Abomination

Season

2

Episode

2

Writer

Brian Studler

Director

Amanda Tapping

Episode guide
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Abomination is the second episode in Season 2 of the Freeform series, Motherland: Fort Salem. It aired on June 29, 2021.

Synopsis[]

The Unit begins War College, introducing them to their Coven and new challenges. Anacostia and Scylla find themselves unlikely partners in a dangerous mission. Tally mentors a new recruit.

Plot[]

Despite having tried for days working with Izadora, Raelle and Abigail have been unable to replicate the witchbomb. Sarah Alder is disappointed as she has a delegation coming from the Hague and had hoped to offer them a new tool in the fight against the Camarilla. She decide that it is time for Raelle and Abigail to join Tally at War College.

The three discuss the matter, Raelle wanting the testing to continue if it will keep them in the fight. They ask Tally about her dreams, but she says that she hasn't had anymore strange dreams like the one she had before. The conversation turns to War College, Tally and Raelle asking Abigail what they can expect as they know she's been waiting for this her whole life. She explains that they will be part of a coven, called Sekhmet, that every Coven of War College is named after an ancient goddess. They discuss that people are saying that they only got in because Abigail's mother pulled strings and decide that they'll show everyone soon enough. They then spy a new girl, Penelope, daughter of the vice president, Blanton Silver, and talk about how lonely she seems.

Willa Collar, of the Spree, meets with Scylla Ramshorn, telling her that it's been a week and asking her what she's learned. Scylla tells her that she was right, that although she hasn't heard the word "Camarilla," there is someone powerful pulling the strings. She continues that she's made a couple of well-connected friends who always seem to know when the next event is going to be. She discusses making friends with the wife of one of them, but Willa warns her to stay on-mission. She tells Scylla that when Raelle was ten, she spent a total of 18 days with her family, they military keeping her deployed because they resented who she had married. She grew so bitter that she lost sight of everything but the Spree's mission, having to live with the fact that her daughter grew up without her. She then thought that once they found the Camarilla returned that her daughter might even be safer in the army. Scylla wonders if maybe she could speak to her daughter now, but she wonders what she would even say.

The Bellweather Unit begins War College and are addressed by an individual named M. They explain that they will be their coven leader. They continue that although they will have classes together as a coven, much of their time will be spent by themselves on their own specializations. They tell them they'll still be bunking together as units. While Abigail meets with Gregorio Shellbark, M asks to speak with Raelle for a bit. They explain that her reputation proceeds her and wanted to see what all the fuss is about. They continue that they have just one concern, but Raelle tells them that Scylla is all in the past and she's all done with secrets.

After some further gossip between the group about Shellbark, M gives a call to attention. They then introduce Alder. She wishes the group well on the first day of War College, explaining the importance of what they're doing. She continues that this is no longer just about the Spree, that they're facing the re-emergence of a powerful ancient enemy. She tells them to embrace the foundational principles of War College: to know by constantly seeking the truth, to dare to be utterly fearless, to will to effect change and to be silent, that all secrets keep. She tells the group to take these principles to heart and they will serve them well. M then comments to Raelle that if she's going to bring intrigue to class she has to make sure there's enough to share, leading Abigail to comment that she thinks this is the part where they keep silent. Back in her lab, Izadora examines the sample from Raelle and realizes that it is part of their Mycelium, that Raelle still somehow connected it, having previously touched and walked away unscathed.

Meanwhile, Scylla attends a meeting in which people are demanding justice for Spree attacks and seem to be turning their fury towards witches in general. She talks with some of the people there, getting the lay of things. Suddenly, a woman gets up and makes a speech about having lost someone. It turns out to be Anacostia Quartermain. After she finishes her speech, Scylla personally confronts her, asking just what she is doing. Anacostia comments that she could ask her the same thing. Scylla realizes that she's been following her, asking if she's put a fetch on her and why she hasn't arrested her. Anacostia tells her that isn't what this is about. "This is part of your quest to save me," realizes Scylla. She tries to argue that she doesn't feel any remorse, but Anacostia tells her that she's been watching her for weeks and she knows she's trying to infiltrate this movement of anti-witch sentiment. She tells Scylla that certain things about Alder and the Army just aren't sitting right with her and that it has her wondering if there might not be a different way.

Back at War College, Sekhmet attends a class on Mothertongue, hosted by Channing Grafton. He indicates the presence of Adil from the Tarim, explaining that he asked him to sit in because his people grow up speaking Mothertongue. He states that they're probably wondering why they need to study this at all, explaining that there is certain Work that can only be done in Mothertongue. He then asks them to consider a question: how it is that Adil can understand English, a language that he has never studied. Following the class, Tally pays a visit to General Alder. She tells her that she's been thinking a lot about the new cadet, Penelope Silver, and that she wants to mentor her to get her ready for Basic. Alder agrees that it's an excellent idea, complimenting her empathy, and gives it her blessing. Alder then gets a visit from Khalida, wanting to know where she and her brother might settle. She tells Alder that General Sharma has offered her protection, but Alder pleads with her to reconsider, warning her that the Camarilla have been developing a weapon of genocide known as the witchplague. She asks her to work together with them to stamp out the Camarilla, but Khalida isn't so sure. Meanwhile, Tally has a nightmare in which she observes General Alder in the past with an unknown woman. The woman uses some kind of Work with a bottle and Alder tells her that it's definitely not Canon. "Maybe it could be," the woman tells her.

Coven Sekhmet continues their War College training, now attending a class on Off-Canon Work with Magda Verger. She warns them that the Work they are about to learn about is something that is forbidden to them but which their enemies won't hesitate to use. She tells them that the class is about learning how to recognize such work and to resist it. She continues that there are sounds all around them at all times, some beyond the range of hearing, and that any sort of nastiness could be layered into those sounds making someone do terrible things. Tally asks if the Army has ever used this work in combat, but she tells her that this work is exclusively the domain of their enemies. She then sends them into a room, where they find themselves faced with one of these workings and have to find the source.

The test is a madhouse, the witches faced with a strange working that threatens to drive them crazy and desperate to find the source. Abigail is annoyed when Tally seems to be just standing around. She asks her why she's not doing anything, but she tells her that she is then eventually takes lead of the group, telling them "this way." Elsewhere, Anacostia and Scylla continue making friends with Bonnie and Shane. They share a toast - "to new friends and ridding the world of monsters." After Bonnie and Shane leave, Anacostia tells Scylla that things have gone way too far. Scylla tells her that one of them has to leave. Anacostia, however, asks her if she really wants to pull the plug just when it's getting interesting.

Back at Fort Salem, part of the group completes the test, lead by Tally. Magda congratulates her, saying that it's the first time anyone has even beaten the Dollhouse on their first try. Tally, however, realizes that Abigail and Raelle are missing. It turns out that the two are with Izadora. Izadora tells Raelle that "you touched her and you have to pay," referring to the Mycelium. She shouts at her, saying that she stole years of research, but it turns out that it is all a test to get her to activate the witchbomb. It proves conclusively that the phenomenon is Raelle's alone, having nothing to do with Abigail. Izadora explains that the phenomenon is protective and the test had to seem real in order to get it to work. She continues that Abigail is okay, though disappointed not to be a part of it. Afterwards, Raelle calls the whole thing manipulative, saying that they couldn't care less what happens to them, but Abigail replies that it's part of what it means to be a soldier. They wonder what happens next and Raelle says that it's more tests.

Scylla discusses having met Anacostia with Willa. Willa asks her she believes Anacostia's really working alone and tells her to stay the course. Abigail meets with Khalida, asking if she's seen Adil. She tells her that she wants to talk with her about Adil, saying that she has to understand that their being there is not a permanent situation. She continues that her brother will always choose his people just as she will always choose hers. Elsewhere in Fort Salem, Tally works with Penelope, getting her ready for Basic. She tells her that in order to be ready it's important to know the army's history. Penelope agrees that this is one of the four principles and Tally, smiling, says they'll have her ready for Basic in no time. She shows her a portrait of General Alder and Penelope asks if she's really 300 years old. Tally tells her it's even more than that and she says it's why her father doesn't trust Alder, that somebody who's lived that long couldn't care about regular people. Tally agrees that she didn't always trust Alder herself. She then looks troubled and Penelope asks what's wrong. She indicates another photo, one of Alder and her company, except that there is a shimmery image of the woman she saw in her dream. She asks if Penelope can see it, but she can't. "It's her. She's real," says Tally. "And someone's trying to hide her existence."

Cast[]

Main[]

Taylor Hickson as Raelle Collar
Amalia Holm as Scylla Ramshorn
Demetria McKinney as Anacostia Quartermain
Jessica Sutton as Tally Craven
Ashley Nicole Williams as Abigail Bellweather
Lyne Renee as General Sarah Alder

Recurring[]

Guest[]

Juan Riedinger as Shane
Emma Pedersen as Bonnie
Patricia Blake as Magda Verger
Thomas Nicholson as Jack Orsatti
Dianne Adams, Dale Hunter, Gwenda Lorenzetti, Lanein Harrison, Soheila Vatandoost, Lynn Whyte, Lillian Lim as Biddies
Chelsea Gill as General Sharma
Sophie McBean as General Amis
Nikolai Witschl as Channing Grafton
Amanda Sullo as Aide (General Alder)
Shayna Virginillo as Assistant (Izadora)
Shawn Robidoux as Camarilla Head
Yayoi Hirano as Flashback Biddy #1
Denise McLaren as Flashback Biddy #2
Peri Allan as Flashback Biddy #3
Cheryl Swan as Flashback Biddy #4