A Discovery of Witches

2018
4.7
190 reviews
TV-MA
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (9)

1 Episode 1
9/14/18
In Oxford's Bodleian library, brilliant American historian and reluctant witch, Diana Bishop, unwittingly calls up an ancient magical manuscript - Ashmole 782 - which has been missing for centuries. Diana finds herself confronted by acclaimed geneticist and vampire, Matthew Clairmont, who is determined to get his hands on the book. Diana's determination to not be frightened by Matthew as he struggles to control his predatory instincts fuels a dangerous connection between the two of them. And, when news of the book's appearance spreads throughout the world of daemons, vampires and witches hiding in plain sight amongst humans, the hunt for the witch who summoned it takes on a deadly intensity.
2 Episode 2
9/21/18
Blind to the interest she has stirred amongst creatures, Diana fights an increasing pull towards the magical and turns her back on her witch heritage. But, matters take an unexpectedly dark turn when Satu is sent by Peter Knox to intimidate her. In Venice, the beautiful but murderous, Juliette, has her fatal obsession with Matthew Clairmont re-awoken. And just as Diana decides to trust Matthew with a secret only she knows about the book, he flees in a desperate bid to protect her from his cravings. But, in doing so, he leaves Diana exposed to all of her enemies.
3 Episode 3
9/28/18
Domenico takes information he's extracted from Satu to menacing vampire, Gerbert, who gains the advantage he has been waiting for. After sending Juliette into the world to do his bidding, Gerbert consults with Meridiana, the witch whom he keeps in thrall, but what does the prophecy she delivers mean? In Oxford, Diana refuses to help Knox realise his supremacist longing to destroy the vampires and answers his threats with such a violent force of untamed elemental power, that it sets in motion a wider chain of events that bring her closer to Matthew but place her in even greater jeopardy.
4 Episode 4
10/5/18
Matthew's hope of keeping Diana safe at Sept-Tours appears short-lived as Ysabeau refuses to welcome the warmblood under her roof. Knox calls an emergency meeting of the Congregation to denounce Matthew for abducting a witch, but Matthew's ferocious older brother, Baldwin, plays a careful game to maintain control in the face of Gerbert foretelling the end of the de Clermonts – and throws Diana to the lions. But, Diana isn't the only witch facing persecution. Satu pays a shocking price for her curiosity when Knox discovers she has been searching through the witches' archives and learned his guilty secret. Meanwhile, things turn nasty in Oxford for Marcus and Miriam as Juliette attacks.
5 Episode 5
10/12/18
Gillian pays a heavy price for her disloyalty to Diana, but not before news that vampires are studying witch DNA reaches Knox. The fall-out threatens the fragile equilibrium between creatures, putting the focus on ending Matthew and Diana's relationship - whatever the cost. Agatha treads a careful line of democracy at the Congregation, but Nathaniel continues to instigate daemon direct-action. Ysabeau relies on shock tactics to expel Diana until Matthew returns with breath-taking news about Diana's DNA. Diana and Matthew are finally united in love, only for the unexpected to happen.
6 Episode 6
10/19/18
Satu brutally tortures Diana in Gerbert's isolated castle ruins. Matthew, now sworn to hunt down and kill anyone who tries to harm Diana, attempts a daring airborne rescue mission with Baldwin in tow, but they are too late to prevent Satu invoking dark magic in a bid to open up Diana and see the magic inside her. As Diana is forced to confront the idea that she might have been spellbound, she wonders what kind of monster she is. When Sophie confesses that she is a daemon born of witches, this news of cross-species offspring leaves Agatha reeling as she ponders the implications for all their lives.
7 Episode 7
10/26/18
After confronting her aunts, Diana learns the tragic circumstances surrounding why she was spellbound as a child. Diana's devastation at having lived her life as only half herself is interrupted by the Madison house releasing one of the missing pages from Ashmole 782, sent forward in time by Diana's father Stephen, a time-walker. As their love grows, Matthew confesses to Diana that he wasn't able to keep his two previous loves safe. Diana believes he won't hurt her.... But an unexpected encounter threatens to tear them apart once again.
8 Episode 8
11/2/18
Matthew's attempt to rescue Diana from Juliette goes horribly wrong and Diana finally discovers just how lethal her magical powers can be. As Matthew lies dying, Diana must strike a dreadful bargain with the goddess and make the ultimate sacrificial pact with enduring consequences. A failed coup at the Congregation sees its most powerful and terrifying members go rogue as they close in fast on Madison, where a group of daemons, vampires and witches are now residing together. Baldwin tries to alert Matthew that time is up, but he can't reach him. It's a deadly race against time for Diana to take flight with Matthew before their pursuers arrive.
101 Season 1 Preview
3/18/19
Season-only
The magical world created by author Deborah Harkness comes to life on Sundance Now. While studying at Oxford, Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer, "Hacksaw Ridge"), an untrained witch and historian, discovers the tome desired by all three magical species: witches, vampires, and daemons. She knows she must solve its mysteries and is offered help to do so from a vampire named Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode, "The Crown," "Downton Abbey"). Diana must decide if a witch can truly trust a vampire.

About this show

Brilliant historian Diana Bishop is a witch denying her own heritage. But when she unexpectedly calls up an ancient, bewitched manuscript from Oxford's Bodleian library, one that was thought by the creatures to be lost and could answer the mysteries of their existence, she finds herself thrown into the heart of a dangerous mystery – and into the path of the enigmatic geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont. Matthew is driven to solve the looming threat of the creatures' decline and extinction, but their unlikely alliance to find the book before it falls into the wrong hands – and their deepening relationship – threatens to violate age-old taboos and shake the fragile peace that exists between the species.

Ratings and reviews

4.7
190 reviews
Robyn Iverson
January 22, 2021
I really liked the books & the series followed them pretty closely. So far, I haven't noticed a whole lot of anything added to the plot. It's almost exactly how I pictured everything. The actress that portrays Diana was hard for me to get use to because she's been in so many other movies. I prefer actors & actresses I haven't really seen a whole lot to be in book adaptations.
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Alisa Schutz
December 2, 2020
Absolutely love this series, and very excited for it to continue. You do not need to read the books to enjoy each episode fully. I have never read them (though I definitely will), but I am on my third re-watch of this show. I have *never* re-watched anything just days apart before this, and I still have not gotten tired of it. Absolutely phenomenal filmmaking and worth the watch (and re-watch). I understand tv adaptations of books are never the same and there are likely large differences, but it is a pleasure to be living in the world created by Deborah Harkness nonetheless.
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Recreation Specialists
June 6, 2019
the books were and are award winning and the tv series is very close or "faithful" as they say but I watch because the the actors cast for this production are spellboundingly good. Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode are not just delicious eye candy, they are mesmerizing to watch together. There are otherwise huge stars littered up and down the cast line even in small roles. This series, just like the books, is magical.
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