The episode opens in Venice! So beautiful. We see the point of view of Juliette and her deadly, unhealthy obsession with Matthew. But I also really feel bad for her. The emotional and physical abuse she endures at Gerbert's hand is sickening. And because he is her sire she calls him "father" which is really even more disturbing.

I realized calling him father sort of has a double meaning because Gerbert was Pope Sylvester II. Domenico kisses his hand like people kiss the Pope's hand.

Hamish is introduced this episode. I cracked up at Matthew's joke when he said his newly decorated home looks like a wedding cake. I like that they kept the little things like their chess game, creature politics, and Hamish's warning about the warmbloods Matthew has killed (Eleanor and Cecila).

The Bodleian is filling up with creature. Could the man with the red cowboy boots have been Timothy? Poor Diana can't get any work done with all these interruptions.

I like the ways Diana stood up to Peter Knox when she told him she wanted no part of vampire genocide and then when she breaks the window at the party. Owen Teale is good as Peter Knox. You really just want to punch him in the face and tell him to F-off.

With the threats of Peter Knox Diana is becoming more trusting of Matthew. I like how they kept a little bit of the conversation from the book about Matthew looking for Ashmole 782 since Darwin's Origins and how he's so old he knew Machiavelli and the line, "Which fall of Carthage?"

I also love the little moment in the lab when Marcus smells Diana and says she is AB-. There is not as much detail about the biology, genealogy, and Diana's DNA results in the series as in the book, but I am not surprised. There was a lot and I mean A LOT of information about all that. I think they kept most of what was necessary.

Desire and Fear - they also sort of kept when Diana and Matthew talk about that though they didn't mention that it was the topic of his paper when he applied to All Souls College.

When Matthew kisses Diana's wrist at the end that was very sensual.

It's great to have this story in TV series format because we see the inner workings of the Congregation - the politics, the threats, and the archives. I love archives. When Satu arrives she is wearing much nicer clothes. Dressing the part.

More world building, we are introduced to more Daemons. I smiled when "Demons" by Imagine Dragons played as they introduced Sophie and Nat. And it wasn't a cover! I love, love, love Sophie in the book and seeing her story with Nat and Agatha told was one of my favorite things about the series. In the book Sophie and Nat just show up out of nowhere, but here you see their journey and how they make their way to Madison.

Also, they are such a cute family but also you see the sadder side too. Daemons feel so alienated. Breaks my heart.

Again Diana gets no work done at the Bod. But at least she gets to go to a library. I liked scene at Matthew's house in Woodstock when Diana is admiring his books and then he tests her by almost spilling wine on them. It was funny but also I felt like Diana, like "WTF are you doing?!" But it brings up the plot point about her magic being tied to need.

Having Louisa's painting was a nice little nod and there is the foreshadowing of talking about Philippe and that vampires can be killed. That is for when Juliette almost kills Matthew and she dies.

Although Matthew Goode was not my first choice he is playing Matthew Clairmont so well. He has the right mixture of dangerous, haunted and sensual.

His chemistry with Teresa Palmer is really strong. I don't mind they cut out the yoga scene and am glad they did their dinner date scene so well. They kept the "what I would taste like" question and the aftermath was chilling.

The little Easter Egg about Queen Elizabeth I's teeth was a nice touch.

I really liked Marcus in this episode. He is so charming when he takes Diana food shopping for her date with Matthew. He's just adorable.

When Matthew is taking Diana's blood in the lab, who growls? Was it Matthew, Marcus or Miriam? The closed caption didn't say who it was.

The actress playing Miriam, Aiysha Hart, is really gorgeous and I like her fierceness.

Going back to adorable people, I love that we get to see Sarah and Em's POV. Their chemistry is so cute and natural. I love their concern for Diana, even when Sarah gets angry. I want them to be my aunts and teach me magic.

Gerbert is being a creepy abuser again. I had forgotten about the oracle head he keeps and the prophecy. I guess because we only hear about the head and never see it in the books. And I can't remember when the prophecy about the lion and the wolf is brought up.

Juliette getting a bath from Gerbert is just wrong. Her life is just sad.

The confrontation in the Bodleian. They changed the fact that Sean remembers Diana calling Ashmole 782, but I guess it is too much to explain that magic made him forget that so they just omitted that. But poor Sean getting mind abused by Peter Knox! Pure evil.

I love how the episode ends with a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way."
Nice little foreshadow to BOL. I wonder if for the third season they will have the Bishop house playing the actual band' music (if they can get those expensive rights) or just mention it?

Isn't France beautiful? I love the scenery and I love Sept-Tours. I especially loved it when Diana and Matthew were horseback riding. You could see Sept-Tours in the background.

The horseback riding scene was so similar to the book but I really thought that Diana would tell Rakasa to fly. Still, I am glad they kept it because it's a good date/bonding moment for Diana and Matthew. I totally agree with omitting the Yoga dates they went on, but the horseback riding would have been a shame to lose.

What I love best about being at Sept-Tours is that Matthew is more relaxed. Not just dressed more casually but he is less rigid. Also, Diana is wearing her hair different. It's not worn in loser waves and in a pony tail or braid. She's wearing it down and it's more softer and more sensual.

The woman playing Diana's mother Rebecca, Sophia Myles, looks like Kate Winslet.
I liked the way Matthew said "Merde!" when he figured out Rebecca and Stephen's murders were a cover up.

We finally meet Ysabeau de Clermont and Marthe.
I think Sorcha Cusack is perfect for Marte. It's funny, my sister told me she pictures our late great-grandma as Marte when she reads the books. Which is sweet.

While Lindsay Duncan is older than the Ysabeau described in the books, she captures her elegance, her demeanor and her power. I liked the way she watched Diana like a hawk.

Speaking of power, I love Agatha Wilson. I love that she has been trying to up the woman count on the Congregation. I also like her political maneuvering to protect Nat and Sophie.

This was the first time I noticed the magical barrier special effect when they go to the scenes for the Congregation. I liked when the members joined their keys to open the door.

It was really smart the way they included their POV. We get to know the history of the Congregation and the Covenant.

Knox is a real mean ******* for abusing Satu. No wonder she turns against you.

Back to book to screen moments - The Tango! That was sexy. I understand that with budget constraints Diana glows and does not fly. Same with the witch water. You would need Disney's money to have Diana display that type of magic with water. I was just a little sad Ysabeau did not sing to her.

I always felt that Diana was weaving her first spell when she tells Matthew, "We are bound together." There was no way out for either one of them after that.

Ysabeau takes Diana hunting and she actually eats the fox, then licks the blood off her leather gloves. I thought that was weird. Doesn't leather taste funny?

Here is some good cinematic storytelling: I liked how their hunting scene cuts between Matthew hunting and attacking Gillian. Only in the show he does not kill her so that he is more likable. I suppose that is the reason because Gillian has served her purpose.

These next scenes also go hand in hand well too. Matthew is so smitten when he tells Hamish what he loves about Diana. Hamish gives him some advice and tells him to tell Diana about his past. She'll still love Matthew because he still does too.

Ysabeau then tells Diana about Matthew's life as a human, about Bianca and Lucas (the Cliff's Notes version), about falling from the tower (I think he jumped) and turning him. There is some foreseeing from Diana here about using her blood to save Matthew. But it is interesting that Ysabeau says Diana can never have his child. Given what we know from the books is Ysabeau lying to her or are they changing the story so that Ysabeau doesn't know about the Bright Born baby in Jerusalem?

They omitted the contraception tea that Marte taught Diana how to make so is this how they are planting the seeds (pun!) of the conception story for season two?

When Matthew returns I thought it was so cute that Diana had to stand on her toes to kiss him. Ysabeau calls Diana her daughter but it's not outright said that Matthew says they are now married. So how is that going to come up in season two when Philippe says they are not married.

The bundling (in France!) - I was not expecting it to show as much as it did, more so in a later episode when Matthew goes down on Diana. It was still sort of PG-13 with Diana and Matthew being mostly clothed, but it was also sort of boarding R with Diana having an orgasm on screen. I guess not knowing at the time which networks were going to pick it up globally they pushed the envelope as much as they could without it going as far as Game of Thrones or Outlander.

The Congregation: I am not one of the fans that disliked Baldwin, but I think the show makes him more likable and sympathetic.

Gerbert has some nerve praying after what he has done! Surprised his tongue does not burn every time he says "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

I loved the Daemon meet up and find it so annoying that the Congregation keeps them segregated. What a bunch of bullies.

Satu taking Diana was a good cliffhanger, but I feel mostly everything from the next episode on is more condenses and a bit more rushed. More on that next week.

The episode starts right where the last ended. The special effects with Satu and Diana flying look a bit - odd. Flying is a difficult effect to achieve.

Satu torturing Diana is hard to watch, especially the opening spell. Because we get so little from Satu in the books it's hard to read her. Does she truly want to help Diana understand her magic?

I liked Satu's drum. I want to know the significance of it in her magic.

Speaking of which, Em's field of magic is interesting. The smoke that rose up looked like a crucifixion.

Matthew waking up in his boxer briefs was some nice fan service. There needs to be something to break up such heavy scenes.

In the show Matthew is more like Baldwin was in the books, keeping his head on straight to really think about where to find Diana.

Does Gerbert really need to bring that head with him everywhere? She says the same things over and over anyway. And how exactly does he keep just her head alive/preserved? Black magic?

I was a little confused by the scene with Satu and Meridiana. Did Satu temporarily get her powers back from Meridiana to escape? I was kind of shocked that it was revealed that Satu is a Weaver so soon. But I guess they are introducing the term for Season 2.

I can't fully hate Satu in the show. I really liked the act of kindness she showed Meridiana when she released her.

I was a little sad that the scene when Diana is in the oubliette wasn't more liked the books, but I get why it wasn't. I did miss the ghosts though, especially the monk who would cross himself every time Rebecca mentioned witchcraft.

From here on out everything happens really fast in the episodes. (Diana's rescue and recovery all happen in this episode. I love that they kept Matthew's name for Diana, "Ma lionne.") The details are condensed for time. A good amount of the earlier episodes were spent on developing the relationships and the world building. I am looking forward to next season having more episodes.

This episode opens without a voiceover from Matthew.

This is the episode I have been waiting for! The Bishop House!! My favorite part of the book is when everyone is in Madison. I'm just sad that it only takes place over two episodes.

I love, love, love the look of the house and all the little details in the background. It feels homey. Even on Sarah's car they kept the witchy bumper stickers.

The scene with Diana confronting her aunts about being Spellbound was dramatically heartbreaking. I like the addition of the house telling the story with projections of the past. Rebecca mentioning the ribbons of many colors was a nice plant for Diana's weaver cords.
Poor Rebecca and Stephen, saying goodbye and knowing they would never return.

I really loved the touching scene with Sarah and Em when Sarah is upset and sad to learn that Diana was Spellbound without her knowing or realizing. Em comforting her was so sweet. I was reminded of when Alex Kingston and Valarie Pettiford were talking about the show at SDCC. They have great chemistry and their relationship is just so organic. It's one of my favorite things about the show.

Besides the chemistry between Sarah and Em I love it between all the characters at the Bishop House. Sarah and Matthew fighting, Sarah taking out her grimoire and teaching Diana magic, Matthew and Em talking about Timewalking. They even kept the little detail of Marcus meeting Sarah's ancestor and namesake at Bunker Hill.

Why did the envelope with the page from the Book of Life come out of the wall and not the fireplace? It's not a big deal I was just like, "Oh!"But this is a good example of how much detail was lost in the adaptation. Sarah says she will test the page in her Still Room but then they never reveal the results, or I should say the raising questions about the page when it's tested.

Peter Knox looks like hell! They did a good job of making him look like he's losing it! The nightmares, the sweating and disheveled hair. He needs a vacation from all this Congregation drama!

Is it bad that I like Domenico, even though his loyalties are flexible? I also get the sense that he like likes Juliette. I think he cares more about her gaining her freedom, but also wants to kill two birds with one stone and have her go after Matthew and Diana.

Gerbert has some NERVE going to church. He LIED by throwing Juliette under the bus - in CHURCH! When is the last time he went to Confession?

Poor Juliette, finally breaks free from her creepy, abusive father and then dies.

Why didn't Matthew smell or hear that Juliette was in the barn? Seems like something he would not have missed, even if he was focused on Diana's "Jedi training". I say Jedi training because she was keeping her eyes closed to sense where a vampire is.

So, so much happens in this episode! Everything is fast and condensed. I wish we had 2 more episodes at the Bishop House. But...

Only one more to go!

Again there is no voice over from Matthew and the episode picks up right where the last left off.

Juliette is a weird voyeur asking Matthew to kiss Diana. She learned to be creepy from Gerbert.
Girl, you are free now, forget Matthew. He's just not that into you.

I have no idea what Juliette hit Matthew in the neck with but it was bad enough to kill him. The scene was too quick to catch it.

Diana's fire bow and arrow was cool but I was a little sad the budget didn't allow for an actress to play the Goddess and for a tree to be drained of life.

Now things are really rushed. Diana recovers so fast, then she's practicing Timewalking, and the Daemons show up, and Bridget Bishop's (I miss her ghost!) poppet comes out of fireplace. They didn't have time to tie up Diana's loose ends with her job and the paper she was writing. Or give her any vaccines!!

I'm glad we have the books to revisit and that Season 2 is getting more episodes.

So I am going to focus on the parts that I did love and was glad to see.

I love seeing the Bishop women together as Sarah and Em teach Diana how to Timewalk.

Sophie's chess piece is really nice. That would sell out at All Souls Con.

Other great little details that were kept:
-Ysabeau's ring and Kit's book.
-mentioning Matthew and Diana will look for the Book of Life in the past.
-Hamish warning Diana that he will not be the same Matthew.
-Timewalking to Sept-Tours.
-Matthew passing on The Knights of Lazarus GrandMaster role to Marcus.
- The line about their own secret mini Congregation.

Suspense was created with the POV of the Congregation. That is lost in the book because you don't really know when they are coming for Diana and Matthew.

Agatha is a perfect diplomat. I love the way she worked the Congregation when they were going after Baldwin. You go and put them in line!

Even though I am sure that Diana made it to the past with Matthew it was exciting to see how close Peter, Satu and Gerbert were to the Bishop House. I hope the House throws them out. Seeing that last scene though with Diana surrounded by candles and not holding Matthew's hand is a spooky cliffhanger, but I am confident that he made it with her.


I am reading online that Season 2 will begin to film in the summer, after Teresa Palmer has her baby.

I am just so happy that this adaptation remained as close to the book as possible. There are so many examples where too much gets lost and the feel is not the same. Not with A Discovery of Witches. Even with all that was omitted, it kept what was important to tell a cohesive story and it still felt like the magic from the book was still there.