What’s next for the characters of A Discovery of Witches after season 3?

A Discovery of Witches wraps its final season this weekend, laying to rest the conflict between the creatures…for the time being. While season 3 of the supernatural suspense romance may officially be the last, various loose threads suggest the story is far from over. Creator Deborah Harkness has planned various spinoff books set in the All Souls universe that can form the basis for possible future seasons. The first of the additional stories came out in 2018, called Time’s Convert.

What is Time’s Convert about?

Time’s Convert is the sequel to the All Souls trilogy and dives into Marcus Whitmore’s history and his future with Phoebe Taylor, who we first meet in season 2 at a London auction house. Matthew and Diana make an appearance and we get insight into how their twins fare after the events of the finale. Since each season of the TV series so far coincides with each book, Time’s Convert would be the most natural continuation. The truth is, we’ve barely scratched the surface of vampire history, as ultimately it was not the point of the core series. Vampires are making a comeback in mainstream pop culture so a detailed look at the origins of the All Souls creatures onscreen could be popular, especially since Harkness created such an original take that mixes genetics with magic.

Season 3 offered a glimpse into the complicated father/son dynamic between Matthew and Marcus, and Time’s Convert puts it into perspective. The recreation of Elizabethan England in the second season proved how successful a past/present format can be, so we can only imagine how the team could interpret the years of the American and French Revolutions, where Marcus’ story begins.

Are any Discovery of Witches spinoffs coming?

At an exclusive virtual fan event, executive producer Lachlan McKinnon revealed (while enthusiastically showing off artifacts he’s kept from the series, like the Ashmole 782 manuscript) that further seasons are not out of the question:

"We really focused on [A Discovery of Witches] being a self-contained series with a very clear beginning and a middle and an end but as you probably know, this is not the end of Deb [Deborah Harkness, creator]’s writing…tackling familiar and new characters and different time frames. So you’re gonna have to watch this space. If I tell you any more, Diana might have to cast the Witchwind!"

Some actors are also open to returning. Speaking to Digital Spy, Steven Cree (Gallowglass) said, “I would 100% be up for more Gallowglass…I think there is huge scope for the different stories of those missing years and the future — the only aspect I wouldn’t fancy is having to spend so much time in the gym again!”

As we learned in season 3, Phillipe tasked Gallowglass with watching over Diana. She wasn’t born yet at the time, so what exactly did he do for those 400 years of waiting and how did he navigate his vow while watching her fall “for the wrong man” as he said in The Book of Life?

Cree said that Gallowglass is a complicated character constantly grappling with his loyalty to Matthew and his feelings for Diana; a deeper look into his backstory could be very interesting.

"I like to think he manages to have some fun in those 400 years. Clearly as we discover he’s harbouring or trying to suppress a love for someone that he’s met that he knows he’s not gonna see for another 400 years. When the Matthew from the future went back to the future and then the Matthew from his time came back, I guess he would’ve had to keep that a secret."

In fact, Deborah Harkness has often mentioned that she’s working on a solo project relating to Gallowglass. That’s alongside her work on The Serpent’s Mirror, which will follow Matthew in the 16th Century when he worked as Queen Elizabeth’s spy. Adapting this plot for the screen could expand on the vampires in the All Souls world.

And as we know from season 2, Matthew suffers from “blood rage.” Seeing as Gallowglass holds this huge secret from Matthew in that era, a peek at their relationship at this time could be an exciting viewing experience, providing Matthew Goode is also interested in reprising his role.

As for the rest of the de Clermonts, I can’t be the only one raising my eyebrows at Ysabeau and Gerbert, who appear to have a more complicated history than they’re letting on. Actor Trevor Eve talked about Gerbert’s past with the vampire dynasty: “Most of us only have a lifetime to get bitter and twisted. Gerbert has had over a thousand years since 982 when he was Pope. He’s had centuries to be consumed with hatred for the de Clermont’s because he was deposed as being the head of the vampires by Philippe.” Surely, there are stones left unturned there too?

We also can’t forget about the daemons. They’re not as important to the series as vampires and witches, but their DNA is the key to Matthew and Diana’s story. Agatha Wilson (one of the daemon representatives) is now the head of the Congregation, so how will the creatures move forward after learning that creatures aren’t separate species after all? Actor Tanya Moodie explained to RadioTimes that there’s more to explore with the daemons, as A Discovery of Witches never really explored their powers in much detail. “Witches do fancy spells, vampires bite people and they’re always really testy,” she said. “And daemons are always just a bit…you know, they wear designer clothes, and are a bit kooky or something. Is that a power?”

"[In the books] they have these kind of heightened abilities, and it’s a bit more supernatural. But to interpret that onscreen… it doesn’t have space for that."

If we see Time’s Convert on screen, the daemon’s backstory could easily be integrated, just as Gerbert and Knox’s secret dealings were shown throughout A Discovery of Witches even though those scenes didn’t appear in the books.

While a spinoff series — aside from Time’s Convert — is unlikely to happen without more books, it’s encouraging to hear that the producers haven’t ruled out the possibility. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that an adaptation explored a story beyond its source material.

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