Witches of East End – “A Moveable Beast” Retrospective. Darkness Becomes You

Freya's premonition about Killian reaches a standstill.

Freya’s premonition about Killian reaches a dead end.

Season 2, Episode 1

Airdate: Thursday, July 6, 2014, 9/8c on Lifetime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I’m a badass witch. So why is everything so hard?”—Ingrid

Witches of East End (WOEE) doesn’t waste time getting to the heart of things in “A Moveable Beast.” The season two premiere takes place one week after the catastrophic events in “Oh What A World,” the season one finale, and follows up on Freya’s (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) doomed wedding, Joanna’s (Julia Ormond) vicious attack, and the opening of the portal to Asgard. What makes “A Moveable Beast” satisfying is the way it ties up loose ends from season one while paving the way for new elements to its growing mythology.

The Darkness Does Rise

While some shows illustrate the darker elements of their subject matter through violence and complex storylines, “A Moveable Beast” takes it up a notch with director Allan Arkush’s choices in lighting and color to accent the overall mood. The first five minutes give way to a sense of dread as the Beauchamp family bands together to heal Joanna from a deadly argenteum poisoning by Penelope Gardiner (Virginia Madsen), whose ambition for power and revenge made Joanna a target. For those who may not remember, argenteum is a substance originating from the magical realm of Asgard; it leaked from the portal hidden in the basement of the Gardiner estate of Fairhaven, causing a series of unfortunate events in East End. For Joanna, who is immortal, argenteum is the one substance that can kill her. A majority of “A Moveable Feast” is a race against time to find a cure for Joanna, and at her side is her estranged husband Victor (Joel Gretsch). Joanna and Victor’s scenes demonstrate the strength of their connection and ongoing love for one another.

Joanna comes to terms with her fate with Wendy at her side.

Ormond is at her best, delivering a strong performance from the moment Joanna endures a painful treatment to resist the toxins from the argenteum to the point where she comes to terms with the prospect of dying. There are several turning points in “A Moveable Beast,” but it is the private conversation Joanna shares with her sister Wendy (Mädchen Amick) that steals the episode, making it one of my favorite scenes between them so far.

Joanna: “All I have ever wanted for my girls was…that they get to lead a normal life. This is normal. I’m not supposed to live forever. Maybe, if I go, my curse goes with me and my girls get to finally grow old, for once.”

Wendy: “There is no way in hell I’m going to let you die.”

Pills and Potions

Second to Joanna’s plight is the problem regarding the portal. Not only is the identity of who or what passes through it a mystery, but the memories of the portal opening itself are gone from the minds of Ingrid (Rachel Boston), Freya, Wendy, and Joanna Beauchamp. Whereas the mysterious identity of the person looking to harm the Beauchamp women in season one played a major part in the development of the storylines and characters, the identity of which Asgardian has arrived in East End is equally as significant.

The magic Ingrid and Freya share is one of the lighter subjects of “A Moveable Beast,” and a nice way to cast light on the darker elements. It’s clear through Ingrid’s feelings about her magical abilities that she still has insecurities. Will her inner turmoil lead her astray once more? Ingrid hopefully has learned her lesson but then again, according to Lifetime, the theme this season is “the darkness is rising.”

Wendy and Ingrid stay close to Freya as Killian gives her the death glare.

Love in a Time of Magic

Another major plot point in “A Moveable Beast” deals with the aftermath of Penelope’s death, which released Killian (Daniel Di Tomasso) and Dash (Eric Winter) Gardiner’s magical abilities. Dash struggles to access to his powers again when he cannot understand how he managed to catapult Killian off the docks at the end of season one. Meanwhile, Killian’s fate remains uncertain for a majority of the episode. At one point, he appears as a vision to Freya, and a ghost of Dash’s guilty conscience in another.

What remains certain is Dash’s immense hatred for Freya. Winter is a perfect casting choice now that his character has come full circle. Gone is Dash’s mild mannered doctor persona, and in its place is a dark, embittered soul. Rightfully so, as the betrayal he experiences through Freya’s love for Killian is a hard truth for him to accept. Yet, the amount of violence that erupts from Dash at the thought of Freya with Killian is unnerving.

Dash (speaking to a hallucination of Killian): “I didn’t murder you, but I hope you’re dead. You and Freya can rot for all I care. You both deserve whatever you get!”

Winter’s expressive face is effective when Dash glares at Freya from across the room of the bar where she works; if looks could kill, Freya surely would be dead. I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to hurt Freya somewhere down the line; at this rate, anything is possible considering his inability to control some of his powers.

The Prodigal Son

Frederick comes to his mother’s rescue.

One of the major twists last season for Witches of East End was the discovery of another Beauchamp sibling, Frederick (Christian Cooke). When Joanna and Wendy fled Asgard to the human world, Frederick betrayed them and pledged his allegiance to his grandfather, who, according to Wendy, is nothing short of evil. So, when Ingrid opens the portal in the season finale “Oh, What A World,” it is no surprise to see Frederick, among others, pass through it in “A Moveable Beast.”

Despite a dysfunctional history with his mother, Frederick ultimately saves Joanna by absorbing the poison into himself. Meanwhile, Wendy still insists Frederick has changed for the better. It’s an interesting dynamic watching Wendy observe her nephew Frederick, seeing how close she is with Freya and Ingrid.

Frederick doesn’t get a lot of screen time; however, considering the mark on his chest and the new symbol for the season, which translates as “King,” I can’t help wondering whether Frederick is truly who he claims to be.

Highlights

Ingrid getting drunk and having fun is a nice touch, adding some levity to the darker storylines.
Killian’s whereabouts, the twist at the end of the episode, makes you wonder a few things about his powers.
Tentacle man and Ingrid— the final scene of “The Moveable Beast” is surreal and disturbing when it becomes evident what Ingrid has been up to during her many hours sleepwalking. There’s a new monster in town, but whether the mysterious creature is genuine or another enemy of the Beauchamps in disguise is unclear.

Bottom Line

Some series struggle during the second season but if “A Moveable Feast” is any indication of the kind of series WOEE is developing into, then it’s going to be one thrilling season! Episodic writer Maggie Friedman crafts a thoughtful and intricate web of storylines while still maintaining the heart of the series, which is ultimately about family.

What did you think of the “A Moveable Beast?” Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @conallen.