Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
Let the tale seduce you,
just as I was seduced.
Ah!
You like to watch?
Of course.
We were equals.
And then, Claudia.
No! Don't!
Aah!
Embrace what you are!
You are a killer, Louis!
They don't like it
when her shot is late.
No, I understand.
But because I'm new
and taking over for Dr. Stevens,
it's just hard to believe
this is my patient.
I mean, the file is so thick,
I assumed she was elderly.
She's 47,
she is your patient,
and she needs
her Thorazine shot now.
Before I give her her shot,
I really should review her file.
Where did he go,
the... the man
that was just talking to her?
What man?
I need a moment alone
with my patient...
please.
What happened to you?
I can taste
those martinis from here.
I'm trying a new gin from Japan.
Oh.
I was telling
the Uber man about you.
- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.
And he said,
if she's such a fancy doctor,
why does she live on a boat
like a dropout?
Did you tell him,
so I can travel the globe,
searching for home?
I'm your home.
I know.
Hi.
Happy adoption day,
my sweet girl.
So, Joey,
you're gonna go to sleep.
When you wake up, you'll
already be feeling better.
Is it really bad, what I have?
All the grown-ups
are freaking out.
I'm a grown-up
and a doctor and your surgeon.
Am I freaking out?
Is Maya freaking out?
I'm definitely not freaking out.
You know why?
Dr. Fielding's made me
believe in magic.
She's that good.
I have very good instincts.
And right now,
my instincts are telling me
that you're gonna be just fine.
I'm taking this one.
You'll assist.
What? He's my patient.
That's why you're assisting.
The board decided to sit in
on a procedure today.
They're interested in pediatrics
and, of course, seeing their
chief of surgery in action.
OK, except that
I'm worried that position
will worsen his bleed.
I suspect his AVM
is above the ventricle.
You suspect?
I know you don't know.
His bleed was so sudden, we
didn't have time to image him.
Dr. Keck, I'm just remembering
that AVM of yours last month,
how you put the patient prone,
used a far lateral approach.
That was smart.
- Is this really the time
to be arguing, Dr. Fielding?
I feel strongly
that this is the wrong way in.
I'm concerned
if we don't flip him
that he could have another...
- Oh, shit.
He's got another bleed.
- OK.
- Get him on his side now.
Towards you. 1, 2, 3.
Oh, my God.
I told you Keck was a menace.
If you hadn't been there...
- Shh!
Keep your voice down.
I was there, and that boy's
gonna be OK, so...
So he operates on adults
all day, not children.
So he should have been
following your lead
instead of making you
tiptoe around him,
trying not to puncture
his precious ego.
If I'd openly made him
look like an ass,
it would have been much worse.
And that's a win?
How can you be so calm
every time he does this to you?
Because getting angry
won't help my patients.
Yeah, but it might help you.
Yeah, or get me fired.
No way. If you go, I go.
- Listen.
Someday I'll have Keck's job.
And when I do
and you have my job,
you will never have to do
what I just did.
You'll be able to say
what you need to say
and be who you are,
and it'll be a new day.
And remember,
the slow blade
penetrates the shield.
- Wait.
What does that even mean?
I don't know.
Some guy said it to me in a bar.
Mom.
Hi. What are you doing here?
I was downstairs for my scan.
And?
It's back.
No.
Yes.
I checked on our patient,
and, um,
his vitals are steady,
and he's already asking
to play "Minecraft."
I hope you told him
no video games.
That's a great idea.
I-I... I'll...
I'll remind him of that.
It occurred to me
that Daniel Lemle
was in the gallery today,
observing us.
Right.
I've been keeping tabs
on his company Revenia
and the stem cell work
that they're doing,
their trials
with cancer patients.
- Good for you.
Now, I really do need...
Dr. Keck, I-I... um, I have...
I have to ask you for a favor.
My mother has relapsed,
and I just saw her scan,
and it's not good.
But Revenia is looking
for a research associate.
It's part-time, and it wouldn't
affect my schedule here.
So I'd like to apply
for the job.
I-I mean, the, um...
The stem cell trial
is currently full, but...
maybe we could
squeeze my mother in
if I was already there working.
So you know Daniel Lemle.
I thought maybe you could
put in a good word for me.
What word would you have me use?
"Hardworking,"
"impressive," maybe,
whatever you think.
I think Daniel Lemle is one
of our most important donors.
And I'm not sure
I could recommend
a doctor who would be
applying for his position
for personal reasons.
I would never let
the situation with my mom
get in the way of my work.
I think you know me well enough
to know that I'm
a consummate professional.
Oh, well, let me
ask you something.
When that boy wanted
to play "Minecraft,"
you told him right then,
no video games?
I... may have mentioned.
And yet just now, you made it
seem like you hadn't,
like it was my idea.
I'm gonna be honest with you.
You really can't hide your...
What would you call it...
Arrogance, sense of superiority?
You do try.
You make a good show
of being deferential.
But underneath, you're always
very sure that you're right,
like today
in the operating theater.
- I was right.
- You were lucky.
You're not ready
to take the reins.
I know that's hard to hear,
but I say that
for a number of reasons.
You have to be able
to lead everybody,
not just your female surgeons
and mentees.
Ow.
What? What's the matter?
Oh!
Dr. Keck!
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.
Mm, I took the Lord's name
in vain four times...
Well... A lot of times.
I gave Sister Sarah the finger
when her back was turned...
Again.
What about the man?
I hardly ever see him anymore.
Deirdre...
lying is also a sin.
I guess he has
always been around,
even since before
my mother died,
which makes him like family,
only way better,
because you know how crazy
my aunts are.
So... I'm grateful to him.
Even when I was little,
he always knew
what I was feeling.
He actually cared about me.
But now that I'm older,
I don't need him anymore.
I hope that's true.
Ten Our Fathers,
three Hail Marys,
one Act of Contrition...
Not that you'll do any of them.
Stop it.
Stop it now.
Girls, to steal flowers
off the altar
is a cardinal sin.
We didn't steal them.
They just blew into our arms.
Girls, stop it.
I was just talking about you
to Father Duffy.
Don't believe a word
he says about me.
Deirdre!
They're all in your hair.
Deirdre!
Oh, she doesn't listen.
She doesn't.
You never listen.
How many times have I told you
not to encourage him?
Thousands, and yet
you refuse to obey me.
I didn't ask him to come.
Why can't you see that I am
trying to protect you?
Just go to your room
and think
about what you've done.
We'll go there someday.
You've been saying that
since I was ten years old,
and here I am.
Mm.
She locked you up because of me,
and now you're angry.
She treats me like a child...
That's no surprise...
But so do you.
Because you are a child.
No, I'm not.
You're behaving like one,
pouting in your room,
throwing a temper tantrum.
Because I don't want
to play your games anymore.
You know how I feel about you...
and you know what I want
from you.
We both know it's impossible.
When your mother was your age,
on a night like this,
she'd pull out the dress
she had hidden
in the back of the closet,
disappear down the trellis
to a party.
There's always a party
at your uncle Cortland's.
But that makes no sense.
I know it doesn't make sense,
but suddenly...
I was picturing Keck's brain,
like, I mean, his actual artery
pumping blood.
And... and then he collapsed.
I'm sorry that Dr. Keck
is in the hospital,
but I don't see what that
has to do with you.
Because you're not
listening to me.
What, the sci-fi part
of the story?
You didn't see inside his brain
or shoot rays from your head
into his head.
I didn't say rays.
Mom, please, listen, Mom.
Remember Lucy Stone
from second grade?
They said
that she'd had a seizure.
But what I remember
is seeing inside her head,
and then she collapsed.
Are you serious?
If I read his medical report
and it says that he ruptured
his left internal
carotid artery,
which is what I saw when I was...
I saw... but...
maybe I didn't see it.
Maybe it was just some
neurological event,
or it's some genetic condition.
But, then, I'd need to know
my genetics to diagnose that.
And I don't know my genetics.
- Please.
- Do I?
- Please, not this.
But if I knew
who my parents were,
then I would know
what I came from,
and I would know who I am.
And then maybe I would
understand what happened.
You know how hard I have tried
to find your birth parents.
There is nothing we can do
about a closed adoption.
The agency will not
open the records.
I-I'm sorry.
I'm here to comfort you.
Huh.
You're doing a wonderful job.
You know what I would like
right now?
Hmm.
Is a strawberry milkshake
from In-N-Out out on Jefferson.
And I've got some money
in my purse.
I have a job, Mom.
I can get you a milkshake.
Can you hand me my purse anyway?
Yeah.
Thanks.
Thank you
for being with me today.
I'll be back.
This is the New Orleans office.
I need to speak to the person
who is assigned
to my daughter's file.
I'm sorry.
I don't have his name.
Who's calling?
Elena Fielding.
My daughter is Rowan.
Fielding, OK.
Let me check if there's an agent
assigned to your file.
Hold for a moment.
There is an agent,
but he's not here right now.
I can get him a message.
Please tell him
that my daughter...
That she thinks that she has
harmed someone with her mind.
Did she harm someone
with her mind?
I think she might have.
So what I need is for this agent
to go and see
if something is different...
In New Orleans, I mean.
I need to know
if something has changed.
Hey.
Sapporo? Shot of Tito's?
Both.
Bad day?
Hard to describe.
When's your shift over?
Sorry, Ro, not tonight.
I've got a date.
Yeah, with me.
No.
With someone who won't
kick me out before breakfast.
I'm not a breakfast person.
♪ Well, I am just a monkey man ♪
♪ I'm glad you are
a monkey woman too ♪
♪ I was bitten by a boar
♪ I was gouged and I was gored ♪
♪ But I pulled on through
- Hey.
- Hey.
For you, on me.
The kindness of strangers.
Can I get you anything?
Yeah, you can
get me out of here.
OK.
Um, how about I get
your name first?
♪ Well, I am just a monkey man ♪
♪ I'm glad you are
a monkey, monkey ♪
♪ Monkey woman too, babe
I can't believe
you'd really have fucked
that clown back there.
Why, Ro?
For months, I've been watching
you from behind the bar,
this revolving door of guys.
It's got to be so lonely.
Why are you watching me?
We're friends.
I like you.
Well, for one,
I bring guys like that home
because they don't
lie next to me
and hound me with questions.
Is it an only-child thing?
Why don't we try
head-shrinking you
for a minute?
What exactly is it
you're looking for,
your one true love?
Fuck you.
No, I-I think it's sweet.
I actually... when I was a kid,
I remember
feeling something like that.
I had this...
weird idea that my shadow
was this...
being that was somehow...
part of me.
And he... uh, it seemed like a he.
He was someone who knew
what I was thinking,
and he knew
my most secret secrets.
And...
he loved me, and he always had.
So you do know
what I'm talking about.
I'm sorry I can't
be more to you, Max.
But you know what?
I am here now, so...
What?
Hey.
Hey, you canceled
your date for this.
I hope you find him.
Oh, my goodness.
No, no, no,
not the pinkie, not yet.
Oh, we don't want
to rush things along, Thomas.
After all,
the evening is so young.
Mm.
Ooh!
Don't... don't hog the beauty.
Come on.
Mr. Cortland.
So beautiful.
- Mr. Cortland.
- Mm.
Sir, the young gentlemen
have arrived.
Ah, good.
Well done.
- Thanks.
Well, now,
I think we have a winner.
Young man...
I have a job for you.
Nice to see you too.
Hey, there he is.
Is that really you?
You escaped?
Yes.
Deidre, what a happy surprise.
You look just like your mother.
All grown up.
- Thank you.
- Mm.
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh.
Oh, not for you, cher.
Uncle Cortland.
No, for you, only the best.
You can't imagine
the number of times
I've driven by your house
and thought
I should stop and throw stones
at your window,
try to get you out of there.
I wish you had.
Well, I'm sure it would
only make more trouble
between you and my sisters.
So here's to you,
here at last
and such a delightful surprise.
Hmm, I am so glad
you're wearing this.
You know, this belonged
to your mother.
The aunts never talk
to me about my mother.
Aw, well, now, they are wicked.
The worst kind of wicked.
Well, here's what I remember.
Your mother was full of life...
and mischief.
When she'd laugh, it was like
fireworks lighting up the sky.
And she was funny
and so beautiful.
Course, she paid
for her high spirits.
I don't believe
she jumped from the balcony.
You might be right.
And I want you to promise me
you'll be careful.
Hi.
I'm Patrick.
My friend from the other room
dared me
to ask you to dance, so...
- Sure, go ahead.
Dance. Have fun.
That's what we're here for,
isn't it?
Go on.
Don't forget to leave
a glass slipper, cher.
Patrick?
Miss Mayfair, your aunt is here.
She's insisting you come
downstairs right away.
Hello?
This is Ciprien Grieve.
I'm the agent in charge
of your daughter's file.
Oh.
Thank you so much
for calling me back.
- I...
- I'm at the house now,
the house on First Street
in New Orleans?
I see.
Uh...
I guess I was just
wondering if...
anything has...
been disturbed or... or different.
Well, if you're
asking if the man is here,
I don't see him, but...
I can feel him.
He's very near.
So this is... This is good news.
He's here.
Your daughter's there.
2,000 miles between them.
So...
you can breathe
a little easier, right?
For now,
but time is running out for me.
I need to know
what's gonna happen
the next time you call me
and no one answers.
I need to know who is going
to keep my daughter safe,
Mr. Grieve.
I will.
I'm the one that will
keep your daughter safe.
Let's take a deep breath.
Feel the air in our lungs.
Celebrate, for a moment,
the great gift of life, huh?
Come on.
Ah, felt good, didn't it?
I don't know about you, but...
I'd like to keep doing that
for another, oh, I don't know,
twenty, thirty...
thousand years.
I'm Daniel Lemle,
CEO of Revenia Research.
And here at Revenia,
we believe death is encoded.
If there is a code,
we can crack it.
And if we can crack it,
then we can hack it.
Before I go,
take a moment
and look at each other.
See, you...
are the first generation
of human beings
that just might live forever.
Did you like my speech?
Hi. I did.
I just... I hadn't put together
that the position
I applied for is part
of longevity research.
Oh, you could see
the overlap, of course.
I mean, cure cellular
malfunctions in humans,
and you've eliminated almost
all the reasons we croak.
I did wonder, though,
why does a hotshot neurosurgeon
who studied microscopy
and gene sequencing
end up looking
for a research gig here?
Then I learned
about your mother.
I make calls for all
prospective hires.
It's OK.
Of course you want your mother
in one of our trials.
I get it.
When I first got to Revenia,
I put my wife on the board,
and all hell broke loose,
the other board members
screeching about nepotism.
She wasn't qualified,
no added value...
I mean, on and on.
What did I say back to them?
Fuck off.
Well, I-I do want my mother
in the trial.
I think she's
a suitable candidate,
and... and I don't think
that there's anything wrong
with being personally motivated
to... to want a job.
And I think... I think
it'll make me work harder.
My point exactly,
which means
my hunch about you was right.
Now, come downstairs,
and I can show you
where you'll be working.
Wait. I... so I-I got the job?
Come on.
The hours will be long,
and I need to know now
how that's gonna fly
with the husband,
boyfriend, kids.
None of the above.
All right. Check it out.
It's a Rodin.
I got a great deal
at a private auction.
Do you like modern art?
You know, Judy Chicago has
some kind of performance piece
at the de Young tonight.
My wife's busy,
and I have an extra ticket.
I can't tonight, but I, um...
I'll get in touch with HR
to get my paperwork started.
And I have all
my mom's records with me.
The... the tough thing
with the trial is,
we only have so much room,
of course.
I'll have to rejigger things
to get your mom in,
which I'm happy to do.
I do have a reputation
for being tough.
If you work here,
you got to run with the boys...
And the girls.
You got to think like a killer,
yeah?
Metaphorically, of course.
I know a lot of doctors
who are killers
and not just metaphorically.
So...
pick a name.
Let's get your mom
in this thing.
- Pick a name?
- There's 30 slots.
We already have 30 patients.
It doesn't matter to me which
patient your mom replaces.
I'm sure you can just
add my mom to the list
and... and make it 31.
I'm sure you haven't dealt
with the FDA before.
They're Nazis about this stuff.
30's the number, so...
go on, pick a name.
Please don't do this.
This is my mother's life,
and she's... she's all
that I have.
But I can't just pick a name.
- Dr. Fielding.
Those are just names in a trial.
Cross one out.
Don't get tangled
in the minutia, huh?
You mean patients.
Look.
You got a job to do.
I got a company to run.
Pick a name.
If my mother saw me pick a name,
she would drop dead on the spot
way before the cancer
could kill her.
I can't pick a name.
Don't tell me my hunch
about you was wrong.
I hate being wrong.
Because someone like you is
never really wrong, are they?
After all, you're so powerful.
You're so special.
All right.
Maybe, uh...
Yeah, maybe you don't get
what we're doing here.
I know what I'm doing here.
I'm pretending
that I find you interesting,
pretending that I think
you're smarter than me,
pretending that I admire you,
but I don't admire you.
In fact, I see through you
to the small, needy man-child
with the raging ego,
the dupe who overpays
for a fake Rodin,
the bully who can only
feel good about himself
if everybody else is minutia.
You think that you
should live forever. Why?
So that you can piss
in front of more women
or play God
with cancer patients' lives?
Or maybe you think
that you should never die
simply because you're such
a dazzling gift to the world,
so busy changing it.
What is it?
What happened?
Mom, it happened again,
just like it did
with Keck and Lucy Stone.
Ex-except this time, I lost
my temper and I made it happen.
Rowan, I cannot hear this.
I have to face it.
I have to face what's happening.
There's something
really wrong with me.
I have some... some kind of...
Of monstrous power.
Rowan.
Rowan, I am tired.
I cannot hear this nonsense.
You do not have a power.
Listen to me.
You have got to get
ahold of yourself.
You cannot give in
to this twisted thinking.
It is dangerous.
And I will not
spend my last days worrying
that you are gonna get sucked
into some sick delusion.
Rowan...
just be with me.
That's all I'm asking.
That's all I want.
OK.
Deirdre, it's Father Duffy.
You need to open the door
right this minute.
So this boy...
Patrick.
He hasn't called or visited you?
He can't visit
because he's dead.
The body that they carried out,
it was him.
You don't know that.
I know what I know.
Aunt Carlotta, she killed him
because he made me happy.
She was there when they
took his body away.
Deirdre...
how can I help you
when you tell tales like this,
a crazy story about your family
killing a boy?
I'm not lying,
and you know I'm not.
You know the awful things
that happen in this family...
in this house.
Weren't you the one they called
when my mother
was pushed from the balcony?
She jumped...
because she was
in such pain and turmoil,
God rest her soul.
And now I'm worried
for your soul,
for the soul of your child.
I can't help but think
there was no boy at that party,
that this has happened
because of the man.
He didn't do this.
I haven't seen him
since that night.
Father, please,
I have to get out of here...
before something
even worse happens.
Please... help me.
The surest and truest
help I know comes from God.
Will you at least pray with me?
You're scared of them...
Like everyone else.
Just go.
Go!
Darling...
No.
Lasher.
You know where to find me.
Dear God, the darkness is here.
The darkness is in her,
that sweet, beautiful girl.
It's growing in her.
I fear for her
and for her unborn child.
Oh, dear God, I fear for us all.
I fear what we may have to do.
Give me one good reason to live.
That baby is coming.
She will change everything.
She will change
your life forever.
She won't.
She will be stuck with them,
just like I am.
And you can't take us
away from here.
Yes, I can.
I'm yours already.
The necklace you wear,
it binds us together,
Ah,
but only because your mother
made that choice for you.
Now you're old enough to make
that choice for yourself...
To bind with me
of your own free will.
So take it off.
And I will show you.
I will show you who I really am.
And if you're strong enough
to face this...
I will be yours entirely,
yours to command.
Do you want to see
who I truly am?
I do.
I am everyone.
I am no one.
I'm a saint.
I'm a demon.
Will you take me, Deirdre?
Will you take me
to be yours forever?
You are my witch now.
May the Lord
who frees you from sin
save you and raise you up.
♪ You only hear -
♪ What you want to hear
♪ Take my heart as a souvenir ♪
I wanted so badly to save her.
Of course you did,
but these things
are not in our hands.
They're in God's.
What you did do
is love your mother
with all your heart.
It's a girl, isn't it?
I want to see her.
She needs to see
the doctor first.
No! Carlotta!
No! Bring her back!
No!
Carlotta, no!
♪ You're losing
♪ Hands fall limp
♪ And I drift off
♪ Learning how
♪ To speak again
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
Here are the rules.
You will change your name.
You will no longer be a Mayfair.
You will never return here.
You will never call.
And most importantly,
this baby can never,
ever know who she is.
It would be too dangerous
for this family and for her.
Whatever you say, Aunt Carlotta.
♪ When I feel small
What's her name?
♪ You hold me
Deirdre wanted
to name her... Rowan.
♪ Closely
♪ Looking through
♪ The stained glass window
Rowan.
♪ You might catch something ♪
Hi.
♪ Holy too
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
A malformed heart.
The doctor said
she couldn't have survived.
He's going to come and give you
a shot to help you sleep.
♪ Oh, oh, oh
Ah, poor thing.
Have you been trying
to get this off?
There.
You and I...
Are gonna share a little secret.
I'm not gonna give you
the Thorazine shot today.
And I'm not gonna
give it to you tomorrow.
But I will come every day,
because what
I really want to know
is who you are
without the drugs.
I want to know
who Deirdre Mayfair really is.
Lasher is on the move.
I need to call
Rowan Fielding's mother.
Tell me about Daniel Lemle.
His death
had nothing to do with me.
Are you okay?
Rowan.
She needs to know who she is.
If only to protect herself.
I promised you once
that your life would change.
That change is coming, my love.
He is bound to you
like he's bound to your mother.
Are you frightened
of him? Shouldn't I be?
Any woman that makes a deal
with the devil gets burned!
When they come for us,
we have to stand together.
You have real power.
If you want this to work, you
need to behave like a Mayfair.
Something's happening!
He's coming! Keep going!
For the first time in my life,
I know who I am.
This episode is called
"The Witching Hour,"
and it's named
"The Witching Hour"
because that is the title of the
first book
in Anne Rice's Mayfair trilogy.
Michelle Ashford and I,
who created the show together,
really wanted to signal that we
were embarking on,
in this first season, telling
the story of this first book.
Where did he go, the man
who was just talking to her?
What man?
Rowan is this extraordinarily
independent spirit.
I love this character who's,
like, out in the open ocean,
on a boat, in the elements,
on her own,
but part of the mystery of Rowan
is that she's searching for
who she is,
she's searching for an
understanding of where home is.
I was telling
the Uber man about you.
Yeah? Yeah, and he said,
"If she's such a fancy doctor,
why does she live on a boat
like a dropout?"
Did you tell him,
"so I can travel the globe
searching for home"?
I'm your home.
Is Ellie her true home, or is
there some other, larger
home and family out there?
The hours will be long,
and I need to know how that's
gonna fly with the husband,
boyfriend, kids?
None of the above.
It felt really important
that we see Lemle as someone
who's stopping her
from being able to achieve what
she wants to achieve,
which is a real natural desire
to save her mother's life.
Pick a name, let's get your mom
in this thing.
Pick a name?
There's 30 slots.
We already have 30 patients,
doesn't matter to me which
patient your mom replaces.
What he's saying to her is,
I have an instinct
that you are a killer.
If my mother saw me pick a name,
she would drop dead on the spot
way before the cancer
could kill her.
And in arguing with him that she
is not a killer,
that he is wrong about her,
she kills him.
And so, in fact, he was right
in his instinct about her
in some way.
This is a question that's gonna
plague Rowan
through the entire first season,
"Am I a destroyer or not?"
What about the man?
I hardly ever see him anymore.
Deirdre...
Lying is also a sin.
Deirdre has been locked up in
the First Street House
and not allowed to go anywhere
except to school
and to confession, because her
aunts are so terrified
of the power of Lasher,
who is this being who's
connected to her.
Stop it! Stop it now!
This is one of the scenes that
comes out of the book,
where rose petals are falling,
and young girls
outside the church are dancing
in them,
and that idea that,
throughout her childhood,
there's then been this magical
being in her life
who showers her with rose petals
and makes her feel special
and makes her feel divine,
is a part of the seduction
of this figure, Lasher.
How many times have I told you
not to encourage him?!
I didn't ask him to come.
Why can't you see that I am
trying to protect you?!
Just go to your room.
And think about
what you've done.
She believes Lasher is the only
one who sees or understands her
because her aunts have made any
kind of other human interaction
impossible for her.
Cortland is
such a wonderful character.
Don't hog the beauty, come on.
Just full of that Mayfair,
kind of,
joy and lavishness
and decadence.
You can't imagine the number of
times I've driven by your house
and thought, I should stop and
throw stones at your window.
Try to get you out of there.
I wish you had.
Well, I'm sure it would only
make more trouble
between you and my sisters.
So...
Here's to you.
An he's also a nefarious
character,
he's got all kinds of
hidden agendas,
the snake seemed to
embody him perfectly.
You know I'm worried
for your soul,
for the soul of your child.
It felt really important that
Rowan's birth,
the origin of this character,
be embedded in the story
of the pilot.
We wanted the audience
to be in on the secret of
Rowan's origins,
this kind of fairytale story of
this baby
who's taken from a family,
moved somewhere else,
doesn't know who she is,
doesn't know her name.
Anne Rice's book is all about
mothers and the power of women.
I wanna see her! She needs to see
the doctor first.
No! Carlotta!
No! Bring her back! No!
So, it felt really important to
have Rowan's birth
in this first episode.
This baby can never, ever
know who she is.
It'd be too dangerous for this
family and for her.
Whatever you say, Aunt Carlotta.
We wanted to end the episode
with Rowan out in the elements
again just as we met her, but
with so much having changed.
She's lost her mother, she is
beginning to think of herself
as a kind of monster who has a
power she doesn't understand.
And in Deirdre's story,
this necklace comes off
and now Lasher
has been released.
I want to know who
Deirdre Mayfair really is.
What will happen now that Lasher
has come into proximity
with Rowan?
just as I was seduced.
Ah!
You like to watch?
Of course.
We were equals.
And then, Claudia.
No! Don't!
Aah!
Embrace what you are!
You are a killer, Louis!
They don't like it
when her shot is late.
No, I understand.
But because I'm new
and taking over for Dr. Stevens,
it's just hard to believe
this is my patient.
I mean, the file is so thick,
I assumed she was elderly.
She's 47,
she is your patient,
and she needs
her Thorazine shot now.
Before I give her her shot,
I really should review her file.
Where did he go,
the... the man
that was just talking to her?
What man?
I need a moment alone
with my patient...
please.
What happened to you?
I can taste
those martinis from here.
I'm trying a new gin from Japan.
Oh.
I was telling
the Uber man about you.
- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.
And he said,
if she's such a fancy doctor,
why does she live on a boat
like a dropout?
Did you tell him,
so I can travel the globe,
searching for home?
I'm your home.
I know.
Hi.
Happy adoption day,
my sweet girl.
So, Joey,
you're gonna go to sleep.
When you wake up, you'll
already be feeling better.
Is it really bad, what I have?
All the grown-ups
are freaking out.
I'm a grown-up
and a doctor and your surgeon.
Am I freaking out?
Is Maya freaking out?
I'm definitely not freaking out.
You know why?
Dr. Fielding's made me
believe in magic.
She's that good.
I have very good instincts.
And right now,
my instincts are telling me
that you're gonna be just fine.
I'm taking this one.
You'll assist.
What? He's my patient.
That's why you're assisting.
The board decided to sit in
on a procedure today.
They're interested in pediatrics
and, of course, seeing their
chief of surgery in action.
OK, except that
I'm worried that position
will worsen his bleed.
I suspect his AVM
is above the ventricle.
You suspect?
I know you don't know.
His bleed was so sudden, we
didn't have time to image him.
Dr. Keck, I'm just remembering
that AVM of yours last month,
how you put the patient prone,
used a far lateral approach.
That was smart.
- Is this really the time
to be arguing, Dr. Fielding?
I feel strongly
that this is the wrong way in.
I'm concerned
if we don't flip him
that he could have another...
- Oh, shit.
He's got another bleed.
- OK.
- Get him on his side now.
Towards you. 1, 2, 3.
Oh, my God.
I told you Keck was a menace.
If you hadn't been there...
- Shh!
Keep your voice down.
I was there, and that boy's
gonna be OK, so...
So he operates on adults
all day, not children.
So he should have been
following your lead
instead of making you
tiptoe around him,
trying not to puncture
his precious ego.
If I'd openly made him
look like an ass,
it would have been much worse.
And that's a win?
How can you be so calm
every time he does this to you?
Because getting angry
won't help my patients.
Yeah, but it might help you.
Yeah, or get me fired.
No way. If you go, I go.
- Listen.
Someday I'll have Keck's job.
And when I do
and you have my job,
you will never have to do
what I just did.
You'll be able to say
what you need to say
and be who you are,
and it'll be a new day.
And remember,
the slow blade
penetrates the shield.
- Wait.
What does that even mean?
I don't know.
Some guy said it to me in a bar.
Mom.
Hi. What are you doing here?
I was downstairs for my scan.
And?
It's back.
No.
Yes.
I checked on our patient,
and, um,
his vitals are steady,
and he's already asking
to play "Minecraft."
I hope you told him
no video games.
That's a great idea.
I-I... I'll...
I'll remind him of that.
It occurred to me
that Daniel Lemle
was in the gallery today,
observing us.
Right.
I've been keeping tabs
on his company Revenia
and the stem cell work
that they're doing,
their trials
with cancer patients.
- Good for you.
Now, I really do need...
Dr. Keck, I-I... um, I have...
I have to ask you for a favor.
My mother has relapsed,
and I just saw her scan,
and it's not good.
But Revenia is looking
for a research associate.
It's part-time, and it wouldn't
affect my schedule here.
So I'd like to apply
for the job.
I-I mean, the, um...
The stem cell trial
is currently full, but...
maybe we could
squeeze my mother in
if I was already there working.
So you know Daniel Lemle.
I thought maybe you could
put in a good word for me.
What word would you have me use?
"Hardworking,"
"impressive," maybe,
whatever you think.
I think Daniel Lemle is one
of our most important donors.
And I'm not sure
I could recommend
a doctor who would be
applying for his position
for personal reasons.
I would never let
the situation with my mom
get in the way of my work.
I think you know me well enough
to know that I'm
a consummate professional.
Oh, well, let me
ask you something.
When that boy wanted
to play "Minecraft,"
you told him right then,
no video games?
I... may have mentioned.
And yet just now, you made it
seem like you hadn't,
like it was my idea.
I'm gonna be honest with you.
You really can't hide your...
What would you call it...
Arrogance, sense of superiority?
You do try.
You make a good show
of being deferential.
But underneath, you're always
very sure that you're right,
like today
in the operating theater.
- I was right.
- You were lucky.
You're not ready
to take the reins.
I know that's hard to hear,
but I say that
for a number of reasons.
You have to be able
to lead everybody,
not just your female surgeons
and mentees.
Ow.
What? What's the matter?
Oh!
Dr. Keck!
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.
Mm, I took the Lord's name
in vain four times...
Well... A lot of times.
I gave Sister Sarah the finger
when her back was turned...
Again.
What about the man?
I hardly ever see him anymore.
Deirdre...
lying is also a sin.
I guess he has
always been around,
even since before
my mother died,
which makes him like family,
only way better,
because you know how crazy
my aunts are.
So... I'm grateful to him.
Even when I was little,
he always knew
what I was feeling.
He actually cared about me.
But now that I'm older,
I don't need him anymore.
I hope that's true.
Ten Our Fathers,
three Hail Marys,
one Act of Contrition...
Not that you'll do any of them.
Stop it.
Stop it now.
Girls, to steal flowers
off the altar
is a cardinal sin.
We didn't steal them.
They just blew into our arms.
Girls, stop it.
I was just talking about you
to Father Duffy.
Don't believe a word
he says about me.
Deirdre!
They're all in your hair.
Deirdre!
Oh, she doesn't listen.
She doesn't.
You never listen.
How many times have I told you
not to encourage him?
Thousands, and yet
you refuse to obey me.
I didn't ask him to come.
Why can't you see that I am
trying to protect you?
Just go to your room
and think
about what you've done.
We'll go there someday.
You've been saying that
since I was ten years old,
and here I am.
Mm.
She locked you up because of me,
and now you're angry.
She treats me like a child...
That's no surprise...
But so do you.
Because you are a child.
No, I'm not.
You're behaving like one,
pouting in your room,
throwing a temper tantrum.
Because I don't want
to play your games anymore.
You know how I feel about you...
and you know what I want
from you.
We both know it's impossible.
When your mother was your age,
on a night like this,
she'd pull out the dress
she had hidden
in the back of the closet,
disappear down the trellis
to a party.
There's always a party
at your uncle Cortland's.
But that makes no sense.
I know it doesn't make sense,
but suddenly...
I was picturing Keck's brain,
like, I mean, his actual artery
pumping blood.
And... and then he collapsed.
I'm sorry that Dr. Keck
is in the hospital,
but I don't see what that
has to do with you.
Because you're not
listening to me.
What, the sci-fi part
of the story?
You didn't see inside his brain
or shoot rays from your head
into his head.
I didn't say rays.
Mom, please, listen, Mom.
Remember Lucy Stone
from second grade?
They said
that she'd had a seizure.
But what I remember
is seeing inside her head,
and then she collapsed.
Are you serious?
If I read his medical report
and it says that he ruptured
his left internal
carotid artery,
which is what I saw when I was...
I saw... but...
maybe I didn't see it.
Maybe it was just some
neurological event,
or it's some genetic condition.
But, then, I'd need to know
my genetics to diagnose that.
And I don't know my genetics.
- Please.
- Do I?
- Please, not this.
But if I knew
who my parents were,
then I would know
what I came from,
and I would know who I am.
And then maybe I would
understand what happened.
You know how hard I have tried
to find your birth parents.
There is nothing we can do
about a closed adoption.
The agency will not
open the records.
I-I'm sorry.
I'm here to comfort you.
Huh.
You're doing a wonderful job.
You know what I would like
right now?
Hmm.
Is a strawberry milkshake
from In-N-Out out on Jefferson.
And I've got some money
in my purse.
I have a job, Mom.
I can get you a milkshake.
Can you hand me my purse anyway?
Yeah.
Thanks.
Thank you
for being with me today.
I'll be back.
This is the New Orleans office.
I need to speak to the person
who is assigned
to my daughter's file.
I'm sorry.
I don't have his name.
Who's calling?
Elena Fielding.
My daughter is Rowan.
Fielding, OK.
Let me check if there's an agent
assigned to your file.
Hold for a moment.
There is an agent,
but he's not here right now.
I can get him a message.
Please tell him
that my daughter...
That she thinks that she has
harmed someone with her mind.
Did she harm someone
with her mind?
I think she might have.
So what I need is for this agent
to go and see
if something is different...
In New Orleans, I mean.
I need to know
if something has changed.
Hey.
Sapporo? Shot of Tito's?
Both.
Bad day?
Hard to describe.
When's your shift over?
Sorry, Ro, not tonight.
I've got a date.
Yeah, with me.
No.
With someone who won't
kick me out before breakfast.
I'm not a breakfast person.
♪ Well, I am just a monkey man ♪
♪ I'm glad you are
a monkey woman too ♪
♪ I was bitten by a boar
♪ I was gouged and I was gored ♪
♪ But I pulled on through
- Hey.
- Hey.
For you, on me.
The kindness of strangers.
Can I get you anything?
Yeah, you can
get me out of here.
OK.
Um, how about I get
your name first?
♪ Well, I am just a monkey man ♪
♪ I'm glad you are
a monkey, monkey ♪
♪ Monkey woman too, babe
I can't believe
you'd really have fucked
that clown back there.
Why, Ro?
For months, I've been watching
you from behind the bar,
this revolving door of guys.
It's got to be so lonely.
Why are you watching me?
We're friends.
I like you.
Well, for one,
I bring guys like that home
because they don't
lie next to me
and hound me with questions.
Is it an only-child thing?
Why don't we try
head-shrinking you
for a minute?
What exactly is it
you're looking for,
your one true love?
Fuck you.
No, I-I think it's sweet.
I actually... when I was a kid,
I remember
feeling something like that.
I had this...
weird idea that my shadow
was this...
being that was somehow...
part of me.
And he... uh, it seemed like a he.
He was someone who knew
what I was thinking,
and he knew
my most secret secrets.
And...
he loved me, and he always had.
So you do know
what I'm talking about.
I'm sorry I can't
be more to you, Max.
But you know what?
I am here now, so...
What?
Hey.
Hey, you canceled
your date for this.
I hope you find him.
Oh, my goodness.
No, no, no,
not the pinkie, not yet.
Oh, we don't want
to rush things along, Thomas.
After all,
the evening is so young.
Mm.
Ooh!
Don't... don't hog the beauty.
Come on.
Mr. Cortland.
So beautiful.
- Mr. Cortland.
- Mm.
Sir, the young gentlemen
have arrived.
Ah, good.
Well done.
- Thanks.
Well, now,
I think we have a winner.
Young man...
I have a job for you.
Nice to see you too.
Hey, there he is.
Is that really you?
You escaped?
Yes.
Deidre, what a happy surprise.
You look just like your mother.
All grown up.
- Thank you.
- Mm.
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh.
Oh, not for you, cher.
Uncle Cortland.
No, for you, only the best.
You can't imagine
the number of times
I've driven by your house
and thought
I should stop and throw stones
at your window,
try to get you out of there.
I wish you had.
Well, I'm sure it would
only make more trouble
between you and my sisters.
So here's to you,
here at last
and such a delightful surprise.
Hmm, I am so glad
you're wearing this.
You know, this belonged
to your mother.
The aunts never talk
to me about my mother.
Aw, well, now, they are wicked.
The worst kind of wicked.
Well, here's what I remember.
Your mother was full of life...
and mischief.
When she'd laugh, it was like
fireworks lighting up the sky.
And she was funny
and so beautiful.
Course, she paid
for her high spirits.
I don't believe
she jumped from the balcony.
You might be right.
And I want you to promise me
you'll be careful.
Hi.
I'm Patrick.
My friend from the other room
dared me
to ask you to dance, so...
- Sure, go ahead.
Dance. Have fun.
That's what we're here for,
isn't it?
Go on.
Don't forget to leave
a glass slipper, cher.
Patrick?
Miss Mayfair, your aunt is here.
She's insisting you come
downstairs right away.
Hello?
This is Ciprien Grieve.
I'm the agent in charge
of your daughter's file.
Oh.
Thank you so much
for calling me back.
- I...
- I'm at the house now,
the house on First Street
in New Orleans?
I see.
Uh...
I guess I was just
wondering if...
anything has...
been disturbed or... or different.
Well, if you're
asking if the man is here,
I don't see him, but...
I can feel him.
He's very near.
So this is... This is good news.
He's here.
Your daughter's there.
2,000 miles between them.
So...
you can breathe
a little easier, right?
For now,
but time is running out for me.
I need to know
what's gonna happen
the next time you call me
and no one answers.
I need to know who is going
to keep my daughter safe,
Mr. Grieve.
I will.
I'm the one that will
keep your daughter safe.
Let's take a deep breath.
Feel the air in our lungs.
Celebrate, for a moment,
the great gift of life, huh?
Come on.
Ah, felt good, didn't it?
I don't know about you, but...
I'd like to keep doing that
for another, oh, I don't know,
twenty, thirty...
thousand years.
I'm Daniel Lemle,
CEO of Revenia Research.
And here at Revenia,
we believe death is encoded.
If there is a code,
we can crack it.
And if we can crack it,
then we can hack it.
Before I go,
take a moment
and look at each other.
See, you...
are the first generation
of human beings
that just might live forever.
Did you like my speech?
Hi. I did.
I just... I hadn't put together
that the position
I applied for is part
of longevity research.
Oh, you could see
the overlap, of course.
I mean, cure cellular
malfunctions in humans,
and you've eliminated almost
all the reasons we croak.
I did wonder, though,
why does a hotshot neurosurgeon
who studied microscopy
and gene sequencing
end up looking
for a research gig here?
Then I learned
about your mother.
I make calls for all
prospective hires.
It's OK.
Of course you want your mother
in one of our trials.
I get it.
When I first got to Revenia,
I put my wife on the board,
and all hell broke loose,
the other board members
screeching about nepotism.
She wasn't qualified,
no added value...
I mean, on and on.
What did I say back to them?
Fuck off.
Well, I-I do want my mother
in the trial.
I think she's
a suitable candidate,
and... and I don't think
that there's anything wrong
with being personally motivated
to... to want a job.
And I think... I think
it'll make me work harder.
My point exactly,
which means
my hunch about you was right.
Now, come downstairs,
and I can show you
where you'll be working.
Wait. I... so I-I got the job?
Come on.
The hours will be long,
and I need to know now
how that's gonna fly
with the husband,
boyfriend, kids.
None of the above.
All right. Check it out.
It's a Rodin.
I got a great deal
at a private auction.
Do you like modern art?
You know, Judy Chicago has
some kind of performance piece
at the de Young tonight.
My wife's busy,
and I have an extra ticket.
I can't tonight, but I, um...
I'll get in touch with HR
to get my paperwork started.
And I have all
my mom's records with me.
The... the tough thing
with the trial is,
we only have so much room,
of course.
I'll have to rejigger things
to get your mom in,
which I'm happy to do.
I do have a reputation
for being tough.
If you work here,
you got to run with the boys...
And the girls.
You got to think like a killer,
yeah?
Metaphorically, of course.
I know a lot of doctors
who are killers
and not just metaphorically.
So...
pick a name.
Let's get your mom
in this thing.
- Pick a name?
- There's 30 slots.
We already have 30 patients.
It doesn't matter to me which
patient your mom replaces.
I'm sure you can just
add my mom to the list
and... and make it 31.
I'm sure you haven't dealt
with the FDA before.
They're Nazis about this stuff.
30's the number, so...
go on, pick a name.
Please don't do this.
This is my mother's life,
and she's... she's all
that I have.
But I can't just pick a name.
- Dr. Fielding.
Those are just names in a trial.
Cross one out.
Don't get tangled
in the minutia, huh?
You mean patients.
Look.
You got a job to do.
I got a company to run.
Pick a name.
If my mother saw me pick a name,
she would drop dead on the spot
way before the cancer
could kill her.
I can't pick a name.
Don't tell me my hunch
about you was wrong.
I hate being wrong.
Because someone like you is
never really wrong, are they?
After all, you're so powerful.
You're so special.
All right.
Maybe, uh...
Yeah, maybe you don't get
what we're doing here.
I know what I'm doing here.
I'm pretending
that I find you interesting,
pretending that I think
you're smarter than me,
pretending that I admire you,
but I don't admire you.
In fact, I see through you
to the small, needy man-child
with the raging ego,
the dupe who overpays
for a fake Rodin,
the bully who can only
feel good about himself
if everybody else is minutia.
You think that you
should live forever. Why?
So that you can piss
in front of more women
or play God
with cancer patients' lives?
Or maybe you think
that you should never die
simply because you're such
a dazzling gift to the world,
so busy changing it.
What is it?
What happened?
Mom, it happened again,
just like it did
with Keck and Lucy Stone.
Ex-except this time, I lost
my temper and I made it happen.
Rowan, I cannot hear this.
I have to face it.
I have to face what's happening.
There's something
really wrong with me.
I have some... some kind of...
Of monstrous power.
Rowan.
Rowan, I am tired.
I cannot hear this nonsense.
You do not have a power.
Listen to me.
You have got to get
ahold of yourself.
You cannot give in
to this twisted thinking.
It is dangerous.
And I will not
spend my last days worrying
that you are gonna get sucked
into some sick delusion.
Rowan...
just be with me.
That's all I'm asking.
That's all I want.
OK.
Deirdre, it's Father Duffy.
You need to open the door
right this minute.
So this boy...
Patrick.
He hasn't called or visited you?
He can't visit
because he's dead.
The body that they carried out,
it was him.
You don't know that.
I know what I know.
Aunt Carlotta, she killed him
because he made me happy.
She was there when they
took his body away.
Deirdre...
how can I help you
when you tell tales like this,
a crazy story about your family
killing a boy?
I'm not lying,
and you know I'm not.
You know the awful things
that happen in this family...
in this house.
Weren't you the one they called
when my mother
was pushed from the balcony?
She jumped...
because she was
in such pain and turmoil,
God rest her soul.
And now I'm worried
for your soul,
for the soul of your child.
I can't help but think
there was no boy at that party,
that this has happened
because of the man.
He didn't do this.
I haven't seen him
since that night.
Father, please,
I have to get out of here...
before something
even worse happens.
Please... help me.
The surest and truest
help I know comes from God.
Will you at least pray with me?
You're scared of them...
Like everyone else.
Just go.
Go!
Darling...
No.
Lasher.
You know where to find me.
Dear God, the darkness is here.
The darkness is in her,
that sweet, beautiful girl.
It's growing in her.
I fear for her
and for her unborn child.
Oh, dear God, I fear for us all.
I fear what we may have to do.
Give me one good reason to live.
That baby is coming.
She will change everything.
She will change
your life forever.
She won't.
She will be stuck with them,
just like I am.
And you can't take us
away from here.
Yes, I can.
I'm yours already.
The necklace you wear,
it binds us together,
Ah,
but only because your mother
made that choice for you.
Now you're old enough to make
that choice for yourself...
To bind with me
of your own free will.
So take it off.
And I will show you.
I will show you who I really am.
And if you're strong enough
to face this...
I will be yours entirely,
yours to command.
Do you want to see
who I truly am?
I do.
I am everyone.
I am no one.
I'm a saint.
I'm a demon.
Will you take me, Deirdre?
Will you take me
to be yours forever?
You are my witch now.
May the Lord
who frees you from sin
save you and raise you up.
♪ You only hear -
♪ What you want to hear
♪ Take my heart as a souvenir ♪
I wanted so badly to save her.
Of course you did,
but these things
are not in our hands.
They're in God's.
What you did do
is love your mother
with all your heart.
It's a girl, isn't it?
I want to see her.
She needs to see
the doctor first.
No! Carlotta!
No! Bring her back!
No!
Carlotta, no!
♪ You're losing
♪ Hands fall limp
♪ And I drift off
♪ Learning how
♪ To speak again
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
Here are the rules.
You will change your name.
You will no longer be a Mayfair.
You will never return here.
You will never call.
And most importantly,
this baby can never,
ever know who she is.
It would be too dangerous
for this family and for her.
Whatever you say, Aunt Carlotta.
♪ When I feel small
What's her name?
♪ You hold me
Deirdre wanted
to name her... Rowan.
♪ Closely
♪ Looking through
♪ The stained glass window
Rowan.
♪ You might catch something ♪
Hi.
♪ Holy too
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
A malformed heart.
The doctor said
she couldn't have survived.
He's going to come and give you
a shot to help you sleep.
♪ Oh, oh, oh
Ah, poor thing.
Have you been trying
to get this off?
There.
You and I...
Are gonna share a little secret.
I'm not gonna give you
the Thorazine shot today.
And I'm not gonna
give it to you tomorrow.
But I will come every day,
because what
I really want to know
is who you are
without the drugs.
I want to know
who Deirdre Mayfair really is.
Lasher is on the move.
I need to call
Rowan Fielding's mother.
Tell me about Daniel Lemle.
His death
had nothing to do with me.
Are you okay?
Rowan.
She needs to know who she is.
If only to protect herself.
I promised you once
that your life would change.
That change is coming, my love.
He is bound to you
like he's bound to your mother.
Are you frightened
of him? Shouldn't I be?
Any woman that makes a deal
with the devil gets burned!
When they come for us,
we have to stand together.
You have real power.
If you want this to work, you
need to behave like a Mayfair.
Something's happening!
He's coming! Keep going!
For the first time in my life,
I know who I am.
This episode is called
"The Witching Hour,"
and it's named
"The Witching Hour"
because that is the title of the
first book
in Anne Rice's Mayfair trilogy.
Michelle Ashford and I,
who created the show together,
really wanted to signal that we
were embarking on,
in this first season, telling
the story of this first book.
Where did he go, the man
who was just talking to her?
What man?
Rowan is this extraordinarily
independent spirit.
I love this character who's,
like, out in the open ocean,
on a boat, in the elements,
on her own,
but part of the mystery of Rowan
is that she's searching for
who she is,
she's searching for an
understanding of where home is.
I was telling
the Uber man about you.
Yeah? Yeah, and he said,
"If she's such a fancy doctor,
why does she live on a boat
like a dropout?"
Did you tell him,
"so I can travel the globe
searching for home"?
I'm your home.
Is Ellie her true home, or is
there some other, larger
home and family out there?
The hours will be long,
and I need to know how that's
gonna fly with the husband,
boyfriend, kids?
None of the above.
It felt really important
that we see Lemle as someone
who's stopping her
from being able to achieve what
she wants to achieve,
which is a real natural desire
to save her mother's life.
Pick a name, let's get your mom
in this thing.
Pick a name?
There's 30 slots.
We already have 30 patients,
doesn't matter to me which
patient your mom replaces.
What he's saying to her is,
I have an instinct
that you are a killer.
If my mother saw me pick a name,
she would drop dead on the spot
way before the cancer
could kill her.
And in arguing with him that she
is not a killer,
that he is wrong about her,
she kills him.
And so, in fact, he was right
in his instinct about her
in some way.
This is a question that's gonna
plague Rowan
through the entire first season,
"Am I a destroyer or not?"
What about the man?
I hardly ever see him anymore.
Deirdre...
Lying is also a sin.
Deirdre has been locked up in
the First Street House
and not allowed to go anywhere
except to school
and to confession, because her
aunts are so terrified
of the power of Lasher,
who is this being who's
connected to her.
Stop it! Stop it now!
This is one of the scenes that
comes out of the book,
where rose petals are falling,
and young girls
outside the church are dancing
in them,
and that idea that,
throughout her childhood,
there's then been this magical
being in her life
who showers her with rose petals
and makes her feel special
and makes her feel divine,
is a part of the seduction
of this figure, Lasher.
How many times have I told you
not to encourage him?!
I didn't ask him to come.
Why can't you see that I am
trying to protect you?!
Just go to your room.
And think about
what you've done.
She believes Lasher is the only
one who sees or understands her
because her aunts have made any
kind of other human interaction
impossible for her.
Cortland is
such a wonderful character.
Don't hog the beauty, come on.
Just full of that Mayfair,
kind of,
joy and lavishness
and decadence.
You can't imagine the number of
times I've driven by your house
and thought, I should stop and
throw stones at your window.
Try to get you out of there.
I wish you had.
Well, I'm sure it would only
make more trouble
between you and my sisters.
So...
Here's to you.
An he's also a nefarious
character,
he's got all kinds of
hidden agendas,
the snake seemed to
embody him perfectly.
You know I'm worried
for your soul,
for the soul of your child.
It felt really important that
Rowan's birth,
the origin of this character,
be embedded in the story
of the pilot.
We wanted the audience
to be in on the secret of
Rowan's origins,
this kind of fairytale story of
this baby
who's taken from a family,
moved somewhere else,
doesn't know who she is,
doesn't know her name.
Anne Rice's book is all about
mothers and the power of women.
I wanna see her! She needs to see
the doctor first.
No! Carlotta!
No! Bring her back! No!
So, it felt really important to
have Rowan's birth
in this first episode.
This baby can never, ever
know who she is.
It'd be too dangerous for this
family and for her.
Whatever you say, Aunt Carlotta.
We wanted to end the episode
with Rowan out in the elements
again just as we met her, but
with so much having changed.
She's lost her mother, she is
beginning to think of herself
as a kind of monster who has a
power she doesn't understand.
And in Deirdre's story,
this necklace comes off
and now Lasher
has been released.
I want to know who
Deirdre Mayfair really is.
What will happen now that Lasher
has come into proximity
with Rowan?