‘Motherland: Fort Salem’ 2×08 Review: “Delusional”

Motherland: Fort Salem‘s “Delusional” really showed how strong Raelle, Abigail, and Tally are as a unit and as sisters. This isn’t something new to the show. But this episode felt like the culmination of two seasons worth of bonding, training, and sisterhood while facing their biggest foe yet. And a huge player in all of this is of course General Alder, who we feel wanted our squad to fail and be taken down by Nicte.

Before we dive into the Raylla goodness that this episode gave us, we want to talk Tally. She’s a threat to Alder. She has been since the very moment that she confronted Alder and continues to be one as things start getting out of Alder’s control. Tally sees Alder in a way that no one else has and uses her sight, her powers, and her smarts to uncover the truth and make the world a better place for witchkind and non-magic people alike.

We think that Alder was genuinely surprised that Tally survived. Yes, she was shocked that Nicte was alive and that her subordinates went over her head. But a part of her wanted Tally not to survive and Tally did the complete opposite. Which, we were absolutely worried about when Nicte was captured and we noticed that Tally was acting weird right off the bat. It goes to show you how much of a talent Jessica Sutton truly is and how blessed we are to have her on this show.

Tally’s reunion with her squadron gave us all the feels. These are her sisters, her family, and she wouldn’t be where she is now if it wasn’t for them and their support. Being brought together in “Delusional” also gave Motherland: Fort Salem a chance to explore the different relationships in the show as a whole. Of course there was Abigail and Adil, Raelle and Scylla, but we were surprised and delighted by the interactions between Scylla, Tally, and Abigail. And we bet that the writers room for this show had the best time trying to figure out how to show that these three women care for Raelle on deep and different levels.

Which brings us to the Raylla of it all. We’re glad that Motherland: Fort Salem didn’t just dive into them and have them reunite, kisses and all, right off the bat. There’s some real trauma and pain between them that isn’t going to go away with a snap of their fingers. We love that Raelle stood up for herself, asked questions, and didn’t give up on hope. And we also love that Scylla laid it all out while giving Raelle the space she needs to realize that she’s a different person now with objectives that don’t follow the run of the mill Spree.

Ultimately, each moment that Raelle and Scylla got to be around each other brought them closer. The moments in the kitchen where Raelle opened up her heart brought them closer. Just sitting in the same room and confronting the elephant in the room while eating food brought them closer. And going in together to find Nicte brought them closer. Like everything else in the show, things are still a bit messy between these two, but we have hope that given time, these two celestial bodies will find their way back to each other again.

So, yes. We do think that Raelle and Scylla are endgame. They have the makings of greatness and we love that their past is part of who they are in the present and that neither women are pigeonholed into stereotypical roles that define them. They’re not like that. They’re the kind of ship that grows for themselves and for the future of who they can be together. And that distinction is important because these two young women have so much work to do on themselves before they can move forward as one.

Until then, Scylla will be safe with Tiffany at her father’s place. Which, a part of us thinks that the military will find out because you should always keep an eye out for “assets” like Raelle and what’s important to them. But the military is so sure of themselves that they probably think her dad is of no threat so why waste time guarding him. *pause* We take it back. Maybe it is the safest place for Scylla to be; right under their noses.

We can’t talk about endgame couples without mentioning Abigail and Adil. They come from such different places and backgrounds but work so well together. We feel like they ground each other in a way that no one has ever done for them. And we really think that they have a future together that will defy expectations for all those around them; Adil with his sisters expectations and Abigail with the expectations put on her as a Bellweather.

Whatever happens next to these two, we hope that it continues being their choice. They have both suffered so much loss and pain and being with each other is a beacon of light and hope in the darkness that plagues them in Motherland: Fort Salem. “Delusional” saw them continuing to lean on each other and we hope that doesn’t stop as we enter the final episodes of season two.

And we don’t know about you guys…but we feel like something big is coming for Tally, Raelle, Abigail, and the rest our favs. Yes, that means something bigger than Nicte. We fear that the Camarilla have given those in power an opportunity to grab a hold of more, eventually ousting Alder and shaking up the witch community as a whole. And we’re scared for what that means for our witches, their companions, and their friends because we’ve grown to love them so much in the span of two seasons.

Whatever is on the horizon, Tally, Raelle, and Abigail will face it together. And we hope that Motherland: Fort Salem continues to tell their story in a 3rd, 4th, and even 5th season.

Motherland: Fort Salem airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on Freeform.