A Discovery of Witches Season 2 TV Recap: Episode 1

Relive each delicious moment of A Discovery of Witches with our weekly recap. This week? A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 1.

Do you ever find yourself yelling at the screen in front of you or mumbling cheeky responses to the characters while watching a show? We do. Sometimes we keep those responses to ourselves and, sometimes, we text them to each other as we watch the same show at the same time 700 miles apart. We enjoy these conversations so much that we decided to share them with you. Each week, Ashley and Nikki will publish an episode recap for the long-awaited second season of A Discovery of Witches. You can read it while you re-watch the episode (because you know you’re going to re-watch it) or just read it. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, just do it. We hope that these recaps will be worth a few giggles for A Discovery of Witches fans and that they might even make you think twice about what you’ve just watched.

[0:00] I know these “previously on” recaps are standard, but is this where we play as if we have forgotten everything that happened in Season 1 and not that we’ve watched all eight episodes on repeat continually for the past two years in anticipation of this moment?  

[1:00] Gerbert knows that Diana and Matthew wore those clothes “only moments ago.” I’m wondering what he could ascertain after a brief encounter with my softball player’s cleats and gear bag.

[2:00] I hope this wise woman’s prophecies about this being the year for greatness bode far better than our wishes for 2021 to improve upon 2020 have gone thus far. Save us all, Diana. 

[3:00] Fortunately Matthew and Diana seem to be faring better post-timewalk than I do after waking from a nap. The questions don’t stop at where are we? They also include, what day is this, who are you, and how did I get here?

Ohhh we have a true opening now! Fancy. You’re big time, ADOW.  

[4:00] “This house is never empty.” Preach, Matthew. A global pandemic has made that phrase all too true.

[5:00] Ashley: “If you want to keep a tongue in your head..” — Um, borrowing. For personal and professional needs. 

Nikki: That escalated quickly. To go from “I’m home” to threats of tongue removal in a matter of seconds is a perfect characterization of male friendship (from this woman’s perspective).

[6:00] “You’re Matthew Roydon.” I understand that Matthew didn’t want to spill all the historical beans to Diana prior to their departure but maybe he could have told her who he was in the past. Maybe?

[7:00] Matthew is worried about becoming his previous self again. In a world that champions continuous self improvement, can you imagine going back to the “you” of 20 or 30 years ago? For me, there would be a lot of glazed donuts and Mountain Dew. I think I’ll stick with “present” me.

[8:00] Ashley: Kit also makes a very convincing Edward Scissorhands. 

Nikki: They’re so fighty! Use your words boys, not your scissorhands.

[9:00 ] Nikki:  “Who did that to you?” That’s the exact same reaction my mom had when she saw my first tattoo.

Ashley: Now that’s a look. Moira Rose meets Elizabethan England. 

[10:00] Matthew appears to be playing a drinking game where he takes a drink every time he wants to throttle Diana. We’ve been playing an Elizabethan drinking game on our podcast but the rules were slightly different.

[11:00] Nikki: I’m sorry, you’re going where? OUT? And leaving me in this 1590s all by myself? I don’t think so mister.

Ashley: Also, this is still the same night? Processing that. I understand that I should suspend application of time zones and jet lag into timewalking but still…  

[12:00] “We’ll find a teacher in the morning, won’t we?” I appreciate Diana’s optimism but it strikes me as completely unfounded in light of their first few hours in 1590.

[13:00] Sophie! I’m so glad that Aisling Loftus got to make the trip to Elizabethan England too!

[14:00] Ashley: “I’m right… this is a good thing.” Women, since the beginning of time… and for all of eternity.

Nikki: Perhaps it would be best not to accuse your partner of not sharing when all you can say about where you’ve just been is “out.”

[15:00] If the bare-chested canoodling and breezy banter is any indication, glad to see they subscribe to the “never go to bed angry” rule as a couple. 

[16:00] “You’re not going anywhere in that monstrosity.” That’s exactly what my family says when I try to leave the house in my furry Birkenstocks and yoga pants. Again.

[17:00] Ashley: Layers upon layers upon layers — for a woman who solidly rocked yoga pants and athleisure in Oxford on the regular, Diana’s certainly getting a baptism by fire into Elizabethan clothing. And looking equally as lovely and at home in it.

Nikki: It seems so long ago when Deborah Harkness joked about the #BagOBumrolls and now we finally get to see one of them!

[18:00] It’s so very cool to see the live action moments of the stills that we’ve been drooling over for months.

[19:00] Diana’s excitement at breaking free of the trip’s rigid agenda is me at every work conference when I find a way to sneak out for even an hour to explore the outside.  

[20:00] “Could you remind me what I was doing last week?” How did Matthew know how I open all my weekly staff meetings?

[21:00] Matthew saying, “Tell me, what was I doing out of London” and then making it sound like he’s just trying to tamp down gossip is pro-level HR stuff. 

[22:00] Our intern, obsessed with Matthew Goode’s stature, notes that Matthew “doesn’t even fit through the door.”

[23:00] “We shall see how this chaos of yours plays out.” Jesus, is this 1590 or week one of 2021? 

[24:00] I’m not even brave enough to watch an episode of Law & Order Special Victims Unit in my house alone at night. And yet here she is, wandering around in the dark several hundreds years from familiarity. You do you, Diana. 

[25:00] We’ve turned from Law & Order to A Beautiful Mind. The intern is now quite concerned about the candle and all those pieces of paper.

[26:00] “Listen to my heartbeat…” As it turns out, we have vampires and their sussing out other creature behavior to thank for the modern-day polygraph test. 

[27:00] Matthew walking in on Diana as she wades through his secrets fills me with the same sort of anxiety that I get when I think about the people in this house finding all the places where I hide their gifts before Christmas.

[28:00] Nikki: Oh, I assure you that I was also wondering when Matthew’s father would “come up.” I’m waiting for you James Purefoy!

Ashley: I do so love when daddy issues are avoided with a repeated sultry plea to come to bed. 

[29:00] “You’re the only thing that makes sense here.” Truly swoon-worthy line from Matthew.

[30:00] Nikki: “I think you do sense that I have power.” That’s the line I use with the intern whenever I’m trying to explain the repercussions of not doing chores. For the record, it is NOT effective and only provokes laughter.

[31:00] Ashley: Girl just has stage fright. I mean, can we clear the peanut gallery and given her some space for this? 

Nikki: Maybe she can’t concentrate because that damn bell keeps ringing!

[32:00] That was a time-lapse video of my crisper drawer during the holidays.

[33:00] “Who else besides your friends and the servants think we are married?” I mean, in fairness, you just found out that by some vampire clause you’re married, so let’s just assume formal save the dates didn’t quite make it in the mail.  

[34:00] Nikki: My heart just grew three sizes! Oh, little Jack Blackfriars look at you!

Ashley: What is it about little apple-cheeked British tots that make my uterus throb?

[35:00] Henry’s quip about how Matthew not having a beard made it easier to read his lips just made me lol.

Side note: I already have a crush on you Adam Sklar!

[36:00] I keep waiting for Tom Hughes to don his Albert teeth and declare his undying love for Victoria in a thick German accent. For those who haven’t sampled that gem of a show, it’s well worth it. 

[37:00] “Matthew is not behaving like the man he was because he is not the man you know” is a line best delivered to someone who hasn’t already had a few drinks.

[38:00] “Pretend for a moment that I believe this story.” An important disclaimer that precedes all parenting moments.

[39:00] Annnd they’re fighty again! 

Side note: I love that Season 1 started with an aerial view of Diana rowing in the eerie darkness and now we get Matthew doing the same. 

[40:00] He’s “gone out” is going to get old really quickly.

[41:00] He might not be my Matthew but he’s not going to be yours either so here we are…

[42:00] Diana is handling this little fireside chat far better than I would if my sole option for combating insomnia in a foreign place involved a wine date with the dark and twisty stranger with the ominous voice and a clear agenda. 

[43:00] Nikki: No, you can’t leave us like this! Who was that man? What was being done to him? We need answers!

Ashley:  Legitimately, what just happened?! I looked down to type then heard blood spurting and screaming. The intern said that she heard “sizzling.” I know Matthew is going to need to eat at some point, but wow.  

Final Thoughts:

Nikki: This was a whirlwind of an episode. As I reflect a bit on the herculean task of bringing Shadow of Night to our screens, I marvel at the ability of screenwriters to take the essence of the book we love and distill it into 42-minute episodes. Things don’t happen the same way as they do in the books because they can’t. In the book, the conversations that Diana and Matthew have in Matthew’s bedroom at the Old Lodge aren’t just intimate moments. They provide a vehicle for Deb Harkness to tell us about the man that Matthew is in 1590. It is obvious that we will now learn those tidbits from other characters like Kit. I’ve got to say, I don’t hate it. Also, the fast pace of the show does not provide an opportunity for Diana to gradually assume agency over her new life. She comes out of the gates with her modern sensibilities fully on display and it’s amusing to see the characters react to it.

We’ve waited two long years for Matthew and Diana to do the Time Warp and it was amazing to see them again. One of my favorite moments was having our first glimpse of Goody Alsop and the Garlickhythe gathering, something that doesn’t happen until midway through the book. It is a reminder that Goody was aware of Diana’s arrival long before the two were formally introduced. I think that is the beauty of watching a novel come to life before our eyes. We already know and love (and despise and loathe) so many of these characters but we don’t yet know how we will be introduced to them on the screen. Much of our joy in the coming weeks will derive from the moments when those characters step into the frame. Don’t you think that’s its own kind of magic?

Ashley: Whoa, we have arrived! From the costumes to the dialogue, to the sets and the lighting, Toto, I don’t think we’re in America anymore. And I couldn’t be more excited (or anxious) for this bit of escapism alongside Matthew and Diana. There’s a lot to take in here — that’s putting it lightly — and my head is spinning in the best way possible. But that feels only fitting, doesn’t it? If Diana isn’t afforded time to get her bearings, perfect an accent and settle in leisurely, why should we? If we’re in this with you, Diana — and we are — then we’re in it for all the grit and speculation that come with eventual glory.

This premiere was all about setting the table for Season 2, a rather formal table ready to serve a filling, multi-course meal over the span of 10 episodes. Do we have all the different forks? The wine goblet goes on that side. We’re missing the bread plates. Don’t forget the soup spoons and the dessert spoons. For god’s sake, change the place cards — you know those two can’t sit next to each other without growling.

It’s always chaotic in the setup, but we know that as the season rolls on, we’ll feast like queens on the splendor of rich characters, strong adapted storylines and high production value that have proven synonymous with Bad Wolf bringing Deborah Harkness’ words to life. So pull up a chair, place your napkin in your lap and get ready, fellow creatures. Nom nom nom. 

But wait, there’s more! In celebration of the Season 2 premiere, we’re sponsoring a giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a pair of “Drink Up Witches” wine glasses along with some All Souls Witchy Women swag. All you have to do to enter yourself in the contest is to leave a comment on this post no later than 12:01 a.m. on January 22. You can find all the legal-y details here.

If you’ve missed any of our A Discovery of Witches recaps, do not fret! You can find them all here.