‘Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches: Season 1-2’ Blu-ray Review
Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Tongayi Chirisa, Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin | Created for television by Michelle Ashford
Anne Rice is probably best known for her story Interview with a Vampire. But she also wrote amazing stories like Ramses the Damned and the trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches. AMC has been bringing Anne Rice books to the small screen with the popular Interview with a Vampire. But in January 2023, AMC Studios decided to bring Mayfair Witches to the network. Now, after two seasons, the great folks at Acorn Media International have released both seasons together on one Blu-ray set.
Season 1:
Rowan Fielding (Alexandra Daddario) an intuitive young neurosurgeon, discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.
Season 2:
Rowan Mayfair’s journey continues after she has unwittingly given birth to the demon Lasher (Jack Huston). She is determined to understand what he has become – human or monster? – and to use him to fulfil her purpose as a healer. But when tragedy strikes, she must put aside her own desires and fight to protect her family.
Alexandra Daddario truly stands out in Mayfair Witches. The show captures the essence of Anne Rice’s novels, but it isn’t a strict adaptation. The story streamlines much of the rich history to put the spotlight directly on Rowan. Several characters are either merged, reworked, or left out entirely. And while in the books Lasher’s motives are revealed gradually, the series takes a different approach, presenting him as an immediate antagonist. The series is visually stunning, the stories are written well, and the acting is strong – but this show is no Dark Shadows. This show is for mature audiences only. This series has a fair number of violent scenes, a good chunk of profanity. And there are some pretty intense sex scenes… though no nudity is shown.
Each season of Mayfair Witches runs 8 episodes, meaning this 4-disc Blu-ray set has a total of 16 episodes. These episodes have been transferred to Blu-ray in 1080p and are presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. There are two options for audio tracks and English and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. The episodes, as you’d expect for a modern show, are crisp and clean with no digital artefacts found on these transfers. The audio is also clear as a bell with no anomalies. Forget about streaming these episodes on AMC+. You will never see these episodes look better than on these Blu-ray discs. Now, in addition to these pristine episodes, the Blu-ray release has some cool bonus features added. Take a look at what is included.
Special Features:
- Show Me More: Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches Season 2
- Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches season 2 Panel at Comic Con 2024
- Episode Insiders: Season 2
The addition of the Comic Con panel and the featurettes are nice, but I would have liked to see a bit more – In-depth interviews with cast, maybe some behind-the-scenes bloopers. I love those. That would have made this release so much better. Now there is no region that I could find on this Blu-ray set anywhere. So, my guess is this is a region-free disc. Plus, if it isn’t region-free, it played in my 4K player with no problem. So take that for what it’s worth.
*** 3/5
Mayfair Witches shines in this collection, even if it isn’t a direct adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels. For fans of Rice’s stories and their on-screen interpretations, this Blu-ray set from Acorn Media, featuring both season 1 and 2, makes a worthy addition to any collection. You can pick up your copy now on Amazon.
______
