp clan; as long as the main characters remain the heart of the show, instead of letting the supernatural elements take over, Witches of East End has a bright future.