Alright Switches, Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem just blew our minds with that finale! We got to see the Bellweather unit in action, Anacostia and Scylla bond, and discover the truth about Raelle’s mom! ‘Witchbomb’ was written by Eliot Laurence and directed by Steven A. Adelson, and here’s all the craziness that happened!
“Our ancient enemy has returned” | The episode kicks off with a women’s soccer game, but one player happens to be Spree. She causes the ball to pop in the middle of a stadium full of people, but instead of killing themselves they all started chanting the same thing. “Our ancient enemy has returned.” We find out the people from the stadium get treated, but are still suffering lasting effects.
War Meat | The Bellweather unit discuss the Spree attack and the different possibilities of who the “ancient enemy” could be while getting ready for graduation. At the ceremony, the cadets find out their placement. Though the Bellweather unit deserves to be placed at War College, General Alder (Lyne Renee) is taking her anger out on them and assigns them to the front lines.
Anacostia (Demetria McKinney) visits Scylla (Amalia Holm), she wants answers. But Scylla turns the tables and tries to make this about Anacostia, and Anacostia snaps then leaves.
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After realizing what Alder has done to them, the Bellweather unit is called to speak with Alder. They learn that Khalida (Kylee Brown) and Adil (Tony Giroux) have agreed to accept Alder’s help saving the rest of the Tarim, but only if the Bellweather unit is part of the strike team so Raelle (Taylor Hickson) could heal anyone else with the strange sickness. Adil is also going to go, he can help locate his people.
Raelle visits with her dad and tells him she’s deploying later that day. He reveals to her that her mom never took her charm on her last tour, which is strange. He also gives Raelle a letter from her mom for her graduation.
Abigail (Ashley Nicole Williams) is discussing her situation with her mother when Petra (Catherine Lough Haggquist) alerts her daughter that she’s secured her a place at War College. But only her, not her entire unit.
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Tally (Jessica Sutton) and Raelle are not happy when Anacostia tells them Abigail isn’t going on the mission with them. Tally is freaking out about the mission, but takes the time to thank Anacostia for everything she’s done for them. Just before leaving, Raelle stops Anacostia and asks her to please tell the people watching over Scylla wherever she goes take it easy on her, showing just how much Scylla still means to her.
Anacostia goes back to Scylla, but this time she brings something. A picture of Scylla’s parents before they died. We finally get some Scylla backstory and find out how they died, the military killed them after they surrendered. Anacostia ends up opening up to Scylla about her dead parents as well. Looks like the two have more in common than they would’ve thought. Scylla admits she joined the Spree out of need for a purpose, and as a place to put her pain.
Mission Time | Time for Tally and Raelle to leave on their mission, and just as Tally was getting really upset about Abigail ditching them, Abi shows up for her unit. No way is she going to let them have all the fun without her! Raelle uses the travel time to read the letter from her mom, giving us an image of what she looks like.
They land in the Altai Mountains and Tally immediately senses they’re being watched and alerts Alder, who tells them to stay vigilant. When they set up camp for the night Tally wastes no time jumping down Alder’s throat about recent events. Alder makes no apologies for what she did, but she acknowledges what she did to the President was wrong but says she had to do it anyway. They don’t seem to particularly like Alder’s answer, but I think they are starting to at least understand where it came from.
Adil leads the group towards a mountain, but when they get close they find a dead Tarim elder that has been hung up as a warning, dressed as Alder’s dead sister. This is all to taunt Alder. They eventually come across a tunnel in the mountain, and enter. Just when they think they’ve hit a dead end Adil reveals more about his people. Their songs can change the shape of the earth, they put this up to protect themselves. Tally realizes that Alder is actually trying to help the Tarim, she’s not just trying to help them for her own benefit. Adil moves the rock, revealing his people inside.
There is a boy who has the same strange sickness as Khalida, Raelle heals him. Alder is so impressed by the unit’s work that she promises to discuss their futures when they return to Fort Salem. It’s at this time that Tally senses people outside waiting for them.
The Camarilla | Outside the mountain, they can see that their helicopters aren’t started and prepped for their departure. That’s when Alder realized the worst thing is happening, the Camarilla have returned, and the Spree were warning her with that soccer game attack. The Camarilla have taken their pilots, and burn them at stakes. Now it’s time to fight, and thank god for Tally’s Seer abilities because the Camarilla have created a nasty storm. The Army does a good job keeping the Camarilla back, until Alder and a biddy get hit with poison darts. Alder needs to be healed, and fast. In an incredibly brave and selfless act, Tally steps up to offer Alder her life force. Alder accepts and heals herself by draining Tally of her youth, leaving her aged and haggard.
Everyone retreats to the helicopters to they can make their escape with the Tarim, but the little boy Raelle saved gets scared and jumps off. Raelle and Abigail go after him and convince him to get back on, but Raelle ends up getting stabbed in the back, through the heart. UH-OH. Abigail rushes to her friends side and tries to heal her, but Raelle is too far gone, trying to heal her will only kill them both. Which is what happens…At least momentarily.
The helicopters leave, with Tally screaming after her fallen friends. Suddenly there’s an eruption of the black goo that Raelle pulled out of Khalida and the boy, it’s coming from where her and Abi are holding hands. Suddenly, they get up and walk away together, but they look different, almost glowing. Maybe that mushroom Raelle touched earlier in the season somehow just saved their lives?
Escape | It’s almost time for Scylla to be shipped to prison, where she will most likely die. But Anacostia doesn’t want that, she believes in Scylla, so she helps the girl escape. She unchains Scylla and gives her a lighter so she can to the Spree face stealing thing, and Scylla is out of there! Yay Anacostia for seeing the good in her!
Scylla flees to what we can only assume is a Spree safe house, where she says the secret phrase and enters. We see outside that Anacostia has followed her, most likely to keep tabs on her favorite little witch. Inside, Scylla walks around until she enters the kitchen. There, she is greeted by Raelle’s mother, “You were supposed to bring me my daughter.” I KNEW RAELLE’S MOTHER WASN’T DEAD! And what a cliffhanger to leave fans with until next season!
Alright Switches, this is the end of season 1 of Motherland: Fort Salem, but Freeform recently announced that it has been renewed for a second season! So we’ll see you back here to talk all things witchy in 2021!