The remaining members of the coven conjure Rio onto the Witches' Road to serve as their green witch. They embarked on this mission incomplete. They didn't realize the extent of Agatha's deceit until learning Sharon had no magical powers whatsoever. She was killed during the first trial which centered on Jen's skills. Inevitably, a trial will emerge that depends on a witch who garners her powers from the Earth. Rio insists she is not just a green witch but the green witch. Her voice turns more demonic when making that proclamation too. Alice, Jen and Lilia don't know if they should trust her yet. Of course, these were all witches without a coven before being assembled. Now, they are learning how to work together. Agatha doesn't particularly care about any of them. She's eager to continue on the journey. She doesn't care about burying Sharon's body or taking a moment to mourn. She doesn't have that empathetic reaction. She remains selfishly driven by power. And yet, cracks continue to emerge in that facade. Many of them are a result of Rio's sudden appearance and Teen's overall mystery. She wants to keep everything closely held. She also needs a coven in order to survive. She did so once. She was only joined by one other person at the conclusion of that journey though.
Moreover, the Witches' Road changes to reflect the coven. For Jen, her trial wasn't inherently specific to anything that haunts her. She only now opens up to her fellow witches about how she was bound in the first place. She fell into a trap. She's still vague on the details. She knows who to hold responsible. This information helps the coven form a stronger connection. It emerges after they succeed during their second trial. This one is much more personal for Alice. She recognizes the house while it still looms in the distance. She doesn't want to enter. She wants to leave everything related to her mother behind. She even shares that she isn't on this journey to figure out what happened to Lorna. Her motives are unclear now. No one has much time to process that information. The coven quickly inherits the curse that has plagued Alice's family for generations. Lilia responds with empathy while Jen immediately freaks out. The esthetic of the second trial comes from a 1970s recording studio. It's a shrine to Lorna Wu. Alice has to confront the curse. That's the only way to defeat it. It becomes a physical manifestation in this place. This is an opportunity that could only occur on the Road. And so, the trial delivers it for the entire coven to face.
Of course, the narrative produces another moment where the singing of "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" is the climatic action. A performance opened the door. And now, Lorna's version is revealed as a protection charm. It's meant to keep Alice safe so long as people keep performing it. Alice has been reluctant to embrace her identity as a witch. And yet, she is quick to action when others are in need of protection. That's her skillset. She knows how to practice witchcraft. She simply lives in a constant state of denial. She blames outside forces for her inability to have a meaningful life. She's angry with her mother for leaving her in this agony. Lorna made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her daughter. It was an act of courage and love. Now, Alice responds with sadness. That's a better emotion. It allows her to feel more fulfilled and honest about who she is. The coven experiences all of this alongside her. The burden shifts to each of them as well. Sure, the climactic moment of the performance involves Alice coming face-to-face with the demonic personification of the curse. It goes up in flames. Alice has the confidence to defeat it. She's not exactly the central figure of this story though. The actions derive importance. However, the performance is equally shared by the rest of the coven - with Agatha on lead vocals really selling it all.
Teen is left with a serious injury after the exit opens. That too highlights the usefulness of Jen's knowledge. All it takes is water and moonlight to heal his wound. It doesn't just happen because of the inherent magical powers these witches possess. That's how they treated their injuries previously. Here, they have to rely on the core tenets of being a witch. It's a back-to-basics approach to how they wield power and influence. Lilia is outspoken about the misconceptions and stereotypes about witches. She enjoys the journey for showing the diversity and uniqueness of the identity. It's more of a commentary within the overall narrative instead of something inherently moving within the dynamics of the characters. It's something Lilia feels strongly about. For the viewer, it's a way to acknowledge the past in the medium. That's meant to be insightful while telling a more conventional story. The overall narrative needs more specificity for that to work though. Everyone knows Agatha will kill the witches the moment they are no longer useful. It's actually verbalized here. Agatha believes because she caught Rio saying it that will endear her to the rest of her makeshift coven. She's always plotting. Yet more is teased about the history Agatha and Rio share. One can infer what it means. It's not exactly confirmed in a way that leaves everyone operating with certainty.
Agatha's response to Teen's life being endangered is different. She shows more affection for him than anyone else. It may simply be nothing more than projection over the lingering guilt she has for sacrificing her son to obtain the Darkhold. Teen wants to hear that story. He is curious about what actually happened. Agatha shares that sigils are broken once they are no longer necessary. She doesn't know if she placed the sigil on Teen. Everyone is operating in the dark. Yet Agatha sees Teen's character. She trusts him even though she puts a brave face on most of the time. She may think he is her son. Rio has a different understanding. She acknowledges that she and Agatha have caused each other a lot of pain over the years. They were simply doing their jobs. Their feelings made things more complicated. It was more painful but Rio still had to take action. Agatha teases her about potentially rekindling what they had for a moment. The sexual tension is palpable between the two. They even almost kiss. And then, Rio shares that "the boy isn't yours." She inquired why he was invited onto this journey. Agatha evaded the question. These characters want to be vague out of self-preservation. That's an insightful instinct that explains how they've survived for so many years. It's not the best way to create an engaging narrative. The audience must feel invested in the emotional outcomes of these events. The show has plenty of style. The costuming! The set design! Substance is still a work in progress. The potential is absolutely there to deliver. It's just a little too much of a tease getting to what's hopefully more satisfying.
