I was so nervous going into last night’s episode after the crazy stunt Mercy pulled last week. Now, because of her, Tituba has been accused of witchcraft and sits in Increase Mathers’ newly erected “House of Pain.” Naturally, Mary is totally beside herself because this is her woman, or, um-mistress (which doesn’t really mean mistress like it means today, it just means they are bosom buddies and Mary will stop at nothing to get her back.) Unfortunately, Increase is a sick man who spends his time self-torturing and speaking to the spirits. Mary must know that he doesn’t trust her and the idea that she could very well be a witch, too. He’s clearly testing her, and allowing this game where she simply loses everyone she loves. I’m glad to see the Magistrate out and about again, because there’s really only room for one silver haired fox in this town, and it ain’t Increase.
Speaking of the Magistrate, what kind of trouble is his daughter Anne getting into now? The every curious Anne begins to hold up her father’s mask to her face and sees visions of the woods. Suddenly, she can’t get the mask off her face and she’s literally transplanted into the woods, lost, scared, hearing things, and convinced if she just pinches herself she’ll wake up from her dream. But this is most definitely real, Anne.
I’m actually scared for Tituba, but can’t she work her magic and make Increase stop? Won’t Mary do something to help her? Cotton is completely disheveled and maddened over his father’s new role in town. We should probably go ahead and change his name to Inflictor Mather, instead of Increase. Though, he is certainly increasing the level of insanity and mistreated power in Salem. At least the witches have actual powers, as they cast their spells and manifest their visions. All Increase is doing is relying on a shop of tools and devices to do his dirty work for him. Now, Anne is lost in the scary woods and the Magistrate has been left with no choice but to burn the mask and hope that she finds her way back -which her mom, Mrs. Hale, is pretty bummed out over. Though I doubt she’s as bummed as Anne is, who just had a great scare when she saw painted men in the woods creeping up behind her. She most definitely peed her pants, because I know I almost did, and I wasn’t even there.
As if we should expect anything less, the very noble and mysterious Captain John Alden is busy doing what he does best these days, chopping wood – shirtless. The Magistrate asks him if he can go into the woods to try to find Anne. John Alden is about to come to Anne Hale’s rescue? Now, the girl is really going to have to change her knickers.
But she isn’t the only one lost in the woods. Cotton, filled up on too much booze per usual, is rambling to himself/the Devil. He’s trying to go Virginia Woolf on this situation with his father by taking his own life in the river, but to no such luck. He just can’t bear to die, not yet. He sees a butterfly emerging from a skull tied to a tree and suddenly has a new sense of purpose. He ends up barefoot in the tree and the Magistrate and John Alden find him there.
Meanwhile, Tituba tries telling Increase about her tribe and her past and Satan speaking to her after she had to witness her mother and sisters being tortured by white ghostly Englishmen. Of course, it would be shocking to imagine Increase has any sympathy for Tituba because he just raped her with that “choke” device-a janky looking rusted object that is inserted into her “dark caverns” and opens up, until she opens up about being a witch. I would hate to think this was ever used, even in an old school OB/GYN scenario. It’s seriously fucked up. Someone please put a stop to this crazy man.
But then she says something perfect-something that sums up the repression of women in history, the accusations of witch craft, the torture and death of misunderstood creatures, and for a moment, it almost looks like Increase can’t deny this truth:
Tituba: Don’t you see? There are no witches. Only poor people like me. Hunted and harried, tortured and murdered. And for no reason other than they are not you.
She’s somehow hit a nerve with Increase, who gently kisses her forehead, and so he hits a nerve with her-he mentions that this person who she loves and won’t name doesn’t love her back in the same way. Tituba can lie there and die and say she won’t betray this person, but this person (ahem-Mary!) would totally betray Tituba to save herself if she were in the same position. We all know it. She whispers something in Increase’s ear when he asks one final time: Who is the head of the witches? But what did she whisper, you guys?
In the woods, Captain John Alden and the Magistrate find Anne, rain-soaked and totally spooked. By the time they make their way back into Salem, they are greeted by a bunch of torch-carrying townspeople. Uh oh, what now? What they don’t know is that Increase paid a visit to Mary Sibly, to inform her that Tituba confessed to everything. She named Captain John Alden as the head witch! As if John Alden could conjure anything deeper than a good wood chop. Mary just sits there looking confused and horrified (like always), her eyes filling with tears that don’t spill out. Is it just me, or is it obvious that Increase knows the head witch is really Mary, even though John Alden has been implicated? He flashes her his best smirk as they walk outside to witness John Alden’s arrest.
The Salem bell rings out into the night as John Alden awaits his trial in jail, and a beaten and tortured Tituba smiles in the dark, knowing she saved herself, spared Mary, and put up the man Mary loves, because it’s just like Increase said: love is unequal, and betrayal is inevitable. Tituba loves Mary, but she knows she will never have her love in the way she wants it, so why not take down the man who holds all of Mary’s attention? Increase is perfectly OK with this plan.
So, what happened to Mercy? Did Mary crush her and kill her for good? Will John Alden get out of this debacle? When is Cotton going to step up to the plate? (That question becomes redundant the more I ask it.) What Will Mary do now that Mercy and Tituba have betrayed her? Will she recognize that she’s been saved twice, if not more now? How many chances does one get before karma gets the best of them? Mary’s time is wearing thin, and she’s lucky her cover hasn’t been blown yet. One thing’s for sure: You name a person in Salem, and the rest of the town so easily believes that person must be a witch. What simple times!
Tune in next week for a fresh episode of Salem, and to find out the fate of Captain John Alden. Keep up to date with me on Twitter @the_hoff.
