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Motherland: Fort Salem (Hulu)

  • 21-05-2020 11:12pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭


    Seems I missed this on my radar completely! :)

    Alt-History Series about Women Witches in the US Army.
    Some war stuff happened in the past and now Witches are the big deal for combat.
    Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherland:_Fort_Salem

    Saw a trailer for it, looked like they put in the effort so giving it a shot.

    Current ratings:
    Looks like the audience who wanted to watch it, liked it with 97% from them on RT:
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/motherland_fort_salem/s01
    Checking imdb more details on who might like it most:
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9900092/ratings
    So probably worthwhile giving the heads-up that this show (episode 1 anyway) is mostly women in case that's an issue for you.

    Trailer:




    First reaction.. StarWitch Troopers meets Full Metal Jacket.

    1: Surprising start and surprising finish.
    I wasn't expecting them to have a surprise that strong so quick with Scylla being the Spree woman
    .

    Feels like they're keeping the show gritty. I wonder if they've been given the budget to keep it going to the end.


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,841 ✭✭✭Sudden Valley


    It was very strange show with quite good production values. Its like teen dram show with a nationalistic/militistic view point. It got renewed so someone must have watched it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 60,182 ✭✭✭✭Agent Coulson


    Watched the first episode very dark mass terrorism by suicide and quiet sexual for PG Disney Freeform which is aimed at teens in the majority.


    Interesting premises with doggy cgi and green screen the dark story line is enough to watch episode 2.


    Will Ferrell & Adam McKay produce it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,864 ✭✭✭EoinMcLovin


    Finished up this week and has also been renewed for a second season. Its watchable but the decisions of some of the characters is questionable at times


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,841 ✭✭✭Sudden Valley


    I think they built an interesting world but the international aspect of witches from different countries battling each other was never adequately explained. and to introducing a fresh bad guy in the last few epsiodes was just baffling.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    2: Developing the story well. That thing with the voices as powers is really done well. Spooky! :)

    Looks like a decent budget has been put into the show and
    there'll be a big showdown before the end of the season .. maybe because of this ambush that happened.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    3: Background and world building.. which is good for me considering how new the show feels.
    Alder must be ancient!


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    4: Ridin! Ridin Everywhere! :)

    So this episode felt more of a build up the unit and the squad. Looks like it worked.
    Then also the reveal that there's more Spree in Fort Salem itself.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    5: Damn! :eek: That went
    from such a soft start and then just escalating right up to the end! I wouldn't be surprised if Scylla has actually been captured and is about to be interrogated though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    6:
    I knew she was alive and captured! Guessing this is gonna be a turning point in the full story somehow.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,864 ✭✭✭EoinMcLovin


    Slydice wrote: »
    6:
    I knew she was alive and captured! Guessing this is gonna be a turning point in the full story somehow.

    Just wait and see. The next 3 episodes are great with the finale being a bit hit or miss in some parts.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    7: Things definitely feel like they are turning. The helicopter drop at the end looked cool.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    8: Well.
    I hadn't realised I'd grown attached to having Swythe in the show until she was lost.

    Also noticed on the board as it whisked by that this world only had a first world war, not a second.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    9: Showtime!
    Things have got to be about to kick off. Guessing this is a civil war or their second world war or something. It could just wrap up neatly too.. maybe.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    Finished! Overall a solid show in an Alternative History Universe where witches are a core part of the U.S. Army. Probably could give Season 1 a subtitle of Graduation or Boot Camp or something.

    Was cool to see Amanda Tapping direct an episode.

    Definitely would like to see more. The viewership numbers look like they were holding steady or improving towards the end:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherland:_Fort_Salem#Reception


    10: Ooooooooooohhhh! Well. That explains that! Real edge of the seat stuff
    there at the end with what happened to Tally first and then Raelle and Abigail. Looks like three big story arcs for the future including The Camarilla, the Spree and whatever that black stuff was. Maybe a hint right at the end about how Raelles mother was cooking Mushrooms and the black stuff maybe being a fungus.


  • Registered Users Posts: 84,319 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    Fort Salem (also known as Motherland: Fort Salem) will receive its UK premiere on BBC Three on Sunday July 26th at 6am, when all ten episodes will be available to stream


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,748 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    JP Liz V1 wrote: »
    Fort Salem (also known as Motherland: Fort Salem) will receive its UK premiere on BBC Three on Sunday July 26th at 6am, when all ten episodes will be available to stream
    I have watched ep1....hard to beat that opening! But it's fun all the same


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,748 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    Tone was a bit all over the shop really but it was a hugely enjoyable series with some really fun ideas, and improved as it went along, some great twists and turns I especially enjoyed the last couple of episodes.
    Season 2 inevitable I would say.


  • Registered Users Posts: 60,182 ✭✭✭✭Agent Coulson


    Season 2 will start in the summer Freeform announced today.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,864 ✭✭✭EoinMcLovin


    Season 2 starts on June 22nd



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,864 ✭✭✭EoinMcLovin




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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    2.1: Amanda Tapping directing the first episode back! :) She sure knows how to create a mood.
    The episode has a recap at the start but I think there might be bits/feels I'm still forgetting.

    It did feel like a bit of a catch-up episode.
    The 3 reuniting like that with minimal effects from the fallout of the season 1 finale felt a bit odd. Will see where they go with it. The relationship between the Carmarilla and the Spree this season look it'll be getting attention. Could be some sort of fight there or the Spree getting complicated or something.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,181 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    Just watching the first episode of season 2 and I cannot remember hardly anything from season 1 bar the basic premise
    Weird as the other series Salem had a nice coherent story line to follow - will give it a few more episodes maybe but my brain seems to be telling me to skip this show


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    2.2: That was done really well
    showing how Raelle was the one with the powers and it was from touching the mycelium. Also felt like they were levelling up Tallys powers a bit. I get the feeling the woman removed from the photo might be one of the first spree and that the non-canon power thing is going to be the origin of the spree.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,841 ✭✭✭Sudden Valley


    I feel like the writers have dropped some of the storylines from season 1. The girls were suspicious of the commander, for example, for what she did to the president, but that seems to have disappeared. Also Scylla seemed way more scared of the Spree leadership but now they having wine and being buddies. That definitely makes Scylla more complicit in her crimes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    2.3 and 2.4: It feels so nasty just seeing that

    the Camarilla main tactic is cutting out their throats. I've still no clue what their main objective is, seems to be just to kill all the witches. Then with the Alder suspicious behaviour, it could be tracking back a long time to something she did.

    Feels like the actress playing Abigails mother, General Petra Bellweather, is putting in a solid performance.

    It's like she's got a lot going on and gets the direct stuff across but has some nuance put it for playing a long game with Alder

    She's played by Catherine Lough Haggquist and has a long acting history:

    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0521723/

    Recently in multiple episodes of Supernatural but going back to the 90s where she was in 4 episodes of the Highlander TV Series!

    Obligatory rewatch of the intro! 🙂


    Well.. some development made on that one



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,841 ✭✭✭Sudden Valley


    It is an interesting show - prompts a fair few questions regarding mass conscription and terrorism.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    2.5: The Camarilla seem to have gone down a level danger-wise.. unless there's more to em or they were all a bit of smoke and daggers.

    Feels like the next parts of the story is gonna be hunting them down and wiping them out.


    The show keeps giving me a feel of Starship Troopers and the military in that.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,841 ✭✭✭Sudden Valley


    Yeah the Camarilla were pretty ineffectual in the last episode. Would be surprised if the VP is not involved in shunting off the president and turning on the witches. I'm guessing he deliberately had his daughter fail the witch test when she was younger.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    2.6: Jeez.. this show.. it's like someone saw the Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones and was like..

    could we do this much throat mutilation as a regular feature in a show?

    I was like.. 😲 when the

    they poured the molten metal down the dudes throat but then the scene with it happening to Alder.. she made it so real!


    I think it's becoming clear that

    Raelles mother must still be alive



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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,864 ✭✭✭EoinMcLovin


    It's already been confirmed her mother is alive since the end of last season. Her mother is Scylla's boss in the spree



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