Witches of East End - Episode 1.03 - Today I am a Witch - Review

This week's adventure with the Witches of East End saw a welcome return to the twisty formatting of the pilot, abandoning some of the slower, sulkier aspects of episode 2 while continuing the plotlines that are successfully building suspense and interest in the new show.  Here's what went down:

The Beauchamp women all had bad dreams...simultaneously.  I thought this was a wonderful idea for an opener.  The nightmares (or lustmare, in Freya's case) were chilling and foreboding, while the fact that Ingrid, Joanna, Wendy, and Freya were all experiencing troublesome dreams at the same time reinforced our understanding of their witchy familial connection.

Ingrid got cold hands and a hot date.  I like Ingrid and she's as cute as a button, but it was rather foolish of her to try and "tweak" a spell right after Wendy repeatedly told her she wasn't ready to yet.  Being a stubborn and independent Beauchamp woman herself, of course Wendy anticipated this rebellion against her advice and showed up in the nick of time to save Ingrid from a lifetime of handsicles.  

I'm very intrigued to see how powerful and imposing Ingrid will be once she gains the knowledge and training she needs to regain the strength of her previous lifetimes' witchiness.

Despite her ongoing awkwardness and insecurities (part of what make her a charming, relatable character), Ingrid finally went on a date with the town cop, Adam.  At least they made it to dessert before the evening collapsed into an argument over the seriousness of Joanna's murder charge...and at least Adam found her again later that night to reconcile and share a first kiss.  These two are adorable together, but of course his job is going to lead Adam into continual contention with the very nature of Ingrid's life and family.

Freya was further confused by the Gardiner brothers.  I'm increasingly convinced that the Gardiner brothers are immortal witches (or warlocks, or wizards, or what have you) who have romanced Freya in previous lives.  Obviously, Dash and Killian are both incredibly sketchy, but Dash seems the most problematic to me.  Sure, Killian slept with Dash's past fiancee, but what else isn't Dash telling Freya about the brothers' past and the reasons for their fighting...as well as their issues with her?  Dash's smooth demeanor may hide a nefarious interior...we shall see!


Wendy finally convinced Joanna to "let" the girls use magic.  That took long enough!  I mean, yes, I understand why Joanna is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her girls.  Any good mother, especially one who'd been forced to watch her daughters suffer in the past, would do the same.  Yet in the face of the current threat from the shapeshifter, as well as the sheer inevitability of the girls' instinctual need to practice magic now that they know they can, Joanna's continual denial act was becoming as confusing as Julia Ormond's accent.

Leave it to the ever-awesome Wendy to snap her sister out of it, reminding her of the pressing dangers too imminent to ignore, from the bewitched tree to the symbol on the headboard and the creepy little hair doll that sucks magic.  It's exciting that all real impediments to Freya and Ingrid fully stepping up to their witchy legacy have now been demolished.  This show is at its best when the four ladies team up to take on a scary challenge, and it will be fascinating to see where their journey will lead them next.

By the way, how hilarious and shocking was Joanna's flashback sequence about all of the people from her past who might want to hurt her?  Not only was the deadpan delivery of her violent acts against others darkly humorous, but her behavior, often involving a smirk while dispatching a victim, showed another side to the seemingly goody two-shoes Joanna.  A very well done sequence, to be sure.

So next week's episode looks packed with peril...and Freddie Prinze, Jr. flirting with Wendy!  What?!  I can't wait.

What did you think of episode 3 of Witches of East End?  What are you looking forward to seeing as the season rolls onward?  Share your ideas in the comments!