Aahana Swrup
In season 2 of the AMC show ‘Mayfair Witches’ Lasher’s rebirth as a human continues to have drastic effects on the titular family. After the menacing spirit-turned-oblivious-man manages to slip away from Rowan’s fingers in the last episode, she decides to plan a trap for him. As such, Cortland—the patent creepy Mayfair patriarch—finally finds a release from his rocky prison and agrees to do the witch’s bidding. Thus, the two embark on the mission to gather their family—including every distant cousin—under the same roof. Meanwhile, one of the more vengeful cousins, Moira, agrees to partner up with Sip and the Talamasca in light of her mother’s brutal death. Amidst these changing winds, Lasher remains out on the town, wreaking havoc, intentional or otherwise. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Lasher Crosses Paths With an Intriguing Personality
The episode opens with an update on Lasher, who is roaming around in the aftermath of Alicia’s death. Despite causing the deaths of three distinct Mayfair women in the same way, the man remains perplexed at the events, unable to understand his own compulsion toward preying on the family of witches. Fortunately for him, he ends up encountering someone who knows such a dilemma better than anyone else: a vampire. These creatures of the night haven’t been a staple in the witchy universe yet. As such, Lasher’s new acquaintance is actually a reference to ‘Interview with the Vampire,’ another popular Anne Rice franchise.
Although the vampire remains unidentified in his brief interaction with Lasher, fans of the other show may recognize him as Felix. Lasher is perpetually confused about his identity to the point where he entertains the idea that he might have been a priest in a previous life. Nonetheless, the vampire sniffs out the heavy human guilt laced across his conscience and advises him against holding on to such an emotion. He can tell Lasher is something beyond human. Therefore, he urges him to give in to his instincts—much like how the vampire gives in to his—to find his true identity. Thus, with this newfound guidance, Lasher now seems to be prepared to play by his own rules.
Rowan and Cortland Throw a Party
While Lasher remains at large, Rowan continues working toward her master plan of gathering all the Mayfairs at her house. In order to do this, she utilizes Cortland’s help, whose influence works as an effective incentive. Yet, he needs something to sweeten the pot and lies to the family that they will get a chance to meet Lasher at the event. Rowan—who had been hoping to lure everyone out with the simple promise of a group protection spell—isn’t thrilled about the idea. Lasher is like a god to the Mayfairs, as they have been waiting for his coming for decades.
Therefore, Rowan is concerned about sharing the truth about Lasher’s hand in the recent family deaths. Moreover, Cortland warns him against revealing the truth about her son, convinced that it would only make the others turn on her. Thus, things remain tense when the guests begin rolling in for the party—which has a secret real motive behind it. As Rowan tells Dolly Jean, she isn’t actually planning on casting any legitimate spell. Lasher is attracted to the Mayfair scent, which is how he has found himself killing three of the family witches in a row.
Consequently, Rowan is planning on using this against Lasher by creating an enticing trap for him to stumble into. If all the Mayfairs were at her house, the latter would have no choice but to return home. From there, the mother plans on putting a stop to him once and for all. Yet, whether she will do this by simply trapping him in a thrall—an eternal daydream—or by killing him remains yet to be seen. Nevertheless, none of this is possible until she has her perfect trap in place. For the same reason, the final missing piece—Evelyen, Dolly Jean’s sister—remains crucial to the plan’s success.
Lasher Starts a Bar Fight
Even though a few other Mayfairs are running late to Rowan’s party, it seems that Evelyn is definitely going to be a no-show. Throughout the night, she ignores multiple texts and calls from her sister and continues working her shift at her bar. Consequently, since one Mayfair remains out of Rowan’s trap, she becomes the next prey for Lasher, who eventually ends up on the other side of Evelyn’s bar. After a few rounds of milk—his preferred drink of choice—Lasher tries to make a move on the bartender.
However, unlike the other witches of her family, who seem to have a weakness for his charms, Evelyn holds no interest in Lasher. Nonetheless, he refuses to take a hint and lingers around until the last call. Once alone with her, he tries to attack her, apparently taking his vampire friend’s advice to heart and giving in to his instincts. Fortunately, Evelyn and her son, David, are able to fight him off. As such, he has no choice but to stumble out of her bar with a few stab wounds and make his back home to Rowan and her trap.
Rowan’s Party Ends in a Disaster
At the party, Rowan grows more antsy about Evelyn’s absence. Therefore, once she inquires, Dolly Jean finally tells her that her sister would never show up to a party that Cortland would be at. As it turns out, the two have some mysterious history together that will likely add to Cortland’s list of crimes. Once Rowan discovers the same, she realizes the man intentionally kept the information from her, putting Evelyn at risk. Consequently, she locks him in a room—coincidentally, his father’s bedroom—and decides to shed all of his advice.
Back in the parlor, Rowan discloses the truth that Lasher isn’t here. When Moira tries to cause a ruckus by calling her out on her lies, she takes the young woman into another room for a conversation and reveals her true plan. Still, Moira remains skeptical about her ability to kill Lasher since he’s the reason behind her superior powers. Even so, Rowan asks for her confidence before returning to the family, revealing the connection between her son and the recent Mayfair killings.
Meanwhile, Moira—who has zero confidence in Rowan—sneaks away to share her recent finding with Sip, deciding to help him carry out his plan instead. At the house, the Mayfairs are shocked by the revelation, but none as gravely as young Daphne, who feels lied to about her mother’s death. As a result, she tries to run away. However, when Rowan tries to stop her with Jojo’s help, she only ends up accidentally trapping both other witches in a thrall. This will likely have greater repercussions in future episodes, but it takes a backseat now as Lasher arrives outside the house.
Rowan rushes to enact her plan but finds herself stumbling in the face of her son’s hurt. Yet, whether or not she could have killed Lasher remains unknown since Sip chooses the same moment to fire his blow of purple dust at the man. Rowan shields Lasher from the attack and ends up passing out under the smoke’s effect. This opens up the opportunity for the Talamasca to take Lasher away for better or for worse. Considering the secrecy around the agency, which continues to keep things about Lasher’s fate with Sip, the man likely has a rocky future ahead.
Read More: Mayfair Witches Season 2 Episode 2 Recap: Ten of Swords
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