The AMC series Mayfair Witches recently debuted its second season and the show has been going strong till episode 6. The Alexandra Daddario starrer had a decent first season that was a faithful adaptation of Anne Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels. Now, the witches are back to uncover more secrets.
While the sophomore season is still on episode 6, the series shows immense potential and plenty of material to cover. The ratings for the second season seem to have drastically increased and while many have criticized the series for its far-out premise, Daddario’s performance and the lore keep things interesting.
Here are five reasons why Mayfair Witches deserves a season 3:
1. Alexandra Daddario’s performance in Mayfair Witches warrants more
Alexandra Daddario has come a long way from her White Collar and Percy Jackson days. The actress hit it big in the TV industry and has recently been known for her roles in shows like The White Lotus and Mayfair Witches. She leads the latter series as the neurosurgeon-turned-witch Dr. Rowan Fielding.
Daddario has proven herself to be a powerhouse performer in the past few years and Mayfair Witches is no less. She is sometimes regarded as being the only one keeping the show together during its weaker moments (and boy, does it have some). While there are other stalwart actors such as Beth Grant, Ben Feldman, and others, Daddario seems to be doing the major heavy lifting.
The actress brings curiosity and power to her character, who sometimes acts as the audience’s window to the world of Mayfair Witches. Her powers are initially dormant and once she discovers her lineage, she tries her best to do the right thing. However, her dependence on Lasher, just like her mother, is her hubris.
Daddario spoke about what attracted her to the role of Rowan, how she fell in love with Anne Rice’s portrayal of the character, and what she wanted to say about it. She said to EW,
No matter how strong you are or how much power you have, you still have to contend with your place in the world, the discrimination that comes with being a woman. She puts it in these fantastical extreme stories where you have a woman who’s trying to get power, and no matter what she’s doing she’s being told no by a lot of the men around her.
As season 2 unfolds and Rowan faces more obstacles as the mother of Lasher, more moments of great performance can be expected.
2. The ratings between seasons have steadily increased for Mayfair Witches
The first season of Mayfair Witches still seemed to be gaining momentum when it first started airing. While the show had its strengths like Alexandra Daddario’s performance and the lore, it still lacked in some pivotal places. Hence, the first season of the show only has a 41% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, the makers of Mayfair Witches seem to have used the two-year gap to improve some key areas in the show. The sophomore season has doubled down on the twists and turns as Rowan tries to raise a rapidly growing Lasher, who is born as her child at the end of season one.
Granted not all episodes from the second season have been released and TV shows have all the potential to break the momentum and give a bad aftertaste by the end of the season (looking at you, Game of Thrones). However, the scores have drastically improved and the second season has garnered a fresh 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.
With only two episodes left, the show has to bring its A-game if it wants to get a season 3 renewal, and with the way things are going, it might not be too far off.
3. Author Anne Rice’s lore deserves expanding
Author Anne Rice first gained fame when her novel Interview with the Vampire was adapted into a film of the same name starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Kirsten Dunst. Rice’s novels gained popularity and it led to her writing more novels in the series, resulting in The Vampire Chronicles. The late author has also written several other series of gothic and horror fiction.
AMC’s Mayfair Witches is based on her novel series Lives of the Mayfair Witches, which consists of The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos. The first and second seasons mostly adapted material from The Witching Hour and there are still two more books’ worth of lore to be covered in upcoming seasons (should the show be renewed).
Rice is known for her extensive world-building and detailing and the series has delivered on that front. The lore of the Mayfair family has been extensively covered in the show, with even the first witch getting screentime. The show can only delve deeper into the family’s history with subsequent seasons and with a crossover in the works, the possibilities are endless.
4. The Immortal Universe is an interesting premise and needs to be explored
Ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe popularized interconnected and shared in-movie universes, every studio and franchise has been trying to get that sweet cinematic universe cash and has tried many ways to successfully do crossovers. While some franchises such as the MonsterVerse have somewhat succeeded, others such as the Dark Universe were DOA.
Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe consists of the Mayfair Witches and AMC’s Interview with the Vampire series, which has already been renewed for a third season. Rice reportedly first approached networks with a package deal on both franchises, promising crossover potential as the characters come in even in the books.
AMC representatives mentioned that both shows will see plenty of references to the other in terms of Easter Eggs and character connections before going all out on the crossover. Executive producer Mark Johnson said to Deadline,
You’ll see a lot of connections, both in terms of characters in terms of geography… I guess almost like Easter eggs. We very much want to tie the worlds together in a way that makes sense. Of course, they’re completely separate on the one hand, but thematically and in terms of how Anne Rice deals with character, we want to find a way to have that flow throughout the various shows.
Since the flagship show Interview with the Vampire has already been renewed for a third season, which will air this year, it only makes sense to continue the Mayfair Witches.
5. The upcoming The Talamasca series opens up new possibilities for Mayfair Witches
One of the connecting points in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe is the paranormal secret society Talamasca. The Talamasca has appeared in both shows, with Interview with the Vampire introducing the supernatural society through Raglan James. The agent helps the journalist Daniel Molloy in uncovering key secrets regarding the vampires in the series.
The Talamasca has a more important role in Mayfair Witches, with the character of Ciprien Grieve. The agent is an empath of sorts and is tasked with assisting Rowan in finding out about her true heritage and lineage. Ciprien also uncovers some dark secrets about the workings of the Talamasca too and that sort of gets him into trouble.
The next installment in the Immortal Universe was reported to be a spinoff called The Talamasca. Set to premiere this year, the series focuses on a group of new agents. AMC president Dan McDermott said to Deadline about the show,
We’re excited to be in active development of the next installment in this growing franchise, written and to be showrun by the incomparable John Lee Hancock. The Talamasca is one of the most intriguing elements of Rice’s works and a connective thread through so many of her stories, the standalone and crossover potential for this third series is immense.
The series has already begun production and is set to debut this year. With the Order of the Talamasca being such a prominent part of Mayfair Witches, it is possible that the spinoff directly connects to the series. Another spinoff titled Night Island is also in the works, and the potential for the cinematic franchise is immense (via Bleeding Cool).
Mayfair Witches is available to stream on AMC+.
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