‘Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale’ Recap – ‘Episode 3’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Hazel Doupe as Harper Fenn in Episode 103 of ‘Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale’. (Photo Courtesy of AMC Networks.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale’. To revisit the Series Premiere, click here. This article contains discussions regarding sexual assault, which may be triggering to some individuals.
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When we last settled in to discuss the fascinating AMC+/Sundance Now series, Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale, we talked at length about how the series offered up a world unlike anything else we’ve ever seen in the witch subgenre of horror. Because this was a world that was mostly identical to our own, the only difference was that magic was real and witches practiced it regularly in a town known as Sanctuary. And because magic was mostly accepted and part of the world, it was no longer anything special. It was just another skill set that a certain set of individuals harbored. One that only became important to some when it could create a benefit of sorts, and one of course, despised by those who didn’t understand it in the slightest.

Which left all of us wondering, what other unique conflicts and troubles Sarah and her family would face in a world where witchcraft was coveted for selfish needs and looked down upon by those of ignorance, and well, the next episode informed us quickly that great what lie ahead, was great conflict. Simply because Abigail was now hellbent on having magic save the now defunct life of her son, and to get what she wanted from her friend, she put forth a full court press. One where she went to the press and began to leak the story and that created a firestorm in town. One that put Harper in hiding basically and of course, pushed Sarah to find resolution and sadly… that pressure brought about more unfortunate truths.

Because the police were poking about further, the press wanted Harper to talk and were making it hard for her to hide, and she wanted to hide, because there was a dark truth about Daniel that she just wanted to forget. In that, he crossed a lot of lines, and outright assaulted her at one point. And that was why she was so rightfully furious with him and also why she wanted his memory to remain far away. So, she could move on and heal and find new direction in life. Which prompted Sarah to try and make immediate peace with Abigail so that peace could exist, and those wishes could be brought forth. But alas, the truth about Daniel came out and the fury already present in Abigail only grew. For she thought this was an attempt to sully Dan’s name and prevent her wishes from coming true by painting her son the villain, leading to more chaos. 

Which really did explore the kinds of unique problems a witch might encounter, and what Sarah now has on her hands is complex and irritating and difficult to navigate, especially when one considers the fact… that this nonsense is overshadowing a greater threat. After all, Maggie brought in the magic investigator and well, what they found was scary. In that, Sarah wasn’t the only witch in Sanctuary, there was in fact… another. A dark one that wasn’t named Harper Fenn. Because the MI was able to establish that Harper’s hand movements were mere frustration and not some elaborate spell that surprised everyone. But it did mean, a nefarious witch was committed to murder in this town and the horrible drama now brewing between families, will delay the hunt for the evil witch from being the priority. 

A reality that in many ways, reflects our modern world. For all too often we worry about stupid stuff and lose sight of what matters most and/or how to handle growing problems. Giving depth to the fascinating drama on display here and well, in the end, all of this brought about an incredible story. For now, we truly are embroiled in a mystical murder mystery, one that produced more questions than answers here and gave us an equally as fascinating examination of how the power of magic would be abused and well… all this does is compel us to continue the journey. So, we can garner the truth and see if by chance… the people in this town can turn the corner or fall to pieces, as humans are sometimes wont to do when their pain and fury grabs hold. Until next time.

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