Witches of East End – “The Son Also Rises” Retrospective. Sex, Lies, and Magic Pies?

Freya is determined to find her man, Killian.

Season 2, Episode 2

Airdate: Thursday, July 13, 2014, 9/8c on Lifetime

Rating: ★★★★★

More mystery surrounds the identity of the creature that came through the portal in this week’s Witches of East End episode, “The Son Also Rises.” Continuing the day after Joanna’s (Julia Ormond) miraculous recovery at the hands of her estranged son, Frederick (Christian Cooke), ”The Son Also Rises” follows up on more details regarding Asgard, Killian Gardiner’s (Daniel Di Tomasso) whereabouts, and Dash Gardiner’s (Eric Winter) search for answers to his mysterious powers.

Not much has changed drastically among the women of East End since we last saw them in “A Moveable Beast.” Sisters Ingrid (Rachel Boston) and Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) Beauchamp still find support in each other through difficult times, and cool Aunt Wendy Beauchamp (Madchen Amick) maintains the belief that all is not well with Frederick, the man who went against his family leaving the Beauchamp women cursed. While some character development is lacking, “The Son Also Rises” makes up for it with revealing plot points that push the major storylines along.

It’s nice to see how, early on in the season, Witches of East End manages to keep a steady focus on ensuring the continuity works. That said, there is plenty of action and steamy scenes to balance the melodrama.

Frederick takes a break after protecting Freya.

Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?

One of the key elements in “The Son Also Rises” is the unexpected arrival of Frederick. Maybe it’s Cooke’s performance and puppy dog eyes that make it difficult to discern whether Frederick is truly a harmful character. A lot of what defined Witches of East End in season one is the way things are not always as they appear to be in East End. There’s a duality and a lot of trickery among the villainous characters. You never quite know whether to trust what you’re watching. So when Frederick appears to be performing some kind of charm on one of Wendy’s earrings, is it for good or evil?

Second to questioning Frederick’s intentions with his family’s well-being is discovering he is Freya’s twin brother. Yes, he and Freya are Wonder Twins.

Freya: “I don’t understand, how would we get there?”

Frederick: “We weren’t actually there, we’d simply project our thought bodies. It’s a spell we used to do together.”

Ingrid: “That’s astral projection. That’s incredible. Did you ever do that with me?”

Frederick: “No, it only works with Freya because we’re twins.”

Even though Frederick’s motives are shady, I can’t help but admit how much I love his interaction with Ingrid and Freya. His presence adds a nice light-hearted element to the show, and his protectiveness over his sisters simply makes him more endearing. Here’s hoping he doesn’t break our hearts by coming out as traitor again.

The Brothers Gardiner

Witches of East End – “The Son Also Rises” Retrospective. Sex, Lies, and Magic Pies? 2

Dash finds his powers too much for him to handle.

Meanwhile, both Killian and Dash find themselves learning more about their powers and the price they must pay for them. Dash studies the MRI scans for clues on how to unlock his powers while struggling to control them. Originally, I thought it was interesting seeing him up in the attic practicing; now, it looks like it’s going to be his own fortress of solitude. I really love Dash’s dark side but not at the expense of any of the Beauchamp women’s lives.

In stark contrast, a blissful Killian, who seems to still have amnesia, finds himself in a bind when his powers garner the attention of some unsavory gamblers. After nearly losing his life, Killian is labeled “brujo,” which translates to “witch” in Spanish. We find out Killian sailed far off to the Santo Domingo from East End. Seriously, how he survived without anyone else spotting him is a stretch, but I’ll suspend my disbelief for the sake of entertainment. We also learn the identity of the beautiful woman who saved him; Eva (Bianca Lawson) is not only a healer but a witch, too. The symbol of the owl representing great fortune or doom resurfaces as Freya tries to find Killian.

What I like about this storyline with the Gardiner brothers is how they come to terms with their powers. You have Dash on his own, and Killian being manipulated by someone. I can’t wait until these two face each other in a room again. Seriously, is East End big enough for the two of them?

Highlights

Learning Penelope Beauchamp’s (Virginia Madsen) death is labeled as a suicide instead of murder. It’s refreshing to see her death wasn’t left completely unanswered. Plus, at the very least, it takes some of the edge off Dash’s hatred for the Beauchamp family.
Ingrid’s return from her night with Tentacle Man is a little bit unnerving. When she speaks about how well rested she feels, despite the apparent scrapes on her arms, it’s kind of twisted.
Beauchamp family time is always a highlight, and the best moment is seeing them celebrate the Fourth of July indoors after an unexpected storm cancels the outdoor festivities. Watching the Beauchamps charm the ceiling to show an illuminating array of fireworks is a great way to end a scene.

Bottom Line

“The Son Also Rises” is a good complementary episode revealing enough information to stay focused on the dangers at hand. For example, the mysterious smoky entity is still attacking East End residents, and another victim raves about “the mark of the king.” But for the most part, Witches of East End stays true to its brand and tone. The episode is surprisingly satisfying without missing a beat. If anything at all, the series is becoming darker and more ambitious with its subject matter. The quality of writing is spot on and episodic writer Richard Hatem sets a really good balance with the humor and darker moments of “The Son Also Rises.” The performances are also pitch perfect. Witches of East End easily has one of the best ensemble cast of actors on television. Regardless of the subject matter, every actor plays off one another with such ease, it seems effortless, giving the impression of having worked together for years.

As for next week, there’s no better cliffhanger, of sorts, than seeing whether Freya will get to Killian on time, and whether Dash will continue on the warpath against the Beauchamps by using his growing powers. I guess only time will tell, but in the meantime, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

What did you think of the “The Son Also Rises?” Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @conallen.