This week, Salem will return with its third season and it isn’t messing around. Just when you thought last season was bloody – seeing a child biting the finger raw off a woman, just wait until you see this season. After reviewing five episodes of the season, Salem has raised the bar in terms of blood, gore, and wicked twists in each episode. Yes, it’s possible.
After last season, with the devil taking over Little John’s (Oliver Bell) body, we see a war brewing between the Devil and the Essex witches. No, the devil doesn’t want to create the world for witches and demons. He wants to rule with them as his slaves. Of course, the witches don’t agree with this and plan to bring the only person who could stop him – his mother, Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery).
But, Mary is dead…. or is she? In a world full of magic and necromancy, nobody is truly dead. Tituba (Ashley Madekwe), who now possesses Petrus’ sight, brings Mary to the witches council to revive her. After Mary awakens, she goes straight to work in attempting to kill the devil but runs into multiple problems – including Sebastian (Joe Doyle) and newcomer the Sentinel (Samuel Roukin), an archangel sent to protect the devil.
As for the others, John Alden (Shane West) must come to terms with the loss of Mary and the takeover of witches. He must figure out a way to save the town of Salem from evil forces. The Indian spirits are out of his system, so he’ll be fighting them as a regular human being, but that does not mean he won’t be fighting the supernatural. This is Salem.
Isaac (Iddo Goldberg) is still trying to get rid of the witches from Knocker’s Alley, especially Mercy (Elise Eberle). It’s great to see Isaac receive more of a story this season because he was the sad, lowly character the last two seasons. The creators promised a stronger role for Isaac and have kept their word that he will be tough, but of course, what can he really do against witches?
Mercy, on the other hand, is doing great. She’s off in her own storyline – away from the devil’s mess. She’s now a mistress of a brothel and has finally found true love. This came to a surprise, seeing that Mercy has always been power hungry and independent. But, throughout the episodes, you begin to empathize with her and actually root for the relationship she’s in. It’s an odd relationship, but after viewing it, it makes sense. It was actually enjoyable watching Eberle and her counterpart interact and the chemistry between them is just simply fun.
As for Cotton (Seth Gabel) and Anne (Tamzin Merchant), it’s hard to describe their relationship. The last place we left them was with Cotton being “George Sibleyed” into submission. Throughout this season, there are just so many twists and turns between the two, it’s hard to keep up. Anne is trying desperately to be the wife that Cotton could be proud of, while Cotton is just struggling to get away. As a fan of #Cottanne, it’s hard to cheer for them because of the situation they both are in. They are both living under the Devil’s thumb and that isn’t healthy for a relationship.
The real winner this season to watch is Oliver Bell. For someone so young and new to the industry, Bell has the ability to transform himself into this evil, wicked monster using just his eyes. He’s incredibly talented and this role has proven how creepy a child could become.
Another fun reason to watch is newcomer Marilyn Manson as barber/diener Thomas Dinley. His intentions are not really known, but you can bet he’s not on the Godly-Holy side. His role isn’t huge, but he lights up the room in each scene because he’s just nonchalantly evil. It’s Marilyn Manson, guys.
This season is getting closer to creating a hell on earth. The first two seasons were prepping for the oncoming storm, but season three is already there. The devil is on earth and he’s doing twisted and horrible things to ensure nothing gets in his way. With the addition of Roukin as the Sentinel, it’s about to get even more gory and messed up and that’s the way we like it.
Salem returns Wednesday, November 2nd on WGN America.
from Nerd Reactor
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