Last month, the floodgates of AMC opened thanks to a deal withNetflix. For the next 11 months, shows that would have ordinarily been exclusive to AMC+ will be streaming on Netflix, including all of the spinoffs forThe Walking Dead. And yet the three AMC programs that are still amongthe 10 most popular shows on Netflixaren’t from that franchise. Instead,Mayfair Witches,A Discovery of Witches, andDark Windsare the shows breaking out on their new streaming platform.
Despite having similar subject matter,Mayfair WitchesandA Discovery of Witchescouldn’t be more different. The former was created by Anne Rice, and it dives into places that the latter never dared to tread. There’s clearly an audience for both of these shows, but for now, we’re sharing the four reasons whyMayfair Witchesshould be your next binge on Netflix.
Alexandra Daddario finally has her own showcase
Nearly a decade ago,True Detectiveseason 1 viewers learned that Alexandra Daddario had definitely left her Percy Jackson days behind her. Daddario had a striking supporting role as Lisa Tragnetti, the woman having an affair with Detective Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson). Since then, Daddario has had a lot of supporting roles, including a larger part inThe White Lotusseason 1 on HBO.
Mayfair Witchesfinally moves Daddario to the forefront as Rowan Fielding, a young witch who initially has no idea about the extent of her powers or her legacy. This is unequivocally Daddario’s show, and she gives the series its most compelling performance.
Jack Huston gives the series a seductive edge
Like Daddario, Jack Huston had one of his biggest roles on HBO just over a decade ago inBoardwalk Empire. However, Huston’s former character, the scarred and conflicted Richard Harrow, is nothing like his new role, Lasher. In the context of this series, Lasher is the bane of the Mayfair family, and he has the ability to change his shape at will.
Lasher also has a history of seducing his targets, and he does so here as well with Rowan to further his own agenda. It’s too simple to say that Lasher is the villain of the series, but he’s definitely not heroic.
The moral ambiguity makes for compelling stories
Unlike AMC’s other witchcraft-oriented series,A Discovery of Witches, the morality ofMayfair Witchesisn’t as clean cut. Rowan doesn’t initially set out to hurt anyone, but that’s exactly what she does during the first few manifestations of her power. And when Rowan finally does come into her own as a witch, she doesn’t seem to have many qualms about handing out some harsh justice to a member of the family who probably deserved their fate.
Many of the other supporting characters take even darker turns, especially Cortland Mayfair (Harry Hamlin). But it’s Rowan’s journey, and her decisions that ultimately give the series its unique shape. This isn’t a hero’s tale, and the old labels of good and evil don’t always apply.
It’s part of a larger universe
One of the big reasons whyMayfair Witchesis on AMC is that it shares a universe withInterview with the Vampire, which was also created by Anne Rice. So far, only a single season ofMayfair Witcheshas premiered, and there haven’t been any direct crossovers between the two shows yet.
However, there definitely seems to be something on the horizon that will bring these two narratives together. We may just have to wait to see how that plays out in the long term.
