The time has come for Ingrid and Freya to embrace who they are.
Lifetime’s new series Witches of East End premiered in October 2013, but I only managed to view it this month. It is a captivating and spellbinding tale of four witches living in the fictional town of East End. The Beauchamp women must pull together to combat an enemy from their past, an enemy hiding in plain sight. The series chronicles their struggle against this enemy, as well as the way witchcraft competes and interferes with their “ordinary” lives.
The take on witchcraft in this series is very interesting and realistic. Each of the Beauchamp women possesses a specialty that gives them a defined function in the plot. Johanna is the oldest of the four. She is immortal, learned and experienced. Calculating and careful she is the voice of caution and also the main driving force of the story. Wendy is the eccentric character who throws caution to the wind and has the hilarious ability of turning into a cat. Ingrid is the naive scholar who often overestimates her experience and who has a knack for research. Frey is impulsive and very skilled at potion making. Each of these abilities allow the characters to drive the plot forward in their own way, performing distinct functions within the series.
The constant love triangle between Freya and brothers Dash and Killian was tiresome. It dragged on far too long from opening to close and really outstretched it’s elasticity. That being said it did drive much of the plot forward, in many senses was a pillar around which many interesting and peculiar elements emerged. It did perform a function, and I recognise that, but for me it was another Bella, Edward and Jacob, or Katniss, Gale and Peeta.
Thematically Witches of East End explores being different, embracing identity, the past haunting the present and above all family. The Beauchamps however weird and wacky are a very believable family. The dynamics are comic and dramatic, performing whatever function required to evoke the right emotions.
In conclusion, Witches of East End hits all the right notes. Every episode contains magical spell casting action, as well as looking at how witchcraft interferes with and competes with their “normal” lives. Take a look before the second season airs this July, you won’t be sorry.
9/10
Check out the trailer for Season 1 below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlphNI1l1i4]
-JoelE
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