Mayfair Witches Series Season 1 Review
Mayfair Witches is a television series adapted from the Mayfair Witches trilogy of novels by Anne Rice. The series follows the life of a neurosurgeon named Dr. Rowan Fielding (Alexandra Daddario) after learning that she is descended from a powerful witch dynasty. He also learns that his family has been haunted by a dark entity for centuries.
Anne Rice fans were excited when AMC announced the adaptation of her books. But AMC failed to deliver what fans expected. Most fans felt that the adaptation failed to maintain the integrity of the book from book to production.
Even for those who haven’t read the books, the series feels fast-paced and slow-paced as viewers struggle to put Season 1 in the past.
. to be Fielding is supposed to be this wicked witch, but we barely see her use her powers; he barely fights for himself; he cannot use his powers against the person he is supposed to protect. What’s the point of having magic if you can’t use it against an immortal enemy?
Also, expect to see more magic for a supernatural show based on witches! There are very few instances where magic is used here, and even when it is, there is no je ne sais quoi.
The main lead doesn’t necessarily make you feel invested in what’s going on with him. Rowan has just discovered she’s a witch, but has no idea how life-changing this is for her. You’d expect such a revelation to shake her up even more, especially after learning that a dark entity has been stalking the women of Mayfair since the 17th century!
Lasher is supposed to be this dark entity that ruins the lives of the Mayfair matriarchs, but the execution of his story is not well layered. By episode eight, we know why he’s stalking the women in the family, but the story behind it, not to mention his motivation, feels rushed. It can be said that the authors have skipped some key points in the book and emphasized a few things vaguely.
The other issue here stems from the chemistry between the characters. Rowan and Cyprien in particular lack the spark needed to fuel their interaction. Half the time you’ll wonder if Lasher is playing mind games with Rowan. Again, this is another pairing that doesn’t have much on-screen chemistry. I don’t know about you, but I found it weird that they even had a relationship to begin with!
It’s a shame that the writers took a thrilling trilogy of books and trashed it, completely ignoring the nuances of the source material. If more attention had been paid to the integrity of the story, this could have been a great adaptation, like Interview with the Vampire. With a second season already greenlit, I hope AMC learns from their mistakes and does better next time!