A Discovery of Witches Recap & Analysis – Episode 3

Teresa Palmer, Diana Bishop, A Discovery of Witches — Image Credit: AMC/Bad Wolf

This was my favorite episode so far. As such, I’ve included a few more visuals.

“Once the world was full of wonders, but it belongs to humans now. We creatures have all but disappeared. Demons, vampires, and witches, hiding in plain sight, fearful of discovery, ill at ease even with each other. But as my father use to say, ‘In every ending, there is a new beginning.”

Episode 3 opens with the now familiar voiceover as Matthew looks for Diana in the library. Simultaneously, we see Diana get out of bed in a way that can only be described as not very graceful, I guess to demonstrate the disparity between vampires and witches in the gracefulness or speed of their movements. We then get a shot of Matthew framed in the doorway to Diana’s college, where he is waiting to ask her out for the day since the library is full of creatures.

Before she has a chance to answer, Gillian approaches and Diana realizes that Gillian is the one who told about the book. She’s upset because she trusted Gillian, and she has every right to be, though Gillian doesn’t see it that way, stating that Peter Knox is a good man because he’s on the Congregation, as if that alone can erase all number of sins. Gillian then says that even if Diana is angry with her, she doesn’t need to spend time with “that”, referring to Matthew. This angers Diana, who doesn’t seem to respond well to being judged or told what to do, and she immediately walks over to the car, where Matthew opens the door for her. As she gets in, she tells him she can open her own door. Diana is feeling empowered this morning.

Matthew Goode, Matthew Clairmont, A Discovery of Witches — Image Credit: AMC/Bad Wolf

Matthew takes her to his house, which is locked up, with a chain padlocked around a gate. There is a quick shot of a blue peacock in the yard, and as per usual, Diana and Matthew are dressed in shades of blue and gray. Again, there is focus on a door, or gate in this case, as Matthew unlocks the chain holding the gate closed.

As they enter the house, the camera is viewing them through another arched doorframe, like the one Matthew had been standing under in the opening scene when he was waiting for Diana. Diana looks around the house, and through their conversation we get some background on Matthew. She asks if he has to move around a lot (yes, because humans get suspicious), who is the woman in the painting (his sister, Louisa, who looks to be from the Renaissance maybe, putting Matthew at at least 900ish if you round), does he have to change his name (yes, but he always keeps his Christian, i.e. first name), what is his real name (De Clermont), he’s French (“Don’t you ask a lot of questions?” Matthew doesn’t seem to want to play anymore). He explains that he took his mother’s name when she sired him. She lived in France with his step-father, who died. This point is a little confusing. Did he take his mother’s maiden name? Or does he mean his vampire mother, rather than biological mother?

Meanwhile, Satu is visiting the Congregations private Venetian island. She observes that the caretaker is human and he explains that the job has been passed down to the oldest male in his family for centuries. Satu inquires as to whether he has siblings. He says an older sister and Satu replies, “Oh, she must be pleased.”

Back at Matthew’s house, Diana is browsing some ancient manuscripts. As they’re talking, Matthew gets an idea and starts asking Diana questions about how she called the book up, and she says she didn’t cast a spell, as she’s never been good at spellcasting. He then walks over and pours his wine over the book, and her powers move the book out of the way of the wine, proving a theory Matthew has that her magic is instinctive and comes from need. She needed Ashmole 782 for her research. Diana says it’s not that simple and Matthew agrees there must be another link between her and the book, and Diana and the camera bring our attention back to the burn on Dianas hand.

In Madison, Emily is scrying and sees Diana with a man in the shadows. Sarah looks alarmed.

As Diana and Matthew are leaving, we learn that Diana can feel Matthew looking at her. It feels like ice, so she did know he was there in the first episode by the coffee cart. Matthew was born around 500 and died/was turned into a vampire around 537, making him 1,481 years old. Diana then invites Matthew over for dinner.

We cut to a shop where a young woman, Sophie, is going through Halloween stuff while “Demons” by Imagine Dragons plays. It turns out to be a diegetic (meaning sound that originates from a source within the shows world) song, as she gets home and her partner (husband?), Nate, is listening to the song on his headphones. It’s a little on the nose as we find out they are daemons, and he is trying to bring daemons together through an online chat room. The woman has a pile of books from the library on alchemy. She shows Nate a drawing that he observes to be of her statue.

Sarah and Emily call Diana so Sarah can freak out about Diana spending time with a vampire. Diana is wearing blue and Sarah is wearing gray during the conversation. Emily recalls stories that Rebecca used to tell Diana when she was a child, stories about a shadow prince. Emily wonders if that could be Matthew?

The next morning, Diana finds Marcus waiting outside of her college. Marcus tells her that Matthew asked him to keep an eye on her, and Diana finds that controlling. However, she decides to use Marcus’ knowledge to buy dinner for Matthew, and while they’re shopping, Marcus is giving Diana the hard sell on providing a blood sample.

We cut to Satu in Venice, doing research on Diana. She has made a very interesting discovery, that Knox tested Diana when she was a child and found she had no powers and redacted all of the information. Satu realizes that Knox made an error during the testing.

Back at the lab, Diana is letting Miriam take a blood sample when Matthew returns from his conference. He hears what’s going on from the hallway and looks kind of pissed off. He enters the lab somewhat dramatically, and says, “If any vampire is going to take her blood, it’s going to be me.” At first this line seems either possessive or really cheesy, or possibly both. While it’s still really cheesy, if you watch the camera as it focuses on the drop of blood on Diana’s arm, then changes focus to show Miriam and Marcus in the background, it looks like they are barely holding it together. Presumably, Matthew wanted to be the one to take her blood because he trusted himself not to lose it and bite her.

Domenico visits Gerbert to tell him that Matthew Clairmont is supposedly harassing a witch. They see this as a possible opportunity. It seems that there is some sort of rivalry between Matthew and Gerbert and Domenico.

…And that’s when it gets weird. “Beware the witch with the blood of the lion and the wolf.” The cryptic statement isn’t the weird part, so much as the severed head in a metal box that says it. Ummm… Why?

Back with the daemons, Nates mother, Agatha, shows up, and the two are arguing. Sophie comes into the room with the aforementioned statue. She says it’s the white queen from alchemy, and Agatha disagrees. Sophie tells her that who ever the statue is, it’s been in her family for generations, and her father told her when the time comes she must give her to the person that needs it. She’s waiting for a sign, as she doesn’t yet know who that is.

Teresa Palmer, Diana Bishop, Matthew Goode, Matthew Clairmont, A Discovery of Witches, gif — Image Credit: AMC/Bad Wolf

Diana is in her room, getting ready for her dinner with Matthew, wearing blue again. There’s a knock at the door, and Diana opens it expecting Matthew, but instead finds Knox. He is framed in the doorway, and the camera turns around to show Diana framed it in, but standing in the room while Knox is outside, demonstrating more so the personal invasion when he walks in uninvited. He lets himself right in, and Diana tells him, “Get out of my rooms!” which is an example of where the plural rooms sounds a bit off, but anyway, moving on. Knox calls her open-minded, but as a condescending insult. Matthew shows up in the doorway and whooshes over to stand protectively next to Diana. Knowing he can’t win, Knox leaves and Matthew wordlessly hands Diana a bottle of wine as if nothing happened.

We need to talk about whatever the fuck Matthew is eating. Whatever they used, as I’m assuming Matthew Goode didn’t actually put raw venison in his mouth, it looks kind of like mushed raw bacon. Not appetizing, and his “mmmm” sound doesn’t help that. Anyway, Matthew knows the kind of deer that he’s eating with bizarre detail and sounds like he’s bragging when he describes it to Diana. Matthew then explains about vampires: they have heightened senses, they can’t fly, they can run and jump very well, they are efficient, etc. “Our hearts don’t beat…very often.” I love Matthew Goode’s delivery of that line.

“What would I taste like?” Here it gets awkward. That question seems inappropriate, and they both react weirdly. This part if the conversation got a little too Twilight-y for me. Diana looks simultaneously scared and turned on. I’m not sure having someone describe every detail about your physical functions and smell is something desirable. Anyway, so then Diana kisses Matthew while he stands there like a statue, with his eyes open, making it the most awkward kiss ever, especially when he excuses himself right after, saying thank you on the way out and nothing else.

Elarica Johnson, Juliette Durand, Trevor Eve, Gerbert D'Aurillac, A Discovery of Witches, gif — Image Credit: AMC/Bad Wolf

In Venice, Juliette is getting bathed by Gerbert. I had thought she might be his daughter, but I guess not. On the docks, they kiss, and then she says, “Thank you father.” OH. Okay, well, that was awkward. So she’s off to find Matthew.

Diana gets an envelope under her door. She throws it down, clearly upset by the contents. Then she’s at Gillian’s, holding a photograph of her parents crime scene in Gillian’s face, accusing her of having something to do with it (the photograph, not the murder). Gillian doesn’t even know who the people are, but she still doesn’t believe Knox would have done it. She’s more concerned with the book than she is with Diana. We see Diana leave, closing the door behind her, and on Gillian.

Matthew goes to Dianas rooms, where he finds the door open. In contrast to Knox, he gingerly feels around the outside of the doorframe, calling out to Diana before entering the room when he realizes she isn’t there. He then sees the photos. Meanwhile, Diana is at the library to deal with Knox and the book situation herself. She is angry.

Teresa Palmer, Diana Bishop, Owen Teale, Peter Knox, A Discovery of Witches — Image Credit: AMC/Bad Wolf

I love this scene. Diana asks Sean to get Ashmole 782. He tells her that it’s missing and that she was the last person to take it out. He goes to double check. Knox is behind her, kind of stalker like, and says, “We’ll work together, shall we?” as if they’re friends. Gillian told him she was going to get the book again. Gillian and a bunch of witches come out from all corners of the library, surrounding them like they are prey. Sean tells them to get out and Knox uses his powers on him. It looks really bad, and Diana loses it. She looks livid. This is the first time we start to see what Diana is capable of as wind starts blowing and we see her hair come loose from its ponytail. Knox goes into the air and flies backwards. Diana is stuck on the floor.

Teresa Palmer, Diana Bishop, A Discovery of Witches, gif — Image Credit: AMC/Bad Wolf

Matthew senses the wind and runs for the library, running under an arched hall. He dives into the wind, landing across from her on the floor and tells her to breathe, holding her and helping her to get her power under control. Once the wind has died down, she checks on Sean, who is okay.

Diana is asleep back in her rooms, and Matthew and Marcus are discussing how to deal with the situation. Marcus seems very excited about Witch Wind. Matthew says he’s going after Peter Knox. Marcus questions his judgment. Matthew then decides to take Diana to his home in France, Sept Tours. He thinks she will be safe there because no witches would dare to trespass on vampire land.

Diana wakes up and Matthew convinces her that she should go to Sept Tours and why. Then while she is sitting on the bed, he kneels down to her level and kisses her. It’s a great, romantic, close up shot as a cover of “You Can Go Your Own Way” by Lissie plays, with the lyrics: “Loving you isn’t the right thing to do/How can I ever change things that I feel, If I could baby I’d give you my world/How can I, if you won’t take it from me.”

As the song continues in the background, Diana is finishing packing her things and turning out the lights behind her. It’s thematic in that Diana is the only one moving in the scene. Matthew stands outside the door in the hallway, waiting as Diana packs her things, turns off her lights, and leaves, literally exiting the room to join him on the other side of the doorway, in a new situation where everything is different because of her powers.

“You can go your own way, go your own way/You can call it another lonely day, another lonely day

In the courtyard, Matthew and Diana both walk toward the same arched doorway from their first scene in the episode. Initially, they frame the scene, with the doorway in the middle. As they walk, they both get closer until they reach the doorway, where Matthew holds out his hand. Diana takes it and the camera stays with their clasped hands as they walk through the doorway, leaving the college, facing whatever is coming together as the scene fades to credits.

The episode is in some ways its own doorway, as this is the last episode in Oxford, and Diana and Matthew walk through a proverbial doorway at the end, to the next step in Diana mastering her powers and dealing with all the other problems.

To put all the doorway framing together as a theme: