Last week, John Alden finally found out the truth: Mary is a witch! He is shocked and rendered almost speechless. She tells him to go and save himself, because she is happy to know he is alive, even though they will never see each other again. Alden just grabs her and kisses her. She shows him her half of the coin and he seems to have found his too! They were meant to be! Alden wants to fight together, but she can’t leave — they won’t let her (“they” being the witch’s coven).

Mary tells Alden she has to do something, but she will be back and to wait for her, when the moon rises. He says he will wait until the moon falls. As Mary walks back through the woods, pieces of dead bodies are chunked at her. It’s Mercy Lewis. Mary seems genuinely sad about what she has done to Mercy. Mercy is absolutely crazy. She is upset about her friend’s deaths and how Mary lied to her about their safety. She screams, “LIES!” over and over again and disappears, saying she will find Mary when she least wants to be found.

Isaac comes to ask Cotton if he is going to say goodbye to Alden, who is scheduled to be hung today. Cotton is in misery and his apartment is being ransacked by his father’s men. He also blames himself for Alden’s situation. Pull yourself together, man. Meanwhile, Hale arrives home to Anne and her mother. He had been shopping, pulling out a live bird to help them survive all week. Anne doesn’t understand, but her father then rips the head off the bird, spraying its blood on the wall – which reveals a secret passageway! Whoa! Magic!

Mary goes to meet with creepy Witch Elders. She basically says no one else will die, she is leaving Salem, and they can’t stand in her way. They argue, saying she is the Chosen One, but she says she’s had enough. Why don’t they look to Hale and his family? She wants to be free. As she leaves, one of the elders says to call for Tituba.

Cotton visits empty Alden’s cell and puts on his mopey face thinking Alden to have already been killed. His father chummily comes along saying this is part of the plan. He knew Alden was innocent of being a witch and he didn’t care about all the other stuff he did. He just knew that Alden was in love with a witch and a witch was in love with him. Cotton sounds it out: Mary Sibley! Cotton shouts that he has no proof. But Increase is ready for that too: he brings in a pack of men with hunting dogs. If he finds Mary with Alden in the woods, then he will have evidence. He gives the men orders to kill the two on the spot. Cotton argues for a fair trial, but of course, Increase pushes off his son.

Hale leads Anne and his wife to a room full of creepy masks, telling them they will be safe here. The room can only be opened with blood. Hale says they must wait a week in here while the plague is released. Anne still thinks she isn’t a witch, mostly based on Cotton’s test. Hale laughs and reminds her of her childhood, saying he had to wipe her memories til she was ready. She picks up a wooden figurine and makes it dance.

Mary is at home and mocks George, saying she has it all. Tituba suddenly appears and they both argue about who is the traitor. (The lighting in this scene is very nice). Tituba reminds Mary of the vow she made 7 years ago and at a cost of her unborn child. She says life is neither created nor destroyed, handing her a small box. Inside is a lock of hair. The hair of Mary’s unborn child. It lives…for now. If Mary completes the Grand Rite, all will be well. Mary grabs Tituba’s face and says that she has manipulated her for the last time, but she shall complete the Grand Rite. As night falls, Isaac visits Mary, telling her that Alden is missing. Mary says she saved him. Isaac asks about the Malum that she holds in her hand. She calls it death. Mary gives him the Malum and money and says once you do this for me, keep going and don’t come back. She tells Isaac to give Cotton a letter too. Mary cries, thinking about her second chance with Alden. Will it happen?

Speaking of Alden, he sits in the dark woods. What’s the noise? The sound of dogs approaching! Oh and what is the sound Increase? A visit from Mary. It is showdown time. He calls her a witch and she is proud of it. She mocks Increase, saying he thought love would be her undoing. Increase tries to grab her, but she magics away. She does the classic villain speech, explaining the Grand Rite and how it hasn’t been successful in 500 years, but thanks to the Puritans and their persecutional ways, innocent blood was easily spilled without the witch’s having to lift a finger. Twelve dead, one left. He launches himself at her, but she flies up to the ceiling. They continue to fight, one of his knives slashes her cheekbone and she licks up her blood, throwing the knife back and slashing his arm.

Alden continues to run from the dogs in the wood, but then gets caught. Meanwhile, Isaac delivers the Malum to a deathly tree that oozes something gross, but he doesn’t feel it is right. He isn’t going to do it.

Mary continues to antagonize Increase, basically saying he is awful and the worst. Increase spouts his beliefs about evil and such. Cotton suddenly shows up and Mary magicked herself into chains, crying saying Increase has lost it. Cotton argues with his father, who calls his son a pathetic failure with no reason. Increase raises a knife to Mary, but before he can stab her, Cotton slams a sword through Increase’s chest! Increase is dead! YAY! Cotton, of course, seems to instantly regret what he did, falling into tears. He releases Mary and she tells him to leave and run and tell no one.

As Isaac is burying the Malum, it suddenly shakes then opens when Mary stabs Increase in the heart again. She twists it again and the sky turns red. Isaac opens the Malum and takes out a beating heart thing, but then it explodes in his eyes as Mary chants about the Dark Lord’s birth.

In the Hale household, an apple grows rotten and they know it has begun. Anne is shocked to learn Mary is behind everything. Hale explains she used the Puritans against themselves. Anne doesn’t want to hide. She wants to save her friends. She tries to get out, but can’t, grabbing a knife to use her own blood to open the door, but Hale slaps her. She looks very angry and unhinged. She screams that she is not a witch and everything explodes in a fury. The top of her mother’s head gets chopped off and Hale gets thrown to the wall. Red-eyed Anne then makes a pick fly across the room and stab her father in the forehead. Holy crap! Anne has lost it! Hale is dead.

Back in the woods, Alden is about to hang, but an arrow breaks the rope. Indians have come to save him. A fight ensues. Very gory. But then, Alden gets shot in the chest! Oh no!! As he lays dying, Mary taunts Increase, saying the soul still lingers after death. Then she says she is happy that the dogs will eat his body. Tituba arrives and Mary follows.

Mercy, leading a clan of children (who are they?), rants about the queen of the night and who has power and basically is promising revenge on Mary. Okay, Mercy.

In the shows final moments, we get glances of each character. Dogs eat Increase (good riddance!). Cotton cries as he leaves town. Anne seems to realize what she has done. The Indians carry a gravely injured Alden. Isaac vomits on himself (ew). And Tituba brings Mary to the elders. A child comes out…Mary falls to her knees, crying, and hugs the child. Oh, wow! Alden and Mary’s child lives – raised by the devil. What a cliffhanger!

And that is it folks. Season 1 of Salem. Wow, lots of death and gore in the finale. There’s no way Alden is dead, right? Anything can happen in season two. Wow. This show definitely went off on their own direction, very different from what I thought, but it was still good. It’s going to be a long wait for next season. Please comment below with any thoughts, questions, or concerns. It’s been a pleasure reviewing this show. Until next time, beware of the Grand Rite.