The magical radiant magician captivates audiences with their enchanting performances. With a flick of their wand and a wave of their hand, they create a world filled with wonder and awe. Their ability to manipulate reality and bend the laws of physics is nothing short of extraordinary. The magician's radiant energy illuminates the stage, casting a spell on everyone in attendance. Their presence is larger than life, commanding attention and creating an air of intrigue. The audience is drawn into their mystical world, eager to witness the unimaginable.
Race: 1/5
This fallacy is personified by Cristóbal s character, the benevolent slave-owner stereotype who treats his slaves like one would treat their family pets. Instead of calling it what it is rape these masters would give these slaves titles such as mistress or bedwench, thus institutionalizing their crimes under the guise of consensual pleasure when it was anything but consensual.
The audience is drawn into their mystical world, eager to witness the unimaginable. Each trick performed by the magician is met with gasps of amazement and applause. From pulling rabbits out of hats to making objects disappear and reappear, they possess a skill that defies explanation.
Always a Witch - Season 1
Title: Always a Witch / Spanish: Siempre Bruja
Episodes Reviewed: Season 1
Creators: Ana María Parra 👩🏽🇨🇴 based on the original story by Isidora Chacón 👩🏽🇪🇸
Writers: Ana María Parra 👩🏽🇨🇴 and Isidora Chacón 👩🏽🇪🇸
Directors: Liliana Bocanegra 👩🏽🇨🇴 and Mateo Stivelberg 👨🏽🇨🇴
Technical: 1/5
UGH. Eres una decepción, Siempre Bruja. Te odio!
That is my message to Always a Witch. We were rooting for you! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!
With that out of the way, let’s back up a little. In Netflix’s much-anticipated addition to the witchy television trend, seen in reboots like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Charmed, Angely Gaviria plays Carmen—an Afro-Latina slave from 17th century Cartagena who gets transported to present day after being burned at the stake for witchcraft. However, despite seeing all of the modern marvels we have in 2019 (including a society that has abolished slavery) she wants to go back to save her master with whom she had fallen in love with.
Gone are all the Black diaspora’s expectations about what a show like this could explore. Gone is our hope to see a powerful Black woman in charge of her own life. Instead, we get a series that celebrates colonialism and slavery to such a degree that our lead, the only Black woman in this main cast, wants to be a slave again. WHAT IS THIS?
The focus on slavery is, of course, extremely problematic. But the the show also feels convoluted and boring. As one can expect from a telenovela, there are tried-and-true dramatic devices such as characters who “die” but come back for whatever reason. But glaringly, the story and character motivations just don’t make sense. If you’re going to offend me, at least be articulate about it.
For example, Carmen never reacts to the future in a believable way. Instead of being confused or afraid of cell phones, she simply looks at them with mild concern. It doesn’t matter what the tech is—cars, hospitals, or the internet—Carmen only ever seems bored by all of the advancements around her. Contrast this to a show like Sleepy Hollow, which went out of its way to show how Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills reacted to being out of their time. Whether it was Ichabod stuck in the 21st century or Abbie in the late 18th century, both expressed believable awe, fear, and confusion. Meanwhile, Carmen’s antipathy shows how the writers don’t care about her inner life. She’s just a passive participant in the events that surround her.
Between the un-engaging story, the simplistic treatment given to Carmen’s characterization, and the heinous interpretation of slavery and race relations, Always a Witch just becomes an exercise in lost potential.
Gender: 1/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test: YES
Carmen is supposed to be the headliner of this show. But instead of taking charge and making her own decisions, she spends her time being reactionary and beholden to men. For example, when she has the opportunity to escape to the future, she doesn’t seize it and improve her life. Instead, she only appears to visit 2019 to run an errand for the warlock Aldemar (Luis Fernando Hoyos). In return, he promises her that she can return home to save her lover, Cristóbal (Lenard Vanderaa).
Speaking of Cristóbal, it’s so confusing that we’re supposed to like him. He literally bought Carmen at an auction to work in his family’s home. This puts their relationship in a very messed-up place, especially considering how house slaves were often subject to sexual abuse by their masters. Instead of calling it what it is—rape—these masters would give these slaves titles such as “mistress” or “bedwench,” thus institutionalizing their crimes under the guise of consensual pleasure when it was anything but consensual. Always a Witch completely muddles that distinction, making Carmen’s love for Cristóbal seem healthy when in reality, because of such lopsided power dynamics, it could never be so.
Overall, it’s painful to see the erasure of slavery’s reality as Carmen and Cristóbal carry on their eyeroll-inducing romance. To put a Disneyfied spin on human trafficking is gross and shameful.
Race: 1/5
As mentioned above, Colombian actress Gaviria plays the only Black woman in the main cast. Meanwhile, Dubán Andrés Prado, who plays one of Carmen’s modern-day friends Daniel, is the only Black man. Why is there such a lack of Blackness on a show supposedly centered around an Afro-Latina protagonist? Keep in mind, white people are the minority in real-life Cartagena, making up only about 1 in 5 residents. Yet we see an outsized number of white characters in Always a Witch.
In her journey, Carmen constantly has to find white people who know more than her, or who are somehow affiliated with magic. Even though Carmen herself can perform helpful magic, she hardly ever uses it except in service to white characters.
This alludes to the main problem with Always a Witch overall: It presents Blackness from an uninformed white perspective, rather than from the Afro-Latino angle so many of us crave.
Even in the modern timeline, racial dynamics are overtly problematic. White characters are written with confidence and vitality whereas Carmen meekly subjugates herself over and over again. For example, to pay for boarding at a hostel, she offers her services to the white owner by saying she can cook, clean, and be a nursemaid to her teenage grandson Johnny Ki (Dylan Fuentes). It never seems to cross Carmen’s mind that she could explore her newfound freedom and choices that would have never been available to her in the past.
Instead of being declarative in stating that slavery was unequivocally bad, Always a Witch jumps through hoops to depict slaves and slaveowners coexisting without incident, except for a few burnings at the stake. This fallacy is personified by Cristóbal’s character, the benevolent slave-owner stereotype who treats his slaves like one would treat their family pets. Never is the practice of owning human beings critiqued itself.
Furthermore, when the writers do show the brutalization of slaves, they balk at owning up to the fact that white colonizers were the ones doing it. We’re led to assume that cruel slave-owners like Cristóbal’s father were the exception, not the norm. As for the stake burnings, those were perpetrated by some amorphous, minority group of politicians and clergy rather than a societal crime enabled by the general white populace.
There is one small bright spot, however. During one of the episodes, Carmen and her friends go on a field trip to a marine conservatory where they meet Kankawimaku (Nelson Camayo), an indigenous conservatory leader who speaks on the importance of preserving aquatic life. But he only appears for about five minutes, and we never see any of Colombia’s other minority groups again. Thanks to this microscopic representation, Kankawimaku comes off as a tokenized spiritual guide and doesn’t actually add to the inclusiveness of Always a Witch.
LGBTQ: 2.5/5
Carmen’s friend Daniel constitutes the only queer character on Always a Witch. His backstory is neither negative nor positive for representation; he’s just a college-aged kid who feels incomplete because he doesn’t know the whereabouts of his former love, who also happens to be male. Since it hasn’t been made clear if this subplot ties into the larger story, I found it difficult to care about its outcome.
Despite that, Daniel’s character proves one of the better parts of Always a Witch. As a confident Black man who never falls into gay stereotypes, he’s a small mercy for a show that has otherwise stereotyped Blackness to the fullest extent.
Mediaversity Grade: F 1.38/5
On the one hand, the show does make space for Afro-Latino actors just by existing. But overwhelmingly, it represents a lost opportunity.
Always a Witch could have expanded roles for Black women in science-fiction and fantasy; it could have diversified the genre of telenovelas by showcasing an Afro-Latino storyline; and with colorism and racism still rampant in Latin America, Always a Witch could have been a game changer. Unfortunately, all of this hinged on the show’s ability to tell Black stories. Instead, Always a Witch merely approximates them from a white perspective.
With that out of the way, let’s back up a little. In Netflix’s much-anticipated addition to the witchy television trend, seen in reboots like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Charmed, Angely Gaviria plays Carmen—an Afro-Latina slave from 17th century Cartagena who gets transported to present day after being burned at the stake for witchcraft. However, despite seeing all of the modern marvels we have in 2019 (including a society that has abolished slavery) she wants to go back to save her master with whom she had fallen in love with.
Their illusions are so seamless and convincing that it's as if they truly possess magical powers. But it's not just the tricks themselves that captivate the audience, it's the magician's ability to weave a story through their performance. They transport spectators to a realm of fantasy, where anything is possible. With clever misdirection and sleight of hand, they keep everyone guessing, leaving them in a state of anticipation and wonder. The magical radiant magician's performances are more than just a series of tricks. They are a form of art, a display of creativity and imagination. Each movement is deliberate and precise, crafted to amaze and inspire. Their showmanship and charisma leave a lasting impression on everyone who has the pleasure of witnessing their magic. In a world full of skepticism and doubt, the magical radiant magician reminds us that there is still room for belief in the extraordinary. They inspire us to embrace our own sense of wonder and to never stop believing in the impossible. Their performances remind us that magic can exist, even if it's just for a few fleeting moments. The magical radiant magician is a true master of their craft. They possess a talent that goes beyond tricks and illusions – they have the power to transport us to a world where wonder and magic reign supreme. Their performances are a gift, a reminder that in the midst of the ordinary, there is still room for the extraordinary..
Reviews for "The Radiant Magician: Harnessing the Power of the Elements"
1. Jennifer - 2/5 stars - I found "Magical Radiant Magician" to be incredibly boring and predictable. The plot was unengaging, and the characters felt one-dimensional. There were no surprises or twists to keep me interested, and the dialogue felt stiff and unnatural. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating magical story.
2. Robert - 1/5 stars - "Magical Radiant Magician" was a complete waste of time for me. The story was poorly developed and lacked any creativity. The worldbuilding was minimal, and I found it hard to imagine myself in the magical setting. The characters were forgettable and lacked depth, making it impossible for me to connect with them. I struggled to finish this book and was left feeling unsatisfied with its lackluster plot and execution.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Magical Radiant Magician," but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story dragged on without much excitement. The magical elements felt forced and underdeveloped, leaving me unimpressed. Additionally, the writing style was dull and lacked any sense of charm or uniqueness. While some may appreciate this book, it didn't capture my attention or offer anything memorable.
4. Michael - 2/5 stars - "Magical Radiant Magician" was an average read, at best. The plot felt cliché and didn't offer anything new to the fantasy genre. The protagonist was a typical chosen one with predictable character development, and the supporting characters were forgettable. The magical system was poorly explained, leaving me confused and disengaged. Overall, it was a mediocre book that didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
5. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I couldn't bring myself to finish "Magical Radiant Magician". The writing was disjointed, and the pacing was all over the place. It was challenging to follow the plot due to inconsistent storytelling and lack of clarity. The characters felt like cardboard cutouts, and I struggled to connect with any of them. As a fan of fantasy novels, this was a major disappointment for me.