Disney's Coven Academy isn't wasting any time telling viewers what we need to know. Although the runtimes are short, the information download is packed with a lot of content. So far, all of the content seems to be connecting back to something. We don't know all the connections yet, but at some point we may need a red yarn murder board if this keeps up.
In episode 1, Briar moved to a new city, learned about her magical roots, and accepted a date with a stranger. She's very unaware of the danger that she's walking into due to her witch powers activating. A witch-vampire hybrid wants to turn her, and a newly turned vampire wants to protect her from his kind. With the protection of Coven Academy, Briar might stand a chance. Throughout episodes 1-7, we learn Briar isn't a damsel in distress, and she makes that known to the warlock and vampire trying to keep her safe. She's headstrong and hell-bent on solving her mom's murder, even if it leads her into danger.
The three witches update
Jake and Briar follow the stomping down a staircase. But it's not stomping at all; it's one of the witches using her powers. Briar uses her powers to blow the door open. They find the three witches, scared but alive and so happy to see Jake.
Miss Graves gathers the students to let them know that the missing witches were found, and of course, the warlocks immediately congratulate Jake. Tegan can't let the moment pass without shouting out Briar for also helping. Although Miss Graves says that the kidnapper, the hybrid, has been destroyed, Briar still thinks the killer is out there. I don't think she's wrong, but the witches were found in the hybrid's house, so she definitely was the ringleader, but that doesn't mean someone else didn't take her place.
Sasha assures Briar that this is a good day and to believe Miss Graves at hoping the true kidnapper has been taken out. It is a good day indeed because the lockdown has been lifted and the witches and warlocks can move around as they please now. And although Miss Graves says the threat is over, you can tell Briar doesn't believe it and neither does Agnes. She lets Miss Graves know that whoever killed Tamora is still out there and the threat isn't over and is just beginning. She leaves Agnes with a warning not to scare the students as Mr. Cole comes by to congratulate Miss Graves.
Briar requests backup as she goes to talk to Miss Graves. But before the girls can get a word out, Miss Graves confronts them on all the rules they've broken in 24 hours, including sneaking out and gaining their powers back. Briar doesn't hold back, though. She cuts her off and says the killer is still out there and it's the same one who killed my mom. It can't be a coincidence that the markings on Tamora's neck were also on Briar's mom's neck.
Yet, instead of seeing the coincidence, Miss Graves congratulates them on finally clicking. Briar is confused because they're supposed to be a coven. Miss Graves actually says they're not a coven yet, they're in a trial. Tegan fills them in on the fact that Miss Graves has to name them a coven at the junior winter solstice. Despite Miss Graves continuing to change the subject, Briar knows this isn't a coincidence. There's a connection between Tamora's case and her mom's.
Instead of finding her class schedule, Briar walks into Jake doing pullups in her room. Turns out, Mr. Cole isn't happy about Jake finding the girls before him, so he was told to sit out of school today. On top of that, Briar is in the guy's wing and doesn't care because she's upset and Miss Graves thinks everything is over.
Jake decides since they have a few hours before the Hex Festival (the party they have before Autumn Exams that the teachers don't know about), they can get started looking for answers. The first thing they do is teleport back to Tamora's house as if they didn't just get in trouble for doing that last night. Luckily it looks empty, especially the evidence. But Jake can recreate it with some dust and a spell. Unfortunately the spell backfires and obstructs the killer's face, which takes some serious magic. This spooks Jake to the point they've got to get out of the house now.
The girls search for Ollie
Despite the trouble they're facing, Sasha needs to know how this mystery ends as she and the girls are talking in one of their dorm rooms while they're supposed to be studying. Briar has hit a couple of dead ends, but that's not going to stop them from finding out what happened to Ollie, who Tamora is, and how the 1998 coven is connected to her mom's murder. As of now, they don't know how Tamora and Ollie are connected or that Tamora lured Briar via Ollie's phone before her murder and they found the missing witches.
Briar, Teagan, and Sasha sit down at the table with crystals, spells, a map, and the rose from Briar's date. Sasha instructs Briar to release a rose petal and focus only on Ollie. She lets the rose fall down, and then they chant over the map and rose petals as they try to locate Ollie. 1395 Saint Charles Ave is where the rose lands hover over the map. Sasha’s phone search uncovers that the address is no longer in use, so she doesn't want Briar to go alone. Although she doesn't want to put her friends in danger, they don't want her to go out on her own.
The girls walk up to the same door Jake did when he met with Alexander. They ask for Ollie, and the doorman lets them in after unlocking a number of locks and bolts. They soon realize they're in vampire territory as they surround them.
Briar learns who Ollie is
Briar tells them to back up, but the lead vampire isn't listening. Ollie comes barreling through the crowd and gets in the other vampire's face, defending the girls. Sasha wants to leave right now, but Briar has to talk to Ollie, so she sends Teagan off to get Sasha to safety. She immediately tears his backstory to shreds with her anger.
Ollie confesses that he didn't want this life. He was coming to NOLA from Bristol for a better life with his aunt Tamora. Instead, she turned him into a vampire. Although he would never hurt a human, he did lure her to the ghost tour as bait, so it's not looking good for Ollie. Instead of letting his aunt ruin her life, considering he can never go home again to see his family, he didn't want her to do that to Briar. He was told to do something bad, but then he also did something noble so it's hard to hate him.
Ollie doesn't know much more than Briar does. He knows that his aunt was in a coven with Briar's mom. He also knows that his aunt was scared enough of something to go after Briar to build something even more powerful to defend it. And even though he tells her the truth and that he can be trusted, she leaves not believing him because everyone in power has told her the same thing and never followed through on that trust.
After they exit the vampire hangout Jake walks up and scolds them for being on this side of town. Broar immediately puts him in his place and says she's not a damsel in distress. But Jake isn't persuaded considering “Brooklyn” looks pretty distressed right now. Briar holds tight and reminds him she doesn't need his help or protection while she's got her girls. They may be on the wrong side of town, but he's not going to speak to her about her mom to scare her. Honestly, using her mom's murder against her was very wrong of Jake.
Hex Festival
As the girls get ready for the Hicks festival. Sasha and Tegan Warren Briar to stay away from Ollie. He's bad news because vampires and witches do not mingle in New Orleans. It only leads to trouble. And although Briar slammed the door in his face, she still keeps checking his phone, so it takes a little more persuading for her to put Ollie behind her. But she agrees because she's new to the magic world and she fully doesn't know what truly can happen if she mingles with Ollie.
The girls walk into the abandoned wing for the Hex Festival, which serves as Briar's first Coven Academy party. It turns out, it's just like a Brooklyn party except it looks like danger is lurking outside the windows as yellow eyes and fangs come out in the darkness.
Instead of normal teasing, Briar spills Jake's drink with her magic from across the room. He's surprised they are talking as he removes his cardigan, but she sets him straight, saying no, she was just thinking he needed to be cooled off. Oh, she's angry with him.
Sasha pulls Briar away and reveals she asked Miss Graves for any school records she had on Briar's mom. Although the school doesn't keep records that far back, her mom's signature is on the signature wall: Mary Roberts ‘98. Sasha hands Briar a blue marker and tells her to add her signature.
As Briar and Sasha meet up with Teagan and they realize the Pick Your Poison drinks may not be bad. Until Dylan (Jake's friend) reveals he made them into a truth potion as Teagan reveals she thinks squirrels try to talk to her sometimes. Luckily Sasha stops Teagan from revealing her crush's name, as Briar confronts Dylan and knocks him down with her magic. Sasha stops Briar from hurting Dylan further and uses her magic to get the antidote. Teagan takes it and is cured.
After Jake breaks up McKenna and Teagan taking stabs at each other, Jake pulls Briar aside to apologize for taking a cheap shot at her earlier. Although it's clear she doesn't need a bodyguard, he admitted he followed her to the vampire den because he sensed she'd do something stupid or reckless or both, and she did. As she's apologizing to him for being prickly and saying she wants him around, she's cut off when she notices Ollie at the window.
Ollie wants to be good
Ollie and Alexander watch two men make a deal as they wait for the perfect time for Ollie to get his first taste of human blood. As one disappears, Ollie tries to do it but backs out. Alexander takes the guy for himself after warning Ollie he'll reach that need to feed eventually and have no choice but to go through with it.
Ollie confesses to the bartender that he wishes he could go back to normal. The bartender is surprised Ollie hasn't given into human blood since being turned three weeks ago. He warns him he's going to get violent soon, so Ollie grabs his wrist and lays his wish to go back on thick. The bartender grabs his wrist harder and threatens him if he doesn't get out before he has to throw him out.
After Briar notices Ollie looking in the Hex Festival window, she lets him inside the academy and out of the pouring rain. Turns out, she did drop the protection crystal when she jumped out the window at the ghost tour, and Ollie had it since then. Although he's trailing her, he could never hurt her, and the crystal not glowing proves his truth. He offers her a chance to find answers about her mom's murder if she can believe him and trust him.
The teachers are hiding something
Mr. Cole finds Miss Graves by the water since she went out to get some air. He immediately jumps in to question her about Agnes saying the threat is just beginning rather than it being over. Miss Graves explains it away, saying Agnes is known for being on high alert. Yet he's still suspicious and promises he can keep a secret. She assures him there's nothing more to the story, and they can relax.
He's not fully onboard with relaxing as he tells her he's sensing something isn't quite right around here. Although he hasn't seen anyone or anything around him, he feels like she's being watched or stalked. She assures him everything is okay and to keep an eye out. Yet as he walks away, she looks worried.
After the Hex Festival, Jake hears something as he's walking alone in the academy. He catches Mr. Cole teleports into the academy with a nasty gash on his forehead. Mr. Cole assures him it's nothing. As long as Jake doesn't out Mr. Cole for teleporting, Mr. Cole won't out Jake for breaking curfew. Jake reluctantly agrees and leaves Mr. Cole standing there with blood running down his forehead.
In her office, Miss Graves opens Mary Robert’s (Briar's mom's) file and takes out her school photo. With a snap of her fingers, she lights the photo on fire and watches it burn. What is she up to?
Coven Academy season 1 is now streaming on Disney+.
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