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This article contains plot details.

"Children Be Afraid" is the ninth episode in the first season of Salem, and the ninth episode of the series overall. It premiered on June 15th, 2014 on WGN America.

Synopsis

Mary must act quickly in order to prevent Increase from undoing the spell placed on her husband. Mercy and her followers prove themselves useful to the greater cause, and Cotton mourns over the banishment of Gloriana.

Episode Overview

SPOILERS AHEAD

The episode begins with Increase Mather entering the prison cell of Mr. Hopkins who was falsely accused of witchcraft by Emily Hopkins. Increase Mathers offers Mr. Hopkins a choice between a bottle of spirits and a witch-related object. Mr. Hopkins chooses the bottle of spirits. Cotton Mather states that only humans are vulnerable to spirits. Since Mr. Hopkins was not a witch, Increase Mathers freed him from jail. Cotton proceeds to the next cell and believes Mab is asleep. After entering the cell, he discovers she has committed suicide.

Increase carries Mab's body and calls for the attention of the townspeople. Children and the townspeople look on with fear believing that Mab is still alive. Cotton hangs her Mabs lifeless body on the noose and cracks her neck as a warning to sinners and witches.

Following the incident, Mary Sibley meets Increase Mathers at a dinner and expresses thanks to Mathers for saving Mr. Sibley's life. With suspicion, Increase states that Tituba would have sent Mr. Sibley to the hospital and therefore would not have died. Increase questions Mary about the secrecy of sending Mr. Sibley to hospital. Mary lies and states that Mr. Sibley often goes to Boston to be treated for his illness. Increase states that Mr. Sibley is not ill but spelled and likely to bewitched by someone in his own home. Mary requests that Increase be straightforward with his accusation but Increase does not make any accusation. Mary then requests Mr. Sibley return home but Increase denies the request stating he will not return until the witch who has spelled him has been found. Mary then asks for someone close to Mr. Sibley tend to him in which Increase suggests Isaac would be fit to do so.

At the graveyard, John Alden wakes Cotton Mathers who has past out drunk and still upset about the banishment of Gloriana. Anne Hale enters and is able to help Cotton by expressing her problems with her own father. Anne and Cotton escort the drunk Cotton Mathers home.

At the commons, Mercy states her desire to kill Increase and alleviate the problem. Mary tells Mercy that Increase is too important of a figure to kill. Mary and Mercy run into Reverend Lewis who would like to speak with his daughter. Mary asks Mercy to fetch Isaac. Mary then tells Reverend Lewis he can never spend time with his daughter again. Mary informs that if he tries to do so, she will publicly accuse him of child abuse and completing an exorcism on her.

Mary returns home and Tituba states that the elders request a meeting with her. In stress, Mary cracks the windows and breaks objects around the room and expresses her fear that Mr. Sibley will awake soon. Mary meets Isaac in the commons and tells Isaac that he will watch over Mr. Sibley. Mary gives Isaac a sleeping potion telling Isaac it is a tonic for pain which Mr. Sibley must drink and do so secretly.

Isaac goes to watch over Mr. Sibley under the supervision of Increase. Increase tells Isaac that the story of "Isaac the Fornicator" has been told among the Puritans to teach children the evils of lust. Increase tells Isaac if he successfully completes the task of watching over Mr. Sibley until he wakes, Increase will take Isaac beyond Salem and see a new world of opportunities and won't have to live in shame. Isaac sees markings on the wall and Increase explains that they are to protect outer forces.

John meets Anne at the orphanage where it is revealed that Anne's favor is for renovations. John looks around and sees a kid who does not play with others. Anne explains that the boy watched his parents get killed by Indians and has stopped talking since then. John asks the child for help with patching the roof.

At the house of the 7 Gables, Tituba shows Mercy her familiar. Tituba's familiar is a spider and Mercy watches as the spider feeds on her neck.

Mary meets with the elders in the forest. The elders grieve the loss of Mab then criticize Mary for the loss of Rose. Mary explains that Rose brought the Malum to Salem to challenge and defeat her so Mary had no choice but to kill her. Mary offers the Malum to the Elders as it is the only object that can control them. The elders see a formation appear in their cauldron and tell Mary they have everything they need to control her and she should keep the Malum.

As Mary returns to the commons, she sees John teaching the child to split wood outside the orphanage. Mary explains to John that she is anxious for George to return from the watch of Increase Mathers which John finds strange since Mary does not love him. Anne interrupts their conversation by bringing water and Mary decides to leave. Mary looks back with jealousy as John accepts water from Anne.

Cotton Mathers enters Gloriana's room in The Divining Rod which is closed. Cotton Mathers takes Gloriana's old scarf to remember her by. His father sees him leave the Divining Rod and enter the bar. Increase criticizes Cotton for mourning so publicly. Cotton rebuttals stating that hanging Mab publicly and Increase reveals that she was already dead. Increase reveals that he never loved his wife but Cotton showed him love. In the background, Mr. Hopkins is overly intoxicated and has been cut off and kicked out of the bar.

At the House of the Seven Gables, Mercy insists on killing Mr. Sibley. Mary explains that without Mr. Sibley, Mary is a widow with no power. Tituba is lashed out on Mercy for her desire to kill and the number of questions she is asking. Mary frustrated, yells at them both to leave. Upon leaving, Tituba pins Mercy to the wall and threatens her life.

Isaac is watching over Mr. Sibley contemplating whether or not to give him the potion and decides to do so. Mary is then in Mr. Sibley's dream where she attempts to drown him but fails to do so as Mr. Sibley is protected by Increase Mather. Mary awakes and finds Tituba there. Tituba warns that Mercy is a loose end and puts them at risk. Mary yells at Tituba for being selfish and jealous.

At the orphanage, John Alden bids farewell to the child whose name is revealed to be Stephen. Mr. Hopkins arrives at the orphanage believing that Emily came to the orphanage but John offers no insight. Anne enters and explains that Anne did not live in the orphanage after he was imprisoned but promises to let her know she needs to come home next they see her. Anne enters the cemetery to inform Emily about her father and suggests she stays in the orphanage.

Isaac begins to give Mr. Sibley a second dose of the tonic only to be interrupted by Increase. Isaac explains that it was a tonic for pain given to him by Mr. Lamb. He knows it is a lie and yells at Isaac for taking the opportunity to work for him for granted. Isaac cowers to the corner and is pushed to the floor by Increase who wants to know where he got the potion from. Meanwhile, Mercy and her acolytes are performing witchcraft and are controlling Titubas familiar spider. Increase begins to beat Isaac to find out who gave him the potion. Isaac insists that it was a tonic for pain but reveals it was given to him by Mary after being beaten and threatened to be killed. The spider enters the mouth of Mr. Sibley and seals it with a web.

Mr. Hopkins returns home and finds Emily waiting at his door. He tells her that she will be sold to the Divining Rod and beats her. Mercy and her acolytes appear and kill Mr. Hopkins dismembering his limbs.

When Increase discovers the web in Mr. Sibley, he alerts the selectmen and publicly accuses Mary of witchcraft. Mary, confused by the fact that his mouth was sealed shut, insists that the potion is a tonic for pain and drinks it to prove that it would not cause a spider web to be formed. Cotton suggests that Mary was innocent and the spider web is due to a witch's familiar. Increase commands that the house be searched for evidence. Mercy prevents the house search by telling Increase that she had seen Tituba feeding a spider from her neck. Tituba is arrested by guards on the charge of witchcraft.

Cast

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Locations

Deaths

  • Mab — hanged to the gallows post-mortem.
  • Henry Hopkins — dismembered and beaten to death.

Quotes

  • Increase Mather: " Oh, children, be afraid and go not prayerless to your bed lest the Devil be your bedfellow."
  • Increase Mather: "George is not ill. He's under the influence of a witch's spell."
  • Mary Sibley: " With him alive, I can speak through him a puppet to parrot his wishes and thoughts. But dead, he is useless and I am without power."
  • Tituba: "Stay out of my way, you little bitch."
  • Increase Mather: "Mary Sibley, your husband is awake!"

Gallery

Videos

Behind the Scenes

Trivia

  • This episode marks the first and only appearance of Tituba's Spider Familiar.
  • Much like her historical counterpart, Tituba is arrested on the charge of witchcraft.
  • Increase Mather mentioned the killing of a 200-years-old witch, introducing the concept witches older than the Elders in the woods.

International Titles

  • French: Que dieu vous garde (God bless you)
  • German: Spinnennetz (Spider web)
  • Italian: Ragno Tessitore (Weaver Spider)

See Also

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