Motherland: Fort Salem (Hulu)

Slydice · 22-05-2020 12:12am #1

Seems I missed this on my radar completely!

Alt-History Series about Women Witches in the US Army.
Some war stuff happened in the past and now Witches are the big deal for combat.
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherland:_Fort_Salem

Saw a trailer for it, looked like they put in the effort so giving it a shot.

Current ratings:
Looks like the audience who wanted to watch it, liked it with 97% from them on RT:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/motherland_fort_salem/s01
Checking imdb more details on who might like it most:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9900092/ratings
So probably worthwhile giving the heads-up that this show (episode 1 anyway) is mostly women in case that's an issue for you.

Trailer:

First reaction.. StarWitch Troopers meets Full Metal Jacket.

1: Surprising start and surprising finish.

I wasn't expecting them to have a surprise that strong so quick with Scylla being the Spree woman

.

Feels like they're keeping the show gritty. I wonder if they've been given the budget to keep it going to the end.

Sudden Valley · 22-05-2020 4:56pm

It was very strange show with quite good production values. Its like teen dram show with a nationalistic/militistic view point. It got renewed so someone must have watched it.

Agent Coulson · 23-05-2020 7:17pm

Watched the first episode very dark mass terrorism by suicide and quiet sexual for PG Disney Freeform which is aimed at teens in the majority.

Interesting premises with doggy cgi and green screen the dark story line is enough to watch episode 2.

Will Ferrell & Adam McKay produce it.

EoinMcLovin · 24-05-2020 5:26pm

Finished up this week and has also been renewed for a second season. Its watchable but the decisions of some of the characters is questionable at times

Sudden Valley · 24-05-2020 8:20pm

I think they built an interesting world but the international aspect of witches from different countries battling each other was never adequately explained. and to introducing a fresh bad guy in the last few epsiodes was just baffling.

Slydice · 03-06-2020 8:44pm

2: Developing the story well. That thing with the voices as powers is really done well. Spooky!

Looks like a decent budget has been put into the show and

there'll be a big showdown before the end of the season .. maybe because of this ambush that happened.

Slydice · 04-06-2020 8:52pm

3: Background and world building.. which is good for me considering how new the show feels.

Alder must be ancient!

Slydice · 05-06-2020 8:34pm

4: Ridin! Ridin Everywhere!

So this episode felt more of a build up the unit and the squad. Looks like it worked.

Then also the reveal that there's more Spree in Fort Salem itself.

Slydice · 05-06-2020 9:34pm

5: Damn! :eek: That went

from such a soft start and then just escalating right up to the end! I wouldn't be surprised if Scylla has actually been captured and is about to be interrogated though.

Slydice · 07-06-2020 8:26pm

6:

I knew she was alive and captured! Guessing this is gonna be a turning point in the full story somehow.

EoinMcLovin · 07-06-2020 10:17pm

Slydice wrote: »

6:
I knew she was alive and captured! Guessing this is gonna be a turning point in the full story somehow.

Just wait and see. The next 3 episodes are great with the finale being a bit hit or miss in some parts.

Slydice · 10-06-2020 9:48pm

7: Things definitely feel like they are turning. The helicopter drop at the end looked cool.

Slydice · 11-06-2020 8:35pm

8: Well.

I hadn't realised I'd grown attached to having Swythe in the show until she was lost.

Also noticed on the board as it whisked by that this world only had a first world war, not a second.

Slydice · 12-06-2020 9:20pm

9: Showtime!

Things have got to be about to kick off. Guessing this is a civil war or their second world war or something. It could just wrap up neatly too.. maybe.

Slydice · 13-06-2020 6:02pm

Finished! Overall a solid show in an Alternative History Universe where witches are a core part of the U.S. Army. Probably could give Season 1 a subtitle of Graduation or Boot Camp or something.

Was cool to see Amanda Tapping direct an episode.

Definitely would like to see more. The viewership numbers look like they were holding steady or improving towards the end:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherland:_Fort_Salem#Reception

10: Ooooooooooohhhh! Well. That explains that! Real edge of the seat stuff

there at the end with what happened to Tally first and then Raelle and Abigail. Looks like three big story arcs for the future including The Camarilla, the Spree and whatever that black stuff was. Maybe a hint right at the end about how Raelles mother was cooking Mushrooms and the black stuff maybe being a fungus.

JP Liz V1 · 16-07-2020 11:10pm

Fort Salem (also known as Motherland: Fort Salem) will receive its UK premiere on BBC Three on Sunday July 26th at 6am, when all ten episodes will be available to stream

gmisk · 26-07-2020 1:04pm

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Fort Salem (also known as Motherland: Fort Salem) will receive its UK premiere on BBC Three on Sunday July 26th at 6am, when all ten episodes will be available to stream

I have watched ep1....hard to beat that opening! But it's fun all the same

gmisk · 13-08-2020 10:23pm

Tone was a bit all over the shop really but it was a hugely enjoyable series with some really fun ideas, and improved as it went along, some great twists and turns I especially enjoyed the last couple of episodes.
Season 2 inevitable I would say.

Agent Coulson · 26-02-2021 6:46pm

Season 2 will start in the summer Freeform announced today.

EoinMcLovin · 20-05-2021 5:58pm

Season 2 starts on June 22nd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIAv_Klebx8

EoinMcLovin · 07-06-2021 4:05pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RlWkzZsXsw

Slydice · 26-06-2021 2:53am

2.1: Amanda Tapping directing the first episode back!

She sure knows how to create a mood.
The episode has a recap at the start but I think there might be bits/feels I'm still forgetting.

It did feel like a bit of a catch-up episode.

The 3 reuniting like that with minimal effects from the fallout of the season 1 finale felt a bit odd. Will see where they go with it. The relationship between the Carmarilla and the Spree this season look it'll be getting attention. Could be some sort of fight there or the Spree getting complicated or something.

fritzelly · 27-06-2021 4:55am

Just watching the first episode of season 2 and I cannot remember hardly anything from season 1 bar the basic premise
Weird as the other series Salem had a nice coherent story line to follow - will give it a few more episodes maybe but my brain seems to be telling me to skip this show

Slydice · 04-07-2021 10:09pm

2.2: That was done really well

showing how Raelle was the one with the powers and it was from touching the mycelium. Also felt like they were levelling up Tallys powers a bit. I get the feeling the woman removed from the photo might be one of the first spree and that the non-canon power thing is going to be the origin of the spree.

Sudden Valley · 05-07-2021 12:56pm

I feel like the writers have dropped some of the storylines from season 1. The girls were suspicious of the commander, for example, for what she did to the president, but that seems to have disappeared. Also Scylla seemed way more scared of the Spree leadership but now they having wine and being buddies. That definitely makes Scylla more complicit in her crimes.

Slydice · 17-07-2021 4:46pm

2.3 and 2.4: It feels so nasty just seeing that

the Camarilla main tactic is cutting out their throats. I've still no clue what their main objective is, seems to be just to kill all the witches. Then with the Alder suspicious behaviour, it could be tracking back a long time to something she did.

Feels like the actress playing Abigails mother, General Petra Bellweather, is putting in a solid performance.

It's like she's got a lot going on and gets the direct stuff across but has some nuance put it for playing a long game with Alder

She's played by Catherine Lough Haggquist and has a long acting history:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0521723/

Recently in multiple episodes of Supernatural but going back to the 90s where she was in 4 episodes of the Highlander TV Series!

Obligatory rewatch of the intro! 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBYKLKS15yY

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117593943#Comment_117593943

Well.. some development made on that one

Sudden Valley · 19-07-2021 9:54am

It is an interesting show - prompts a fair few questions regarding mass conscription and terrorism.

Slydice · 22-07-2021 10:27pm

2.5: The Camarilla seem to have gone down a level danger-wise.. unless there's more to em or they were all a bit of smoke and daggers.

Feels like the next parts of the story is gonna be hunting them down and wiping them out.

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117631033#Comment_117631033

The show keeps giving me a feel of Starship Troopers and the military in that.

Sudden Valley · 23-07-2021 7:06pm

Yeah the Camarilla were pretty ineffectual in the last episode. Would be surprised if the VP is not involved in shunting off the president and turning on the witches. I'm guessing he deliberately had his daughter fail the witch test when she was younger.

Slydice · 29-07-2021 10:58pm

2.6: Jeez.. this show.. it's like someone saw the Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones and was like..

could we do this much throat mutilation as a regular feature in a show?

I was like.. 😲 when the

they poured the molten metal down the dudes throat but then the scene with it happening to Alder.. she made it so real!

I think it's becoming clear that

Raelles mother must still be alive

EoinMcLovin · 30-07-2021 1:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117680682#Comment_117680682

It's already been confirmed her mother is alive since the end of last season. Her mother is Scylla's boss in the spree

Sudden Valley · 30-07-2021 3:45pm

I'm really not sure what the Spree want to achieve now. Removing Alder shouldn't change anything since each country in the world seems to have witch soldiers and it would just weaken the US if they somewhere prevented witches in that country from joining the army. Also some of the US civilians/non-witches want the conscription to stop too so why would the Spree kill them?

EoinMcLovin · 30-07-2021 7:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117683553#Comment_117683553

Yeah at least with the Camarilla we know they want to kill all witches. The Spree , in season 1 were all about killing non witches. So far in season 2, the cell Scylla is part of is going after the Camarilla while the leader (the soldier Tally was having visions of) of the Spree just attacked Alder, which i'd say was more for revenge. it looks like separate cells in the Spree have their own goals.

Slydice · 30-07-2021 10:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117680989#Comment_117680989

Glad someone remembered.. it had kinda been nagging at me. I was full sure there was a reason it didn't shock me all that much.

Slydice · 30-07-2021 10:45pm

For the Spree, their story and essentially the details of what sounds like some huge world war that's being glossed over makes it sound like it's a lot bigger than the show has let on so far.

There are hints though.. GNN being the news network caught my attention recently.. the G I'm assuming being Global and pointedly so.

Slydice · 04-08-2021 10:46pm

2.7: This show goes some pretty dark places! Like damn..

Adil just out there breaking bones!

I really thought Abigail was gonna do something big like

a storm to pull down that camarilla base but no.

Then the Alder

and Nicte business.. that looks like it could end up pulling Alder out of the show.. hard to see the show doing that though when she's such a major character.

Finally..

Nooo, Raelles mother! That scene was really moving! I'm guessing Raelles gonna be really mad and out for revenge when she's all recovered.

Sudden Valley · 05-08-2021 11:37am

Raelles mother is played by probably the worse actress in the show- so I enjoyed that episode! The civilians treatment of the witches, basically their own army is a bit weird- disrespecting them publicly, slagging them off for being in-breds. I root for Scylla to be redeemed but I can't see it happening, she has done so many bad things- excited to see progress in her story.

Sudden Valley · 12-08-2021 10:27am

Another impatient episodes with a lot of action. The Spree has been quite disappointing this season and having a twist within an episode that is revealed five minutes later in the same episode is just strange.

Slydice · 14-08-2021 4:36pm

2.8: I really like that scene at the start

between Tally and Alder. That was really well done. Really tense!

The episode kinda just ticked along until that end

I was definitely not expecting the Tally/Nicte switch. All the same though.. Nicte seemed a bit underwhelming in her attack on Alder compared to the stuff she'd been doing all episode/ the stuff the Spree have been doing until now.

Slydice · 20-08-2021 9:29pm

2.9: Real story/character development episode. Pieces all moving forward. I'm assuming

there's gonna be some big fights with the Camarilla coming up after this.. well on the basis that the plague doesn't wipe out the whole army here

Lyne Renée who plays Alder does a great job in this show! Her acting is really strong for the character!

EoinMcLovin · 23-08-2021 7:49pm

https://youtu.be/cTuXCNF8GbQ

Renewed for third and final season

Slydice · 23-08-2021 11:01pm

Sah-weet! Can just enjoy the season finale now whether it has a cliffhanger or not! 🙂

Slydice · 26-08-2021 12:16am

2.10: Wow! That was a jam packed season finale!

Real mix of reactions outta me there at the end from thinking a witch prison break is really cool.. to that **** prick killing his own daughter.. to a kind of relief at seeing some kind of regeneration of Alder.. not sure the show could feel as strong without Lyne Renée

Looking forward to season 3!

Sudden Valley · 26-08-2021 5:49pm

I'm glad they can wrap the show up next season but the writer has made some terrible missteps this and last season. Making the army co-operate with the spree who kill innocent civilians for one. Have the civilians treat their own army soldiers like dirt. Have one of the main romantic lead a serial killer who has killed children. Unwillingness to kill off any of the main characters.

So much potential in this show but I think the creator fudged it.

Agent Coulson · 05-05-2022 12:26am

The final season starts on June 21st.

EoinMcLovin · 07-06-2022 8:41pm

https://youtu.be/O-F_9dTUEcc

_____

Slydice · 17-07-2022 12:14am

Ugh, I'm so far behind!

3.1: Well. Life in the army sure ain't gonna prepare you for life on the run!

I did like that ending! Good to see Lyne Renée still with the show. I wonder has she more/less/different powers now.

For Raelle, Tally and Abigail, I'm imagining they'll surely let loose in a fight what with all this on-the-run tension building up. Although.. Raelle and Scylla seem to be taking care of their own tension! 😁

Roxxers · 17-07-2022 12:50am

worth watching ?

Samuri Suicide · 17-07-2022 12:59am

The ked

Slydice · 17-07-2022 2:31pm

3.2: Oh! I definitely was getting .. Bravestarr? .. vibes there at the end. Cool addition.

Not sure what's going on with Raelle and the mycelium. I wonder if the poison is gonna be a corrupting influence.. then at the same time.. what about Alder from episode one.

Hmmmm... the Witchplague and Penelope coming back.. seemed a bit wierd. Not sure if it means they can actually get people back.. like maybe they've just been part-broken-down like a star trek transporter beam and just need to be reconstituted. Or.. it could just be another phase of the weapon. Isadora sure got her mad scientist face right on the money for this one! 😲😀

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119347695#Comment_119347695

Probably depends on what you are into.

It's on season three now but the trailer for season one looks like it's still available here:

Motherland: Fort Salem Season 1 Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASwXRDVBVY

My first post has my first impressions:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058080016/motherland-fort-salem-hulu

While there's been some big events, I wouldn't say there's been any huge army-vs-army events.