A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Starts with a Slow Roll

Hoping it gets a little more magical :/

It was with pure glee that I sat down last weekend to catch up on the first episode of A Discovery of Witches Season 2 out on Sundance Now. I was a big fan of season 1, which is based off Deborah Harkness’ bestselling All Souls trilogy (which I have downloaded, but have yet to read). So, here are my first impressions of Season 2. Not really a review. But just a few thoughts. WARNING: Spoilers!

I Forgot Most of Season 1

I wasn’t but 10 minutes into the 1st episode when I quickly realized I didn’t remember what was going on. Diana and Matthew end up in 1590 Elizabethan London, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why or how they got there. It had been a long span of time since the last season aired. So, I had to take time out last week to rewatch season 1 (only 8 episodes). At long last, I got to sit down on Friday night and watch Season 2.

Kit Marlowe and other Historical Figures In the House!

The scenes set in Elizabethan London are dimly lit. I hate shows like that because my TV shows them as almost black. But, even in the darkness, it didn’t take me long to realize that actor Tom Hughes (Prince Albert from Victoria), was playing Matthew’s friend and confidant, Christopher “Kit” Marlowe (yes, that Kit Marlowe who wrote Doctor Faustus). I recognized his voice right off the bat, sans his Victoria German accent. Marlowe, unsurprisingly, is a demon, and has no use for Matthew’s relationship with Diana (her being a witch and all). But, he has a sexy voice, and is easy on the eyes. So, it was a nice surprise to see him in the role. We also run into Sir Walter Raleigh and other historical folks along the way.

Too Much Time Warp

The first two episodes spend an inordinate amount of time on the time jump to merry ol’ England in my opinion. The pace is humdrum, and a little tedious. It would be nice to know what is going on with the other characters in the present. We do learn that there is a witch who can teach Diana how to harness her powers. We also learn that Matthew, in this time period, was identifying Catholics and witches and betraying them to the Crown (not convenient since Diana is posing as Matthew’s wife). I will, however, give the initial tempo of the first 2 episodes a pass and hope for an uptick in action on episode 3.

Matthew Goode, Still a Hottie

I have always liked Matthew Goode. He shows up in a lot of shows I have watched over the years. And while I didn’t particularly like the costuming for Diana’s character in the time jump (it sometimes looks like the dress is wearing her), Matthew’s costumes are sleek, fitted, and look very nice. 

The Wrap Up

Season 2 is ten episodes long and comes out every Saturday on Sundance Now, which I subscribe to on Amazon Prime. I guess it remains to be seen if Diana and Matthew’s relationship can survive the jump to Elizabethan England. Or if they find the Book of Life. Or what happens to the rest of the creatures in the present. So many questions need answering!!

Alternatively, I guess I could read the books I’ve already downloaded to my Kindle! 🙂