It’s been two long years since the first season of A Discovery of Witches premiered in America on Sundance Now and Shudder. Fortunately, the wait for Season 2 is finally coming to an end, and the new episodes don't disappoint. Just as the first season was a largely faithful adaptation of the first book in Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, the second season is a largely faithful adaption of the second book, Shadow of Night. However, now that the requisite introductions and set-up have been taken care of, this new, expanded season (Season 2 includes 10 episodes instead of Season 1’s eight) feels even more vital and fully realized thanks to an evocative period setting, ever more exciting depictions of magic and even stronger performances, especially by its two leads, Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode.
Season 2 of A Discovery of Witches picks up where the first left off: witch Diana Bishop (Palmer) and vampire Matthew Clairmont (Goode) are fleeing into the past to avoid those who would do them harm due to their forbidden romance and their connection to Ashmole 782, the mysterious manuscript about the creation of the world's three non-human species (witches, vampires and daemons). In the season premiere, they complete their time-walk, landing in 1590 London where they plan to continue to look for the manuscript while Diana finds a teacher who can help her master her newfound magical powers. Of course, exceptionally long-lived Matthew already has a home there ready and waiting for them (no one’s quite sure what happened to the Matthew who lived during that time but suffice it say he's not around), but that also requires him to resume his old life and explain Diana’s presence, a situation that leads to much of the season’s drama.
The couple's journey to the past leads to the introduction of a number of new characters, many of them from English history, including Queen Elizabeth I (Barbara Marten) and Christopher Marlowe (Tom Hughes), who the narrative contends was a daemon. For the purposes of the story, however, the most interesting additions are Philippe de Clermont (James Purefoy), Matthew’s vampire stepfather who is dead in the present-day timeline, and Gallowglass (Steven Cree), Matthew’s nephew and a fan-favorite character from the books. Purefoy does a masterful job in his brief appearance as Philippe, bringing the best and worst sides of the character to life with equal conviction. Meanwhile, Cree appears to be well-cast as the likable Gallowglass, although in the seven episodes made available for review, his screen time was fairly limited.
Giving each member of its sprawling cast of characters enough attention is an issue A Discovery of Witches suffered from in its first season and continues to struggle with in its second. This is especially true for characters like Diana's aunts, Sarah (Alex Kingston) and Emily (Valarie Pettiford), and Matthew's vampire mother, Ysabeau (Lindsay Duncan), who are living together in the de Clermont home in France but are only given a few scenes in the episodes made available for review. On the other hand, the series also devotes an entire episode to what’s happening in the present in Diana and Matthew’s absence that also serves as a compelling introduction to Phoebe Taylor (Adelle Leonce), Marcus’ (Edward Bluemel) paramour.
For the most part though, this is Diana and Matthew’s story and Palmer and Goode’s performances feel even more lived in and nuanced in the second season. While the first season's (and book's) tale of their falling in love always felt a little thin and derivative given the plethora of stories about handsome vampires falling in love with mortals, now that Diana and Matthew's commitment to one another has been established, the second season is able to make their relationship distinctive -- and far more adult than other often teenage-focused forbidden vampire/mortal love stories. This makes the couple far more interesting both together and as individuals.
Goode seems right at home in the Elizabethan trappings of Season 2, which enables him to bring out new shades of Matthew that range from an intense darkness, to perhaps more surprisingly, a bit of levity. Meanwhile, as Diana grows further into her power, Palmer makes her more assertive and confident. Diana’s a stand-out central character who isn't solely defined by her relationship or her identity as a witch and can express her desire for Matthew while retaining her independence.
Of course, Season 2 wouldn’t be complete without its lush costumes and sets. No matter where a scene is set, the costume and production design help evoke a sense of place and personality, although it’s the Elizabethan period design that is especially exciting to see onscreen.
All of this combined ultimately makes A Discovery of Witches more magical in its second season. The journey into the past enables the show to better distinguish itself from other vampire love stories while also introducing some fascinating historical elements, providing a plethora of elements to satisfy viewers. This bodes well for the already-filming third season, which will wrap up the series. In the meantime, this middle season is an enchanting adventure that will leave fans eager to see what’s next for Diana and Matthew.
A Discovery of Witches Season 2 stars Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, Alex Kingston, Valarie Pettiford, Lindsay Duncan, Edward Bluemel, Aiysha Hart, Daniel Ezra, Aisling Loftus, Trevor Eve, Owen Teale, Malin Buska, Gregg Chillin, Tom Hughes, James Purefoy, Steven Cree and Adelle Leonce. The first episode of the season will be available to stream on Saturday, Jan. 9 on Sundance Now and Shudder, with new episodes available every Saturday.