Motherland: Fort Salem Season 2 Episode 1 Of The Blood Review-

The enemy of my enemy has to become my friend for the sake of us all in Motherland: Fort Salem Season 2 Episode 1 that wraps up all the cliffhangers from Season 1 and highlights an even more dangerous foe.

Color theory matters in Motherland: Fort Salem. The brilliant blue balloon that defined the first season has given way to a cold open of a blue choir robe and an angelic voice that hides magic in Motherland: Fort Salem Season 2 Episode 1. This young girl isn’t just any girl either, she is the Vice President’s daughter. Mellany Barros joins the cast as Penelope Silver. Her gift opens the door for the possibility that there are thousands of witches unaware out in the world who are both vulnerable, and also very valuable in the coming war with the Camarilla. The world of Motherland: Fort Salem is the bizarro version of The Handmaid’s Tale. In both women are called to service for their abilities. The difference is, one has power and the other does not.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If Season 1 was all about exposing the witches’ power for producing domestic terrorists, Season 2 will be about picking your battles. The Spree is a problem, but they are a problem for another day. If the two groups don’t find a way to come together, the Camarilla will pick them off quickly. The time has come to bury the hatchet and figure it out. Raelle’s mother is right, hate is a disease, and they need to cut it out before it is too late.

This new angle treads into hallowed ground christened by The X-Men. X-Men is beloved because it isn’t just about the powers of mutants to be heroes or villains. The most compelling plots are about humans’ reactions to them. Our fallible, fragile egos that cause us to act on fear, sorrow, regret have caused problems for the mutants from the beginning. This is the case for the witches as well. The Camarilla have found a way to weaponize that anger and fear. That makes them a terrifying foe.

The Camarilla has been attacking for a while now and staging it all to look like Spree attacks to further stoke the flames of distrust. The wedding attack plus several others were not The Spree. They don’t care which side you are on. You could be a militarized witch who is part of the establishment or an activist/terrorist searching for change. They will exterminate you one way or another. Raelle’s mother shows Scylla what happened when they came for the Spree, and it wasn’t pretty. The two groups don’t know it yet, but they are on a collision course that will force them to put their disagreements aside.

The best series can establish cliffhangers with considerable consequences in the season’s finales and then pretty quickly dispatch any lingering issues. Motherland: Fort Salem Season 2 Episode 1 did just that. By the end of the episode, all major parties were back together and seemingly intact. Showrunner Eliot Laurence smartly ties up all the loose ends while allowing a few frayed edges to continue to unspool.

Tally’s mind is untangled from General Alder in a beautiful procedure, and she has her youth returned. You can take the coldness out of Bellweather, but you can’t take the ambition. Abigail, in typical fashion, asks Tally if she screwed up instead of being a caring human being. Tally has been disconnected from General Alder and has her youth restored, but her emotional connection to Alder is worrisome. Lyne Renee(General Alder), who has upgraded to series regular, is a study in duality. She is deceptive, calculating, and not just enriched in the establishment; she IS the establishment. Alder is also possibly the thing that has kept the US together all these years. Renee deserved an expanded role, and her chiseled cheekbones are a welcome addition.

Tally’s horrific nightmare, which presents more like a vision, is a significant concern. Unless the witches have somehow stumbled into Freddie Krueger’s world, the Camarilla is planning an attack that has the power to invade Tally’s dreams. It doesn’t matter if the attack was a vision of something to come or a psychic assault; it spells serious trouble for our group.

Laurence smartly allows the core three to grow while maintaining their personality traits. Her link may have changed Abigail with Raelle, but that doesn’t mean she has become a different person. She argues they should tell General Alder about their new explosive power out of duty and because she is intrigued by the idea of becoming witch canon. Raelle, who has always had a more pessimistic view of the world, is worried they could become lab rats. In the end, they tell General Alder. The girls may have graduated basic training to War College, but their work has only begun. The explosion that Abigail and Raelle’s connection produced brings a whole host of mysteries. Was the explosion caused by both girls, or by Raelle alone, who has the fungus running through her? Can it be controlled? Are there side effects we don’t understand yet?

Khalida and Adil continue to be an interesting pair. On the one hand, Tony Giroux’s Adil is a fundamental grounding force for Abigail. On the other hand, Khalida is scary. She cares for her siblings and Raelle, but she isn’t happy about being at Fort Salem. She returns Raelle’s charm to her and asks her to help her brother. Khalida knows war is changing him. What happens when she discovers how close he has become to Abigail? Is Khalida just a fierce pacifist, or does she have ulterior motives?

Amanda Tapping of the Stargate Universe directed this night of reunions. Tapping has a firm grip on the sci-fi/fantasy genre, and Motherland: Fort Salem Season 2 Episode 1 was a perfect example of a sophomore success. Taylor Hickson, Ashley Nicole Williams, and Jessica Sutton are as good a young trio as you will find, and the magical elements are woven seamlessly with the human drama. Our group was reunited after the explosive finale, Raelle got her charm back, and Adil was reunited with another sibling. However, as much as things came together, all the pieces were in place to tear everyone apart. Hopefully, The Spree and our witches can come together before the witch hunters take everyone out. Follow all our Motherland: Fort Salem coverage here.

Stray Thoughts:

• When Abigail and Adil were together, the literal ground shook. Is this because she has finally found real love, or is it a bi-product of whatever happened to her and Raelle during the link?
• While there aren’t massive worms like the ones in Tally’s dreams in the jungle, substantial parasitic worms can make humans their home. There are also Giant Amazonian Centipedes which aren’t as big as the ones Tally dreamed of, but I wouldn’t want to meet one just the same.
• What will Raelle do when she learns Scylla didn’t just betray her; her mother did as well?