Truly, the first season of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches on AMC, was quite the bold venture. In large part because the show opted to lean hard into its gothic roots and offer up a slow-burning tale. One that focused heavily on Dr. Rowan Fielding and her life, and the sprawling discovery of how her bloodline tied into the world of the supernatural. All of which is a bit uncommon in this day and age of storytelling, where the push is to grab one’s attention and really wow an audience. Which isn’t a bad thing by any means, since we do enjoy some epic stories from that edict. But one really cannot go wrong with a little old-school gothic horror, and the wonder of season one didn’t end there.
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Because it also updated the story to speak to relevant and timely issues that women face in the modern world. Plus, that slow-burn approach helped to flesh out this incredible world and introduce us to the Talamasca and the lore surrounding the Mayfield family. But above all, it set the stage for a harrowing journey for Rowan. One where she would face great challenges because of the darkness that slowly crept into her life. Of course, we’ve all been waiting patiently to see how she handles such madness, but thankfully, we are now but days from learning what will become of Rowan after being tricked into carrying Lasher, and we here at NTG thought it would be worthwhile to review season two ahead of its Sunday premiere on AMC, in a spoiler-free manner of course.

Mainly because, if you’re reading this, you’re eager to learn more and also because… there’s a lot to celebrate about season two of the show. Such as the fact that its juicy plot offers up a dynamically different second season. For it does pick up shortly after season one with Rowan dealing with the fact, she is now mother to a demon. Which isn’t a spoiler, since we all knew it was coming. But that reality, puts Rowan and so many other characters on a path of discovery. Wherein they must all ponder upon their choices, their past and the reality of the world they live in. Giving rise to a supremely cerebral second season that is quite introspective at times, regarding some heavy concepts that horror is just now diving into. 

Not to mention, with a year of storytelling under their belt, the writers’ room of this series opted to up the ante storytelling wise. Which brings forth a far more intense season that moves at a breathtaking pace. Not to mention, there’s some new characters in the mix this season, named Moira Mayfair and Sam Larkin, played by Alyssa Jirrels and Ben Feldman respectively, who further enrich this story and bring about poignant conflicts that relate to that journey of the discovery. And the end result of all of these elements, is an intense and thoughtful new season of storytelling. One that truly stays with you when an episode ends courtesy of some fascinating commentary on the human condition. But above all, it ups the ante and creates new stakes for these characters to overcome. 

Plus, we would be remiss to not point out, that there’s just some amazing acting to be found this season. Which is saying something, considering that everyone involved sold their characters in a dynamic manner in season one. But again, a second season brings comfort and familiarity that the actors can use to their advantage. In addition to the fact that so many of them commit to giving us their best. Out of a sense of elevated professionalism or a love for the source material and well, the best news of all is that we are but days away from enjoying more of this magnificent show. For season two of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, arrives on January 5th on AMC and AMC+, and we cannot wait for all of you to enjoy one incredible season of storytelling, one that does Anne Rice proud.

Nerds That Geek was able to attend a roundtable interview with cast members, Harry Hamlin (Cortland Mayfair), Tongayi Chirisa (Ciprien Grieve), Alyssa Jirrels (Moira Mayfair), and Ben Feldman (Sam Larkin), wherein they offered the following answers to a question posed by this article’s writer: “What does it mean to be part of such a huge franchise?”

Harry Hamlin: “You know, I'm just going to jump in quickly on that, from the inside out. And I've been in some franchises before. Then some, you know, some shows that were considered big. We don't really know that on the inside, you know, you have that perception of what we're doing. We are just showing up for work every morning and doing the next indicated action. And then you guys form your opinion about whether it's a big franchise or not. So, I'm glad to hear that you think it is a big franchise. That's great.”

Tongayi Chirisa: “I mean, it's actually pretty true. It's like, you know, like the pebble effect, you throw something in the water, it ripples out, but you don't quite understand, or quite know how far reaching it is, you know, until you start to get the feedback. So, I haven't personally heard anything, but I think if anything, is the testament, I think with it being released on Netflix a couple of months ago and being in the Top 10 for what, six to eight weeks, or something like that, I don't know what those numbers translate to, but I think that's a big deal to be top 10 for that long. So hopefully that that will translate to something monumental at some point. We'll know these numbers, but very excited nonetheless.” 

Ben Feldman: “I'll also say for me personally, and, specific to this particular universe. Anne Rice was like my mom's favorite. My mom passed away a couple years ago, but when she was around, she had Anne Rice posters all over her walls and pictures of her going to Anne Rice parties and vampires licking her cleavage and just like wigs, and she read all the books, and my mom considered herself a witch, and she did tarot cards, and she wrote in the witch language. So, for me, of the universes you could be a part of, I think this is such a really interesting and strange and bizarre one to be a part of. And that's how it connects to me. Specifically, it was one of the reasons why I joined, yeah.”
 
Harry Hamlin: “So, you grew up with pictures of witches licking your mother’s cleavage?”
 
Ben Feldman: “The picture in our office. Like, the biggest picture framed was, like, this guy, I think he had, like a leather collar with spikes on it, like it was a real S&M kind of dom situation. And my mom was, it was an Anne Rice party. And my mom had this, like, sequined, super low-cut dress and like a wig on and a witch hat. And he was… he was groping her. So that's… if anybody wants a little window into how I grew up.” (Laughter from all.)
 
Alyssa Jirrels: “I mean, I echo, I think what Harry said, and what everybody said, really. But it's, I wasn't super aware of Anne Rice, but it's a cool thing to sort of watch people come out of the woodworks, who are so passionate about this genre, like people who love the genre, love this genre. So that's very exciting to sort of get to see various friends and family’s obsession with, you know, things like this. And it was exciting to be in New Orleans as well, because they're so proud of Anne Rice, and it's really, it's a blessing to be able to kind of go into a new world in that way.”
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Premiere of ‘Horror’s Greatest’. To revisit the Season One Finale, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say that the Shudder series, Horror’s Greatest, is one of the most unique horror documentaries to hit the airwaves in recent memory. Simply because it is designed to do more than the average horror doc. For it not only offers up suggestions for those who adore the genre and follow it closely, but it also serves as a gateway series for those new to the genre. Who want to learn about its wonder and that has given rise to a magnificent hybrid series that celebrates the genre and educates and thankfully, a new season of this refreshing series has returned to Shudder’s lineup.

For Tuesday saw the season two premiere of the show drop and ‘Animal Attacks’ did not disappoint. For once more, the series took the time to explore a vast overview of this subgenre of films. By of course, offering up a unique history lesson regarding what early animal attack films looked like and what gave rise to their creation. Which as it turns out, relates to the fact that there was a chance to offer early commentary on how we were transforming our world in a shockingly fast manner and that nature might opt to fight back in ways that we could not imagine because of that. An idea that was a little ahead of its time and led to a bevy of animal attack films that really didn’t offer up stunning scares.

But of course, that all changed in 1975, when a movie about a man-eating shark hit theaters. For Jaws figured out how to really tap into our primal fears regarding animal attacks and explored new horizons for scares, and that of course… became the watermark for the subgenre. Wherein every story that followed did its best to tap into that primal fear and thanks to that, we’ve been treated to some stunning animal attack films for decades on end. Some of which are quite camp, such as Piranha and Alligator, while others embrace the fun and the thrill of scares, such as Arachnophobia and Deep Blue Sea. But what matters most, is that these movies now harbor a structure that is impactful and having so many of these movies out there has helped us to understand their popularity and importance to us.

Which is related heavily to the fact… that they remind us of how fragile we are. Because despite being at the top of the food chain and literally being masters of the world, our bodies are not invincible and are easily damaged and we are cognizant of that fact, and that nature can surprise us at any moment, and inflict great harm upon us, physically. Which is scary, but such fears can be explored safely in these stories. Since they let us face our deep-rooted fears of spiders or giant sharks swallowing us whole, head on. Which in turn allows for us to process those long standing fears and worries, and potentially overcome them, and that makes these movies essential viewing and their own unique form of therapy, and that’s why we love them so.

If anything, this was just the perfect way to kick off the new season of the show. Because this is a subgenre of horror that honestly, we don’t pay enough attention to, despite the fact that animal attack movies are a huge part of horror and have been around for far longer than we often recall. So, it was great to see this series spotlight that and have some fine horror minds explore the meaning of these films and share some fine memories about their own encounters with them, and it does leave us eager for more of this show. So, that salty veterans can see what other corners of the genre are overlooked or learn of new films to watch, while the newbies get the chance to explore more of the majesty of the smartest and most dynamic genre out there. Until next time.