Salem Season One Finale Review

            

     Wow, I cannot believe that we are at the season finale of Salem. There is so much to talk about and just as the last review I did, I will keep each section about a specific character (or more depending on their situation).  First, let's talk about possibly my favorite character of the series and his demise towards the end. Increase from since his debut moment on the ship finding and killing the witch that ended up being the ship's captain, I have had nothing but respect and admiration for the guy. One of the greatest things about his character is the line between villain and hero that he stands on when speaking about him to other fans of the show. Many people see him as the main villain of the series as he kills witches (who so happen to be the main focus of the show with Mary being one herself), but others like myself sees a hero who vanquishes evil by any means necessary. In my eyes, Increase is simply a strict hero who places survival instincts over personal emotions. Throughout the show, there has

Salem Episode 10 "House of Pain" Review

 
 Here we are at episode 10, and the phrase "I arrest you on the account of being a witch" still holds a powerful impact. As with the other episode reviews that I have done for this series, there are much to talk about in terms of character development and overall story arcs. In today's episode entitled "House of Pain", we finally get the character spotlight I've been eager to see. A Tituba-heavy episode alongside a quite interesting character moment involving Anne. We also get to learn a little bit more about Increase in terms of his philosophy and rationality. I'll keep this review more focused on Tituba as we get a deep inside look at her background and history as a slave turned witch, but I will mention the Anne moment as it is very key.

Salem Episode 7 Review: "Our Own Private America"

     As with every episode of Salem so far, there are many things to speak about with story paths and character moments. In this particular episode, I will try to keep it focused on the main story elements. In this case, I'll start with John and his dream "situations" with Mary.  I've always thought of the next best step from an action packed episode of any series is to be a more calm and character focused one. After John and Cotton finally got the upper hand on a witch in a very climatic battle and intense moment, we get a more cerebral directed story with John, Mary, and to a degree Cotton as well. I'll start with Cotton as he has the less focused story in this episode amongst the main character cast. After hearing what Rose was forced to tell them during their interrogation, Cotton has mentally broken down after realizing the difficulty in deciphering her words. This brings him down to a sea of doubt in which John intervenes by telling him "You make doubt itself a weapon". This continues the

Salem Episode 6 Review "The Red Rose and the Briar"

     We're on the sixth episode of the show, and I'm still on board as if I just discovered the show for the first time. That's one of the great things about this show is that there's always something new to be offered whether it's strong character development or great horror moments. I fell in love with the beginning of this episode as it felt like a great buddy cop show (with the addition of witches of course). Some of my favorite shows revolve around an entertaining team of people doing the impossible and that's what I got a lot of in this episode. In this case with John and Cotton. I love the chemistry between these two characters now that we see them more as a duo working together. It's a perfectly balanced dynamic of the experienced guiding the inexperienced and curious. But John is in no way "just a sidekick" to Cotton as they are both needed of each other's services (the religious knowledge and the physical strength). More of this chemistry shown in the series, and entertaining character moments can pretty much write themselves at this point.

Salem Episode 4 "Survivors" Review

     To say the fourth episode in the Salem TV series is surprising, shocking, and amazing would be underselling it. I've realized that every episode released has been a favorite of mine making Salem a considered choice for "Top 5 TV Series" if they keep this reign of brilliance going. Let's see, where do I begin? I would say that the big selling point of this episode lies within the character development. There is indeed a lot going on with deeper insights and revealing secrets in Salem's main cast. One notably is with John Alden himself. As a new man by the name of Hook enters Salem with a task of retrieving an importance piece of cargo on Mary Sibly's ship, John is revealed to have a war-related connection with him. It is through this character that we discover a murderous and dark secret about John during the war. Perhaps he is not the "war hero" that has seem to be praised by the people of Salem. Another interesting thing to point out is John's suspicions about witches becoming more than just a possibility. John finally reveals his belief of witches to becoming more of a reality. I really liked that we get a bit more insight in John as a character. It's only 4

Salem Episode 2 "The Stone Child" Review

     So many new things to talk about in the second episode of Salem and they're all positive things (that's a good sign for a new show). Speaking of signs, we have another look at Mary's witchcraft abilities as she curses a woman's birth to use as a sign of evil for Salem. What makes this aspect of the episode so great is that not only do we witness her powers, but also her intelligence as a villain. As stated in the first episode, Mary is planning on using the fear of witches to turn Salem against each other by having them kill each other via the "witch trials". We now have our first witch trial of the series and it is quite engaging to say the least. In this episode, an innocent and well known mid-wife of Salem by the name of Bridget Bishop is used by Mary in the delivery of the "cursed baby". During the delivery, Mary utilizes her witch craft to give Bridget the appearance of an evil entity as only to be seen by the young woman in labor. This of course strikes fear in the woman as the baby's death upon

Salem Episode 1 "The Vow" Review

I remember watching an early promo for Salem a couple months back that caught my interest. I remember after the promo thinking, "I don't think I've ever watched a series about witches before and this actually looks promising, so I'll give it a shot." I am happy to say that I've made the right decision in giving this show a chance. First episode in, and I've already fell in love with the setting, story, and characters to a degree. Starting with the setting of Salem, the visuals and production values are pretty good as I truly felt that these people were living in a small town somewhere in the 17th century. The buildings, clothing, animals, set pieces and even the overall color pallet resulted in a great sense of atmosphere. I was immediately immersed in this world from the first few minutes of the episode (a key essential part of a period piece). As for the story and characters, the show seems to revolve around the iconic and historical witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts in a way that brings forward a