A Discovery of Witches season 1, episode 5 recap

Matthew tries to deny his growing feelings for Diana on A Discovery of Witches.

We know from the get-go that Diana and Matthew are going to wind up together. However, the first half of this episode mainly serves to show the audience why they should stay apart. While it could’ve been a drag to separate the two, A Discovery of Witches does a good job of making the best of their time apart.

Sept-Tours

Still in Matthew’s family home, Diana is trying to cope with all of her mixed emotions. The man she loves has left her and her powers seem to be growing rapidly. Rather than spend her free time learning more about them, Diana wants to wait around for Matthew. Ysabeau isn’t as interested in watching her yearn for her son, and decides it’s time to show Diana the darker underbelly of being a vampire.

First, this consists of an impromptu hunting trip in the woods. There’s a bit of added tension when Ysabeau disappears but there’s never any real danger of Diana becoming the food. Although Lindsay Duncan jumps to the top of this episode’s MVP list for the scene where Ysabeau eats a fox. Nevertheless, knowing vampires have to kill animals to survive isn’t enough to scare Diana away from Matthew. Considering it’s either animals or people, she’s probably a bit relieved that this is how eats.

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She decides to try a new tactic: showing Matthew’s history. Before he was a vampire, he was married to a woman named Blanca. Her grave sits inside the church on their property. Alongside it is the grave for their son, Lucas. Ysabeau explains the two died before Matthew became a vampire and how it led to the events which would eventually give him immortality. He had allegedly jumped from the tower to commit suicide. Seeing how anguished he was, Ysabeau offered to sire him and stop the pain. Unfortunately, he struggled for many years with his new situation and would often leave to commit heinous acts.

Despite Ysabeau warning Diana that Matthew will never love her the way he loved Blanca, she doesn’t care. The next stop on the “do not date Matthew” train is with her own family. Sarah and Em are adamant she not break the covenant for Matthew. At least A Discovery of Witches points out the irony of a lesbian couple telling someone who they can or cannot date. We can let Sarah’s and Em’s hypocrisy slide because they are genuinely worried the Congregation will kill their niece for this.

While getting some work done in Phillippe’s office (looks like Ysabeau is officially over her trust issues), Diana decides to peek inside some of the desk drawers. Book readers will recognize, A Discovery of Witches sets up an important plot line with her discovery. For those tuning in without knowing the source material, she’s just stumbled upon an artifact engraved for “The Knights of Lazarus”.

Oxford

Matthew is struggling with the urge to be with Diana and the desire to protect her. At his lab, Miriam coldly informs him the break-in was entirely his fault. At least all of their samples were secured and the witches couldn’t hack the computers. However, Matthew recognizes Gillian’s scent among the perpetrators and marches out the door to confront her.

He wonders why she would betray her friend: jealousy or ambition? Gillian pretends it’s neither and just that she’s disgusted Diana would have feelings for a vampire. While Gillian may have forgotten who she’s dealing with, A Discovery of Witches does not. Matthew bites her and begins to drink which allows him to see her memories. She had taken some photos of his lab on her phone to share with her coven. Rather than killing her, Matthew just leaves her nearly drained and half dead on the street before taking her phone and leaving.

Matthew briefly speaks with Diana after the event but still isn’t ready to admit his feelings towards her. He does tell Hamish that he’s in love but the Congregation would never overlook the covenant for them. Instead of spending the night restlessly thinking about Diana, he decides to get some work done. Analyzing her samples, he’s able to deduce she possesses every genetic marker seen in a which. Miriam is overjoyed at this new discovery because it could mean the species regression might end with her.

The Return to Sept-Tours

With this latest breakthrough, Matthew finally decides it’s time to return home to Diana. The two rush to meet together outside upon his return. Matthew asks if she’s sure of what she wants and Diana responds that she is. The two link hands as Matthew declares they are now one. Ysabeau watches from inside and is terrified at what the two have just done. He offers to leave with Diana, but she declines. They are all family now and she will standby them no matter what. However, Diana must learn to use her powers because Ysabeau says every de Clermont woman must defend herself.

While Ysabeau sits downstairs and thinks over the consequences of this decision, the two lovebirds are happy to be reunited. Matthew hands over the test results and explains that Diana can use every element. This is the reason she can use witch wind, witch water, and cast spells. She’ll probably be able to use witch fire down the line (assuming that’s another tool for witches in A Discovery of Witches). They decide to do their own version of “bundling” before collapsing in a fit of giggles and going to sleep.

The next morning, Diana goes for a run and things seem to return to a sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, something flies down from the sky and grabs her before anyone can even be alerted. It’s safe to say whoever grabbed her will have to face Matthew’s wrath later on.

The Congregation

Peter Knox is getting pushed further back into a corner as he begins to lose more control. His scheme to get Gillian to spy on Matthew failed miserably and other witches suspect he had something to do with it. Satu is growing restless with Knox’s lack of progress and general bad behavior. When Baldwin refuses to let anyone enter Sept-Tours for Diana, she floats the idea of an alliance with the other vampires.

Knox vehemently refuses and tells her to stay away from both Gerbert and Domenico. The former has a box with the head of a witch he uses for prophecies and clairvoyance. Despite his warnings, Satu decides it’s time to take things into her own hands. A Discovery of Witches sends Satu to Gerbert’s doorstep where she’ll most likely negotiate for an alliance.

As for Domenico, he’s hoping to get Juliette to do the dirty work. She’s drinking at a bar in Venice after abandoning her search for Matthew in Oxford. Domenico whispers his location in her ear but she refuses to go without Gerbert’s blessing. Considering just Matthew’s name as put her in a frenzy, we doubt she’ll be able to stay away for long.

What did you think of this episode of A Discovery of Witches? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!