Review: The Mayfair Witches finale sets up an intriguing second season

We’ve finally reached the Mayfair Witches season 1 finale: “What Rough Beast.” It is one of the stronger episodes this season, continuing the trend from the last two. I’m hoping that means Mayfair Witches season 2 will start off better than the debut season.

It took us a while to get into the plot, and I still believe a lot of what happened in the latter episodes should have occurred much earlier, but for now, I’m content with enjoying what we have.

I think the finale was a bit of a step down from the previous two episodes, and Episode 6 is still one of the best of the bunch, but overall it was a solid hour of television that finally told us about the prophecy and Lasher’s motivations. The ending also leaves Rowan in a very interesting place for season 2.

Spoilers ahead for the finale of Mayfair Witches season 1

Picking up from the end of Mayfair Witches Episode 7, the finale begins with Rowan chasing Keith through the forest and cornering him inside an old shack. She relinquishes control to Lasher so he can light the entire building on fire, burning Keith alive.

Reinstated inside Rowan’s mind, Lasher transports her to Suzanne Mayfair’s cabin, much like he trapped Ciprien in the “mind palace” in Episode 7. The difference is that here, Lasher grants Rowan access to all of Suzanne’s magic and spells. Engravings on the walls give Rowan the ability to channel her ancestors. While there, she and Lasher have sex, cementing their bond.

Meanwhile, Ciprien visits Cortland and Jojo Mayfair. Inside he touches some of Cortland’s things and gets a very disturbing picture of Jojo’s father. We learn that Cortland was the one who raped Deirdre all those years ago at the party to ensure the birth of the thirteenth witch. He’s Rowan’s real father! He was also the one who orchestrated Deirdre’s death.

A prophecy fulfilled on Mayfair Witches

Cortland has been helping the “prophecy” along all this time. The prophecy was all about the thirteenth witch giving birth to a child who will become the most powerful supernatural being of all. I admit I’m a little confused by this because I thought this was meant to be Rowan’s story, not her offspring’s, and the episode doesn’t go into much detail about who or what this child is.

It seems like the child is going to become a new host for Lasher, but it’s not explicitly stated. The implication is that when Rowan and Lasher have sex, he enters her body in a new way, I guess taking possession of her unborn kid.

Through some magical craziness, Rowan experiences all three trimesters within the span of a few hours and gives birth inside the old Mayfair mausoleum. Cortland rushes there after Rowan delivers the baby to try and take it from her since that’s what he wanted all along. Whoever has possession of that child will have all the power Lasher has to offer, and obviously, Cortland wants that. It’s what he’s always wanted. Rowan realizes that, and she also knows everything Lasher knows. She turns Cortland to stone as punishment for what he did to her mother.

And now that Rowan has had a taste of power, she takes the child for herself. When Ciprien catches her outside, she turns on him after he tries convincing her to let him help. Rowan doesn’t want anyone else telling her what to do or what to think. She takes her baby and walks away from him.

I’m assuming Mayfair Witches season 2 is going to explore this new side of Rowan. Now she’s a mother, but she’s also more powerful than she’s ever been. That’s a promising direction, so let’s hope the writers have something good up their sleeves.

Episode Grade: B-

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