I love reading. I love books. I love it when books come to life on TV and in movies, especially if they get it right. One of the books that turned into a TV series that I enjoyed was the adaptation of the series A Discovery of Witches.
The series, as I have mentioned in a previous entry, is adapted from the All Souls series of Deborah Harkness. The first season covered the first book, and recently, they aired the second season, which is based on the second book, Shadow of Night.
While the first season had only eight episodes, the second season had 10. The last season, which will air next year and features the last of the trilogy, will only have seven. A lot of fans are disappointed about that, but I also understand that it takes a lot of money to produce a show like this that is filled with fantasy and special effects so because of that, the episodes must be trimmed, and the content adapted does not cover everything that is in the books.
Taking that into consideration, I felt that they did a good job adapting the second book. There were still a lot of elements that I wish I could have seen, but the essence of the book and the main plot was intact. I felt that they were able to do justice to the journey of the characters back in time to several locations and meeting a whole new set of people while at the same time giving a look into what is happening to the rest of the cast in the present.
While their appearances were not as much as I would have liked, I was happy about seeing Gallowglass and Jack Blackfriars in this second season. Most of the readers who became fans of the books have fallen in love with Gallowglass, so seeing him on screen is a special moment for everyone. I am happy that Steven Cree did the role justice. I cannot wait to see what more he can do for the character in the next season. The same goes with Jack Blackfriars. While the role was recast for the last season because of the storyline, I felt that Joshua Pickering was adorable enough for viewers to want to root for him when the next season comes along.
I loved how they honored and respected the characters from the past. The way that Philippe was presented was full of respect to what this character represented to the entire story. The way the show introduced him and, more importantly, said goodbye to him was very moving. I had tears in my eyes during the episode where the viewers said goodbye to him. It was beautiful.
Another character that was given a similar honor was that of Queen Elizabeth I. I loved how they showed her as a ruler who did not want to die because of how concerned she was about her kingdom when she passed away. The part where Matthew reveals to her how she is remembered hundreds of years into the future is a moving scene, especially to people who are fascinated with the Tudors like I am.
As sad as it was to say goodbye to the stories of the past when the season ended, I am also extremely excited to see what will happen in the third and final season. Two of my favorites from the past, Gallowglass, and Jack, will make their way to the present. I am looking forward to seeing how the show will manage to make their presence felt in the shortened season given how much goes on based on that final book. I hope that Gallowglass’s moment from the books makes its way to the series, and I look forward to seeing one of my favorite actors, Toby Regbo, play Jack this time around.
If you are a fan of fantasy books, the All Souls series is highly recommended. If you like the books, the TV series is a must-see.
Now if only they can make streaming this available to us here in Asia…we used to have this on the Fox app but that disappeared, so I had no other option but to watch it when it aired! I want to rewatch but I can’t purchase it online from Asia either. I someone knows what to do, please leave a comment and help me out!
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