The gates to the Mayfair house are again open as the vibrant world of AMC’s The Immortal Universe welcomes audiences back into the magic and mayhem surrounding the Mayfair witches. What began with Interview with the Vampire has sprawled into an expansive world of Anne Rice’s works, connecting them in a larger tapestry that is just starting to unveil itself. Based on the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series of novels, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches returns to the scene with its second season. Adapting the novel Lasher, this supernatural horror show is looking to dazzle audiences once again with the vibrancy of modern-day New Orleans.
Mayfair Witches season two is pulling double duty, as it not only continues the story of Rowen Fielding and her family of magic wielders but also connects to the broader world AMC is building and pushing it further than ever before. As a third season of Interview With The Vampire, based on the second book of the series Vampire Lestat, along with new series The Talamasca and Night Island already in various stages of development, this season of Mayfair Witches has the weight of the Immortal Universe on its shoulders.
With Esta Spalding continuing on as showrunner, the vision ahead is clear, as the story of the Mayfair Witches is still very much the focus of the series that bears their name. With a cliffhanger of epic proportions from season one, how does this newest outing fair? Let’s return once again to the Immortal Universe as we explore what Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches has to offer audiences on this second voyage to a world of pure magic.
[Warning: light spoilers from Mayfair Witches season 2 are below!]
Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches welcome home a demon of a problem
When we left Rowen Fielding (Alexandra Daddario) at the end of season one, her life had been forever changed. There was a time before she knew of her connection to the Mayfair lineage and the baggage that comes with that. A time before she knew of magic and demons and a world much larger than herself. It was a more straightforward point in her life when she only wanted to be a doctor who healed the sick; however, there’s nothing simple about her life.
She’s now a mother to the demon that haunted the entire first season, which I imagine would come with many mixed emotions. She is excited at bringing life into the world, which she exhibits early in season two and is entirely understandable. And yet, there’s worry in her eyes and an evident ignorance of the greater implications of having reborn Lasher into this world. She’s distracted, again understandably, but she’s also willing to turn a blind eye to the evilness that is boiling under the surface of Lasher as he grows at an exponential rate. From baby to child to adult, his age is accelerating to the man (Jack Huston) that she knows from visions and dreams.
Speaking of boiling under the surface, the larger magical world is beginning to take notice of the rebirth of Lasher, which spells trouble for the Mayfair witches. While many of the magic users in the coven are excited about his return, as Lasher is serving as a Christ figure for this group, there are others in the magical community who are less than enthused about his return. Mainly the Talamasca.
As Lasher comes up missing and the Talamasca begin their hunt, Rowen and the rest of the Mayfair witches will need some help locating the demon. With old faces, such as Harry Hamlin’s Cortland, and new, like young mind-reading Moira Mayfair (Alyssa Jirrels) and human geneticist Sam (Ben Feldman), Rowen much work quickly to stop an all-out war, as the entire world is hanging in the balance and the steps forward are precarious. Can she save the Mayfair witches from themselves, or will the skeletons in their closets finally catch up to them?
Review: AMC’s Mayfair Witches Season 1 Finale – “What Rough Beast”
A complex story makes season 2 difficult to follow
I’ve followed AMC’s Immortal Universe since its conception, but truthfully, my love for Anne Rice’s works began a long time before the first season of Interview With The Vampire. I was just a pre-teen when I stumbled upon the film version of IWTV, which scared the crap out of me for a multitude of reasons. However, as I aged into high school, I was drawn to the characters’ complexities in The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches books. Anne Rice doesn’t make it easy to determine who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong, as each character is morally gray, dancing on the line of good and evil.
What I love the most about AMC’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is that the series captures the characters perfectly, showcasing how even good people can make bad decisions. This has never been clearer than in the characterization of Rowen, especially in season 2. Audiences have watched her descend into the world of magic, pushing her from the world of healing others into a universe of greed and desire, which seems to have completely encompassed her as we enter into this second season.
She’s caught between wanting to be a mother and knowing that her child is a demon reincarnated. Factor in the increase in her powers due to her connection with Lasher, and it’s almost impossible to think about removing the demon from Earth once again. But on the flip side, she knows the danger that Lasher poses to the wider world if he isn’t stopped or his powers fall into the wrong hands. It’s intoxicating to watch Alexandra Daddario struggle between the two extremes of Rowen’s psyche, battling between being a mother and being the leader of the coven.
It’s because of Daddario’s incredible talent that makes season 2 worth watching, as this current run of episodes follows the same pattern as Interview With the Vampire. While the first season of each respective show is a work of art, the second season stumbles, getting lost in its narrative. I found Mayfair Witches season 2 almost impossible to follow, as each episode seems to jump and be disjointed from the previous one. That is, until about episode six or seven, when finally all the pieces slide into place, and the bigger picture becomes more evident.
It’s reminiscent of how I felt watching the first season of Westworld, where I was incredibly confused until all the stories came together. It seems that Mayfair Witches‘ second season is responsible for not only carrying its own story but for expanding the Immortal Universe in new directions, which only added to the confusion. Concepts are introduced that feel like they are meant for some other project. However, AMC wanted to lay the groundwork in an established series. This only confused the story even more, as you’re never quite sure what’s important to the show’s story and what’s being introduced for something else.
Mayfair Witches season 2 is still worth watching
That isn’t to say that all is horrible with the new season, as I thoroughly enjoyed the ride we received. What made this season worth it was the continued exploration of these incredibly flawed characters and the actors that brought them to life. This show would be nothing without them, with special praise once again going to Harry Hamlin for his portrayal of Cortland Mayfair. Every character, both new and old, has their moment to shine as the season builds to a thunderous conclusion.
Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches season two is currently airing Sundays on AMC and AMC+. Have you been following the season? Let us know your thoughts on social media @mycosmiccicus!
Book Review: The Witching Hour (Lives of Mayfair Witches 1) by Anne Rice
Book Review: An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison
