Salem Episode 5 Recap: A Friendless Witch Is A Vulnerable Witch

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Please Don't Pick Me, Please Don't Pick Me!

Mary is catching it from all sides in this week's episode entitled "Lies". The witches are meeting in the woods to conspire against her. They think she has gone soft since she's still in love with John. He has disturbed their "greatest creation" and they must get rid of him.

Meanwhile, John is trying to break into the mysterious Hellraiser box he retrieved from the guy he strangled last week (Hook). It finally opens and inside in a wooden apple with strange engravings on it. John touches it and sees visions of people overcome with something resembling the Black Death. It also brands his hand. Well that cant be good. The box is called a "Mallum" and is used during the Grand Rite. And for those of you in the audience not keeping track, Mary must kill 8 more people before the next lunar cycle (when the Grand Rite begins)... so let the good times roll.

In the grossest scene of the week, Tituba uses her conjuring skills to communicate with the face of the dead Hook. Notice I didnt say the "head", I just said the "face". Even in death, that guy is sassy.

Mary and John finally has a heart to heart discussion. Her cold demeanor cracks (just a little). She still holds out faith that there is some goodness left in the world. She confronts John about the killing of Hook. John says that not only did he kill Hook but he killed 20 more men during the war. So no, he is not a nice guy either.

Mary cant even control Mercy anymore. Mercy discovers she can use her "possession" to yield power in Salem. Mercy heads through town in her usual muzzle and leash getup with several girls trailing behind. She runs up to Mary (who is REALLY, REALLY worried that she's about to be revealed as a witch). What a great scene. The tear from Mary's eye was especially effective. Instead of fingering Mary, Mercy accuses the father of one of her friends (since he plans to sell the girl off as a prostitute on her fifteen's birthday). Is the guy a horrible person? Yes. Does he deserve to die for it? I'm not sure. I do know I dont want my fate left in the hands of a few teenage girls.

Mary later finds Mercy and the girls cavorting in the woods. If you lived in Salem in the 1600s during a witch scare, would you dance around the fire chanting incantations about the Dark One? I would not, but hey that's just me. Anyway, Mary happens upon them. Mercy tells Mary that she wants to be JUST like her. I fear Mercy has had a taste of power and is destined for a bad end (probably at the hands of her friends). It will be "Mean Girls: The Puritan Version".

Later a woman breaks into John's house to steal the box. After she retrieves it the floor boards give way and she ends up impaled on some deer horns. The thief turns out to be Rose. In her defense, the box was meant for her in the first place. I assume she'll be tortured for intel by John and Cotton next week. In other happenings, Cotton and his main squeeze Glorianna make up (at least for now). When Daddy Mather arrives in town you can beat he'll put a stop to that.

Favorite Quotes:

"Lies"- Mary. "The dead dont lie"- Tituba.
"The next lie to cross your lips will be your last."- Mary. "You dare to threaten me your one true ally?"- Tituba.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). A great episode. I enjoyed seeing Mary squirm when everyone turned against her. Todd the Toad was MIA this week. I fear we wont see Todd again. Alas, he was my favorite and a fine actor (especially considering he's a toad).