A Discovery of Witches: Why Matthew and Diana are not your typical supernatural romance

Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop are the forbidden romance at the center of A Discovery of Witches. They may be supernatural but their romance is so much more than your typical supernatural romance and here’s why.

We all love a good supernatural romance, right? They’ve become a common element in fiction and admit it, they’re fun. But with so many supernatural romances now gracing our TV and movie screens, and the pages of our favorite books, supernatural romances need to do something to stand out. Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop from A Discovery of Witches,  based on the best selling “All Souls” trilogy, certainly do that.

The first thing to point out is that unlike many girls in romances involving vampires, Diana is actually an adult rather than a teenager in high school. No judgment, many of us had our Twilight and The Vampire Diaries phases, but realistically no teenager would be able to maintain such a relationship. Diana is a mature and powerful woman who is more than capable of making her own decisions and holding her own.

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Diana also happens to be extremely educated and is a professor at Oxford University, as is Matthew. This puts them on equal footing in terms of career and education which is important in a relationship and something that’s not shown often enough. Yes, Matthew does have more life experience, but Diana is a historian and more than able to keep up with him.

In reverse of most supernatural romances, Diana is no damsel in distress. She happens to be a very powerful, if reluctant, witch. Which means the power balance is much more equal between her and Matthew than in your usual supernatural romances. While Matthew may crave her, not an uncommon theme in vampire romances, she is powerful enough to defend herself and is never really in danger.

The reason Matthew and Diana are brought together is far more than just a vampire falling for a human girl because she’s oh so beautiful. That trope is a bit overused and tired. While Diana may be beautiful, it’s her power and her abilities which draws Matthew’s attention.

Especially the fact that Diana can call up a centuries-old book that no one else can access. That book also happens to be the very book which could solve the serious problems infecting supernatural creatures and thus gives Matthew a real reason to begin pursuing Diana.

For Diana’s part, she warms up to Matthew not just because of his good looks but rather because of her love for history. Since Matthew has been alive for so many centuries he can give her first-hand accounts from history that no one else ever could and that intrigues the historian within her. Basically, the way to Diana’s heart is history and Matthew has the key. Though yes, his looks and charm certainly don’t hurt!

Then there’s the matter that relationships between different species are essentially forbidden. Most witches are prejudiced against vampires and vice versa (and daemons too). Their relationship shows a tale of tolerance and breaking prejudices within a supernatural background, which is just one of the many reasons why it’s so refreshing to watch.

What else do you think makes Matthew and Diana’s relationship stand out? How do they rank among your favorite supernatural relationships? Let us know!

A Discovery of Witches aired in the UK on Sky One and is now available in the U.S. and Canada on Sundance Now and Shudder.