Salem

What if the people you trusted to protect you from evil were the same people you needed protection from? And what if the people being hunted as monsters were actually the ones pulling the strings? These are the questions that ran through my mind as I watched the supernatural horror TV series, Salem (2014) about a town where religious devotion, fear, revenge and witchcraft are combined to produce a fascinating watch experience.

Inspired by the historic Salem witch trials, Salem is a supernatural horror series created by Brannon Braga and Adam Simon starring Janet Montgomery, Shane West, Seth Gabel, Ashley Madekwe alongside other actors. I have seen these lead actors in other movies so I was excited to see their performance in this series and they exceeded my expectations.

Set in 17th century Massachusetts during the infamous Salem witch trials, this story focuses on Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), a powerful witch who has worked hard to establish herself as one of the most influential people in the town. But Mary wasn't always the woman we see at the beginning of this series. Before she was a young woman in love with John Aiden (Shane West). When John left to fight in the war, she was left to face a situation that would change the course of her life.

Years later, John returns to Salem only to discover that the woman he once loved is now married to wealthy and influential George Sibley (Michael Mulheren). Also the town he remembers has also become a place where fear and suspicion are running wild and the witch hunt is only getting started.

While the townspeople are busy accusing women of being witches and serving the devil, Mary and her fellow witches have plans of their own. With the help of Tituba (Ashley Madekwe), Mary tries to maintain control over the situation but John's return threatens to complicate everything. On the other hand, there is Cotton Mather (Seth Gabel), a man determined to expose and destroy witchcraft who becomes caught up in the growing madness.

As tension rises in the town and the accusations grow, old secrets begin to surface and alliances shift. Mary and her group must decide who poses the greatest threat: the witch hunters or the ordinary people ready to condemn others because of their fear.

My Review And Rating

Apart from the intriguing plot and fine storytelling, the actors, especially Janet Montgomery and Shane West, made this series fascinating and worth watching. I enjoyed the portrayal of Mary Sibley more. She is not your typical good-hearted heroine but ruthless, manipulative and frightening when she wants something. Yet there are moments when we get a glimpse of the woman she used to be.

Janet Montgomery does a good job of bringing the different sides of Mary to life, making her a character I wanted to understand even when I didn't agree with her actions. Her complicated history with John is an interesting side especially because his return forces her to confront feelings she would rather keep buried. I loved Shane West’s role in the action thriller, Nikita and in this series, he brings a certain charm to John.

The supporting characters added to the appeal of the series. I enjoyed the tension surrounding Cotton Mather. His determination to fight evil is understandable but his own struggles make him more interesting than a simple religious fanatic hunting witches. Tituba is an intriguing presence who does not merely follow Mary's instruction without question. With so many characters hiding secrets, I found myself wondering who would betray whom next.

However, I noticed that for a series built around witchcraft, fear and deadly secrets, some of its storylines feel dramatic and unnecessarily complicated. For example, the romantic tension between Mary and John gives their relationship emotional weight but it sometimes distracts from the much bigger dangers surrounding them. I wanted John to focus less on the woman he had lost and more on the suspicious events happening right in front of him.

Also, I've watched my fair share of horror films and must say this series has some genuinely disturbing moments like the heavy use of dark imagery, shocking rituals and graphic scenes which fits the genres but feels a bit much like the creators are trying to make up for weaknesses in the storytelling.

All in all, I found season one of Salem entertaining enough to keep watching. It has an eerie atmosphere, a fascinating setting, complicated characters, enough betrayals and supernatural surprises to keep me on the edge of my seat. The season finale leaves some important questions hanging, giving the audience a reason to want to know what happens next.

Rating this TV series, I’d give it 7.5 out of 10 stars. Salem was an enjoyable watch for me more because of the plot, the cast and the mix of historical drama.

All images above are screenshots from the TV series

Poster image source

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