Salem S3 Ep. 4 Thoughts

"Night's Black Agents"

Just when I thought Episode 3's visually captivating presentation would be the peak of quality shown in the newest season of Salem, I was happily proven wrong due to the following episode's amazing sense of storytelling. Much like a traditional episode of Salem, there are several individual character arcs taking place which may or may not interweave with one another in a highly climatic fashion in the near future. However, this was by far the best experience that I had watching these different unique stories move forward at a steady pace while offering up some entertaining tidbits in between.

First, let's talk about Isaac who, much to my surprise, is given a pretty interesting new direction this season. So far I've been really enjoying the idea of having Isaac watch over an orphan child who he previously rescued from Mercy as sort of a guardian figure while embarking on his own driven agenda. Watching these two characters who were both lost and tragically casted out by the public's eye connect with one another was one of the most heartwarming moments in the entire series. I truly do hope that we get to see a happy ending where this individual story is concerned as it's nice to see some showcase of lightheartedness in a very dark and bleak setting.

Aside from this new family-like dynamic we also get to see a much more self driven and motivated Isaac as he single handedly takes it upon himself to chase after Mercy Lewis due to his personal intel on her murderous doings. Isaac has always been presented as a character constantly being tortured and tossed around by the show's many forms of evil, so it's gratifying to see him showing some sign of evolution in strength as he rises up to what can essentially be called his arch nemesis on the show. I'm legitimately fearful for his life given this new story direction which is a good sign that the writers have done a solid job in making the audience care for him. I'm curious as well as nervous to see what he'll uncover in Mercy's lair as well as the follow up backlash that might take place as a result.

Speaking of new and refreshing character pairings, although we don't necessarily get a lot of interaction between John and Billy during this episode, I did enjoy seeing their reunion after last week's separation. Not only was it fun watching Billy rave about John as some legendary savior in the face of possible death towards the French commander, but her confident "I know he'd save me" expression after John rescues her was priceless. Ever since her small yet notable introduction to the show, Billy has been one of the more fun characters to follow along with primarily due to her relationship with John.

It's interesting seeing one of the main characters being talked about in a third person outsider's perspective as it adds an extra layer of irony and/or mystery to their known history up until now. This is where Billy perfectly fits into the new season at the moment. Where their relationship or story leads to down the line is up in the air at this point (especially due to Billy's gender disguising secret). Much like Isaac's new guardian-like role, I do wonder if we'll get something similiar here between the two but in a more dangerous and adventurous setting.

In the past seasons of Salem, I remembered talking to lengths about the more supernatural lore heavy moments as they were by far my favorite elements of the series. What's great about the interrogation scene between John and the French commander is that it continues to bring the Sentinel's powerful amulet to the spotlight yet again without ever really explaining what it is. John's fearful expression towards the mysterious relic reminds us of one of the current themes of this season which is the idea that no weapon or army of man will be able to measure up to the power of the Dark Lord. As a huge fan of visual storytelling myself, I loved the fact that they highlighted the power of the amulet without ever verbally connecting back to the Dark Lord.

Speaking of expanding the show's universe in some fashion, this episode not only soared in its dramatic elements and scenes of intrigue, but also in its dark and twisted comedic moments. Here we have yet another "Poor Cotton" episode, but only this time, with a bizarrely hilarious scene introducing two new witches to the show. Once the Dark Lord released a bounty on Cotton's life, I was curious to see what would transpire and was delightfully surprised by the end result. Seeing this innocent looking couple riding through the woods who supposedly knew Increase and was present to Cotton's graduation party, definitely caught me off guard once their dark intentions were revealed. It showed us yet again that evil lurks in the most unexpected places with this series.

I found it fascinating that witches dwelled so close to the Mather name in secret making Cotton's unfortunate discovery much more hard hitting. Where the horror-comedy aspect comes in is in the couple's lighthearted tone during such a horrendous act of attempted murder and implied cannibalism. The fact that the wife was attempting to cook Cotton in a special dish for the Dark Lord was absolutely outrageous, and with Cotton's shocked reactions going alongside the couple's joyous attitude, made this scene all the more entertaining to watch.

Rescuing Cotton from a horrible fate is an unexpected savior, Tituba, who has essentially been given a spectator-like role this season thus far. Tituba has always been one of my favorite characters on the show though I felt that she was never well utilized during the second season. Fortunately, despite hanging low in the shadows, I actually really enjoy the idea of her acting as an unforeseen entity during Mary's torture as well as Cotton's near death experience. Not only does Tituba save Cotton, but she's also the one person to truly build him up as Salem's only hope in defeating the Dark Lord. It's a pretty interesting scene and interaction considering how far the two characters stand on the lines of opposing beliefs.

I'm not entirely sure whether or not Tituba is being developed in a heroic light due to the Dark Lord now being presented as a common enemy for the Essex witches, but I am hoping to finally see a witch using her dark powers to fight off a greater evil. Yes, we've seen Mary having to utilize her powers against the Countess in the past, but never on the scale that is taking place during the current arc on the show. What makes this episode such a highlight for me is the fact that we get to see the build up and trajectory of central characters all leading towards a single primary goal; the hopeful defeat of the Dark Lord.

With Tituba giving Cotton the motivation that he needs to move forward as Salem's white knight (via the implication of a future child), we're essentially witnessing the birth of an unexpected alliance between good and evil. The fact that Tituba gives Cotton an option to either easily escape to Boston through her magic or save his future child that has only been alluded to made his dramatic reaction all the more powerful. The potential for compelling interaction scenes between the two regarding beliefs and ideals are endless making this scene one of my favorites of the series.

Speaking of possible character redemptions, I've pretty intrigued by the path of redemption arc that they've implimented this season for Mary. One can argue that this particular story direction started during Season 1 to some degree, but it's during this episode where we truly see it emphasized in a profound way. When Mary steps into that dimension of sinful reminders (which I'm unofficially calling at the moment), we're given a powerful scene where a character by the name of Rebecca Nurse confronts her over her misdirected trial and death as a witch. What I loved about this scene especially was not only its visual flare of showing Mary's transition into the past, but also the show's reminder of one of Season 1's central themes.

"You always had a choice. You still have a choice"

This is yet another example of visual storytelling done right as Mary is forced to witness and experience what Rebecca had to undergo due to Mary's past endeavors as a puppeteer during the town's era of paranoid witch hunting. What makes this scene such an impactful moment to note is the fact that Rebecca tells her that she still has a chance to change even in her vengeful anger against the crimes that she committed. If that wasn't strong enough, the nightmarish memory switches to Mary being hung instead while Rebecca scorns her for being a witch adding to her painful regret even more. This episode was filled with powerful character driven scenes regarding new horizons being teased, but this was by far the most staggering to watch.

Here enters the Sentinel who, "coincidentally" during Mary's lowest point of depression, attempts to sway her in a tantalizing direction by alluding to her potential dark future. Only instead of being a light of hope, he basically persuades her to commit suicide to end her current and future suffering. There are several key components that I really admired about this scene such as the similarities in dynamic to Tituba's scene with Cotton, the concept and visuals of the Sentinel fabricating the house's balcony into a cliffside, and the alluring way in which he presents Mary with an "escape route". For me personally, I've always found the Sentinel character be a simple high ranked henchman, but this scene in particular expanded his presence even more as a major threat.

Going alongside the sinful memory flash shown beforehand, we can start to see Mary stepping forward towards a more enlightened path as she admits to her fear of death and Hell. After she realizes that the Sentinel isn't able to kill her due to the Dark Lord's rule, I thought it was a nice show of power that she was able to completely break away from his spell of seduction. Mary has always been the center of power on the show as far characters developed as being chosen for something great down the line. With her knowing that she can now overpower the Sentinel to a degree, I'm now really curious to see for what the rest of the season will bring leading to her possibly rising up and attempting to wipe the slate clean of her past crimes.

This season has been rich with character and storytelling potential, but this was by far the best indication that something substantial is brewing on the horizon. With characters being prepped for new heroic and guardian-like directions while others are driven deeper into the depths of villainy, Salem is slowly but surely becoming one of the most notable series to keep an eye on out this year.

Bonus Content:

1. House of Dark Secrets

I'm curious and excited to see what other hidden gems of witch lore lies within the Dark Lord's home. The potential is unlimited at this point.

2. The Sentinel's Power of Influence

As I mentioned before, the Sentinel's rank of power is beginning to present itself more profoundly. I do hope that the writers keep him on long enough to show off his abilities in a spectacular fashion.

3. Tituba's Magical Gateway

With Tituba's current role, I was wondering how the show would continue to showcase her powers and knowledgable  (as we've seen in the past). It's nice to see that the writers insert moments alluding to her skills such as the magical door tease that she gives Cotton.

4. Magical Mirror

5. A Witch's Familiar

I absolutely loved the idea of the the happy-go-lucky witch couple's familiar being a cute little dog who could apparently speak if you understood "the animal language". It's little tidbits such as these that makes this show all the more fun and interesting to watch.

6. A Bigger World Than Salem

One of the best elements of mystery that has been scattered throughout the series since the first season was the idea of bigger threats lying in the background. One of my favorite examples of this is given here with the French commander associated with The Dark Lord as well as the approaching indian army beside him.

Episode Rating: 10/10