Mayfair Witches Season 1 Review – A meandering witchy affair

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3.5/5

Mayfair Witches is a TV series adapted from Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches trilogy of novels. The series follows the life of a neurosurgeon called Dr Rowan Fielding (Alexandra Daddario) after she learns she hails from a dynasty of powerful witches. She also finds out that for centuries her family has been haunted by a dark entity.

Fans of Anne Rice were excited when AMC announced the adaptation of her books. However, AMC failed to deliver what the fans expected. Most fans felt like the adaptation failed to honour the integrity of the book from casting to production.

Even for those who have not read the books, the series feels meandering and slow-paced, with viewers struggling to make it past season 1. Alexandra Daddario is a good actress but the story lacks the momentum to keep the show as entertaining as it should be. Fielding is supposed to be this badass witch, but we barely see her use her powers; she barely fights for herself; she fails to use her powers against the person she should be protecting herself from. What is the point of having magic if you can’t use it against an immortal enemy?

Also, for a supernatural show based on witches, you would expect to see more magic! The instances where magic is used here are so few and even when it is done, it lacks the je ne sais quoi.

By the first episode, we already know Rowan’s secret and the show becomes predictable. The main lead doesn’t necessarily make you feel invested in what is happening to her. Rowan just discovered that she is a witch but there is no sense of how life-altering it is for her. You would expect that such a revelation would shock her more, especially after learning a dark entity is haunting the Mayfair women since the 17th century!

Lasher is supposed to be this dark entity who ruins the lives of the Mayfair matriarchs but the execution of his story is not well-layered. By the eighth episode, we know why he is haunting the women in the family but the story behind this, not to mention his motivations, feel rushed. It’s almost as if the makers skipped some key points in the book and vaguely highlighted a few things.

The other issue here comes from the chemistry between the characters. Rowan and Ciprien in particular just do not have that spark needed to propel their interactions. Half the time, you’ll be left wondering if Lasher was playing mind tricks with Rowan. And again, this is another pairing that don’t have much on-screen chemistry either. I don’t know about you but I found it odd that they even had a relationship to begin with!

It is sad that the writers took a thrilling trilogy of books and made it hollow by totally ignoring the nuance of the source material. Had more attention been paid to the integrity of the story, this could have been a great adaptation, just like Interview with the Vampire was. With a second season already greenlit, hopefully AMC will learn from its mistakes and do a better job the next time around!

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