Abracasazerac - Ashley and Joel Discuss “Second Line” S1E3 of The Mayfair Witches on AMC and AMC+
Joel: The Articulate Coveen is the original unofficial podcast and fan community for An Rice's interview with the Vampire and An Rice's Immortal Universe from AMC and AMC Plus. Africa Sazerac, by the way, is the the thing that I wrote at the top of my notes.
Ashley: Oh my god. I think.
Joel: You like that? Alright. We'll get into it in a minute. Welcome to the Articulate Cove. We're your hosts. I'm Joel.
Ashley: And I'm Ashley.
Joel: And we are the Articulate Cove. And Ashley, we are back again better late than never. Some of
Ashley: Yes. Sorry y'all.
Joel: Into the way. I will I will admit. I wondered when it when it went, you know, two days after our normal posting time, three days after our normal posting time. I'm sort of surprised we didn't get at least a poster to Alright. Have you abandoned this show because you don't like it anymore? No. We didn't.
Ashley: You're not as committed to the witches. We're not as committed.
Joel: Wait. No. I think that is fair to say honestly, very frankly, even with all of the live stuff, you and I probably would have found time.
Ashley: What a state of late?
Joel: In the EU. Yeah. Between between all the other things. We we didn't quite squeeze it in. We we are here today, though, and we are excited to discuss this episode. Even quibbles aside. And we're gonna dive right into it. As a matter of fact, we're gonna be discussing episode three of season one of Mayfair, which is the adaptation of the lives of the Mafer, which is the novel series from An Rise on AMC. We are the articular coven year original fan community and podcast for interview with the Vampire and everything that comes out of AMC's and An Rice's immortal universe there on AMC and AMC Plus. Ashley, overall, what were your thoughts on this one?
Ashley: Oh, I felt like I was on drugs, Joel. I was like, did did I get roofied right before I started this. It was it was interesting and I do think I've kind of figured how they're gonna reveal it seems like they're revealing the past lives of our of our, like, our historical witches along with Rowan kind of discovering and figuring out who she is because we're starting to see some like like side by side in the storytelling. You can totally tell they're kind of experiencing the same things. So I think I've wrapped my head around that. This shows wild. It is bananas. I was talking to a friend about it and she was like, well, I haven't read it. I was like, to be honest, that doesn't matter at all. These writers don't fucking care. So, I mean, I liked it. I think we're it's moving story along. This was kind of a slower episode, but it had some really good payoffs in it.
Joel: Yes. Yes. You are, like, right on the money for me pretty much. I agree. Finally, I realized, oh, we're gonna see parallel stories here. They're telling us Suzanne's story as a mirror to Rowan's story. Yes. And we're gonna see those, you know, continue to unite and tie into each other in a in a, you know, more one one imagines at least a more deep way. Well, I gotta tell you the the opening was my favorite part, I think probably of the whole episode. The the opening of this episode in in particular was really special. They're clearly doing something with this story, with Suzanne. You know, it's not again, none of this is is really a solid adaptation of the written work. But I'm very interested in Suzanne's story, and I'm very interested in this, you know, medieval version of the Mayfair family I I hope they have a good payoff for it because I currently, that is the absolute thing that's keep that's strung me along. The model story meanwhile, Ashley, it feels like someone's aunt read this book once and told them about it. And then they woke up suddenly, one Monday morning, and realized they had been hired six months ago to write the adaptation for the Mayfair which
Ashley: is Then maybe they should have read it.
Joel: They they can't get their end on the phone now. So, you know, it's like, alright. Well, what did I don't know. He there was something about, like, He blew trees when the witches died. I think I remember that in there. There was something named Karlotta for sure.
Ashley: It's so soft. It's like such a like, I was so annoyed. That was something I I was like, no, it's supposed to fucking storm when they die. Like, it's supposed to bring the fucking thunder. So I was super annoyed by that. I don't know. That's something because I think that that's something that's so important in the book because they make it such a big deal too that it happens when Julian died. But it's all it's something that's you know, that everybody comments on. And it's it was just so weird. I was like, did a bullet just come through that bathroom window? What the fuck just happened?
Joel: Yeah. I the I mean, we've talked last episode, especially, we talked a lot about Jack Houston and how we feel, you know, a little disappointed in the character of Lascher so far in one way or another. But
Joel: that that storm is yes. That is a moment from the books that that's referenced. He always, you know, throws a little local storm when the witch dies, but
Joel: not
Joel: like that. I don't
Ashley: know what
Joel: I don't know what they're doing here. Okay. So let's Let's go right there though, and we're gonna jump into the spoilers ahead, by the way, if you haven't watched the episode. Unless you just have decided you don't wanna And I'll say here too. I'll say here. Listen. Here's the thing. We're not first of all, I'm not at the level of hate watching it yet.
Ashley: No. No. I'm not even still out.
Joel: The jury is still out on whether this will be a good television show when all is said and done. What it is not clearly, we know now the jury is not out on this. The jury is in. This is not a good adaptation of the witching hour or the Mayfair witches. So, like, let's see if they can win the the bonus prize. You know? I don't know. Anyway, I'm not hate watching it yet. But
Ashley: I agree. I'm not quite to that point yet, but man, this is it's really bizarre how how far they've kind of pulled away from it. And I mean and I you think it is like a case of people just not being quite as married to the material as the show runners on inner you are. I mean, I totally think that's what it is. Because you're right, it's like a kind of like a a watered down sort of sanitized version of the things that you actually see. Now, I say that, and they damn near cut off teacher's fucking head. I mean, she was like a goddamn pest dispenser in the elevator. Later.
Joel: I just kept thinking, Ashley, and every time I go back and think about that again, that's all like a meme of it or something yesterday. How are they sup how are we supposed to believe that the blood held itself in from the sixth floor to the ninth floor with her head --
Ashley: Right. --
Joel: as the coroner said, almost cut off completely.
Ashley: Yeah. For real. Like, I have seen crime scene photos of a crime that something like this similar happened to someone. And there was so much blood every wear. Like, it was everywhere. And this is not that. I mean, this is so like it should have been like fucking the shining. Blood coming out of the elevator like that.
Joel: Or or maybe you could've just let her die like she does in the books and not done it. Who done it for the I I don't think Well,
Ashley: it does. It seems like a really weird like, diversion. Like, we don't -- Yes. -- they it's like they don't trust the story to be interesting enough on its own. So they're throwing in something that they think we're gonna really latch onto. So
Joel: this is a sidetrack slightly, but let me just say here that the overall producer of the immortal universe was quoted in a bunch of different articles this week, but it all comes from the same interview. And effectively, what he mentioned was the sort of offhand comment that they're currently working on three other Anne Rice series. They've got these two that are in active production for future seasons. Mayfair, which has not been greenlit for season two, but you know the producers are working on what that looks like, working with the network on whether or not They've got the budget for it and and the green light to go ahead. Interview is already in production for season two. They're about to start filming soon. So that's moving forward. But Johnson, I believe, is his last name. They say he says they've got three other series in the works. And he specifically referenced the Mayfair history and in particular their time in the Caribbean. And I thought to myself, or you could tell your show runners to put all of the book in the show that the book is based on that, you know, still in the book and just just actually do that instead of inventing a bunch of like, there are three really good well, there are two really good and one okay book in this trilogy. And all of them are like, super meaty, just contain multitudes, whole lives, different stories. I it just confuddles me on why they're inventing anything for this. It just really blows my mind.
Ashley: There's a thousand damn pages for you to choose from.
Joel: Yeah. It's like it's like if you adapt the stand
Ashley: Oh oh, Joel. So I'm gonna
Joel: fucking lose my mind. You know it'd be great is if instead of a flu, it was Oh my god. And you're like, well,
Ashley: They always fuck up the stairs. Zombies.
Joel: Anyway,
Ashley: you know.
Joel: So let's but here's the here's the thing. We're gonna try hard We're gonna and listen, in the season recap, when we're talking about this season as a whole, we're gonna do more of this. But between here and there, I am gonna try hard not to continue to litigate what the show is not. Let's talk about what it is and what they're doing. You're right. That's where I wanna go here. You're right. There is some interesting stuff happening. In that scene that we we just referenced with the lashers sort of storm going on. We see first of all, we see Carlada and the the sister who still doesn't have a name by the We don't know her name yet. She's now been in three episodes.
Ashley: We have no clue.
Joel: She still hasn't been we don't even know for a fact, she's a mafia. We like, we know who she is from the books, obviously, she's the other she's the other auntie. But, like, Is she Carlotta's girlfriend in the show? She might be. We don't know.
Ashley: We don't know. It's a mystery that they still haven't given that's the answer too. Yeah. No. The two of those -- theme was lovely. -- beds. That theme was nice. I liked I I really love
Joel: I I do like I do like that dynamic. It reminded me of the three witches from sleeping beauty, honestly. Like,
Ashley: Yes. That's very that's a good one. Yes. They're missing the fun one, the fun fat blue one. You need the fun fact for me to keep you grounded. That's what's wrong with these witches.
Joel: Oh goodness. So but right after that though, we cut to Cortland. Cortland alone in a in a bathroom sort of --
Ashley: Being a creep.
Joel: -- having heavy yeah. Being a creep for sure. And he's attacked by Lascher's storm. Lascher uses the storm breaks through the window and and cuts Cortland's face with a piece of glass. And then suddenly there he is in the room with Cortland. We had speculated about this based on the trailers and, you know, Cortland's words in in previous episodes Courtland clearly has had interactions with last year before. Yeah. He's scared of him in this scene, but he's not awed by his presence or the fact that he could see him or he
Ashley: Right. Right. Right. He's
Joel: spoken with Lascher previously.
Ashley: Yeah. Clearly, they have some sort of they have a relationship some sort. We don't really know, you know, the extent of it yet. Maybe that will be another who done it. But yeah. No. We But you can obvious it's obvious that he sees Lascher. He's seen Lascher before. He's scared of him, but he's not shocked that he's there.
Joel: So Last week, I said my read on the show is that they're trying to get us to believe that Lasher killed Deidre. I think the read currently is that they want us to believe at least that Cortland killed Deidre and that Lascher was angry at him for it and was sort of placated by the push in the direction of Rowan.
Ashley: Hey, it's your thirteenth witch. Here she is. This is what you've been waiting for, buddy. So that also means that he knows he knows even deeper about what Lascher's intentions are.
Joel: Yes. Yes. Which, again, sort of aligned with the fact that I am ever less, you know, believing that this show is going to land in anywhere near a a faithful adaptation. I think it is very likely now that Julian's been written out of this thing. They've given Like you basically all of
Ashley: So here's why I don't know. Motivation.
Joel: Julian's motivation is that he understands what Lascher actually wants to do, tries to do it in the early twentieth century, and fails. Right. And in the book, there's even the implication that like his
Ashley: spirit is continuing the mission through Michael. So this is this is the thing that I saw in the cemetery scene. In the in the oh, shit. It's a it's in the preview. But I'm gonna say it anyway. Stella's name is on sell his names on the crypt. So on the crypt, Rowan is standing there and the list of the of of there's like it's it's Rowan's name is on there. The whole big deal is like, oh, I'm supposed to be dead. But really, when I was like, holy fuck, their Stella's name is on there too. So I know we're like, it feels like we're at least going to get some of that time period. And it would be crazy to just ditch Julian completely.
Joel: I agree. I agree. But, I mean, this is another one of those things that, like, is not part of Cortland's story in the in the novels at all. There's no hint that Cortland understands, like, the overall project that Lascher has been trying to do through the Mayfair family. Julian very clearly does. Yeah. Unlike and and honestly, I think there's even been a while since I've read it. We're gonna do it soon. There's even more of that in the second book in Lascher. There's more of Julian story, and I think you get more understanding of, like, how in touch with what all was happening he was. Anyway, boy, I got my fingers crossed. But this episode and that revelation about Cortland.
Ashley: That gave me hope. That one get that little tease gave me some hope that we're we're gonna get some of our are some of our still really great characters from the past, like fingers crossed, but that's what I caught, and it made me feel good.
Joel: So, yeah, some interesting stuff going on back at Cyprian's house. First of all, we're and I've seen lots
Ashley: of Best Department ever.
Joel: Mentioned this. Oh, you you I it reminded me a daredevil's apartment from the Netflix series, though. It looks like, you know
Ashley: Oh my god. That's hilarious.
Joel: Loft because there's a billboard outside or something. But we I don't know what they're doing here again. Ciprian himself is an introduced character, and then we get Odette a whole scene with his sister, and it's like, why do we need I mean, Michael doesn't even have a sister. Michael's
Ashley: got a Right. He's got an aunt. Yeah. Like
Joel: a non factor. Anyway, I don't really understand what they're doing. And then I did think right at the end. And again, maybe I'm giving the show too much credit. But one of the things that I said when we knew for certain that Michael was gonna be replaced in the go. I said I was hopeful that they brought that, like, lowborn New Orleans aspect that --
Ashley: Yeah. Yeah. -- character
Joel: brings Michael Curry's character. And I wonder if through Ciprian and his family, the idea that Odette is here at this apartment makes me think she's probably local which makes me think SIP is too. There's also the scene earlier where he speaks Creole with the the janitorial staff, which by the way, I I mean, like, good on them for trying and maybe they're hinting at the fact that Sips from around here, but I don't think your average janitorial staff speaks fluent Creole French like, today in New Orleans if you just walk up and and and if you do as somebody wandering around the building, I think the janitorial staff will be suspicious even if they do. But still, okay, again, given them the benefit of a doubt, what if they're building here a little bit of that Ciprian is from the wrong side of New Orleans. Maybe even they'll they'll tie into, you know, Merrick's family down the line, which again is a Mayfair side that comes from the wrong side of the tracks.
Ashley: Well, that would make sense since they're already kind of teasing those sort of crossover moments that would totally tie in of that.
Joel: That would be interesting if that was well, I don't know. The the you know, we've gotten the hint that we're gonna get a crossover character. Yeah.
Ashley: I think that's still pretty far down the road.
Joel: We're supposed to get
Ashley: at least one Merrick side of things. Yeah. I think the Merrick side of things will be too far down the road. Yeah. But you're right. Get something that
Joel: we could definitely hope for eventually. So I wanna talk a little bit about the magic in this series and the universe, I guess, since this series we know is connected to our vampires, Lascher seems to be barred from reaching or influencing Rowan for some reason. He doesn't understand it, and Rowan doesn't even know it. And yet, if she drinks let's call it a Sazerac. If she has a a cocktail, then suddenly, Lascher can make his way in.
Ashley: I don't I really I really like, I was really super judgmental about her just taking a fucking shot off the street in New Orleans and then I was like, you can't actually pretend Ashley that you haven't taken a shot off the street in New Orleans, even in a test tube. I've done it. Jesus. I was like, who the fuck would do that? And then I was like, you, Ashley, you would do that. You've done that. It's
Joel: it's so No. Not part of town. Actually, there was that one time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. The test tube lady doesn't wander around in that
Ashley: part of town.
Joel: You're right.
Ashley: She's not in that part of town? She's in a quarter. But I've cleaner, and that didn't happen to me. I didn't I didn't have a the craziest second I didn't participate in the craziest second line in the history of New Orleans.
Joel: Okay. So that's an interesting thing there. I I wanted to question the second line and then I looked it up. The group that is actually performing, that's that's dancing, singing all that. That's a real New Orleans group. I do wonder how happy they were with their presentation and the episode is it did not ring true to to what I've seen and witnessed in in person or --
Ashley: Yes. -- in
Joel: in media before. But they obviously were going for a certainness.
Ashley: It was interesting. I mean, creepy. Exactly. Absolutely. They were setting up this sort of like creepy miss serious thing. I loved the
Joel: like.
Ashley: I loved the when you didn't know if you it was real or not, that was kind of all really cool. There are parts of it that I really liked. There are parts of it that I was just like, what the fuck is happening? Did I drink the out of the test tube?
Joel: Yes. Yes, very much. So this
Joel: this episode did very much put you on that that opposite foot where you're like, what
Joel: what is what is where is up and where is down and and, you know,
Joel: what are we even supposed to be doing? Right. Okay. But the broader question for me, seriously. In Anne's novels, her witches are not most of them are not actually
Joel: what you would think of as witches. They are
Ashley: -- Right.
Joel: -- generally gifted psychics. A lot of them are telekinetic. Several of them are mediums. Most of them I would say are mediums. But -- Yeah. -- but what are these witches? I get the sense that medium is a big part of this because the spirit of Lascher and the connection to other spirits seems to be something that we're we're getting here. But
Ashley: Well, I was kidding. I don't I don't really know what they're building. Well, before before this episode, when we were looking in the past, when we were getting that backstory and and just seeing kind of hints of that. I sort of had this, like, witchy vibe from that, like, kind of, like, their rather ring for potions. But in this episode, they made it clear that she's a midwife, they're midwives. And so that made more sense to me that they're got. Like, I was like, okay. I was just kind of making this about witch's brew and I have the newt when it really wasn't. And it's just because I didn't I wasn't clear on what direction we were heading in, but now I'm kind of on board with understanding that. So I think that as we go along, we're gonna a clearer idea of of what sort of powers our witches do you have? If they're gonna in view Carlotta with any sort of of actual power. Right now, she's messing with shit, that she should be messing with, that base seen about did me in. But I do think that we're kind of we're on the path to for it to be more about being a medium, more about being maybe a psychokinetic, and then, you know, Rowan's kind of powers of of healing and
Joel: murder? I do okay. So Carlotta in the books absolutely kills at least two people that
Ashley: we like,
Joel: we know for sure she was responsible for their deaths. I don't think though the book Carlotta would do this to the hired help.
Ashley: Holy shit, Joel. This this fucked me up. I was real bothered by this and that sound, just the sound of it. And then when the reveal happened and it was just that was fucking horrifying.
Joel: You know, I think the one aspect of production that is absolutely equivalent. Absolutely from interview with the Vampire over to the Mayfair Witch series is in fact the the practical effects and gore department. You know,
Ashley: the blood
Joel: and gore.
Ashley: Jesus.
Joel: That that skull crushing scene was
Ashley: if it
Joel: is good, if not better, honestly, than Wynn Listat punch through the the priest face and it was
Ashley: Yes. Yes. I totally agree. It was worse. It was more it was better slash worse. You know what I mean? Like, oh, that looked awful. And and and I mean not to, like, really be disgusting about it. Yeah. It was like, you could tell it had been going on for so long because there were diff the blood was in for phases of drying, which is so gross and crazy, but that's how good their special effects team is. Like, there were parts of that that were kind of like thick and sorta congealed. And then there oh, that fucks me up.
Joel: It's it it is interesting to me to, like, that
Ashley: I
Joel: mean, surely Lasher wouldn't do that without the without the necklace actually having an effect. Right? The necklace must tie him at least to that location.
Ashley: Right. Right. I think it has to tie him to the person. Yeah. I think I think that it's Carlotta doesn't understand. It's not gonna keep him in the basement. That asshole wasn't even in the basement. He was probably standing outside. Being a creep in the yard.
Joel: So I mentioned earlier that I really like the opening of the show. Here's something else the show does well. I try to find moments to praise when I can. Every single episode so far has ended at the moment that I was personally most interested in whatever that episode had going on. I mean, I guess that's a good trait. Yeah. But if you think about it, like episode one ends when we when the doctor says he's gonna wake Deidre up. And as a book reader, I go, you're gonna do what now? Yeah. She's not gonna die at the part of this episode. And Lascher's gonna be free to go to and then Lascher's free before she's dead. And and it's about the necklace, not her life. And I'm like, Oh, and so as a book reader, I was like, what? Turn the page. Friend, let's go to the next chapter. End of episode two, teacher dies in the elevator.
Ashley: And we're
Joel: like, What are they? They brought in a Beth Gishback just to kill her. I don't understand what the show is even what is what even is the show? End of the third episode, We get this moment with Ciprian and Rowan where he's opening his power to her to try to get an understanding of of who she is and also give her an understanding is the implication there. And I don't know what they're gonna do. But I I got the feeling that this may effectively be the moment from the novels where Aaron Lightner hands the the briefcase to to to Michael and says, here's the history of the Mayfair Witches. Right? Well, if Ciprian has the Tallamaskan files, we don't know that a fact that he knows the
Ashley: whole thing. Family.
Joel: But let's assume that he does. In this moment of, you know, Vulcan mind melding, is Rowan gonna, like, unlock her ancestral knowledge and actually, we'll we'll live some of this history with Suzanne, and we'll get more of it. I don't know. Anyway, I lean forward. I'm like, oh, super exciting. Yeah. And then the screen goes back for a second. And they're playing the trailer. I was so mad. I'm I'm
Ashley: so mad. That was super weird. Right? It didn't seem like that was a trailer. It felt like it was part of the episode and it was so Like that, I don't know what the hell happened. Will the And I don't know why they've left it like that way. I've been fixed it. I'm like, surely this was a mistake you made before you. Put the episode out. Somebody fixed this in editing.
Joel: No. I think they did it very purposefully because it because it does and maybe they're maybe they're, like, waiving us in the wrong direction. I think it hits to what I just thought myself, which is, like, oh, she's about to get to download of the family history. The first line that you hear and it's a woman's voice, the main fear, which is three hundred years a matriarchical line passing down all of their possessions to their
Ashley: daughter. Yeah.
Joel: You know, something like that. And and you're seeing these paintings too of the of the of the older
Ashley: Right. Right. Right. Right. Which is
Joel: and so it's like, oh, oh, here here we go. This is the part of the book that always this is my favorite part of the book. This is the best part of the book. My favorite part of the show. No. It's just a trailer for next week and it's probably just, like, a circle of modern witches in New Orleans that are gonna be fighting this witch hunter thing that's coming that I don't wanna happen. Anyway, I'm I'm gonna try to stay positive.
Ashley: I will say this about about this moment, this mind meld moment as I think we should definitely refer to it. This this moment with the two of them. I hope that in in whatever information she receives, that we start seeing her act with some strength and some determination. I think that it's something in the group, in our Facebook group. We've we've that's been the biggest beef, I think. It's just that this version of Rowan is is not as, you know, self sufficient and independent and and not as strong in some ways as as R Rowan from the book. And I think that that's something that's kinda hard to swallow because it's such a different version of the character. And I've like I've liked a lot of moments, but, like, she has been a little, like, sad and wimp
Joel: around.
Ashley: Delivering, you know, and that's not that's not Rowan. Rowan can be like that in moments, but she has to come out of it. So I I really hope that
Joel: as
Ashley: she learns more about herself, we see her kind of start to take more agency in a story. I'm ready for things to happen because of her not just to her.
Joel: Oh, me too. Me too. Me too. I mean, the line that I'm used when we talked about the book was you know, Rowan is a subversion of the damsel in distress.
Ashley: Right.
Joel: And and Michael is this classic handsome prince. Except she don't need him. Like, not really, not in the end. Right. And and even yeah. Anyway, the resolution of this book what you imagine this series working towards, it doesn't really allow itself for Rowan who is passive. You know? And so far,
Ashley: I've gotten
Joel: a lot of that. Rowan has been battered about by the events of the book as opposed to you know, chasing activity and agency as she does in in the book. Anyway, I'm hopeful I got my fingers crossed. I
Ashley: don't know what
Joel: they're doing here though. If you told me, Ashley, if you told me before I saw the trailer for this series, that I would be so lukewarm on an anise adaptation, especially one that was connected to the vampire chronicles out of pocket crazy. Like
Ashley: Right. I know that. I'm just
Joel: watching that like a show, man.
Ashley: I yeah. I am. I'm not like I'm not invested in the same I have to know I have to know what's gonna happen next. Like, I already know it's supposed to happen next. It's probably not gonna, so I'm just kind of along for the ride. But I I really lies too that, like, now I sound like the people that were bitching about interviews adaptation. It's just so different. It's not the book I know. And I don't wanna be that way either I wanna be, you know, open to, like, this version of it. So I'm really really trying hard to to to have a good, you know, a good attitude and spirit about
Joel: it. You know, I wonder, again, based on kind of the way that this show has been building itself out, if Lascher wasn't telling a half truth in his in the scene where he's getting Rowan to drink the magical shot from the test tube that he he I think he might have been telling her a half truth there in the way that, you know, all the or actually it's a little bit later when he appears as Deidre herself. You
Ashley: know, all
Joel: of us are connected through him is what Deidre says there. And I wonder if that's not what they're building towards because these flashback sequences that we're seeing of Suzanne, again, if I'm right, and CIPRIAN's gonna kinda unlock this thing for Rowan with his power, those flashback sequences may actually play out as Rowan getting the download of the family history.
Ashley: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Experiencing
Joel: those moments as Suzanne. I think that may be the way that they they work this thing that could be really cool. And again, here, I'm just I'm out for good TV. Make make good TV folks. Yeah. And tell me if Sorry. TV that's highly underrated, that we keep getting more of it.
Ashley: Yes, please, and thank you. That's what we want. Yeah. There's one. I don't know. You're right. It is kind of just like, I'm I'm watching the last of us as well. And when I tell you that, like, I'm, like, on the edge of my seat, I am on the edge of my seat like I was with interview, with it, with the show, and I just I don't find myself in that in the throes of, like, desperation as far as, like, the episode just ended, and I have to wait a fucking week. You know?
Joel: Yes. And
Joel: by the way, I've been putting off the last of us just because I know this subject matter is so heavy, especially for a pop But I have heard nothing but
Joel: high praise about this. That's amazing.
Joel: Great ad adaptation. Everybody says it was a great story to begin with. And so distilling that down into, you know, good live
Joel: action TV should be really, really great. If you're if you're in for this one, and you've got HBO Max or access to HBO, you probably wanna be checking
Ashley: out too. I highly recommend it. It is fantastic.
Joel: Ashley, before we wrap up, I want to continue our new trend at least for a while here as long as I remember it of reading a review of the show from Nextel Podcasts in this case.
Ashley: Hey. Thanks for reviewing, guys. We appreciate it.
Joel: Yes. Absolutely. This comes from Cheetah for sale. New fave, five stars obsessed with the new interview with the Vampire Series, and so glad I found this podcast. The host knowledge of Anne Reisler adds so much to the discussion can't wait for Mayfair, which is Cheetah for sale. How's that way going? How do you feel now, friend?
Ashley: Yeah. How do you feel let us know let us know how you're feeling and help us help us if like you are into this, guys. If you are like No, Ashley. No, Joel. You're full of shit. This is amazing and this is why. I need you. To tell me those things so that I can get as cranked about it as you are.
Joel: You know what? There somebody did post. Let me pull this up because I I don't wanna I don't want to overlook this and I wanna give credit where credit is due. Someone posted in the Facebook group earlier. There is a someone on Twitter, which I am no longer on, but I did click through this link and check out some of their yeah. Okay. Here it is. I knew I could find it. On Twitter, and I'll put a link to this in the show notes as well. The handle is at tail treading, tail t reading. They do apparently episode specific breakdowns in --
Ashley: Oh, excellent. --
Joel: on Twitter. And they're very, very good, honestly. They made a lot of really interesting points for instance. Here's a perfect example. I'm gonna I'm gonna read this off at the top. Okay. In the opening scene in Scotland. First of all, they have the name of the woman who is speaking to Suzanne, presumably her mother. Mouth, I think, is how they say here. I don't believe it's ever said in the episode. Maybe they got that from the
Ashley: It was because I saw it in the -- Okay. -- that woman. The subtitles.
Joel: Oh, there you go. So that woman tells Suzanne that she wants to fly with regard to Hinn Baine. So black Hinn Baine or stinking nightshade is another name for it. It's a poisonous plant along with aconite, which was mentioned in episode two, those are two of what people call the witching herbs. Focalur, especially Christian Witch hysteria, attributes Himbane to be one of the ingredients in the flying ointment when mixed with the fat of unbaptized babies supposedly allowed witches to take to the sky. Per Francis Bacon, he wrote that. Hinn Baine is hallucinogenic and it speculated that it was used in early medicine to mitigate pain. Basically, you'd get them real high. They would fly psychoactively to avoid the pain that they were their body was going through. So that is apparently the the implication there. And again, that's like subtext you wouldn't have picked up on. Awesome. Yeah. Right. So there's a lot of things there, apparently, that the writers are trying to do. If you dig deep enough into it, and some of those are coming through in these threads. Check this out. I'll put a link in the show notes. Especially if you want to look for the positives in this show and you wanna look for the little moments where they do pull things, not necessarily from the books. In this case, most of the spread does not pertain to the novels themselves. But there are a couple of references that she found that that I was surprised by, oh, I didn't realize maybe that is a little hint in the direction of the books. So again, I'll put that note in there and and check it out. Keep up with with them if you're still on the tweeters.
Ashley: That's awesome. Ashley,
Joel: anything that you have to add before we wrap up for this week, we'll be back.
Ashley: I do. Pretty quickly
Joel: as we get
Ashley: Yes. We will.
Joel: Forward coming up this weekend?
Ashley: I do think I'm very excited about the next couple of episodes because the momentum is pushing Rowan to the house. And I'm ready for that house to be involved in this story more. I'm excited for her to get home and to start seeing what's gonna happen once she's in the house with the May fairs. You know, they're gonna throw this wake. We're gonna have this funeral. So very I'm very interested and excited act I'm excited to see what's gonna happen when we have everybody in that creepy, creepy house together.
Joel: I also have been I I've been given a renewed excitement for the next couple of months because it's sort of like it's it's gotten back into my head that as soon as this show wraps, the trickle of information news and rumors and speculation and announcements. All begins to drop about
Ashley: the late
Joel: season two of this show potentially season two of interview with the Vampire, but also, again, those other three series that AMC is working on, you they're gonna wanna get at least one of those into production if possible. In between now and when season two of interview with the vampire drops just so you can begin to have a steady cadence and the An Rise fans will be you know, always needing to stay subscribed to AMC.
Ashley: Absolutely. The other thing I'm looking forward to is we still have books to read, you know, in our downtime from the shows. We have, you know, we'll be picking up the vampire armand and rolling with that here pretty soon. So, you know, there's always there's always something for us to look forward to.
Joel: Speaking of books to read, since we often do mention a TV show that we've watched that that we really enjoyed, which by the way, I will probably be mentioning next week or on next episode. My thoughts on Muthregan or or Meghan, I think if you wanna pronounce it properly to see the new movie that came out about the killer robot.
Ashley: I I can't wait till you tell me about it.
Joel: Way back in the day. That movie looks fantastic. I've I've got it the other day on digital, so Kelly and I are gonna try to watch it soon. But what I
Ashley: want to watch
Joel: in this episode and tell everybody just a little bit about and kinda recommend, I've been reading an excellent book. We just took this trip last weekend to New Orleans. And, you know, on the drive down there and back, it's about four and a half hours for us each way. And I listened to a ton of this book there, and I'm trying to maybe finish at this next week. This is a book by Adrian Chikovsky. And I'm not I'm way behind on this. I think the curve is is way ahead because there's already the third book is about the drop at the end of this month, I think. But the the series is is it starts with the book, children of time. It's children of time, children of ruin, and I can't remember what the third one is called. That's gonna drop the end of this month. But their sci fi books, this writer is brilliant he's written short story on Novela that came out this year that's a mix of fantasy and sci fi that people have been praising. It's been on a bunch of, like, best of the year end list sort of thing. I've got that loaded up on my Kindle when I get done with this series, but this series particularly if you've ever been a fan of, like, the Planet of the apes series. I think this one is for you. It's not like Planet of the apes, but if that sort of speculative fantasy in sci fi tickles your brain, I think you're gonna this is gonna be right up your alley
Ashley: to take a look for
Joel: that in the show as well.
Ashley: Excellent. We love a series.
Joel: But when I wrap this one up, I I agree. I'm a hundred percent with you. But when I wrap this one up, before I go to the sequel, as Ashley referenced there, I am gonna be moving on to we're gonna do are we gonna do the vampire Armand? Are we gonna do Pandora first? Which did we
Ashley: do? I thought we said we'd do our on first because of of
Joel: That's right. Just to make sure we get it between seasons. Yes. Yes. Yes. This season interview, the vampire ended with a a heavy Armand influence, we'll go to that novel next. So I'm gonna finish thischaikovsky novel. I'm gonna move on to Vampyre, Armand, you can join us there. And then when we get that episode out, we'll we'll move on to our Lady Pandora.
Ashley: Oh, can't wait. As
Joel: holds a special place in both of our hearts. Absolutely.
Joel: Alright.
Joel: That's your homework folks. Get ready. Watch the fourth episode of Mayfair Witches, and join us again next weekend. Until then, we've been your house. Some Joel --
Ashley: I'm Ashley. --
Joel: and we are the Articulate Covet. Thanks for listening to the Articulate Coveen. You can join our community on Facebook by following the links in the show notes or searching for Articulate Coveen on Facebook. You can subscribe to the show in Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or at articulatecoven dot com. And share us with your AmRise loving friends.
Joel: The Articulate Coveen is the original unofficial podcast and fan community for An Rice's interview with the Vampire and An Rice's Immortal Universe from AMC and AMC Plus. Africa Sazerac, by the way, is the the thing that I wrote at the top of my notes.
Ashley: Oh my god. I think.
Joel: You like that? Alright. We'll get into it in a minute. Welcome to the Articulate Cove. We're your hosts. I'm Joel.
Ashley: And I'm Ashley.
Joel: And we are the Articulate Cove. And Ashley, we are back again better late than never. Some of
Ashley: Yes. Sorry y'all.
Joel: Into the way. I will I will admit. I wondered when it when it went, you know, two days after our normal posting time, three days after our normal posting time. I'm sort of surprised we didn't get at least a poster to Alright. Have you abandoned this show because you don't like it anymore? No. We didn't.
Ashley: You're not as committed to the witches. We're not as committed.
Joel: Wait. No. I think that is fair to say honestly, very frankly, even with all of the live stuff, you and I probably would have found time.
Ashley: What a state of late?
Joel: In the EU. Yeah. Between between all the other things. We we didn't quite squeeze it in. We we are here today, though, and we are excited to discuss this episode. Even quibbles aside. And we're gonna dive right into it. As a matter of fact, we're gonna be discussing episode three of season one of Mayfair, which is the adaptation of the lives of the Mafer, which is the novel series from An Rise on AMC. We are the articular coven year original fan community and podcast for interview with the Vampire and everything that comes out of AMC's and An Rice's immortal universe there on AMC and AMC Plus. Ashley, overall, what were your thoughts on this one?
Ashley: Oh, I felt like I was on drugs, Joel. I was like, did did I get roofied right before I started this. It was it was interesting and I do think I've kind of figured how they're gonna reveal it seems like they're revealing the past lives of our of our, like, our historical witches along with Rowan kind of discovering and figuring out who she is because we're starting to see some like like side by side in the storytelling. You can totally tell they're kind of experiencing the same things. So I think I've wrapped my head around that. This shows wild. It is bananas. I was talking to a friend about it and she was like, well, I haven't read it. I was like, to be honest, that doesn't matter at all. These writers don't fucking care. So, I mean, I liked it. I think we're it's moving story along. This was kind of a slower episode, but it had some really good payoffs in it.
Joel: Yes. Yes. You are, like, right on the money for me pretty much. I agree. Finally, I realized, oh, we're gonna see parallel stories here. They're telling us Suzanne's story as a mirror to Rowan's story. Yes. And we're gonna see those, you know, continue to unite and tie into each other in a in a, you know, more one one imagines at least a more deep way. Well, I gotta tell you the the opening was my favorite part, I think probably of the whole episode. The the opening of this episode in in particular was really special. They're clearly doing something with this story, with Suzanne. You know, it's not again, none of this is is really a solid adaptation of the written work. But I'm very interested in Suzanne's story, and I'm very interested in this, you know, medieval version of the Mayfair family I I hope they have a good payoff for it because I currently, that is the absolute thing that's keep that's strung me along. The model story meanwhile, Ashley, it feels like someone's aunt read this book once and told them about it. And then they woke up suddenly, one Monday morning, and realized they had been hired six months ago to write the adaptation for the Mayfair which
Ashley: is Then maybe they should have read it.
Joel: They they can't get their end on the phone now. So, you know, it's like, alright. Well, what did I don't know. He there was something about, like, He blew trees when the witches died. I think I remember that in there. There was something named Karlotta for sure.
Ashley: It's so soft. It's like such a like, I was so annoyed. That was something I I was like, no, it's supposed to fucking storm when they die. Like, it's supposed to bring the fucking thunder. So I was super annoyed by that. I don't know. That's something because I think that that's something that's so important in the book because they make it such a big deal too that it happens when Julian died. But it's all it's something that's you know, that everybody comments on. And it's it was just so weird. I was like, did a bullet just come through that bathroom window? What the fuck just happened?
Joel: Yeah. I the I mean, we've talked last episode, especially, we talked a lot about Jack Houston and how we feel, you know, a little disappointed in the character of Lascher so far in one way or another. But
Joel: that that storm is yes. That is a moment from the books that that's referenced. He always, you know, throws a little local storm when the witch dies, but
Joel: not
Joel: like that. I don't
Ashley: know what
Joel: I don't know what they're doing here. Okay. So let's Let's go right there though, and we're gonna jump into the spoilers ahead, by the way, if you haven't watched the episode. Unless you just have decided you don't wanna And I'll say here too. I'll say here. Listen. Here's the thing. We're not first of all, I'm not at the level of hate watching it yet.
Ashley: No. No. I'm not even still out.
Joel: The jury is still out on whether this will be a good television show when all is said and done. What it is not clearly, we know now the jury is not out on this. The jury is in. This is not a good adaptation of the witching hour or the Mayfair witches. So, like, let's see if they can win the the bonus prize. You know? I don't know. Anyway, I'm not hate watching it yet. But
Ashley: I agree. I'm not quite to that point yet, but man, this is it's really bizarre how how far they've kind of pulled away from it. And I mean and I you think it is like a case of people just not being quite as married to the material as the show runners on inner you are. I mean, I totally think that's what it is. Because you're right, it's like a kind of like a a watered down sort of sanitized version of the things that you actually see. Now, I say that, and they damn near cut off teacher's fucking head. I mean, she was like a goddamn pest dispenser in the elevator. Later.
Joel: I just kept thinking, Ashley, and every time I go back and think about that again, that's all like a meme of it or something yesterday. How are they sup how are we supposed to believe that the blood held itself in from the sixth floor to the ninth floor with her head --
Ashley: Right. --
Joel: as the coroner said, almost cut off completely.
Ashley: Yeah. For real. Like, I have seen crime scene photos of a crime that something like this similar happened to someone. And there was so much blood every wear. Like, it was everywhere. And this is not that. I mean, this is so like it should have been like fucking the shining. Blood coming out of the elevator like that.
Joel: Or or maybe you could've just let her die like she does in the books and not done it. Who done it for the I I don't think Well,
Ashley: it does. It seems like a really weird like, diversion. Like, we don't -- Yes. -- they it's like they don't trust the story to be interesting enough on its own. So they're throwing in something that they think we're gonna really latch onto. So
Joel: this is a sidetrack slightly, but let me just say here that the overall producer of the immortal universe was quoted in a bunch of different articles this week, but it all comes from the same interview. And effectively, what he mentioned was the sort of offhand comment that they're currently working on three other Anne Rice series. They've got these two that are in active production for future seasons. Mayfair, which has not been greenlit for season two, but you know the producers are working on what that looks like, working with the network on whether or not They've got the budget for it and and the green light to go ahead. Interview is already in production for season two. They're about to start filming soon. So that's moving forward. But Johnson, I believe, is his last name. They say he says they've got three other series in the works. And he specifically referenced the Mayfair history and in particular their time in the Caribbean. And I thought to myself, or you could tell your show runners to put all of the book in the show that the book is based on that, you know, still in the book and just just actually do that instead of inventing a bunch of like, there are three really good well, there are two really good and one okay book in this trilogy. And all of them are like, super meaty, just contain multitudes, whole lives, different stories. I it just confuddles me on why they're inventing anything for this. It just really blows my mind.
Ashley: There's a thousand damn pages for you to choose from.
Joel: Yeah. It's like it's like if you adapt the stand
Ashley: Oh oh, Joel. So I'm gonna
Joel: fucking lose my mind. You know it'd be great is if instead of a flu, it was Oh my god. And you're like, well,
Ashley: They always fuck up the stairs. Zombies.
Joel: Anyway,
Ashley: you know.
Joel: So let's but here's the here's the thing. We're gonna try hard We're gonna and listen, in the season recap, when we're talking about this season as a whole, we're gonna do more of this. But between here and there, I am gonna try hard not to continue to litigate what the show is not. Let's talk about what it is and what they're doing. You're right. That's where I wanna go here. You're right. There is some interesting stuff happening. In that scene that we we just referenced with the lashers sort of storm going on. We see first of all, we see Carlada and the the sister who still doesn't have a name by the We don't know her name yet. She's now been in three episodes.
Ashley: We have no clue.
Joel: She still hasn't been we don't even know for a fact, she's a mafia. We like, we know who she is from the books, obviously, she's the other she's the other auntie. But, like, Is she Carlotta's girlfriend in the show? She might be. We don't know.
Ashley: We don't know. It's a mystery that they still haven't given that's the answer too. Yeah. No. The two of those -- theme was lovely. -- beds. That theme was nice. I liked I I really love
Joel: I I do like I do like that dynamic. It reminded me of the three witches from sleeping beauty, honestly. Like,
Ashley: Yes. That's very that's a good one. Yes. They're missing the fun one, the fun fat blue one. You need the fun fact for me to keep you grounded. That's what's wrong with these witches.
Joel: Oh goodness. So but right after that though, we cut to Cortland. Cortland alone in a in a bathroom sort of --
Ashley: Being a creep.
Joel: -- having heavy yeah. Being a creep for sure. And he's attacked by Lascher's storm. Lascher uses the storm breaks through the window and and cuts Cortland's face with a piece of glass. And then suddenly there he is in the room with Cortland. We had speculated about this based on the trailers and, you know, Cortland's words in in previous episodes Courtland clearly has had interactions with last year before. Yeah. He's scared of him in this scene, but he's not awed by his presence or the fact that he could see him or he
Ashley: Right. Right. Right. He's
Joel: spoken with Lascher previously.
Ashley: Yeah. Clearly, they have some sort of they have a relationship some sort. We don't really know, you know, the extent of it yet. Maybe that will be another who done it. But yeah. No. We But you can obvious it's obvious that he sees Lascher. He's seen Lascher before. He's scared of him, but he's not shocked that he's there.
Joel: So Last week, I said my read on the show is that they're trying to get us to believe that Lasher killed Deidre. I think the read currently is that they want us to believe at least that Cortland killed Deidre and that Lascher was angry at him for it and was sort of placated by the push in the direction of Rowan.
Ashley: Hey, it's your thirteenth witch. Here she is. This is what you've been waiting for, buddy. So that also means that he knows he knows even deeper about what Lascher's intentions are.
Joel: Yes. Yes. Which, again, sort of aligned with the fact that I am ever less, you know, believing that this show is going to land in anywhere near a a faithful adaptation. I think it is very likely now that Julian's been written out of this thing. They've given Like you basically all of
Ashley: So here's why I don't know. Motivation.
Joel: Julian's motivation is that he understands what Lascher actually wants to do, tries to do it in the early twentieth century, and fails. Right. And in the book, there's even the implication that like his
Ashley: spirit is continuing the mission through Michael. So this is this is the thing that I saw in the cemetery scene. In the in the oh, shit. It's a it's in the preview. But I'm gonna say it anyway. Stella's name is on sell his names on the crypt. So on the crypt, Rowan is standing there and the list of the of of there's like it's it's Rowan's name is on there. The whole big deal is like, oh, I'm supposed to be dead. But really, when I was like, holy fuck, their Stella's name is on there too. So I know we're like, it feels like we're at least going to get some of that time period. And it would be crazy to just ditch Julian completely.
Joel: I agree. I agree. But, I mean, this is another one of those things that, like, is not part of Cortland's story in the in the novels at all. There's no hint that Cortland understands, like, the overall project that Lascher has been trying to do through the Mayfair family. Julian very clearly does. Yeah. Unlike and and honestly, I think there's even been a while since I've read it. We're gonna do it soon. There's even more of that in the second book in Lascher. There's more of Julian story, and I think you get more understanding of, like, how in touch with what all was happening he was. Anyway, boy, I got my fingers crossed. But this episode and that revelation about Cortland.
Ashley: That gave me hope. That one get that little tease gave me some hope that we're we're gonna get some of our are some of our still really great characters from the past, like fingers crossed, but that's what I caught, and it made me feel good.
Joel: So, yeah, some interesting stuff going on back at Cyprian's house. First of all, we're and I've seen lots
Ashley: of Best Department ever.
Joel: Mentioned this. Oh, you you I it reminded me a daredevil's apartment from the Netflix series, though. It looks like, you know
Ashley: Oh my god. That's hilarious.
Joel: Loft because there's a billboard outside or something. But we I don't know what they're doing here again. Ciprian himself is an introduced character, and then we get Odette a whole scene with his sister, and it's like, why do we need I mean, Michael doesn't even have a sister. Michael's
Ashley: got a Right. He's got an aunt. Yeah. Like
Joel: a non factor. Anyway, I don't really understand what they're doing. And then I did think right at the end. And again, maybe I'm giving the show too much credit. But one of the things that I said when we knew for certain that Michael was gonna be replaced in the go. I said I was hopeful that they brought that, like, lowborn New Orleans aspect that --
Ashley: Yeah. Yeah. -- character
Joel: brings Michael Curry's character. And I wonder if through Ciprian and his family, the idea that Odette is here at this apartment makes me think she's probably local which makes me think SIP is too. There's also the scene earlier where he speaks Creole with the the janitorial staff, which by the way, I I mean, like, good on them for trying and maybe they're hinting at the fact that Sips from around here, but I don't think your average janitorial staff speaks fluent Creole French like, today in New Orleans if you just walk up and and and if you do as somebody wandering around the building, I think the janitorial staff will be suspicious even if they do. But still, okay, again, given them the benefit of a doubt, what if they're building here a little bit of that Ciprian is from the wrong side of New Orleans. Maybe even they'll they'll tie into, you know, Merrick's family down the line, which again is a Mayfair side that comes from the wrong side of the tracks.
Ashley: Well, that would make sense since they're already kind of teasing those sort of crossover moments that would totally tie in of that.
Joel: That would be interesting if that was well, I don't know. The the you know, we've gotten the hint that we're gonna get a crossover character. Yeah.
Ashley: I think that's still pretty far down the road.
Joel: We're supposed to get
Ashley: at least one Merrick side of things. Yeah. I think the Merrick side of things will be too far down the road. Yeah. But you're right. Get something that
Joel: we could definitely hope for eventually. So I wanna talk a little bit about the magic in this series and the universe, I guess, since this series we know is connected to our vampires, Lascher seems to be barred from reaching or influencing Rowan for some reason. He doesn't understand it, and Rowan doesn't even know it. And yet, if she drinks let's call it a Sazerac. If she has a a cocktail, then suddenly, Lascher can make his way in.
Ashley: I don't I really I really like, I was really super judgmental about her just taking a fucking shot off the street in New Orleans and then I was like, you can't actually pretend Ashley that you haven't taken a shot off the street in New Orleans, even in a test tube. I've done it. Jesus. I was like, who the fuck would do that? And then I was like, you, Ashley, you would do that. You've done that. It's
Joel: it's so No. Not part of town. Actually, there was that one time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. The test tube lady doesn't wander around in that
Ashley: part of town.
Joel: You're right.
Ashley: She's not in that part of town? She's in a quarter. But I've cleaner, and that didn't happen to me. I didn't I didn't have a the craziest second I didn't participate in the craziest second line in the history of New Orleans.
Joel: Okay. So that's an interesting thing there. I I wanted to question the second line and then I looked it up. The group that is actually performing, that's that's dancing, singing all that. That's a real New Orleans group. I do wonder how happy they were with their presentation and the episode is it did not ring true to to what I've seen and witnessed in in person or --
Ashley: Yes. -- in
Joel: in media before. But they obviously were going for a certainness.
Ashley: It was interesting. I mean, creepy. Exactly. Absolutely. They were setting up this sort of like creepy miss serious thing. I loved the
Joel: like.
Ashley: I loved the when you didn't know if you it was real or not, that was kind of all really cool. There are parts of it that I really liked. There are parts of it that I was just like, what the fuck is happening? Did I drink the out of the test tube?
Joel: Yes. Yes, very much. So this
Joel: this episode did very much put you on that that opposite foot where you're like, what
Joel: what is what is where is up and where is down and and, you know,
Joel: what are we even supposed to be doing? Right. Okay. But the broader question for me, seriously. In Anne's novels, her witches are not most of them are not actually
Joel: what you would think of as witches. They are
Ashley: -- Right.
Joel: -- generally gifted psychics. A lot of them are telekinetic. Several of them are mediums. Most of them I would say are mediums. But -- Yeah. -- but what are these witches? I get the sense that medium is a big part of this because the spirit of Lascher and the connection to other spirits seems to be something that we're we're getting here. But
Ashley: Well, I was kidding. I don't I don't really know what they're building. Well, before before this episode, when we were looking in the past, when we were getting that backstory and and just seeing kind of hints of that. I sort of had this, like, witchy vibe from that, like, kind of, like, their rather ring for potions. But in this episode, they made it clear that she's a midwife, they're midwives. And so that made more sense to me that they're got. Like, I was like, okay. I was just kind of making this about witch's brew and I have the newt when it really wasn't. And it's just because I didn't I wasn't clear on what direction we were heading in, but now I'm kind of on board with understanding that. So I think that as we go along, we're gonna a clearer idea of of what sort of powers our witches do you have? If they're gonna in view Carlotta with any sort of of actual power. Right now, she's messing with shit, that she should be messing with, that base seen about did me in. But I do think that we're kind of we're on the path to for it to be more about being a medium, more about being maybe a psychokinetic, and then, you know, Rowan's kind of powers of of healing and
Joel: murder? I do okay. So Carlotta in the books absolutely kills at least two people that
Ashley: we like,
Joel: we know for sure she was responsible for their deaths. I don't think though the book Carlotta would do this to the hired help.
Ashley: Holy shit, Joel. This this fucked me up. I was real bothered by this and that sound, just the sound of it. And then when the reveal happened and it was just that was fucking horrifying.
Joel: You know, I think the one aspect of production that is absolutely equivalent. Absolutely from interview with the Vampire over to the Mayfair Witch series is in fact the the practical effects and gore department. You know,
Ashley: the blood
Joel: and gore.
Ashley: Jesus.
Joel: That that skull crushing scene was
Ashley: if it
Joel: is good, if not better, honestly, than Wynn Listat punch through the the priest face and it was
Ashley: Yes. Yes. I totally agree. It was worse. It was more it was better slash worse. You know what I mean? Like, oh, that looked awful. And and and I mean not to, like, really be disgusting about it. Yeah. It was like, you could tell it had been going on for so long because there were diff the blood was in for phases of drying, which is so gross and crazy, but that's how good their special effects team is. Like, there were parts of that that were kind of like thick and sorta congealed. And then there oh, that fucks me up.
Joel: It's it it is interesting to me to, like, that
Ashley: I
Joel: mean, surely Lasher wouldn't do that without the without the necklace actually having an effect. Right? The necklace must tie him at least to that location.
Ashley: Right. Right. I think it has to tie him to the person. Yeah. I think I think that it's Carlotta doesn't understand. It's not gonna keep him in the basement. That asshole wasn't even in the basement. He was probably standing outside. Being a creep in the yard.
Joel: So I mentioned earlier that I really like the opening of the show. Here's something else the show does well. I try to find moments to praise when I can. Every single episode so far has ended at the moment that I was personally most interested in whatever that episode had going on. I mean, I guess that's a good trait. Yeah. But if you think about it, like episode one ends when we when the doctor says he's gonna wake Deidre up. And as a book reader, I go, you're gonna do what now? Yeah. She's not gonna die at the part of this episode. And Lascher's gonna be free to go to and then Lascher's free before she's dead. And and it's about the necklace, not her life. And I'm like, Oh, and so as a book reader, I was like, what? Turn the page. Friend, let's go to the next chapter. End of episode two, teacher dies in the elevator.
Ashley: And we're
Joel: like, What are they? They brought in a Beth Gishback just to kill her. I don't understand what the show is even what is what even is the show? End of the third episode, We get this moment with Ciprian and Rowan where he's opening his power to her to try to get an understanding of of who she is and also give her an understanding is the implication there. And I don't know what they're gonna do. But I I got the feeling that this may effectively be the moment from the novels where Aaron Lightner hands the the briefcase to to to Michael and says, here's the history of the Mayfair Witches. Right? Well, if Ciprian has the Tallamaskan files, we don't know that a fact that he knows the
Ashley: whole thing. Family.
Joel: But let's assume that he does. In this moment of, you know, Vulcan mind melding, is Rowan gonna, like, unlock her ancestral knowledge and actually, we'll we'll live some of this history with Suzanne, and we'll get more of it. I don't know. Anyway, I lean forward. I'm like, oh, super exciting. Yeah. And then the screen goes back for a second. And they're playing the trailer. I was so mad. I'm I'm
Ashley: so mad. That was super weird. Right? It didn't seem like that was a trailer. It felt like it was part of the episode and it was so Like that, I don't know what the hell happened. Will the And I don't know why they've left it like that way. I've been fixed it. I'm like, surely this was a mistake you made before you. Put the episode out. Somebody fixed this in editing.
Joel: No. I think they did it very purposefully because it because it does and maybe they're maybe they're, like, waiving us in the wrong direction. I think it hits to what I just thought myself, which is, like, oh, she's about to get to download of the family history. The first line that you hear and it's a woman's voice, the main fear, which is three hundred years a matriarchical line passing down all of their possessions to their
Ashley: daughter. Yeah.
Joel: You know, something like that. And and you're seeing these paintings too of the of the of the older
Ashley: Right. Right. Right. Right. Which is
Joel: and so it's like, oh, oh, here here we go. This is the part of the book that always this is my favorite part of the book. This is the best part of the book. My favorite part of the show. No. It's just a trailer for next week and it's probably just, like, a circle of modern witches in New Orleans that are gonna be fighting this witch hunter thing that's coming that I don't wanna happen. Anyway, I'm I'm gonna try to stay positive.
Ashley: I will say this about about this moment, this mind meld moment as I think we should definitely refer to it. This this moment with the two of them. I hope that in in whatever information she receives, that we start seeing her act with some strength and some determination. I think that it's something in the group, in our Facebook group. We've we've that's been the biggest beef, I think. It's just that this version of Rowan is is not as, you know, self sufficient and independent and and not as strong in some ways as as R Rowan from the book. And I think that that's something that's kinda hard to swallow because it's such a different version of the character. And I've like I've liked a lot of moments, but, like, she has been a little, like, sad and wimp
Joel: around.
Ashley: Delivering, you know, and that's not that's not Rowan. Rowan can be like that in moments, but she has to come out of it. So I I really hope that
Joel: as
Ashley: she learns more about herself, we see her kind of start to take more agency in a story. I'm ready for things to happen because of her not just to her.
Joel: Oh, me too. Me too. Me too. I mean, the line that I'm used when we talked about the book was you know, Rowan is a subversion of the damsel in distress.
Ashley: Right.
Joel: And and Michael is this classic handsome prince. Except she don't need him. Like, not really, not in the end. Right. And and even yeah. Anyway, the resolution of this book what you imagine this series working towards, it doesn't really allow itself for Rowan who is passive. You know? And so far,
Ashley: I've gotten
Joel: a lot of that. Rowan has been battered about by the events of the book as opposed to you know, chasing activity and agency as she does in in the book. Anyway, I'm hopeful I got my fingers crossed. I
Ashley: don't know what
Joel: they're doing here though. If you told me, Ashley, if you told me before I saw the trailer for this series, that I would be so lukewarm on an anise adaptation, especially one that was connected to the vampire chronicles out of pocket crazy. Like
Ashley: Right. I know that. I'm just
Joel: watching that like a show, man.
Ashley: I yeah. I am. I'm not like I'm not invested in the same I have to know I have to know what's gonna happen next. Like, I already know it's supposed to happen next. It's probably not gonna, so I'm just kind of along for the ride. But I I really lies too that, like, now I sound like the people that were bitching about interviews adaptation. It's just so different. It's not the book I know. And I don't wanna be that way either I wanna be, you know, open to, like, this version of it. So I'm really really trying hard to to to have a good, you know, a good attitude and spirit about
Joel: it. You know, I wonder, again, based on kind of the way that this show has been building itself out, if Lascher wasn't telling a half truth in his in the scene where he's getting Rowan to drink the magical shot from the test tube that he he I think he might have been telling her a half truth there in the way that, you know, all the or actually it's a little bit later when he appears as Deidre herself. You
Ashley: know, all
Joel: of us are connected through him is what Deidre says there. And I wonder if that's not what they're building towards because these flashback sequences that we're seeing of Suzanne, again, if I'm right, and CIPRIAN's gonna kinda unlock this thing for Rowan with his power, those flashback sequences may actually play out as Rowan getting the download of the family history.
Ashley: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Experiencing
Joel: those moments as Suzanne. I think that may be the way that they they work this thing that could be really cool. And again, here, I'm just I'm out for good TV. Make make good TV folks. Yeah. And tell me if Sorry. TV that's highly underrated, that we keep getting more of it.
Ashley: Yes, please, and thank you. That's what we want. Yeah. There's one. I don't know. You're right. It is kind of just like, I'm I'm watching the last of us as well. And when I tell you that, like, I'm, like, on the edge of my seat, I am on the edge of my seat like I was with interview, with it, with the show, and I just I don't find myself in that in the throes of, like, desperation as far as, like, the episode just ended, and I have to wait a fucking week. You know?
Joel: Yes. And
Joel: by the way, I've been putting off the last of us just because I know this subject matter is so heavy, especially for a pop But I have heard nothing but
Joel: high praise about this. That's amazing.
Joel: Great ad adaptation. Everybody says it was a great story to begin with. And so distilling that down into, you know, good live
Joel: action TV should be really, really great. If you're if you're in for this one, and you've got HBO Max or access to HBO, you probably wanna be checking
Ashley: out too. I highly recommend it. It is fantastic.
Joel: Ashley, before we wrap up, I want to continue our new trend at least for a while here as long as I remember it of reading a review of the show from Nextel Podcasts in this case.
Ashley: Hey. Thanks for reviewing, guys. We appreciate it.
Joel: Yes. Absolutely. This comes from Cheetah for sale. New fave, five stars obsessed with the new interview with the Vampire Series, and so glad I found this podcast. The host knowledge of Anne Reisler adds so much to the discussion can't wait for Mayfair, which is Cheetah for sale. How's that way going? How do you feel now, friend?
Ashley: Yeah. How do you feel let us know let us know how you're feeling and help us help us if like you are into this, guys. If you are like No, Ashley. No, Joel. You're full of shit. This is amazing and this is why. I need you. To tell me those things so that I can get as cranked about it as you are.
Joel: You know what? There somebody did post. Let me pull this up because I I don't wanna I don't want to overlook this and I wanna give credit where credit is due. Someone posted in the Facebook group earlier. There is a someone on Twitter, which I am no longer on, but I did click through this link and check out some of their yeah. Okay. Here it is. I knew I could find it. On Twitter, and I'll put a link to this in the show notes as well. The handle is at tail treading, tail t reading. They do apparently episode specific breakdowns in --
Ashley: Oh, excellent. --
Joel: on Twitter. And they're very, very good, honestly. They made a lot of really interesting points for instance. Here's a perfect example. I'm gonna I'm gonna read this off at the top. Okay. In the opening scene in Scotland. First of all, they have the name of the woman who is speaking to Suzanne, presumably her mother. Mouth, I think, is how they say here. I don't believe it's ever said in the episode. Maybe they got that from the
Ashley: It was because I saw it in the -- Okay. -- that woman. The subtitles.
Joel: Oh, there you go. So that woman tells Suzanne that she wants to fly with regard to Hinn Baine. So black Hinn Baine or stinking nightshade is another name for it. It's a poisonous plant along with aconite, which was mentioned in episode two, those are two of what people call the witching herbs. Focalur, especially Christian Witch hysteria, attributes Himbane to be one of the ingredients in the flying ointment when mixed with the fat of unbaptized babies supposedly allowed witches to take to the sky. Per Francis Bacon, he wrote that. Hinn Baine is hallucinogenic and it speculated that it was used in early medicine to mitigate pain. Basically, you'd get them real high. They would fly psychoactively to avoid the pain that they were their body was going through. So that is apparently the the implication there. And again, that's like subtext you wouldn't have picked up on. Awesome. Yeah. Right. So there's a lot of things there, apparently, that the writers are trying to do. If you dig deep enough into it, and some of those are coming through in these threads. Check this out. I'll put a link in the show notes. Especially if you want to look for the positives in this show and you wanna look for the little moments where they do pull things, not necessarily from the books. In this case, most of the spread does not pertain to the novels themselves. But there are a couple of references that she found that that I was surprised by, oh, I didn't realize maybe that is a little hint in the direction of the books. So again, I'll put that note in there and and check it out. Keep up with with them if you're still on the tweeters.
Ashley: That's awesome. Ashley,
Joel: anything that you have to add before we wrap up for this week, we'll be back.
Ashley: I do. Pretty quickly
Joel: as we get
Ashley: Yes. We will.
Joel: Forward coming up this weekend?
Ashley: I do think I'm very excited about the next couple of episodes because the momentum is pushing Rowan to the house. And I'm ready for that house to be involved in this story more. I'm excited for her to get home and to start seeing what's gonna happen once she's in the house with the May fairs. You know, they're gonna throw this wake. We're gonna have this funeral. So very I'm very interested and excited act I'm excited to see what's gonna happen when we have everybody in that creepy, creepy house together.
Joel: I also have been I I've been given a renewed excitement for the next couple of months because it's sort of like it's it's gotten back into my head that as soon as this show wraps, the trickle of information news and rumors and speculation and announcements. All begins to drop about
Ashley: the late
Joel: season two of this show potentially season two of interview with the Vampire, but also, again, those other three series that AMC is working on, you they're gonna wanna get at least one of those into production if possible. In between now and when season two of interview with the vampire drops just so you can begin to have a steady cadence and the An Rise fans will be you know, always needing to stay subscribed to AMC.
Ashley: Absolutely. The other thing I'm looking forward to is we still have books to read, you know, in our downtime from the shows. We have, you know, we'll be picking up the vampire armand and rolling with that here pretty soon. So, you know, there's always there's always something for us to look forward to.
Joel: Speaking of books to read, since we often do mention a TV show that we've watched that that we really enjoyed, which by the way, I will probably be mentioning next week or on next episode. My thoughts on Muthregan or or Meghan, I think if you wanna pronounce it properly to see the new movie that came out about the killer robot.
Ashley: I I can't wait till you tell me about it.
Joel: Way back in the day. That movie looks fantastic. I've I've got it the other day on digital, so Kelly and I are gonna try to watch it soon. But what I
Ashley: want to watch
Joel: in this episode and tell everybody just a little bit about and kinda recommend, I've been reading an excellent book. We just took this trip last weekend to New Orleans. And, you know, on the drive down there and back, it's about four and a half hours for us each way. And I listened to a ton of this book there, and I'm trying to maybe finish at this next week. This is a book by Adrian Chikovsky. And I'm not I'm way behind on this. I think the curve is is way ahead because there's already the third book is about the drop at the end of this month, I think. But the the series is is it starts with the book, children of time. It's children of time, children of ruin, and I can't remember what the third one is called. That's gonna drop the end of this month. But their sci fi books, this writer is brilliant he's written short story on Novela that came out this year that's a mix of fantasy and sci fi that people have been praising. It's been on a bunch of, like, best of the year end list sort of thing. I've got that loaded up on my Kindle when I get done with this series, but this series particularly if you've ever been a fan of, like, the Planet of the apes series. I think this one is for you. It's not like Planet of the apes, but if that sort of speculative fantasy in sci fi tickles your brain, I think you're gonna this is gonna be right up your alley
Ashley: to take a look for
Joel: that in the show as well.
Ashley: Excellent. We love a series.
Joel: But when I wrap this one up, I I agree. I'm a hundred percent with you. But when I wrap this one up, before I go to the sequel, as Ashley referenced there, I am gonna be moving on to we're gonna do are we gonna do the vampire Armand? Are we gonna do Pandora first? Which did we
Ashley: do? I thought we said we'd do our on first because of of
Joel: That's right. Just to make sure we get it between seasons. Yes. Yes. Yes. This season interview, the vampire ended with a a heavy Armand influence, we'll go to that novel next. So I'm gonna finish thischaikovsky novel. I'm gonna move on to Vampyre, Armand, you can join us there. And then when we get that episode out, we'll we'll move on to our Lady Pandora.
Ashley: Oh, can't wait. As
Joel: holds a special place in both of our hearts. Absolutely.
Joel: Alright.
Joel: That's your homework folks. Get ready. Watch the fourth episode of Mayfair Witches, and join us again next weekend. Until then, we've been your house. Some Joel --
Ashley: I'm Ashley. --
Joel: and we are the Articulate Covet. Thanks for listening to the Articulate Coveen. You can join our community on Facebook by following the links in the show notes or searching for Articulate Coveen on Facebook. You can subscribe to the show in Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or at articulatecoven dot com. And share us with your AmRise loving friends.
