Robert Fisk

Motherland: Fort Salem is the show you need to watch right now

Or #Ourancientenemyhasreturned

Do you ever look back on your life and regret things you said or did? Do you ever wish you could have done things differently and lived in a different way?

There will never be enough time to go through all my regrets but one major one from the pandemic is a question I posed in Fiskal Policy almost a year ago. Back then I mused whether Motherland: Fort Salem was a Harry Potter for the 21st century.

Syclla Ramshorn and the Camarilla
Syclla Ramshorn, played by Amalia Holm Bjelke, is definitely one of my favourite characters in Motherland: Fort Salem (Picture is a screengrab from the All Powers Scene YouTube page)
It’s all going on in Season Two
General Sarah Alder
It’s not a spoiler to say General Sarah Alder has no links to the old Allders department stores in the UK (Picture is a screenshot from the Motherland: Fort Salem YouTube page)

The similarity I thought back then was people learning how to use their witch powers to defeat evil.

But now I can say it most definitely isn’t a 21st century Harry Potter.

It is so much better. It is a dark foreboding journey packed full of emotions. There’s heartbreak, there are battles, there’s love and fights, there’s mystery and suspense.

Every time an episode finishes I hope somehow there is witch work afoot and I’ll be rewarded with another episode. But instead I have to wait for a whole week to find out what happens next.

It hasn’t officially reached the UK yet (unless you can get Freeform TV or Hulu) but thankfully I can watch it, and will tell you how if you ask nicely.

Burning face
This season I’m now completely aware of why some witches can burn their faces (Picture is a screenshot from the Motherland: Fort Salem YouTube page)
Fight scene
Why is Raelle’s lip bleeding? You’ll have to watch the show to find out (Picture is a screenshot from the Motherland: Fort Salem YouTube page)
Scylla and Raelle
The relationship between Scylla and Raelle is very passionate (Picture is a screenshot from the Motherland: Fort Salem YouTube page)

Last week I finished the episode at around 10pm and was completely blown away by what had happened so I couldn’t sleep for several hours afterwards.

But I cannot tell you what happened because for the first time in my life I’m respecting everyone and this is completely spoiler free.

I think this way it will be so much better for you because when you watch (and you most definitely should) you’ll get to experience everything as the writers intended, instead of hearing about things first and then watching them later.

But I can give you a bit of information about the premise of the show: It follows the journey of Raelle Collar, played by Taylor Hickson, Abigail Bellweather, portrayed by Ashley Nicole Williams and Jessica Sutton as Tally Craven, three witches who are enlisted in the U.S. Army – and also crucial to the action is Scylla Ramshorn, played by Amalia Holm Bjelke.

The series takes place in a female-dominated world in which the U.S. ended persecution of witches 300 years ago during the Salem witch trials after an agreement known as the Salem Accord. 

Abigail summons the storm
Abigail Bellweather is able to summon a storm but how and why? (Picture is a screengrab from the All Powers Scene YouTube page)
Great special effects
The special effects in Motherland: Fort Salem are very good indeed (Picture is a screenshot from the All Power Scenes YouTube page)
You really need to start watching Motherland: Fort Salem

They are fighting against a terrorist organisation known as the Spree, a group against the military conscription of witches.

But there is also their old enemy the Camarilla, a group intent on wiping out witches.

Last season I questioned a lot and wasn’t 100% clear why some witches could burn their faces. This season I know why they can.

Last season I urged you to watch the show. My message this season is still the same. It’s an incredible show and you really should watch it.

Stay safe for another week!