A Discovery of Witches review: An excellent start to a beautiful adaptation
A Discovery of Witches Season 1 is binge-worthy. This has to be one of the most beautiful adaptations in a long time. What’s to love, what’s to look forward to next season, and what could do with changing?
I’ll say now that if you haven’t watched all eight episodes of A Discovery of Witches Season 1, then you may end up with spoilers. Check out my best moments piece from the premiere episode until you get caught up!
There’s no denying that book adaptations need to cut out material. I just have to look at Outlander, which has 13-16 episodes (depending on the season) and it ends up cutting a large amount of the books. A Discovery of Witches Season 1 had just eight episodes to tell the story. And yes, there were certainly moments cut out, but they didn’t take away from the storyline.
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The Teresa Palmer-Matthew Goode-starring series is one of the most beautiful adaptations. I’ll be honest and say I often find the side characters more interesting and intriguing, but not in this case. Diana and Matthew’s story immediately pulled me in. I found myself needing to know more about this centuries-old vampire, his research into the different species, and Diana’s reluctance to use her magic.
What worked and what didn’t? What was there to love so much about the episode and what’s to look forward to in the next season? Let’s delve into this with the good, the bad, and the downright awesome.
The good: Beautiful scenery and cinematography
I couldn’t get enough of the settings used for each of the locations. We got the beauty of Oxford, and delightfulness of Paris’ outskirts, the vibrancy of Rome, and so much more. It was always clear from the stock footage where we were going to next and it all just added more to the settings.
Then there’s the use of the camera angles, the lighting, and directorial decisions. They helped to add intensity to each of the scenes, bring out the essence of the storylines.
Each setting had its own coloring. The characters brought their own vibe. Everything gelled as you would expect.
And it’s impossible to overlook the writing. Yes, a lot of it does come from the book, but sometimes it can be very difficult to know which parts to discard and which parts to keep. For someone who has read the book, there’s plenty to love. Those who have never read the books will find themselves enjoying A Discovery of Witches and find it easy to follow the story.