The cast and crew of the forthcoming Mayfair Witches: Salem Coven — the fresh title for the upcoming third season of AMC's Mayfair Witches — stopped by New York Comic Con for a press conference to tease the upcoming season. From the sounds of it, fans aren't ready for the increased stakes, terrifying twists, and, as they put it, "batshi*t crazy" new season.
In attendance at the conference were series showrunners and executive producers Esta Spalding and Thomas Schnauz, as well as several key cast members. Returning stars Alexandra Daddario (Rowan Mayfair), Tongayi Chirisa (Ciprien Grieve), and Harry Hamilin (Cortland and now Julien Mayfair) were joined by two exciting new series stars: Betsy Brandt, of Breaking Bad fame, who will be playing Katherine, and Eliza Scanlen, best known as Beth in Greta Gerwig's Oscar winning 2019 Little Women adaptation, who is set to portray Jessica.
Cortland and Julien: Double Duty for Harry Hamlin
Season 2's bloody, brutal, and brilliant finale, "The Innocents," may have wrapped up the series' Scotland arc in dramatic fashion, but one, or rather, two characters' storylines ended on a major cliffhanger. Cortland Mayfair's father, Julien (Ted Levine), possesses his son's body, trapping Cortland in his victrola in the process. As such, season 3 sets the scene for Harry Hamlin to play a dual role, bringing both father and son to life to act as thorns in Rowan's side. According to showrunner Thomas Schnauz, Julien's return acts as this season's "throughline."
When asked about his process for playing both characters, Hamilin explained that "Cortland is always underwater, but Julien can swim." This dichotomy in characterization makes Julien an even more threatening antagonist for the series, with his intense hyper competence already shining through during his screentime in season 2. Hamlin also teased that Cortland will do something "unforgivable" this season, even by his standards, and that one of his characters, though he did not say which will, have a romantic plotline with Betsy Brandt's character. Alexandra Daddario also joked that Hamlin's characters would make out with each other, which, if she is correct, this "Hamlincest" scene should clinch him for the Emmy in a just world.
Salem? Say More!
One of Mayfair Witches' great strengths is its celebration of its settings. Season 1 paints a beautiful picture of New Orleans, while season 2 gives its characters, and audiences, a tour of Scotland. Season 3 will take its cast to Salem, Massachusetts, the site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, an exciting new location to explore.
Season 3's new title, Salem Coven, is in part to highlight the show's new location, as well as to invite new audiences into the series. Showrunner Esta Spalding confirms that the previous two seasons will be recapped within Salem Coven's first two episodes, so anyone who hasn't seen them should understand what's going on. (However, you should still watch Mayfair Witches seasons 1 and 2)
Additionally, the cast, especially Eliza Scanlen, discussed the role that Salem plays in this new season. They agreed that the modern commercialization of the town in regards to its witch trials is darkly ironic. Hamlin even visited the real Salem for research, and claims he prefers the show's museum to the town's. Regardless, the new season's setting is one of its most intriguing elements.
Anne Rice's ever expanding Immortal Universe
Mayfair Witches is one of three TV adaptations of the late author Anne Rice's works which make up AMC's Immortal Universe, with the other two series' being Interview with the Vampire and Talamasca: The Secret Order (the latter of which was canceled after its first season). At the press conference, the creative team confirmed that Mayfair Witches will begin to cross over with the other two series.
According to the showrunners, Mayfair Witches' timeline will clearly be concurrent with The Vampire Lestat's. Additionally, they teased a cameo from a character from another Immortal Universe series. While they did not reveal the identity of this mystery character, they said that they will be "carrying a briefcase."
Additionally, when asked which characters they would most want to bring in from other Rice shows, the cast almost universally answered "Lestat," Sam Reid's charismatic vampire from Interview with the Vampire. However, Brandt instead stated that she would hope for scenes with more cast members from Mayfair Witches, implying she has few chances to act opposite Tongayi Chirisa's Ciprien Grieve, for example. Given her implied romantic connection with one of Hamilin's characters, this teases a somewhat self-contained role for Brandt. These two answers imply both a larger connection to further Immortal Universe series as well as an expansion of Mayfair Witches' own lore, providing the best of both worlds.
Make sure to catch Mayfair Witches: Salem Coven when it premieres on December 30 on AMC.
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