Welcome back for another recap of Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem. The series is in its second season and this year, we’re recapping every episode. I’m new to the show, so please bear with me these first few weeks, with that said, let’s jump into the show!
Please note this recap contains spoilers for season 2, episode 2 “Abomination.”
Abigail and Raelle are tested together in a controlled environment as the witches try to figure out what conditions resulted in the girls creating the blast. But unfortunately, no one is getting any results. As for the body they discovered post blast—the one covered in mushrooms—the head has been brought to Izadora who’ll study and dissect it to learn the secrets to its creation.
Outside of Fort Salem, Willa and Scylla are laying low with Scyllla attending vigils and making friends with those involved in the movement. Willa encourages her to continue learning more.
Meanwhile the Trio starts war college and meets their classmates, teachers and ward leader who introduces herself as “M.” Joining Coven is Gregorio who has history with Abigail, possibly of the romantic type. M dismisses the group to their quarters, but asks Raelle to stay behind. She warns that Raelle’s reputation precedes her and hopes she isn’t harboring any more secrets that could reflect poorly on the Company. Clearly challenged but not defiant, Raelle responds, “well, I’m done with secrets.” At the very same time across campus, Izadora is further examining the mushroom clad head and pulls off a pair of sunglasses from its face. Suddenly the eyes—human eyes—open wide, startling her. Then the head begins to speak in unison with Raelle as she’s talking to M.
Izadora works to cut open the head and exposes a brainlike organ that’s made of Mycelium. She determines that the person speaking has to be Raelle and states to another witch that the young soldier was the only one to have touched the Mycelium. This seems to give her another idea for testing the girls.
Scylla attends another vigil at a mall and meets up with her friends Shane and Bonnie. Shane addresses the crowd and then another guest takes the stage: Anacostia. Scylla asks Anacostia what she’s doing at the vigil while Anacostia wonders why Scylla has been visiting her “old haunts.” Scylla asks why she’s being followed and if she’s going to be arrested, but Ana tells her it’s not about that. She notices Scylla’s remorse for previous actions. Both women want to trust each other and while Scylla won’t answer her outright, Ana realizes that she suspects the Camarilla are behind the attacks. Anacostia doesn’t want to join the Spree, she admits that she’s growing suspicious of the Army and Alder herself, but won’t elaborate.
Back at Fort Salem, Penelope Silver is struggling with her new life and Tally takes notice offering encouraging words. She asks Alder for permission to mentor Penelope to help prepare her for Basic. Alder immediately agrees. Just then, The Hague Delegation arrives at the campus to meet with the General. Kahlida sits with the council and wants to leave with The Hague. Alder wants her to say, but she’s persistent. The Hague discusses the return of the Camarilla and notes they’re only focused on killing those gifted, calling their targeted attacks a Witch Plague. The Camarilla seemingly have no interest in harming civilians.
Tally falls asleep and returns to her dream with Alder and the unnamed woman. She can hear their entire conversation and learns that this soldier used a magic that wasn’t Canon. Alder warns that The Hague wouldn’t approve but thanks her for saving them. She says she’s been watching her and she needs to focus on her powers. The woman suggests Alder could help her and the General says yes. Then the women turn around and together send a blast attack defeating a few lingering enemies. Tally wakes up and seems delighted by the experience.
The trio take their first classes at War College, with Channing Grafting instructing them in Mothertongue and Major Magda Verger guiding them in Off-Canon work. She wants her charges to be able to recognize and resist it. To do this they’ll need to identify and destroy the enemy’s Off-Canon source. As a way to prove her point, she proceeds to control the Coven, having them cover their heads with sacks and march out of the room to their first test: the Dollhouse.
The group removes their head coverings and find themselves in a room full of clocks. Time seems warped and dreamlike. Tally is quick to figure out what’s happening and begins to concentrate looking around the room and focusing on the source. She can see golden ribbons of light leading into the next room and second part of the test. Here life-size ragdolls are waiting and the group fights them off, but not before Raelle and Abigail are snatched. Tally finally locates the source in a wall lamp and turns it off, effectively ending the simulation. Major Verger reappears and praises them on their performance. Tally excitedly says she could see sound and Verger finds this news intriguing. She asks about her friends, but no one answers her.
After the vigil, Scylla and Anacostia grab a bite and some drinks with Shane and Bonnie. Bonnie giddly comments on how nice it is to have women joining the movement saying it feels like a boys club at times. This frustrates Shane, and Bonnie quickly tries to back pedal saying she didn’t mean to imply anything negative. She then slips off to the restroom while Shane heads to the bar to get more beer for the table. Scylla says it might be time to step back, but Anacostia points out things are getting interesting. The two look over to the bar where Shane is talking to a man who hands him a wad of cash. Clearly Shane is harboring some secrets.
At Fort Salem, Raelle and Abigail are being held in two separate test chambers under the watchful eye of Izadora. She’s upset and starts yelling at Raelle while pumping a gaseous substance into Abigail’s chamber which causes her to pass out. Visibly upset, and desperate, Raelle screams and envelopes herself in a protective bubble of Mycelium. Izadora tells Alder the blast that saved them was all Raelle. Her power is protective and is triggered by fear. She couldn’t activate her power uness the danger was real. Izadora want’s to keep testing Raelle and Alder agrees saying she just became the Army’s most important asset.
Kahlida is going to set off to find a home for her people and tells Abigail that she’s agreed to let Adil stay, for the time being. She warns that this is just temporary, that Adil will always choose his people, and that Abigail would do the same.
Finally, Tally starts mentoring Penelope and their first topic is General Alder. The women observe a photo of Alder with one of her early companies. Upon closer inspection, Tally notices the image has been edited to erase one of the members of the unit, but Penelope doesn’t pick up on this nearly invisible detail. Tally realizes the person in the picture is the unnamed woman from her dream. Someone doesn’t want her story to be known.
Motherland: Fort Salem airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT and next day on Hulu.