Witches of East End – “The Old Man and the Key” Retrospective. Sign of the Times.

The Beauchmap family brace themselves for daddy dearest!

Season 2, Episode 3

Airdate: Thursday, July 20, 2014, 9/8c on Lifetime

Rating: ★★★★★

After an excellent showing in “The Old Man and the Sea,” Lifetime’s Witches of East End paves its way toward a great season with surprising revelations and non-stop action. Fledgling warlock Dash (Eric Winter) continues to discover more about his inherited powers, all of which lead to devastating consequences. Meanwhile, his brother Killian (Daniel Di Tomasso) tries to come to terms with both his past and present circumstances after returning to East End. The Beauchamp family is not in any better standing with the recent arrival of estranged family member, Frederick (Christian Cooke), who continues to throw everyone for a loop.

Where There’s a Witch, There’s a Way

Sisters Ingrid (Rachel Boston) and Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) Beauchamp go on separate journeys this week when one searches for love and the other the greater good. Despite the literal distance both Ingrid and Freya have in “The Old Man and the Key,” I appreciate how they maintain a strong bond when reunited. What I love, and what remains the heart of the series, is the importance of family, for better or worse. It’s wonderful to see Ingrid and Freya take risks in their personal lives after a crazy whirlwind of events from season one.

Taking the first step towards her new life, Ingrid prepares to move out of her childhood home. It’s refreshing to see Ingrid take charge, and by living apart from her family, a lot of possibilities open up for her. It’s a chance to see Ingrid outside of her comfort zone, which should continue to give her confidence. That said, I think it’s her new perspective on life that inspires her to reach out and help Dash control his powers. It’s a very thoughtful gesture considering the immense level of bitterness he feels towards Freya after the wedding debacle. Yet, Ingrid and Dash having a connection makes sense in the grand scheme of things. They both struggle with their powers; each has a horrible streak with relationships; and they both are ambitious. Boston and Winter genuinely have wonderful onscreen chemistry that will undoubtedly make any potential intimate relationship between their characters effortless.

Then there’s Freya, who continues to search for Killian, unaware of his current entanglement with the seductive sorceress, Eva (Bianca Lawson). Lawson is a new addition to Witches of East End but she fits in seamlessly with the rest of the cast, portraying Eva in a way that doesn’t make her the stereotypical catty ‘other woman.’ Yes, when Eva meets Freya for the first time she plants one doozy of a kiss on Killian, to claim him as her own, but it doesn’t pack as bad of a punch, which I attribute to Lawson’s ability to make Eva likeable. I don’t trust Eva, but I don’t hate her either. Let’s face it, guys like Killian don’t just wash up on shore every day, so can anyone really blame her for trying to hold onto him?

But that’s not the only surprise Killian has up his sleeve when Freya finally finds him in Santo Domingo. Apparently, a near death experience and gaining magical powers can motivate a man to take a walk down the aisle. After only one week, Killian announces to Freya that Eva is his wife. Still, it’s hard to take Killian’s marriage with Eva as long lasting when you consider that Killian and Freya have shared two lifetimes together. It’s nothing against Eva, who does have a spark with Killian, but their connection doesn’t really read as a forever kind of love.

Mark of the Beast?

There are always two sides to a story.

Elsewhere in East End, Joanna (Julia Ormond) and Wendy (Mädchen Amick) are conjuring up some magic to get to the nitty gritty about Frederick’s true nature. In what is an eye-opening and fascinating look into the origins of the Beauchamps in Asgard, we get a flashback, courtesy of Joanna’s memories, that sheds a lot of light on why Frederick is given such a hard time about his betrayal.

Reflecting on the days after she and her family went against their father, King Nikolaus (Steven Berkoff), Joanna thinks about Frederick. The portal key seen last season, a serpentine band around the arm, is secretly confiscated to assist in the Beauchamps’ escape to freedom in the human world. But their best laid plans reach a standstill when Frederick takes the portal key and throws it into the vortex leading to the human world; this one action causes the king to find them, and the consequences of Frederick’s actions are what curses the Beauchamp women to a painful immortal life.

Making matters worse, when we return to the present time, Joanna finally sees the sign of the king branded on Frederick’s chest. This news doesn’t sit well with Wendy as the symbol—which is only given to those who swear ultimate fealty to the king—proves to her that Frederick is the real enemy! And, on an interesting note, and speaking of how spot on the continuity remains in Witches of East End, Wendy reveals she believes Frederick placed a spell on her missing earing, the same one he ingested in “A Moveable Beast.”

The pinnacle, the final moment when Frederick allegedly chooses the king, his grandfather, over his parents is given a different context. Originally, when the information Wendy reveals describes Frederick choosing the king, it sounds as if he walked away. The truth told through Joanna’s eyes reveals an altogether different story, one where Frederick doesn’t come across as a heartless traitor. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit if Frederick sacrificed his life in order to keep the king from hurting the rest of his family. Something just doesn’t add up, and there’s such an emphasis on Frederick being the villain, it feels like it’s a trick.

Favorite Moments

Freya and Dash finally talking about their past and the wedding. I don’t know how Killian can’t piece together that his magic abilities are connected with Freya to a certain degree. I mean, wasn’t he the one who insisted they have an undeniable connection?
Aunt Wendy to the rescue! On more than one occasion, Wendy shows her true badassery. First, she chops off her father’s arm to get the portal key, and second, she catches on to Frederick’s tricks.
Dash and Ingrid. It’s one thing to offer assistance to someone in need, but it’s an entirely different circumstance to aid and abet in hiding a dead body. When Dash expresses his gratitude to Ingrid, there’s a lingering pause, which basically suggests there’s more between these two.

Bottom Line

“The Old Man and the Key” is a great transitional episode linking the back story of its core characters while addressing the urgent matters each one of them currently faces. There’s a nice balance to both the dark and light themes; the acting is superb, but more importantly, the overall quality of the entire production remains consistent. Episodic writers Turi Meyer and Al Septien are a great asset to Witches of East End. They have a firm grasp on managing to write effectively for a large ensemble cast of characters, which is no easy task considering the multitude of story lines every main character needs for development within such a short span of time onscreen.

Overall, Witches of East End continues to connect the dots with its strong writing. “The Old Man and the Key” is a prime example of how much potential season two will have now that Dash and Killian know about their powers; Frederick’s loyalty is still questionable; and Eva’s arrival to East End will be the tipping point for Freya’s relationship with Killian.

What did you think of the “The Old Man and the Key?” Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @conallen.