Motherland: Fort Salem‘s 3×01 “Homo Cantus” saw Abigail, Tally, and Raelle holding onto the past to the point of us face-palming repeatedly. Seriously, we love these young women and have from the very start. But there was something so frustrating about watching this episode and seeing them act like foolish people instead of the soldiers that they’ve been trained to be. And we understand that they slip up and are actual teenagers/young adults here to create drama. But come on…to the point where it puts innocent people in danger? Yeah, it’s a no for us.
First up, there’s Abigail. It was lovely to see her and Adil so in love in “Homo Cantus.” They are the future that the evil of this world fears. And we want to see more of them, their journey, and the love that will guide them to victory. That’s where the good stops with Abigail and the frustration starts. You’re a soldier and your unit needs you on your A-game to protect them. And instead of waiting to hear from Petra or taking good advice from those who say they should change their faces, Abigail takes a risk that endangers tons of lives. Maybe it was a lesson she needed to see through in “Homo Cantus.” But it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
Then there’s Tally. She’s lonely, we get it. But hanging out with Nicta when your unit is right there? And look, no one is perfect on this show. But Nicta is slowly but surely trying to change Tally’s way of thinking to her own. And that’s just dangerous territory that will change Tally forever. It already has, making her take a chance on a roof that almost got them discovered. Which, we don’t know how the passerby and cops went from “oh someone possibly almost fell off the roof” to “there be witches in dem hills.” Make it make sense. But back to Tally. Change is on the horizon for her and even though we think these young women to be acting a tiny bit foolish not changing their faces and whatnot, they have each other. That matters.
Then there’s the last of our trio, Raelle. Seeing her living her happy gay life with Scylla is actually kind of nice. And this is coming from someone who couldn’t stand Scylla in the beginning. But through time, patience, and a whole lot of writing, we’ve come to a place where we can appreciate their relationship. And even though Raelle is the least foolish of the bunch, she still is living in the past. It is a past where they aren’t on the run and their world hasn’t fallen apart around them. And that stops them from taking Scylla’s advice, further putting those around them in danger.
The only way the Motherland: Fort Salem crew is going to survive what’s coming next is by remembering the past and moving forward. Don’t let it go. It’s always going to be a part of you. But be diligent that the world is coming after you like never before. And it’s not just you that you’re protecting, or your friends. Your actions and sacrifices will change the lives of young witches all over the world. And sure, you’re barely adults. But you’re soldiers. You know what’s at risk. You know what must be done. And we hope you’re ready to take it on when “The Price of Work.”
Motherland: Fort Salem airs Tuesdays on Freeform.