IN ONE WEEK!!

 Cannot wait to see this beauty with some of my favorite people next week! My musical loving heart is ecstatic. 🧹🫧💖💚

October Reviews

💀  October Reviews 🎃

October 1st-31st

Another great reading month for me with 20 reads. 

Book 101: The Raven Remix: A Mashup of Poe Titles

By Carolee Dean 

Read October 3rd

Pages: 116

Release Year: 2024

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The Raven Remix is a clever parody of "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. It is told in the style of the original, with the same rhythm and rhyme pattern. The story focuses on a young man who goes to a shop where creatures from Poe's works are escaping. I love that it is even interactive with a puzzle for the reader to solve with a cipher. 

This would be a great piece to use in the classroom when teaching parody to your students, especially if they know Poe's works already. Also, there is supplemental material in the back of the book. Carolee Dean gives the reader information about Poe's life, stories, and poetry. There are brief descriptions about each that is referenced in the parody poem. 

It would be a new and interesting way to introduce younger readers to Poe. I highly recommend this for middle-grade readers.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 102: In the Garden of Monsters

By Crystal King

Read October 4th-7th

Pages: 336

Release Year: 2024 

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An eerie historical fiction retelling of the Persephone (Proserpina) and Hades (Pluto) myth. This was a unique twist on the original story filled with a gothic atmosphere which pulled me in from the first page until the last. It is filled with over the top personalities such as Salvador Dalí and his wife, Gala Dalí, delicious descriptions of food, and art. The Sacro Bosco, Italy’s Garden of Monsters is an intriguing setting for such a story, which adds to the thrilling and mysterious mood of the tale. A perfectly haunting novel, for this time of year. I highly recommend it. 

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 103: The Canterville Ghost

By Oscar Wilde

Read October 7th

Pages: 126

Release Year: 1887

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I loved this “spooky” tale so much. It is about an American family moving into an old English mansion, which is being haunted by Sir Simon, The Canterville Ghost. The family is originally warned about moving into the house because of everyone getting scared. They at first do not believe in what they think is just nonsense, but soon realize that ghosts are real. It was so funny seeing how the family interacted with Sir Simon’s antics to try and scare them out of the house. One of my favorite parts deals with the bloodstain. This is definitely a story I will pick up again.

Book 104: Wizkit: An Adventure Overdue

By Tanya J. Scott

Read October 7th

Pages: 144

Release Year: 2023

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Such an adorable little story with beautiful illustrations. I loved how wholesome this tale was following Wizkit, as she goes on her first adventure into the world with her new friend Book. It has a lot of great messages for children and was reminiscent of many stories I’ve read/watched over the years, particularly The Pagemaster. I’d love to go to the library in this book too. 

Book 105: The House with a Clock in Its Walls

By John Bellairs

Read October 7th-9th

Pages: 180

Release Year: 1973

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Such a great middle-grade horror. I watched the movie version of this a couple of years ago and have been wanting to read this ever since. John Bellairs balanced the creepy mood along with so many heartfelt scenes. Lewis’s relationship with his Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman was one I highly enjoyed and I cannot wait to see more of it in future books. A perfect book for October. 

Book 106: The Figure in the Shadows

By John Bellairs 

Read October 10th-11th

Pages: 155

Release Year: 1975

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I am loving this series so far and following Lewis, his Uncle Jonathan, Mrs. Zimmerman, and now Lewis’s new friend Rose Rita. It is great to have a story like this for younger readers where the main character is making mistakes and learning from them. Many times when magic is brought into books for this age range, it is made the solution to every problem that the children are in. This story is showing that it might not be. 

The Figure in the Shadows has a sinister and creepy figure come into play, that adds to the spooky feeling of the novel. I love how Lewis is not only dealing with this aspect but also realistic elements such as bullying and self-esteem. Hopefully, the other novels will continue with Lewis’s growth as a character. Rose Rita was also a great addition to this story.

Book 107: Charmed Life

By Diana Wynne Jones

Read October 12th-13th

Pages: 272

Release Year: 1977

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What a charming start to this series. I loved this world especially as all the pieces started to come together in the later half of the book. Diana Wynne Jones is a master at creating a fantasy world that feels alive and real from the very first page. It surprised me how dark this book became and I look forward to seeing where the series will go from here. Chrestomanci is such an intriguing character and I’m interested in learning more about him. Also, in seeing Cat grow.

Book 108: The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring

By John Bellairs 

Read October 12th-14th

Pages: 208

Release Year: 1976

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This is an entertaining continuation of the Lewis Barnavelt series, focusing mostly on Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita. I was surprised how little Lewis and Uncle Jonathan were in the book, but it was just as enjoyable as the last. This was the creepiest book out of the series yet. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Book 109: The Dragon’s Apprentice

By James A. Owen

Read October 14th

Pages: 376

Release Year: 2010

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Another great book in the series. I love the time travel adventures throughout each book and this one had a lot of them. It also has been great to see Rose, Burton, Houdini, Doyle, and Madoc grow as characters throughout the series along with our caretakers. I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen next. There are so many thought-provoking aspects in the story especially about the nature of good vs. evil and how this can change based on your actions.

 

Book 110: The Halloween Tree

By Ray Bradbury

Read October 17th-18th

Pages: 145

Release Year: 1972

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A pretty good Halloween story. It focuses on eight friends who are trying to find their friend Pipkin, who is taken early in the plot. They go to an old haunted mansion and meet a man named Moundshroud, who offers to help them find Pipkin. He takes them on a journey from Ancient Egypt to modern-day Mexico, to learn the truth about Halloween. 

Bradbury has an interesting way of telling a story, but I will say some of it is a bit too wordy in parts. I did have a good time reading this though. 

 

Book 111: A Fine and Private Place

By Peter S. Beagle

Read October 19th-20th

Pages: 320

Release Year: 1960

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A Fine and Private Place is about a man named Jonathan, who has lived in a cemetery for the last 19 years and how he was changed by two ghosts and a widower. Jonathan is a man who has forgotten how to live after being alone for so long and never leaving the cemetery. His only companionship is the ghosts of the people buried there and also a sarcastic talking raven. I loved this raven so much. He had many great lines throughout. 

Jonathan’s lonely life changes after a university professor, Michael Morgan, gets buried there. They become friends, spend many days discussing life, death, and relationships, and also play games of chess. As time moves on, a woman named Laura is buried there too. She builds a friendship and later, a relationship with Michael. I loved how they all learned from each other. 

Jonathan tries to avoid anyone else alive who comes to the cemetery. One day when he is walking with Michael, he cannot avoid a woman named Gertrude Klapper. She is a widower who comes to visit the grave of her deceased husband. They build a friendship, which helps Jonathan get over his issues with human interaction and also gives Gertrude the companionship she has been lacking since her husband passed away. 

This book was funny, sad, and quite insightful. It is a story about learning how to live even with many of the characters being deceased. I love philosophical books that get you thinking, and this one was a great example. It is not a plot heavy book. Many scenes focus on discussions, but there is so much beauty in these conversations. The heart of the story is about the relationships you build in life and how important they are. It’s my favorite type of ghost story, and I could not get enough of Peter S. Beagle’s writing style. I cannot believe he wrote this book at 19. Every time I read one of his books, I come to realize what a one of a kind style he has. 

I highly recommend this book. 

*Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this edition of the book. All opinions are my own.*

 

Book 112: The Girl From the Other Side (Volume 1)

By Nagabe

Read October 21st

Pages: 177

Release Year: 2016

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A beautifully creepy fairytale that I had such a great time reading. I highly recommend picking this one up. 

 

Book 113: The Girl from the Other Side (Volume 2)

By Nagabe

Read October 21st-22nd

Pages: 174

Release Year: 2016

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Love this creepy fairy tale so much. 

 

Book 114: The Girl from the Other Side (Volume 3)

By Nagabe

Read October 22nd

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2017

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This has added so much more to the story that was definitely needed, though I’m hoping we learn more soon about what is going on with the Outsiders. 
 

Book 115: The Girl from the Other Side (Volume 4)

By Nagabe

Read October 22nd

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2017

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I liked seeing Shiva’s aunt, Teacher, and Shiva trying to live together. There were many great scenes in this though it wasn’t my favorite from the series. The implications of the ending are probably going to make the next volume sad.

 

Book 116: The Girl from the Other Side (Volume 5)

By Nagabe

Read October 22nd

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2018

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I was right about this volume. These last couple volumes are making me hope we get to learn more about what is going on with the Outsiders and “mother soon.” 

 

 

Book 117: The Ghost in the Mirror

By John Bellairs (finished by Brad Strickland)

Read October 22nd-23d

Pages: 176

Release Year: 1993

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The Ghost in the Mirror is definitely one of my favorite books so far in the series. I loved this adventure with Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman, most of it taking place in the past. A great read for October.

 

Book 118: The Crimson Crown

By Heather Walter

Read October 23rd-25th

Pages: 544

Release Year: 2024

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A highly imaginative, twisted, and dark retelling of one of the most famous fairy tales there is. I love villain origin stories and Heather has created such a clever one with Ayleth’s story. I’ve been looking forward to picking this up ever since she first talked about it years ago and I’m very happy I did. 

It was interesting to see how she took so many elements of the original story and used them within her own. The Crimson Crown focuses on Ayleth leaving her witch coven to go to court in hopes of finding what she needs there and to prove herself. She has never been respected by her mother, the head of the coven, and wants to prove that she is worthy of being her mother’s second. Though she does not feel like she ever could be. Out in the mortal world, she encounters, Jacquetta, the woman who betrayed her and broke her heart so many years before. 

When she eventually finds herself at the White Palace, she starts having to spend time around the royals. Some who will accept her with open arms and others who want to use her for their own needs. I loved the queen, Sybil and the princess, Blodwyn. They were so different than expected and were such enjoyable characters to follow throughout the novel. I loved every scene with Blodwyn, who was my favorite character in the novel. We also get the White King, Callen, who is despicable and uses the women around him for his own needs. Callen was balanced between his charismatic scenes and then the ones when we saw his true nature. 

This was one of the best retellings I have ever read for “Snow White,” even if it was just the origin of the Evil Queen. It was very dark throughout, with the evil forces seeming to be following Ayleth around everywhere. I love where this story went and cannot wait to read the next book in this duology.  

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.* 

Book 119: Inkheart

By Cornelia Funke

Read October 28th-30th

Pages: 536

Release Year: 2003

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 October 28th-30th reread:

It will always be a joy to revisit Inkheart. I decided to do so this time to catch up with the series again before reading the fourth book The Colour of Revenge. Such a wonderful world and story. 

January 17th-19th, 2021 reread:

The first time I picked up Inkheart was probably thirteen or fourteen years ago. I can vividly remember my excitement with this story. It was my first "book lovers'" book or book dealing with the love of reading and I was hooked. 

I remember relating to Meggie and wanting to have a house where you were surrounded by books. Little did I know, how many books I would attain over the years. Also, when I originally read the book, I adored Elinor's character. I was distraught with what Capricorn's men do to her and rooted the entire time for her and the rest of the family. This time around I loved her just as much as the first time and am looking forward to seeing her more in the following books. She is literally what I wanted to be like as an older woman (still is...lol). 

When I first read this book, I read it through the reader's perspective and loved the idea of being able to read your favorite characters out of books. It's funny, I was thinking about the characters that I would want to read out of books then and now. One of them would definitely be Sirius Black, which was one from back then too. I read this book from the reader's perspective again but I also read it from the writer's perspective too. I cannot imagine how surreal it would be to be in Fenoglio's place and meeting your own characters. It would be thrilling. 

This book was one of my absolute favorites when I was younger and this time around it was just as great for me. I don't know why I waited this long to finish the series but I will be this year. It's kind of funny though because I heard that Cornelia is planning on continuing the series this year with a short book. So I picked the right time to do this. 

If you are a lover of books, I completely recommend this book to you.

Book 120: Inkspell

By Cornelia Funke

Read October 30th-31st

Pages: 655

Release Year: 2005

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2024 reread:

The Inkworld series showcases the beauty of the written word through its characters and world. I adored traveling through this story again as Meggie and her family all try to survive in Inkheart. The idea with the bound book is so clever.  

2021 read:

I have loved Inkheart for a very long time, having read it over thirteen years ago and I have got to say this book is just as good as the first. It was interesting to go into the Inkworld and follow Meggie as she realizes that it is not as good as it seems. Truthfully, it's a dream for many readers to go into their favorite books but it sure would not be a good thing in some of them, especially Inkheart (the one in this book series). Next month, I will be finishing up the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Agatha All Along: Episodes 8 & 9 Spoiler Review 👻

 “Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End” 

& “Maiden Mother Crone”

This post is going to be filled with spoilers for the final two episodes of Agatha All Along. Do not read any of this if you don’t want to know what happened. What a great set of episodes full of surprises I never would have guessed. Wow. One of my favorite shows I have ever watched and I look forward to watching it again. 

Agatha and Nicky

~ I like that the scenes from Agatha’s past focused on her relationship with Nicky. They make the rumor that Agatha gave up her son for the Darkhold so much more sad and terrible. She adored that little boy with all her heart. Rio even asks why she lets people believe such terrible things and Agatha says it’s easier. I believe it’s easier for her to have people disgusted with her instead of feeling sorry for what actually happened to him. We open Episode 9 with Agatha in labor with Nicky and going through the forest. It was so sad when Rio came while she was trying to give birth. So, he was supposed to die during childbirth but Agatha was able to make a deal with Rio for a little bit of more time. She appealed to her love and it worked, if only for a short time. 

~ I wonder if that is part of the reason she went after all the witches. She was able to get powers from them but was there more to it? From what we see of their relationship in the show, Agatha seems to be used to getting bodies for Rio. Does Agatha kill so much so that she can continue to live on way past her time and does she try to do the same thing for Nicky?

~ It was so sad watching this episode knowing Nicky was not going to make it. I had assumed that he had died and Rio just had to do her job. She hinted at this earlier in the show. This did not make the scene when she had to take him away any less sad, especially when we see Agatha’s reaction to it. I think it’s interesting that she had a romantic relationship with Death, when she has also been running from her for so long. 

~ The biggest shock was finding out that Agatha and Nicky made up The Witches Road song themselves. I love how we heard an early version of it until they came up with what we first heard in the beginning of the show. Then we find out after Nicky died, Agatha started using the song to get witches to try and join her in a coven and used this to get their powers. Just like she tried to do during episode 2 of this show. I liked the scene when we see her throughout time tricking so many witches. Then we get the final confirmation of the biggest reveal of the show. 

The Road- It was Billy All Along

~ What a reveal at the end of episode 8 and into episode 9! There were so many clues throughout this entire show to this reveal but I did not see it going the way it did. I figured that Billy had some control over at least what the Road was looking like, especially since so many elements from his/William’s room was on the Road. But I never would have thought that the Road was not real or that he created it himself. 

~ I could not believe when we found out that the Road never existed and it was all a story made up by Agatha to get powers. All of it starting with a song she made up with Nicky. It was great that they showed us the clues to it throughout the show. I had assumed that Agatha was so surprised it worked because she had never been on the road and wasn’t even sure if it had existed to begin with. Now, we know she just planned on using the same story again to get power from the witches, knowing it was not real. And then Billy comes along and creates the Road himself. 

~ This reveal makes me wonder what Billy is capable of doing with his magic. He did so much unconsciously, so what can he do when he’s able to control his magic? Also, he was able to help each of the witches in the coven, even if most of them died on the Road. Sharon was reunited with her husband (I still hate that she died), Alice was able to end her family’s curse, Lilia was finally able to accept her fate and finally had a coven, Jenn was able to be unblocked, and Agatha sacrificed herself for someone else. Cannot believe Agatha was the witch that bound Jenn! 

Coven of…Two

~ I was thinking Agatha would die at the end of this show, so it didn’t surprise me. She has been avoiding Death for a long time and Rio showing back up in her life only meant it was a matter of time. You can tell how much Rio cared for her after it happened. Such a sad scene. 

~ I adore the relationship between Agatha and Billy and am eagerly awaiting to see more of it in the future. She sacrificed herself to save Billy. So beautiful and funny that she decides to tell him that she didn’t do it. Agatha has been living her life and doing everything to better herself and stay alive. She has not had someone in her life that she cared for in such a way since Nicky and she finally has that again with Billy. I don’t think it’s sad because she has been running from it for so long and she did it for a good reason. She finally did something selflessly and I believe that is a beautiful ending for her. 

~ It’s great that we are getting ghost Agatha and Billy going off at the end to find Tommy. I look forward to seeing them work together some more. Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke are incredible and their dynamic is top-notch. I can imagine what will happen next in their story. Supposedly, they are making a Wiccan show. So here’s hoping.

Final Thoughts

~ Agatha All Along is the witchy show I have been wanting with all my heart for a very long time. I adored WandaVision and was eagerly looking forward to this show. It is great to be able to say it was even better than I believed it would be. Being back in Westview was a dream come true and I’m glad we even got to see the residents a couple of times throughout the show. 

~ Agatha is a great villainous character who secretly cares for people deep down. She was enjoyable to watch in WandaVision but was even better in her own show. I love that we delved deep into her character and learned so much about who she was. There’s still more they could do with her and I’m looking forward to more MCU projects with her.

Agatha All Along: Episode 7 Spoiler Review 💀

 “Death’s Hand in Mine” 

Episode 7 of Agatha All Along is definitely my favorite episode by far. I knew we were going to get a Lilia focused one based on what this was leading to the entire time and it was everything I ever wanted it to be. Don’t read the rest of this post if you do not want to be spoiled. I will be talking about the entire episode and this will spoil everything. Only one more week left of the show. 

Lilia’s Traveling

~ I love that this whole episode focused on Lilia’s traveling through time and that we got to see it from her perspective. It was interesting getting it out of order and seeing the pieces all add up in the end as Lilia realized what was going on. We have had pieces of her traveling ever since episode 2 of the show. I love how we get to see each of those scenes in this one. Time travel, whatever form it takes in a fictional work, will always be one of my favorite devices. 

~ The storytelling was top-notch to show Lilia’s story. I cannot wait to watch this entire show again knowing what we do after this episode. 

~ It’s interesting to see how Lilia is not able to control her abilities in the ways she would like. She even tells Jenn that she in the past tried to ignore them. This gives me more reason to believe that Agatha is telling the truth about her own power to take other’s magic. I don’t believe she can control it either. 

~ Lilia’s Maestra from her childhood was an important part of Lilia’s journey throughout this episode. She helped Lilia bring the pieces together to figure out what was needed to be done for her coven. 

“In the end, all roads lead to me”-Death

~ I wish the Funko pops were not spoiled online before this episode. It would have been awesome to get the reveal of Rio being Death here instead of in a blurry leaked photo. There have been clues the entire show but still. 

~ We will probably see Lilia, Alice, and Sharon again when Rio went to collect their souls. It will probably be in the next episode. At least, I assume so. That’s probably why Rio was in the area when the coven was trying to call upon a green witch. She was collecting Sharon’s soul. It would also explain where she was after Alice died. 

~ Most likely, that is why she has been on the road with them because “Death” was following their path. Lilia was probably able to see Rio’s true form during this episode because of her power. She has been able to see when people would die before it happened since she was a child and knows what is going to happen to herself later on in the episode. 

The Trial

~ The trial’s theme was very fitting for Lilia, especially with her aversion to the stereotypical witch. I loved seeing each of the coven members dressed as such iconic witches. Lilia as Glinda, Agatha as the Wicked Witch of the West, Jenn as the Evil Queen from Snow White, and Billy as Maleficent. This made me wish we could have seen who Alice, Rio, and Sharon would have been in this. 

~ It was also obviously perfect for Lilia’s divination powers. I like how we saw the trial first just with Billy and Agatha before Jenn and Lilia find their way in. This helped show how important each witch is for the different trials on the road. You cannot leave your coven behind because they are needed to complete it. I love that they really are showing the importance of having a coven for witches, especially in this episode. First, Lilia’s Maestra asks Lilia if she has a coven and when Lilia says she hasn’t had luck with them her maestra tells her how important it is to have one. What Lilia has been missing is a coven and she realizes this when she is doing the Tarot reading for herself. I loved that scene so much hearing how happy she was to realize this.

~ Before Billy and Agatha get to the trial, we do get another heated conversation from them. This time about Wanda. I don’t think that Wanda is dead and I’m hoping this might be one step closer to getting her back. Especially, since Agatha is not sure if she is dead or not. 

~ I love seeing Lilia go through the Tarot cards on the table and showing when she realized who each member of the coven was in regards to the cards. I do remember many of these scenes but some of them I didn’t notice when she said them the first time. There were so many details given to us throughout the rest of this show that really played off here. So damn clever!

~ Lilia’s sacrifice was so sad but I had a feeling it would happen for awhile. What really broke me was when she was talking to everyone at the end before she stayed behind. She did also give her final prophecy to Agatha when she said “When she calls you a coward, hit the deck.” So I guess we will be seeing what she means pretty soon. Her line “I loved being a witch,” got me crying. Lilia has been my favorite of the witches pretty much since the beginning. She was definitely the one I wanted to know the most about. I’m glad we got an episode like this for her. Beautiful. 

Agatha All Along: Episode 6 Spoiler Review 🌀

 “Familiar By Thy Side”

Episode 6 was one of the best episodes yet. I love how much context we got and also seeing Billy’s backstory. Below, I will be talking about everything that happened in this episode. Don’t read after this paragraph if you do not want to know what happened. I will be spoiling everything from this episode. I highly recommend this entire show. 

William Kaplan

~ I’m glad we got introduced to William and his family before the car accident. We see who William is as a person and it really helps compare him to the teen we meet in Episode 1 and have seen throughout the show. They really make you feel feel sorry for this poor family which changed more than they know. I’m hoping we get to see more of William’s parents and Eddie eventually. 

~ It was interesting that when the Kaplans are driving in the car after leaving the bar mitzvah, how the radio was playing sound clips from WandaVision. Then when Billy’s soul goes into William’s body, you hear Billy and Tommy say good night to each other, right before Billy/William comes back to life. I love that his first word is Tommy once he wakes up. 

~ I don’t believe William is completely gone though, especially after Lilia’s palm reading when she said his lifeline was in two. This could mean he had the one life as William and then would have one as Billy, but it could also mean that he has two souls. Though, Billy does say he died when he is talking to Eddie in the car, and then something else came into him. He won’t admit to who he is at that moment but does show Eddie what he is trying to figure out with Wanda’s hex. This at first made me wonder how much he could remember from his time as Billy Maximoff. We then find out his true intentions for going on the road. He wants to find Tommy and doesn’t think his parents are alive. 

~ Joe Locke really showed how great of an actor he is while playing both parts. The scenes when he is getting overwhelmed because he is hearing other people’s thoughts were great. The way he can convey so much without saying a word, especially with his eyes, is outstanding. He is such a talented actor. Love him as Charlie in Heartstopper but I love him as Billy/William just as much.

The Sigil

~ So Billy, met Lilia and Alice before the road and saw Jenn’s videos. We knew he knew about Jenn because he is the one that brought up the information about her lawsuits. But I loved finding out he had met the other members of the coven before. 

~ Lilia is the one who created the sigil that hid Billy/William’s identity from all witches. I like how she did this to protect him because she sensed the goodness of him. Also, their scene together was intriguing. She could see both sides he was going to have, William and Billy, so she decided to protect them both. Lilia has admitted that when she does fortune tellings it’s usually fake so this one obviously took her by surprise causing her to give him more information than she meant to. 

~ As soon as I saw the palm reading stand at William’s bar mitzvah, I knew who was going to be there but it still was shocking to see that they met so early. I never would have expected for Lilia to be the one who put the sigil on Billy. Patty Lapone has been great this entire show, but this episode really shown off her talent. All of the actresses and actors in this show have been doing an incredible job. 

~ The black heart was such a misdirection. It was Billy the entire time and the only reason Lilia wrote a black heart is because she couldn’t write his name because of the sigil. Rio is not supposed to be in the coven and Billy is. That is why the road didn’t open until Billy ran to the door. They needed him. 

Billy’s version of the Agnus in Westview Clips

~ Going into this episode, I knew we would get Billy’s viewpoint of what was going on in Episode 1, but it was so much better than I thought it would be. It is so hilarious seeing what everyone else was seeing versus what Agatha was seeing in the hex. I could not stop laughing during those scenes and I kind of want to see everything from the first episode from the residents of Westview’s perspective. 

~ I like how we saw what Billy was saying when the sigil went over his mouth. The first time he says William Kaplan and then the second time he says Billy Maximoff. Such a great reveal. This also makes me believe William’s soul didn’t die in the car crash because Lilia’s sigil protected them both not just Billy. 

Agatha with Billy

~ I love the conversation Agatha and Billy have after she comes out of the mud. Kathryn Hahn is incredible in this scene showing both a clear affection for Billy and also her villainous side. Agatha clearly cares for Billy, who she is able to identify right away. She doesn’t get Tommy’s name right but she does know Billy. Also, she admits to having a feeling of who he was from the moment they met in Episode 1 but not being certain until he showed his powers. It was great hearing her say “It’s nice to see you again Billy.” I believe this was genuine just by the way she said it. 

~ It will be interesting to see their relationship as the show continues. As we have seen from the rest of the show, I believe they both care for each other, even just a bit. Agatha is not as bad as the facade she lets everyone believe. I think it’s easier for her to let everyone believe she is completely evil instead of letting them see her true self. She shows she is a much better person than her mother when she tells Billy “don’t you dare feel guilty about your power, that’s what makes you special.” You can tell how much this means to Billy when she says this and also that he is a witch. He’s so happy to hear it.