Occultism has always fascinated and captivated human minds. The allure of hidden knowledge, supernatural powers, and esoteric rituals has drawn individuals from all walks of life into the world of the occult. Yet, despite its mystique and its claims to possess secret truths about the nature of reality, there is a glitch that undermines all occult practices. At its core, occultism seeks to tap into unseen forces and unlock hidden potentials. It promises access to extraordinary realms of knowledge and power that lie beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. From divination and astrology to witchcraft and ceremonial magic, occult practices often rely on intricate rituals, symbols, and invocations to bridge the gap between the physical and the spiritual.
So far, this sounds pretty in line with the books. The first book of the Mayfair Witches saga was the 1990’s The Witching Hour. The novel focused on a neurosurgeon named Rowan Mayfair, who discovers she is the latest designee in a family of powerful New Orleans witches. These witches commune and often control a powerful spirit named Lasher.
She can be playful as a vagabond who lives on a boat and lives a free sexual life, but we re also meant to appreciate her integrity, which could be jeopardized by Lasher. But amid that sordid lore, creators Michelle Ashford Masters of Sex and Esta Spalding On Becoming a God in Central Florida make the fatal mistake of prioritizing mythology and mystery over personality and plot.
From divination and astrology to witchcraft and ceremonial magic, occult practices often rely on intricate rituals, symbols, and invocations to bridge the gap between the physical and the spiritual. However, the glitch in all occultism lies in its reliance on subjective interpretation and the danger of self-delusion. The very nature of the occult is rooted in the realm of the mysterious and the unknown.
‘Mayfair Witches’ Review: Alexandra Daddario in AMC’s Exasperating Anne Rice Adaptation
The supernatural drama revolves around a doctor who learns that she descends from a long lineage of magic-wielding women haunted by a malevolent entity (Jack Huston).
Angie Han
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On first impression, AMC’s Mayfair Witches appears as lush as the overgrown yard of the New Orleans bungalow where much of it takes place.
The plot, adapted from Anne Rice‘s novels, centers on a preternaturally gifted surgeon named Rowan (The White Lotus‘ Alexandra Daddario) who discovers she’s heir to a dynasty of women with special powers. As she explores her family tree, each gnarled root seems to branch off into knottier tangles still — ultimately yielding a saga laden with sex, death and magic, spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles.
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Mayfair Witches
The Bottom Line Undermined by its emphasis on lore over character.Airdate: 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8 (AMC)
Cast: Alexandra Daddario, Jack Huston, Tongayi Chirisa, Harry Hamlin
Creators: Esta Spalding, Michelle Ashford
But amid that sordid lore, creators Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex) and Esta Spalding (On Becoming a God in Central Florida) make the fatal mistake of prioritizing mythology and mystery over personality and plot. As a result, while there’s a great deal happening onscreen at every turn — secrets to uncover, murders to solve, dances to be had — we’re offered little reason to get very invested in any of it.
In fairness, some of that murkiness is purposeful. As the season begins, Rowan Fielding has no inkling of her true heritage, let alone the dark legacy attached to it. Once she does make her way to the Mayfairs, she finds a clan who’ve purposely kept their affairs in the shadows. Though they’re superficially welcoming, no member of the family seems to be without ulterior motives — not Cortland (Harry Hamlin) the bon vivant uncle, not uptight Aunt Carlotta (Beth Grant) and probably not her perky cousins Josephine (Jen Richards) and Tessa (Madison Wolfe) either.
Woven into the present-day narrative of Rowan’s hunt for answers are flashbacks to a 17th-century Scottish village, chronicling an earlier generation of Mayfairs whose gift for midwivery attracts dangerous suspicion from religious authorities. And sprinkled throughout the dialogue are allusions to other Mayfairs still, whose biographies seem to bolster the warning imparted to Rowan during her quest: “Things don’t end well for the women in this family.” Such hints, combined with a pretty visual palette of dark jewel tones, are enough to string a viewer along for a while, in hopes of a juicy payoff somewhere down the line.
There’s a point at which an alluring enigma begins to look like frustrating opacity, however, and Mayfair Witches crosses it sometime around halfway through its eight-episode season. As of its fifth hour-long installment (the last one sent to critics), the series is still treading the waters of exposition. It’s forever introducing new characters and concepts without explaining the ones it’s already established, or throwing out new plot twists without settling on any distinctive perspective or tone. The vivid personalities, overheated grandeur and wry humor of last year’s well-received Interview With the Vampire, also based on source material from Rice, are much missed.
Even Rowan remains a puzzle, and not by design. We’re given a handful of details about who she’s meant to be: a doctor who cares earnestly about healing others, a wanderer who lives on a houseboat, an adoptee aching to connect with her birth family. But the narrative renders her almost entirely reactive — an innocent reeling from shock or a pawn to be manipulated by others, rather than a heroine allowed to make choices of her own volition — and Daddario struggles to pull together this jumble of traits into a coherent personality.
Far more memorable, though used much more sparingly, is Lasher, a shapeshifting entity who’s been bound to the family for generations. Jack Huston is well cast as the being’s most common form, a graceful man with a cryptic smile and a smoky voice, and he’s able to conjure sparks with nearly everyone he encounters. He becomes the most potent manifestation of the desire coursing underneath so much of Mayfair Witches‘ story, his powers casting illusions that tap into the truest wants of his victims. Those dreams are often (though not always) romantic in nature, and much of the series’ most evocative scenes are sexual fantasies shot in a fevered haze, as if its participants’ senses have overcome their reason.
But if Mayfair Witches is tapped into its characters’ longing, it’s far less legible about what exactly they want and why. One subplot has commitment-phobe Rowan striking up a romance with Ciprien (Tongayi Chirisa), who’s been assigned by some arcane organization to protect her. Yet both halves of the relationship are so thinly written that it’s unclear whether we’re meant to be rooting for a rare and genuine love, or fretting that they’ve fallen under some kind of otherworldly influence. Oddest of all, there’s little sense of what’s at stake in any of these arcs — not even Lasher’s, though evidently his goals are vile enough that some of the Mayfairs will stoop to unthinkable acts to stop him.
Nowhere is the series’ vagueness more noticeable than in the otherwise intriguing fifth episode, in which Lasher tries his best to appeal to a trapped Rowan. “You want pleasure. Sovereignty. You want to be adored. You want cake,” he practically purrs. Not only is his analysis strangely generic (don’t most people want pleasure, adoration and cake?); it struck me that I had no idea if he was actually right about Rowan. Even after hours spent with her, I couldn’t have told you what she wanted beyond more information about her past.
Early in her journey, Rowan sighs, “I really miss the world making sense” — only for Ciprien to point out that it never did, she simply didn’t realize it didn’t. The moment comes just after Rowan’s started to realize how strange her family history truly is but before she’s begun to grasp what any of it means for her. Presumably, she’ll get a grip on this new “world behind the world” eventually, and find a way to bend it to her own will or be crushed by it in the process.
For those of us existing outside the Mayfair universe, though, the calculation is different. Absent characters worth loving or a plot clear enough to follow, what we’re left with is faint exasperation at a world that, for all its superficial and fleeting charms, seems to make no sense at all.
For those of us existing outside the Mayfair universe, though, the calculation is different. Absent characters worth loving or a plot clear enough to follow, what we’re left with is faint exasperation at a world that, for all its superficial and fleeting charms, seems to make no sense at all.
Its practices often involve symbolic language, complex rituals, and enigmatic teachings. This creates fertile ground for the human mind to fill in the gaps with its own biases, desires, and preconceptions. When individuals delve into occult practices, they bring their own baggage and beliefs. They interpret signs and symbols, read horoscopes, and cast spells through the lens of their own experiences and perspectives. This subjectivity introduces a significant flaw into the quest for hidden truths, as one person's interpretation may differ vastly from another's. Furthermore, the human mind has a remarkable capacity for self-deception. It is predisposed to find patterns, connections, and meanings where none may exist. When engaging in occult practices, there is a risk of mistaking coincidence for causality, attributing outcomes to supernatural interventions rather than natural phenomena. This glitch in occultism can lead individuals astray and prevent them from critically examining their experiences and beliefs. Moreover, the glitch in occultism is exacerbated by the lack of empirical evidence and scientific validation. Occult practices, by their very nature, often operate outside of the realm of scientific inquiry. Claims of supernatural powers, divination, and other occult phenomena are difficult to subject to rigorous testing and verification. This absence of objective scrutiny leaves occult practitioners susceptible to confirmation bias and self-reinforcing beliefs. In conclusion, while occultism holds a seductive appeal and promises access to hidden knowledge and extraordinary powers, its glitch lies in the subjective interpretation, the susceptibility to self-delusion, and the absence of empirical evidence. These inherent flaws make it crucial for individuals engaging in occult practices to approach them with caution, skepticism, and a critical mindset. The occult should be viewed as a lens through which to explore the human psyche and the depths of the unknown, rather than an infallible source of ultimate truths..
Reviews for "The False Promises: Unveiling the Glitch in Occultism's Claims"
1. Sarah - 2/5
"The glitch in all occultism" was a disappointment for me. The plot attempted to blend technology with occultism, but it fell flat. The writing style was clunky and the characters lacked depth. There were many moments where the story felt forced and unrealistic. Overall, it just didn't deliver on the promised intrigue and excitement that occult-themed novels usually offer.
2. Jonathan - 3/5
I had high hopes for "The glitch in all occultism," but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. While the concept had potential, the execution was lacking. The pacing was off, with long stretches of mundane dialogue and little action. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked development. The author seemed to focus more on technical details rather than fleshing out the supernatural elements, which left me feeling detached from the story.
3. Emily - 2/5
"The glitch in all occultism" was a confusing and convoluted read. The storyline jumped around without clear transitions, making it difficult to follow. The author introduced multiple subplots that added unnecessary complexity without adding depth to the main narrative. The protagonist's motivations were unclear, making it hard to empathize with their journey. Overall, the novel felt messy and disjointed, failing to deliver a satisfying conclusion.
4. Michael - 2/5
"The glitch in all occultism" left me underwhelmed. The writing lacked polish and sophistication, often resorting to clichés and predictable plot twists. The author relied on shock value rather than building suspense or creating a sense of anticipation. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, it was a forgettable and unremarkable read, failing to leave a lasting impression.