Fort Salem and why you should see
Freeform’s Homeland: Fort Salem is a completely unique tale about witches, something that has never been seen before on TV. Cast Taylor Hickson, Ashley Nicole Williams, and Jessica Sutton as Raelle, Abigail and Tally, respectively, the pilot episode begins in a country completely different from our own. Full of interesting and very creative lore – from the series’ own spin on witchcraft to the very different image of what the United States looks like – it’s a story that has been terribly underestimated and underestimated since Fatherland premiered in 2018.
Back in the days of Salem’s witch trials, real witches were hunted until a woman stood up to end the violence: Sarah Alder (Lyn Renee). Sarah offered an alternative to the persecution, in which witches would rise up to protect the citizens of the world as members and leaders of the military, the country’s first defense. Thus, the Salem agreement was signed. When they came of age, witches would accept the invitation to join their sisters in the military … or run, stay out of danger, not learn to develop their magic. A few hundred years later, when Homeland: Fort Salem begins, the witches have endured quite a bit as protectors. Women rule the world, from the military to sitting in the oval office. Sarah Alder is still responsible with the help of her “biddies”, whose life force she uses to stay young. People have begun to question the effectiveness of the military as fear constantly creeps in on the witches and the potential of abusing their abilities.
Our beloved trio – Raelle, Abigail and Tally – are some of the new recruits joining the others at Fort Salem to begin their training, and are the unit the show follows. Everyone has such different backgrounds, making their interactions a bit tense for a while as their individual destinies rest in each other’s hands. They must prove their power to answer the crucial question of basic training: are they put in the front line or continue their training at War College? As time goes on, the girls start to become a kind of sisters, and not just out of their witch obligations. They help each other through incredibly difficult times and tragedies and bond in a way that is no ordinary friends. They share the pressure of their experiences and learn that you can not just focus on your own progress. They have all things to prove, especially Abigail as a member of one of the most famous witch families, who reckons she will carry on their historical creation. And as the girls’ training continues, they begin to question what is going on around them, including the effectiveness of the military with the threats they face.
One of the most exciting aspects of Homeland: Fort Salem are the enemies the witches are up against. They are facing a war unlike anything they have ever faced. First and foremost is the Spree, a group of witches who are tired of being used on the battlefield and being exploited by the non-magical people they serve. They are basically terrorists, but how they handle their mission is one that will capture you, especially with the member of Spree who is intertwined with the others during training: Scylla (Amalia Holm Bjelke). Right from the start, she will make you question everything about the world and help you begin to understand why there are witches who are so against everything that Age and the military stand for. Plus, her genuine romantic connection with Raelle adds another layer to the complexity of the situation.
With Homeland: Fort Salem Season 2 brought the introduction of another villainous group against the witches: the Camarilla. Somehow, this group of witch hunters has proven to be an even more threatening force as they have created things that deprive the witches of their powers. (Or, in some cases, use their own powers against them.) Since this group has built itself up in secret after Alder and everyone else assumed they were defeated, their reach is so widespread that the witches face an incredible match in the final season of the series. There is one particular action towards the end of season 2 that will make it real how deadly they can be and what they are willing to give up to succeed in bringing all witches to life. One of the questions that has not yet been answered is whether all witches, whether they agree to be drafted into the military or not, can band together to stop this threat. It’s a very interesting concept that has already begun to bring out a different side of the main characters, testing their determination and flexibility.
In general, the magic of Homeland: Fort Salem is quite unusual. It’s not like other magic seen on TV. There are no straightforward spells. The women use “seeds” that they create with their vocal cords. To put it in the most basic way possible, they sing their magic. Each seed (which is layered music tones) is unique, which causes something different to occur. This gives the show something special to play with, something that no one else has done. What is their magic capable of? How can they perform their magic? The very first scene in the series paints a picture of how special and fascinating this use of magic can be – even in a devastating situation. This makes the battle with their enemies even more challenging because their enemies are able to get taken over much easier than if they were chanting or waving around with magic wands.
All in all, there is something remarkable about it Homeland: Fort Salem. In a TV landscape filled with reboots, revivals and other (mostly) unoriginal ideas, the show does something inventive. The authors have created their own world, even their own version of the United States, and developed such a powerful and deeply fascinating story that could spin out into an entire universe full of stories if given the opportunity. It’s really a shame that the final season will be aired in 2022, as there’s so much more story to tell from all the characters we’ve been following. But it’s definitely worth following to see the end of this journey, which has taken so many twists and turns over just 20 episodes (so far).
The first two seasons of Homeland: Fort Salem streamer on Hulu.
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