This article contains spoilers for season two of Motherland: Fort Salem. Season 2, Episode 4 "Not Our Daughters" aired July 13, 2021.
Fort Salem is trying to find new witches before the Camarilla. Alder and the vice president's daughter urge young women to visit testing centers and find out if they're of the blood.
Abigail's rogue work last episode blew out her vocal cords. Adil bids her a tense goodbye as he and Khalida head off to India to find a new home for the Tarim. Meanwhile, Tally keeps trying to find answers about Alder's involvement with Nicte Batan.
The history books aren't any help; all of them say Alder wasn't present at the conflict- which took place in Liberia- despite what Tally witnessed. She grills Petra Bellweather, who repeats the same answer but is intrigued when Tally mentions that she's heard otherwise. No one tells her about the visions. Anacostia wasn't working alone when she let Scylla escape last season. Petra Bellweather was in on it, and Alder is none too happy. Anacostia doesn't hold back when the general accuses her of breaking protocol; Alder set that bar pretty high. Despite this, she urges Anacostia to continue tailing their Camarilla source. If their ancient power structure is still in place, they'll have to report to one of their leaders soon. Finding their commanders is imperative to taking them out. Alder is deeply hurt after cutting their discussion short. Her reaction brings up the same questions that Tally's vision of Nicte Batan produced; Does she regret her actions? Or is she upset about losing loyalty?
Tensions rise between different Spree cells as Willa and Scylla discuss their partnership with the military. Willa has the same idea as Alder- stay the course, and follow the Camarilla to their leader. More and more this season, we're seeing two sides of the same coin. Anacostia and Scylla. Willa and Alder. The Spree and the army. Alder, Sekhmet unit, and Penelope Silver are greeted by an angry crowd as they arrive at a witch testing center. Wielding signs and bandanas, attendees chant: "Not our daughters." The first girl to arrive for assessment is met in force.
Scylla and Anacostia watch as protesters file into the event. Scylla tries to find out how Raelle is doing. Anacostia tells her to stay focused, though that gets complicated when the younger girl sees Raelle at the ceremony.
As their contact arrives, the two blend in with the crowd. They link up with their civilian contacts- Bonnie and her husband- who are there to rile things up. They urge them to put on mask because the army is targeting protestors. No doubt another seed of dissent planted by the Camarilla. The crowd itself is a mixture of pro-movement members and the average, witch-fearing citizens. Penelope puts on a strange show. It's not clear if it was meant to assuage the protestors worries. Regardless, it doesn't work. No one listens as Alder explains the good that the military does. She's cut off as someone tosses a molotov.
With the American flag in tatters, the rally starts turns into a riot. A fitting backdrop for the divided nation. Despite its fantastical premise, Motherland continues to ground itself in reality.
Anacostia and Scylla watch as "employees" set something in motion with law enforcement at the event. Despite their reservations, Anacostia warns Alder. The general realizes the Camarilla's tactics have evolved.
Nevertheless, she urges her generals to lie. The public can't know how vulnerable they are, and they need to minimize panic among current and prospective witches. So they pin the violence on the Spree.
Soon after, the Camarilla's plan is set into motion. A high pitch sound wave reverberates in the witches' ears. Abigail is led into a trap as she follows her late cousin's- Charvel's- voice into an empty garage. The Camarilla found a use for the vocal cords they cut out of her last season.
The rest of Sekhmet fruitlessly attempt to protect protestors as they discover devices planted by the Camarilla. Anacostia and Scylla's contact steps forward and says: Our daughters will never be safe! Raelle acknowledges that some may be called, but repeats something Scylla told her in the series' pilot: army will make them strong. Unbeknownst to Collar, the other girl is listening to her speech just a few feet away.
It doesn't work. Things grind to a halt as a shockwave sends everyone to the ground.
It's chaos as everyone rises to their feet. Police are beating protestors. Abigail is missing. Everyone sans Raelle goes rushes to look for Bellweather, and find her just before the Camarilla carve through her larynx. As Raelle gets her bearings, she locks eyes with someone else. A masked protestor staring back at her. Scylla. A body crashes into Raelle. The other girl vanishes by the time she looks up again. She leaves a clue behind- a photo of Raelle she stole from Willa's fridge. Raelle and Tally accompany Abigail in the infirmary. Craven asks if she's sure it was Scylla. If the picture didn't already confirm it, the glance did. She'd know those eyes anywhere. It's not important right now. Abigail is struggling with survivors guilt, and all three girls are grappling with Alder's decision to keep the Camarilla's existence on the down-low. It's one lie after another. Despite her reverence for the general, Tally is the most upset over the deceit. It's never Alder's life on the line. She wants answers, and storms into Alder's office after-hours to get them. Next week's episode will feature Samhain. Season 2 picks up steam with "Not Our Daughters," and episode 5 promises more answers about the Camarilla amid witchy Halloween shenanigans. The double-whammy reunion that's bound to happen between Raelle, Scylla, and Willa inches ever-closer.
Check out the trailer for episode 5 below:
Watch new episodes of Motherland: Fort Salem on Freeform Tuesdays at 10PM. Stills accessed from dgepress.com. All rights reserved to Motherland: Fort Salem and Freeform.
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