‘Motherland: Fort Salem’ 1×10 Review: “Witchbomb”

REJOICE, Motherland: Fort Salem fam! Not only were we gifted with an amazing season one finale, we were given the news that this Freeform show will be coming back for season two. *holds your hands as we jump up and down in excitement* It’s what we deserve in 2020 and I can’t wait for more Tally, Abigail, Raelle, and Scylla. Hell, I can’t wait for more Alder, Anacostia, and even those Biddies. Just give us more of this world!

Back to the review…

“Witchbomb” left me gobsmacked; jaw on the ground while looking around and yelling WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK! Because I loved it, every single second of this episode, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next with older Tally, why this connection between Abigail and Raelle was explosive, and what Scylla is going to do now that she knows Raelle’s mom is her leader.

So, sit back, relax, and let’s dive into Motherland: Fort Salem’s “Witchbomb”!

The Love Between Abigail and Raelle

Love is a powerful thing. And I’m not talking about romantic love. That’s not what I see when I look at Abigail and Raelle. I see family, I see sisterhood, I see friendship. Combine all of those together and you’ve got a love that can conquer all. And I think it’s the reason why they saved each other in “Witchbomb.”

I think it all goes back to that moment that Raelle touched that fungus in the Necro Wing of Fort Salem. It attached itself to her and disappeared when she cured the young woman of the Tarim people. For all we know, it bonded to Raelle and her powers. And when Abigail came to help Raelle, when they linked up, it became a part of both of them. Their power, their love, is what set them apart and saved them.

What if there’s something inside of them now that is more powerful than the witches at Fort Salem and the Tarim? What if their bravery, their choice to stay for the other, is the only way to defeat the disease that their enemies are killing them with? What if that’s the only way to survive season 2 and into 3 & 4? Whatever it is that saved them, I’m here for it.

I’m here for Raelle and Abigail, aka my children, discovering what facet of themselves made it so they exploded with fury & power and survived those that tried to take them down. I’m also here for why they glowed when they walked on the ground beneath them and that growth that trailed behind their every step. Because if it’s from Eliot Laurence’s brilliant mind, we’ve got great things on the horizon.

My Fav is Tally and I Regret Nothing

Tally has been my favorite from the very first moment she appeared on my screen. She was just so eager, so kind, and so damn strong that I instantly bonded with her. And ever since City Drop, she’s been broken. She couldn’t understand what Alder did or why she was still at Fort Salem when they made choices like that. Now, she understands.

I can’t help but love Tally for speaking her mind, letting her worries be known, and then listening. Plenty of people don’t do that. They’re just so insistent on the fact that they’re correct and that everyone else is wrong and I’m glad Motherland: Fort Salem went against that trope. Tally listened, Tally learned, and Tally forgave.

That’s the only reason why she gave her youth for Alder. She forgave the General for what she did. Doesn’t mean that she likes it or agrees with Alder. But Tally knows that there are scarier things to worry about; bigger enemies to face. So she made the ultimate sacrifice, for herself, for her team, and for the good of witch kind. And I’m proud of her.

Whatever comes next for Tally, it’ll be grounded in strength, love, and an understanding that only together can they conquer the evils of this world. So, bring it on season 2 of Motherland: Fort Salem. Bring it on Jessica Sutton, you brilliant land mermaid that has made me fall in love with Tally Craven over and over again. I’m ready for more. 

Let’s Address the Lack of Raylla

Did I love the lack of Raylla in the season finale of Motherland: Fort Salem? No. Do I understand that this is the only way that things can go? Absolutely. And if anything, I love Raylla more now that I know that Scylla’s story is going to be expanded upon. She isn’t just a Necro or a young woman who was recruited by the Spree. 

Scylla is something more than the love she holds for Raelle and that makes her 100 times more interesting. And this isn’t me saying that I don’t love Raylla. I do. But things couldn’t be fixed right now when both Raelle and Scylla are on completely different paths. And that’s more than ok because I know that the paths they are on will lead them back to each other.

A great big part of that path or the possibility that Raelle and Scylla will reunite one day, is what Anacostia did for Raylla. Because, yes, she freed Scylla and gave her a chance to prove herself. But Anacostia also did what she did because she cares for Raelle and sees that there is something in Scylla that is more than a killer. And that matters so much for Raelle and Scylla.

So, yes. I would’ve loved more Raylla to help us out during this queer drought that we are about to experience. But when it comes to Raylla, I’m ok. They will meet up again. They will grow for themselves and for each other. And when the time comes, when Raelle is to reunite with Scylla, they’ll take on the challenge of the Spree, Fort Salem, and whatever comes after them, together. 

Motherland: Fort Salem will return for season 2 on Freeform.