Joe Dante caters Mary Sibleys dinner party.
Here is our review of Salem season 2 episode 6.
The pieces are being assembled for an upcoming game of dominance onSalem.
Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery) and Countess Marburg (Lucy Lawless) are lining up all their marbles.
Mary Sibley conjured the spirit of Increase Mather from hell to do her bidding.
Increase is not very happy about being in the thrall of Mary Sibley.
Stephen Lang recently said in a recent press call that reanimated beings are usually confused.
As recognition dawns in Increases face, he goes through all the stages of grief.
He just wants to be dealt in.
Its not just chess that the two witch queens are playing.
They each bring their poker faces.
They both discard their low cards, but the witches may sacrifice the queen to save the pawn.
Sibley and Marburg suspect each other, but they cant find any evidence to back up their suspicions.
Each are attacking the other, but cant quite find the others weakness.
The fun part is watching the actors play the double crosses with each other.
Every line is an attack, especially the compliments.
Their comedy of manners borders on camp as it looks like the actors are having too much fun.
The actors arent having as much as the characters are having.
Countess Marburg obviously admires a good adversary.
It makes the thrill of the kill so much more sanguine.
We accept that shes won every battle, even though we know she has to lose the one inSalem.
Its not her show and Anson Williams isnt directing.
But she wont go down without a blazing finale.
Baron Sebastian von Marburg (Joe Doyle) is a bit of a hypocrite.
He calls out the doctor for his morals when he really should be basking in the diversion.
Sebastian is happy to extort Marys affection, but when she offers a reach-around he balks.
And he does it in a very condescending fashion.
His jealousy will be his undoing.
Its not that Dr. Wainwright (Stuart Townsend) didnt deserve the call-out, he was begging for it.
Invited to the dinner party, the surgeon refuses to dip his scalpel in the roast.
The idle chat of the local bourgeoisie didnt kill his appetite.
Hathorne (Jeremy Crutchley) is the third wheel at the party.
Now that hes gotten a taste of magic, its in his vines, I mean veins.
Once again, Sebastian overreacts in the most frustrating way.
He really should allow his mother to indulge the ingenue, he has no patience.
It has been said that social occasions are only warfare concealed, Khan Noonien Singh once observed onStar Trek.
As Mary and Marburg circumnavigate the utensils we wonder when they will dig into each other.
Secrets are seeping through the cracks but Mary cant quite put a finger on where the leak is springing.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
