Hex recap (series 2, episode 2) (Original airdate: 25 Sept 2005)

THIS WEEK'S INCANTATION:

Fie! Cassie, fair yet sometime foul,
Cast off thy wanton ways!
A hexagram can scarce protect
a heart so hap'ly twisted.
Let Ella thrust, and Thelma gasp,
and mend your lost life's error.

The park —Spawn of Satan, also known as Malachi, is playing on the swings and such with Azazeal and Jo "She's Really Let Herself Go" Watkins. Wait a minute: whilst studying in Manchester, I had a very lovely night with someone called Jo... Wat... no, not Watkins. Watson? Hopkins? I've forgotten. But if you're reading this, Jo, thanks for that thing you did!

Anyway, Cassie and Ella are hiding in the foliage as Malachi does his best impression of a non-evil non-demon boy. Ella counsels Cassie to get close to Azazeal again — just close enough to kidnap Malachi and take him back to Medenham. Cassie thinks Ella's mad; and she herself is mad enough to be worried for Malachi's safety — never mind that the world should worry for its safety simply because Malachi exists.

Cassie: "I don't think he's warm enough... "
Ella: "Cassie, concentrate! We haven't got much time."
Cassie: "Do you think he's warm enough?"
Ella: "Believe me: where he's going, he'll be warm enough."

Cassie's room — Thelma does not approve of the plan to kidnap and kill Malachi — or perhaps she doesn't approve of Ella having such influence over Cassie. It's difficult to tell who's got you most bothered, Thelma: I mean, we all know Cassie's your dream, but you tend to need a drool mop when Ella's around.

Thelma confesses that she's scared:

Thelma: "And if you're not, you sodding well should be. You know how you are with him: you're a total tart."

Cassie insists she's moved beyond that little phase. But as we know (and as Thelma especially knows), Cassie often protests too much. Cassie finally admits that she's scared too, but a girl's gotta do whatta girl's gotta do. Or is that "a conflicted teenage witch has gotta do what a..." — yeah, never mind.

Thelma can only sigh and let Cassie go off to (literally) face her demons. And I can only nod and admit that the chemistry between Cassie and Thelma is still pretty great. Perhaps they can't really touch right now, but if someone touched me with her eyes the way these two do, I'd feel downright groped.

Azazeal's lair — Malachi is crying. Shrieking, even. Cassie picks up some sort of stone on a chain and offers it to him as some sort of dangerous toy, and he quietens down — much to Azazeal's surprise. And Papa quickly tries to turn it to his advantage — insisting that Malachi's only like this (like what, not shrieking?) with Cassie.

Cassie tries to turn things to her own advantage: she points out that Azazeal seems to have all the help he needs, with Jo around to buy black market steroids and play happy families. He says he'd give Jo up in a moment if that's what Cassie wants. Cassie makes a dramatically nonchalant exit.

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