A drunk Cotton consults the stars firm in the belief that
if he can interrogate the witch in a precise spot, she will be unable to lie.
He hands Alden a hypodermic needle filled with a paralytic to control the
witch. They head down to the cellar and the witch taunts them but they
grab her. She turns herself into Cotton's mother and then taunts Cotton
saying that his mother is the devil's favourite whore. In frustration,
Cotton injects her without looking for a vein.
Mercy is feasting and Tituba looks on disdain. She asks
when Mary plans to kill her but Mary points out that she was a dirty little
creature when they first met. Mary orders Mercy's clothing burned.
Cotton and Alden march through the streets and Cotton
blathers about the witch. At the Sibley's Mary shows Mercy how she shaves Mr.
Sibley. Alone, Mercy admires Mary's jewelry and Mary advises that the
hard part is not getting what you want but knowing what you want. Mercy says
that she wants to be like Mary. Mary offers Mercy a book but it seems
that her father believed there was no reason for a girl to read and that his
plan was to find a man to read her the bible as that apparently is the only
book worth reading. Mary says that her God likes them to read for themselves
and offers to teach Mercy to read one day. Mary then starts to tell the
story of the Queen of the Night. Of course, the story that she tells is about
herself and how after believing Alden dead, Tituba brought her to George's
home. It seems that it was Hale who poisoned George's first wife to dead,
leaving an opportunity for Mary to marry George. As Mary tells this
story, Mary holds a razor above Mercy. She talks about throwing up after
having sex with George and how it taught her to be careful what she wished for.
Apparently she was married to George for two years when she begged to be
released but she was refused because the witches believed that Salem would go
on to be one of the most powerful cities in the New World. That night she
initiated a sex game with George involving Tituba and purposefully got him
drunk before forcing a toad down his throat. From then of course George
was docile, leaving Mary in control.
Mercy wakes and finds that she is no longer in the Sibley
home but in the woods. A panicked Mercy promises never to say that Mary
is a witch. When Mercy sees the blade in Mary's hand, she takes off
running. Mercy runs screaming and Mary slowly stalks her never increasing her
pace.
In another area of the woods Cotton hears the scream but
dismisses it as the sound of an owl. How or why is beyond me because it
so clearly sounded like a human scream. Cotton reveals that they will only have
a short moment to question the witch and then they must kill her before the paralytic
wears off. A drunk Cotton pulls out a sword saying that he fenced at
school.
Tituba heads to see the magistrate where she learns that a
witch is missing. Anne questions her mother about why the Magistrate would be
meeting with Tituba.
Mercy continues to run ad stumble through the woods as Mary
stalks her. Mary finally catches Mercy and cuts off her clothing. A
naked Mercy sits on the ground and Mary demands that Mercy say that this is
what she wants.
The sun has fallen as Cotton and Alden arrive at the chosen
spot in the woods. Alden snarks about how unpleasant the locale is.
As they work on suspending Rose from a tree, they don't realise they are
being watched. Rose tries to fight back and they realise the paralytic is
wearing off. Rose cackles and threatens that the darkness will eat Cotton and
Alden as she is hung from the tree. When Roe begins to talk about Mary, Alden
grabs a sword but Cotton stops him.
Tituba has gone to see Petrus and says that Rose is missing
and must be in his wood. Petrus declares that he has not seen Rose but
did see a witch in the woods tonight. Petrus again taunts Tituba about
teaching Mary everything and so Tituba reminds him that he must remember whose
site he is on.
Cotton asks about the grand right and Rose says that it is
death to stop him from all that he will do. Rose admits that innocent
blood flows but Cotton argues that no innocent blood has flowed and that there
are no missing children. Rose asks Cotton if he is hurting and then
escapes from her bindings. Rose then pierces her wrists allowing her
blood to flow and cover the ground ad Cotton and Alden. Dead creatures
rise from the earth and grab Cotton and Alden.
Rose makes her ways through the woods and is met by Mary.
It seems that Rose was Mary's mentor. Mary questions why Rose brought the
Mallum to Salem and Mary says that she did so because Mary still loves John
Alden and that she couldn't take the chance. Mary reveals that it was she who
made George send Alden away in the first place. Mary asks how Rose ended up in
the woods and Rose claims that she allowed herself to be captured and
interrogated to find out what is in Alden's heart. Rose says that even after
everything John still loves Mary and always will. Rose says that she
needs Mary's heart broken and nothing does that better than death.
In another area of the woods, Cotton and Alden continue to
fight off the zombies Rose raised.
Rose tells Mary that she saved Salem the trouble of killing
Alden and Cotton. What Rose doesn't realise is that through all of this,
Mercy was standing behind her. Mary says that they have a new sister and Mercy
slices off Rose's head.
Cotton and Alden have crawled out of the woods and Alden is
not pleased with the answers they got from Rose. Cotton says that they
don't have to worry about Rose showing up in Salem again because she would go
straight to the noose. They have a moment where they talk about what they
admire about each other.
Mary is making her way through Salem where she meets Alden
and Cotton returning. Cotton explains that they were tracking Saturn but
say nothing about Rose. Cotton excuses himself leaving Mary and Alden alone.
Mary questions what they were really doing and John offers to walk her home.
Tituba is scrubbing Mercy but tells her that she is nothing
more than a tool. Tituba makes it clear that Mary is hers. Mary
arrives and snarks about getting there in time to save Mercy. Tituba says
that Mary lost her resolve and that is why Mercy is still alive. Mary
says that Mercy cannot reveal her for a witch now that she has become one
herself. Tituba leaves and Mary stays to finish washing Mercy. Mary
promises that Mercy will never face hell again alone, as she slips a golden
thimble upon her finger.
Ann is in her room when she hears a sound in the house.
Ann goes to investigate and calls for her father as a door mysteriously
opens. Ann approaches a figure but when she touches it, the figure collapses
is. When Ann turns she finds her mother who says that it's time they talk
about her father.
Mercy may be the one storyline in Salem that I’m actually
interested in. her story, more than anyone else’s, really emphasises just how
little power the average woman had at this time. Not only has she suffered
incredible abuse and vicitmisation, but her friends all commonly face abuse, a
complete lack of anything resembling agency, and cruelty. They are toys, pets
and tools to be used by their fathers until they are thrown into a marriage whether
they want to or not. Is it any surprise that Mercy then seeks a way to power,
however it is? Is it any surprise that witchcraft is such a temptation to her?
Especially when she sees Mary – the one woman in Salem who has so much power.
And to contrast all that power we have Tituba. The one
POC on this show, the woman who apparently taught and inducted Mary into
witchcraft – but is she treated as a mentor? No, she doesn’t even get the
respect that the decapitated Rose did. She is not respected for her powers
(even when her magic is unique and vital) nor does Mary regard her as any kind
of authority. Tituba is a servant, a slave, a tool to be directed and ordered,
who has to account for her movements – whose position is so fragile she is
actually jealous of Mercy for fear of having to compete for her mistress’s
attention! Tituba as an actual devil worshipping evil witch corrupting the
white lady was always going to be deeply problematic and outright racist – but even
within that format the story has continues to take the worst possible path in
her portrayal.
