‘Motherland Fort Salem’ 3×03 Review: “Oh Elayne?”
Last week, the unit ambushed a camarilla plant after The Mother kidnapped Raelle in a state of panic, having been poisoned (review here). This week, the Cession Marshal was hot on the unit’s tail. While Nicte and Scylla worked to keep the Marshal at bay, Tally, Abigail, and Adil searched for Khalida and came across an old ally. Meanwhile, President Wade’s stance on witches put her in grave danger.
Let’s review!
Warning: It’s about to get spoiler-y!
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Take Flight
The unit was on the run from the Marshal (Michael Horse), peacekeepers, and bounty hunters of the Cession by the looks of it. Short on time, Nicte (Kandyse McClure) and Scylla (Amalia Holm) stayed behind to divert the attention of the Marshal onto them. Tally (Jessica Sutton), Abigail (Ashley Nicole Williams), and Adil (Tony Giroux) took flight off a cliffside.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Adil’s bond with Khalida (Kylee Brown) is one of the most beautiful parts of this show. He cares for her as much as Abigail cares for Tally and Raelle (Taylor Hickson). Amid his panic to find Khalida, Abigail’s leadership took a major step up. While she didn’t want to, she pressed Tally to look far enough ahead in her future where Khalida may be.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Led to Two Rivers Road House, everybody was shocked, characters and fans, when Khalida wasn’t only okay but with Alder (Lyne Renee). To add to it, Alder was on a mission and needed their help. The reveal that both Khalida and Alder were stewards to the first song—the spell sung in the first few minutes of the premiere—was such a great twist. This was a new purpose for the unit. No longer were they just on the run. They were now on the hunt to put the first song together to heal the nation and end this war between witches and The Camarilla. Bad. Ass.
On a side note, Alder’s sudden love for that mountain of nachos? Yeah, I feel that way, too.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Talk to Elayne
Tally, Abigail, and Adil got lost in the throes and woes of witchy music. Alder and Khalida stood off to the side able to resist the witch, Elayne (Beverley Elliott), who sang. What was really curious was Alder’s intrigue with the witch. She had a piece of the first spell song.
What had me truly hypnotized wasn’t only the way this spell song was cast. It was the first time that I’d seen something like it. Granted, it was a con Elayne was playing, but this song carved out people’s desire to let loose. It doesn’t cater to violence or battle or the military. It’s a show that magic doesn’t just bend in one direction. Definitely one of my favorite moments. The unit deserved a moment to relieve some stress.
It was unfortunate that it didn’t last long. Tally and Alder had gone to retrieve a piece of the first song from Elayne, but the Marshal closed in quickly. While that wasn’t a total shock since these guys are stronger than a coon hound, what was was the fact that Elayne’s trailer was filled with bottles upon bottles of spell songs.
Though Alder had poofed from the scene, leaving everyone behind, Tally was left with a lot of power. I can’t help but wonder if she took more than just the piece of the first song with her.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Caught
Nicte and Scylla’s diversion only got them so far. Though they changed their appearance to middle-aged men, hopping a bus to the border. Sadly, they didn’t get far before a Marshal caught up to them. The struggle continued when they were tracked to a barn and the tension between the two struck a breaking point.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
The Marshal has proven to be quite the force. Whether good or bad has yet to be determined. One thing is for sure, these guys really remind me of the Ghost Riders from Teen Wolf. Totally ominous, lurking in the dark, and downright chilling.
One of the major points I loved about this little arc was that you can visibly see the effect Raelle has had on Scylla. Where Scylla had once been single-minded, she now thought of others and used her magic to try and help them. From taking the heat for the unit to trying to reach RAelle through a dead crow, she isn’t the same deceptive spree rebel from season 1.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Nicte could learn a thing or two from her. So far, she’s tried to command this unit and act like a big bad, but it hasn’t gotten her very far. If she’d put in some teamwork and actually let her guard a little more she’d do a lot better. The Marshal that captured both her and Scylla said as much himself as he brought them to a large estate where Abigail, Tally, Adil, and Khalida were also being held. With everyone captured, there was little anybody could do. Nicte throwing around blame as if she has none to carry was crazy!
Tsk. Tsk. She is going to need to learn to make friends.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Dark Secrets Arise
President Wade (Sheryl Lee Ralph) learned about Blanton Silver (Victor Webster) killing his own daughter with Hearst’s (Bob Frazer) help and was as disgusted as I was. While I praise her for wanting to oust him immediately, I sided with Izadora (Emilie Leclerc) and Anacostia (Demetria McKinney). They should’ve waited. Outing him now could cause The Camarilla to go into hiding once more or worse.
To add to the stress, the unit’s attack in the Cession against The Camarilla didn’t go unnoticed. I applauded Anacostia still vouching and trying to keep the unit out of harm’s way. Offering to pick them up herself and gently warn them that they are rather formidable was incredibly subtle but not missed. And I totally caught the pride she has for them.
Anacostia wasn’t alone in protecting President Wade as she addressed the nation. M (Ess Hodlmoser) and Sterling (Luc Rodrique) were kept detail on her as well, determined to catch The Camarilla before they get the chance to attack. I was feeling the same as Anacostia however. Anxious and uneasy.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne?” via Freeform
Top Moment
That cliffhanger at the end. While it was the best moment of the episode, it also had me sobbing. Not only did President Wade die in the explosion set by The Camarilla, but I have to assume M did as well. Anacostia and Sterling are MIA and I’m just having a major freak-out. The greatest possible moment to turn the tide on The Camarilla and show a uniting front with witches was demolished. More so, a mass of glowing mycelium was across the entire explosion area, glowing ominously. I’m certain it’s just The Camarilla with a new way to frame witches, but it was still haunting.
This scene was emotionally packed with less than a minute and I couldn’t breathe for its entirety. It was a moment when you knew what was going to happen and there was no way to stop it. Absolutely stunning acting and incredible cinematography with the cast and also the scatter mycelium.
Motherland Fort Salem 3×03 “Oh Elayne” via Freeform
Still trying to process so much loss, I’m going to go cry some more. President Wade was an incredible leader and stood for progress and unity. M had become one of my utmost favorite characters. Though not a main character, I’d hoped to see more of them because of how incredibly loyal they are. This was an episode of tragedy and it struck hard.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Let’s chat in the comments below and don’t forget to follow us @capeandcastle on Twitter!
