A Discovery of Witches review, Episode 3×07

Diana Bishop goes out with a bang in the series finale of A Discovery of Witches. Is this truly the end?

A Discovery of Witches has come to an end. Diana Bishop went out with a bang: not only did she single-handedly save her husband, get rid of the bad guys and uncover genetic secrets at the basis of the creatures’ very existence, she also dismantled an outdated government based on prejudice and segregation… all in one episode.

The series finale makes some bold creative choices. Some events might seem sudden, but the episode encompasses everything this story is about. At the end of the day, love triumphs and the good guys win, but the real victory is the change they’ve been able to bring to the world.

If one symbol could describe the show, it would be the Ouroboros on the de Clermont crest, a serpent biting its own tail in a never-ending knot. Because as Philippe used to say, endings are new beginnings. The show’s final chapter opens doors for all creatures. It makes sense that the final episode has a circular structure: it opens and closes with family at Sept-Tours, and the last words spoken are a new spin on Matthew’s voiceover from the very first episode of season 1.

The De Clermont siblings

If the first scene of the episode is frantic and the last scene blissful. In the former, Diana takes control of a catastrophic situation as Baldwin makes his entrance; he turns out to be the missing piece of the puzzle they desperately needed. This season has been all about seeing Baldwin’s perspective.

Baldwin may bark from time to time, but we’ve now learned he never bites. No matter the empty threats he’s made throughout the series to disown Matthew, the moment his brother is in danger Baldwin does not hesitate to join Diana, not even considering the risk to his own life, let alone his precious reputation.

Gradually, Baldwin comprehends what Philippe’s vision was. He recognizes Diana as his blood-sworn sister and then goes one step further towards giving up his seat on the Congregation for her. Matthew, bless his heart, has also finally got one thing through his thick vampire head: Diana needs support, not protection. The pride on their faces is mirrored by ours as we watch Diana do what she does best: exceed all expectations.

Some may argue that Baldwin’s change of heart was unexpected, that it’s not realistic that he would be at Diana’s beck and call after all the times she’s threatened to kill him over a disagreement. But that fits Baldwin’s character. Even though he and his brother fought, Baldwin never for a second entertained the idea of abandoning Matthew to his own devices. He didn’t throw him to the wolves with the Congregation, and he’s sure as hell going to show up in his time of greatest need. And he does.

Benjamin and Satu were never really the point

Diana is at the abandoned hospital in Chelm with Baldwin, Miriam, Gallowglass and Marcus, but she chooses to face her enemies alone in order to protect her friends. When she comes face to face with the vampire and the witch who’ve made their lives hell, it’s not so much a fight as it is a reckoning. Diana Bishop is an angel of justice, an instrument of the Goddess herself, sent to right all wrongs.

I particularly enjoyed that the show didn’t shy away from the good guys exacting vengeance. In the previous episode Diana wrote Sarah a spell to kill Knox in revenge for Emily; now Diana spellbinds Satu with ease, fully knowing it’s the worst thing you could do to an unwilling witch. She kills Benjamin with a perfectly weaved Tenth Knot spell that comes in the form of an arrow, almost as if the Goddess herself is sanctioning the punishment. The heroes of this story are gray and don’t hide behind small mercies. They certainly hold the moral high ground, but they don’t have to pretend to be saints.

The final confrontation with the alleged main antagonist could feel underwhelming, but if you look closely you’ll realize the fight concluded precisely halfway through the episode, so it clearly was not intended to be the climax. The episode is structured so that the real battle is the revolution  to reform the Congregation. It’s the victory of unity and togetherness against prejudice. It’s Diana convincing expert politicians that separatism is not the answer. And even in a world of magic, she does it by backing up her case with scientific, empiric evidence.

The real win is against an outdated social system

Daemons have been historically overlooked and considered as a lesser species in comparison to vampires and witches; the tragic case of Timothy Weston represented how inequality magnifies the suffering of those at the bottom of the social ladder. Now, with the abolishing of the Covenant and the election of Agatha Wilson, a Black woman from an underrepresented family of daemons as the new head of government, we can expect a bright future where creatures won’t have to hide in fear.

I like to think that, by allocating so little time to defeating two megalomaniacs and instead so much on reforming society, A Discovery of Witches tried to make a point that, sometimes, as in real life, the true villain of the story is bigotry.

We are not ready to let go of these characters. It was painful to watch Matthew dance so close to death, just as it was heart-warming to hear him reach out to Diana with a whispered “mon coeur” after not being able to move for weeks. The final montages with snapshots of peaceful times leave so many questions unanswered. Something tells me I will be begging for more seasons or a spinoff in perpetuity, since the material exists.

I wept happy tears at Fernando finally being recognized as Hugh’s mate after 700 years, Marcus proposing to Phoebe and them setting a date for her transformation, Miriam and Chris possibly getting together, Ysabeau and Baldwin coming to terms with Philippe’s death and healing their rift, Jack settling down with his family, Sarah letting go of Em, and Gallowglass saying goodbye to Matthew before leaving for good.

There was no easy way to say goodbye. The final scene didn’t need any words to convey all the love in the room, as the family reveled in just being there with each other. Even the ghosts of Emily and Philippe made an appearance in the background smiling at their loved ones, but blink and you’ll miss them. The show ends on a high note, literally, with Diana and Matthew dancing to their song in the salon at Sept-Tours surrounded by family.

The world is once again full of wonders and the show has come full circle with Diana, seated at Philippe’s desk, writing the story of her Bright-Born children, an Ouroboros on the page. Endings and beginnings.

Any well-crafted fantasy universe must serve as a metaphor for our own to a certain degree, or it will fall flat. I do not know whether A Discovery of Witches set out with the intent to tell such a beautiful fantasy story where the social commentary about our own world is so nuanced and central or if happened naturally as the show developed. What I can say is that they certainly succeeded in creating a series that I will never be tired of revisiting thanks to an amazing creative team and writer’s room. We could not have asked for a better crew and cast.

I will now proceed to reread the four books that are out in the All Souls series and patiently wait for author Dr. Deborah Harkness to complete the many other novels she has planned for these characters. And to thank her always for creating them.

Goodbye, for now, Bishop-Clairmonts.

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