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This article contains plot details.

Departures is the eighth episode in the first season of Salem and the eighth episode of the series overall. It premiered on June 8, 2014, on WGN America.

Summary

TO DUNK A WITCH— With the arrival of the most feared witch hunter Increase Mather he begins his witch hunt by pinpointing to one of Salem's most prominent figure from Salem's most sinful district. While Mary fearing that Increase will detect that his old friend George is under a spell enlists the help of Isaac to deter him from uncovering the truth.

Plot

SPOILERS AHEAD

The episode begins with Increase Mather as he searches the town for supposed witches closely followed by Mary Sibley and Magistrate Hale. They proceed to go to The Divining Rod where Cotton is visiting Gloriana and after she notices his approach, he is desperate for his father not to find him in the brothel. With Gloriana's help, he hides under the bed before Increase enters, but accidentally leaves his Bible in the room. Increase notices it but Gloriana pretends it is hers. Increase searches Mab's parlour and finds conjuring stones in a hidden panel of the mantelpiece. She is placed under arrest for witchcraft, while a horrified Mary and Magistrate Hale watch on.

Back at the House Of The Seven Gables, the Magistrate confronts Mary in what she is going to do with Increase Mather after he has captured a real witch within hours of his arrival and Mary tasks him with speaking with Mab to ensure her cooperation. She soon speaks with Tituba of her fear that Increase may discover that her husband is under a spell to who advises her to prevent this and Mary decides to send him away, while their conversation is overheard by George.

At the tavern Cotton is accompanied by John Alden who is surprised to see him drinking so early in the morning but the pair is soon joined by Cotton's father who is not surprised in the whereabouts of his son and returns his bible to him revealing he knows of his previous activity at the brothel.

Mary charges Isaac with the task of driving George to the hospital in Boston, praising him for his willingness to help her husband, despite the pain he inflicted on him in the past. Isaac promises her that they will be in Boston by nightfall.

Magistrate Hale visits Mab at the jail. She initially believes that he has come to kill her, as the code of the Essex hive allows in such circumstances, but he tells her that she is to be spared, claiming that he would not allow her to be killed. He warns her that Increase intends to interrogate her and, although Mab vows to reveal nothing, promising to commit suicide first, he predicts that she will not be able to remain silent when Increase tortures her for information. He instructs her to reveal a name to serve as a distraction. Later that night, Anne Hale speaks to her father, revealing that she followed him to the jail and asking him if he believes Mab to be a witch. She is happy when he tells her that he does not, expressing relief that there is still some common sense left in Salem. 

Although Mab has confessed to witchcraft, Increase subjects her to torture through the use of a ducking stool to force her to reveal the name of a fellow witch. The people of the town watch as she is repeatedly ducked in the harbor. Mab initially insists that she knows of no other witches but Increase refuses to accept that this is the case and, when he threatens that the next time she is ducked, it will be fatal, she tells him that she will give him the name of another witch, and names Gloriana. Despite her protestations of innocence and Cotton's attempt to defend her, Gloriana is arrested and taken to the jail.

As Isaac drives George to Boston in the carriage, he hears him groaning. He turns to try to calm him and does not see a fallen log on the road ahead of them until it is too late to avoid it. The carriage is knocked on its side by the impact of the crash. Isaac falls from the carriage and is rendered unconscious. George manages to use a piece of broken paneling to cut into his abdomen, then he reaches in with his hand to remove Mary's familiar. 

Cotton appeals to his father in an attempt to convince him that Gloriana is not a witch, arguing he has no evidence and questioning his willingness to rely on the word of a confessed witch. Increase asks why he is so concerned with Gloriana's case and asks him if he thinks that an examination would not reveal a devil’s mark. Cotton expresses confidence that Gloriana would not have any such marks on her person and encourages his father to conduct the examination but is dismayed when his father tells him that he examines Gloriana. Cotton's examination of Gloriana takes place under Increase's supervision. Although following a thorough examination, Cotton confirms that Gloriana bears no mark, Increase makes it clear that that will not be enough to exonerate her and that the absence of a witch's mark will merely be mentioned at her trial. Cotton fears that the selectmen of Salem will convict Gloriana despite the absence of evidence against her but Increase is unmoved by this argument.

Mary is about to leave the House of the Seven Gables but, when she opens the front door, John pushes into the house and kisses her. She pushes him away, telling him that their night together in Our Own Private America can never be repeated and reminding him that she is a married woman. He points out that her husband is a very sick man, so much so that he has been taken to the hospital in Boston, but Mary tells him that George has been to the hospital before and that he will return. John asks her if her husband is the real reason or if she is keeping a secret that she thinks he could not accept. She apologizes, tells him that she hopes that he can understand, and opens the door for him to leave the house. 

As the Hale family eat supper, Anne expresses her unhappiness over the arrest of another woman for witchcraft, asking why her father does not do more against the witch panic and accusing him of wanting to see people hang. She refuses to clarify her allegations.

When Isaac regains consciousness, he is alarmed to see that George is not in the carriage. He searches for him, calling out to him, and when he finds him, he is astonished to hear that he can speak, something George attributes to the Lord's miraculous workings. George is badly injured and asks Isaac to return to Salem and bring back medical supplies and somebody who can administer them. Isaac is initially not inclined to help, asking George if he remembers that he branded him in 1685. George pleads with him to help, saying that he will die without help and claiming that he regrets branding him. When Isaac doesn't believe him, he promises to reward him with gold. He is adamant that he does not want Isaac to tell Mary what has happened and tells him that he should fetch Increase instead. Isaac begins to run back to Salem. 

At Cotton's request, John approaches Increase to speak to him about Gloriana. Increase is initially unreceptive to John's attempt to reason with him, making it clear that he regards Gloriana as having bewitched Cotton. John tells him about the differences of opinion he had with his late father but that his father allowed him to make his own choices because he loved his son. 

When Isaac reaches Salem, the first person with whom he speaks is John, who is surprised to hear that George can speak and that he is asking for Increase rather than Mary. He tells Isaac that he should do nothing, citing George's acts against Isaac, John and the town of Salem as reasons why he does not deserve help or compassion now. Isaac tells John that, while he knows that he loves Mary, to leave her husband to die would be murder. John reiterates that he should do nothing and Isaac appears to be swayed by his view.

Gloriana is dragged from the jail at night and brought before Increase, who has gathered a crowd outside the jail. He declares that the accusation against her was false and that she is no sorceress but banishes her from Salem as a prostitute, threatening her with hanging should she return to Salem at any time or for any reason. Much to Cotton and Gloriana's distress, she is loaded onto the back of a cart and the driver is ordered to take her as far as his steeds can carry her.   

Mary's familiar returns to her, much to her alarm. Tituba casts a spell to conjure an owl to lead her to George. 

Increase Mather finds Cotton in the tavern, tells him that he sent Gloriana away for his own good and reveals that his ambition for his son is that he will be governor. He predicts that Cotton will thank him for removing Gloriana from his life one day. Isaac is also in the tavern and, when Increase sees him, he goes to speak with him. He is amazed that Isaac was able to make the journey to Boston and back so quickly and quizzes him about what the doctors at the hospital said about George’s illness. He grows suspicious when Isaac cannot answer, pressing him to find out what happened, and Isaac tells him about George’s injury. Increase immediately gathers men and horses to go to George’s aid.

At the jail, Mab commits suicide by swallowing the blackened pill, as she told Magistrate Hale she would.

Petrus finds George in the woods, and persuades him to take a physic for pain relief. George realizes that something is amiss as soon as he takes it and demands to know what Petrus has given him. Tituba steps out from behind a tree. She intends that George, who is rendered unconscious by the physic, should be taken to Petrus’ shack until the threat has passed but, before they can move him, Increase finds them. Tituba pretends that Mary sent her to retrieve George and tells Increase that he needs to be taken to the hospital but he will not allow it. He examines George’s wound and knows that it was self-inflicted in order to rid himself of a familiar possessing him. He tells Tituba that George is spelled, not sick, and asks her if she knows anything about it.

Anne Hale pays a visit to John Alden, asking him to invite her into his house so she can tell him why she is suspicious of her father.

Mary is not pleased to see Tituba return without George. Tituba tells her that Increase has deemed George a victim of witchcraft and is having him brought to rest under his care and that Petrus’ physic will only keep George unconscious for a day. They are both worried, knowing that as soon as the physic wears off, George will wake up lucid and eager to tell Increase everything.

Cast

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring


Body Count

Locations

On the show

Quotes

Gallery

Videos

Behind the Scenes

Trivia

  • This episode features Gloriana's last episode in the first season of Salem.

International Titles

  • French: L'Étau se resserre (The vice tightens)
  • German: Im Namen des Vaters (In the name of the father)
  • Italian: Partenze (Departures)

See Also

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