The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 22, 2014 18 By Jacqui Wiens TV Media F rom Merlin to Harry Pot- ter, it seems that fiction- al magicians spend much of their lives unaware of their potential. Where Harry found out through a letter (after a se- ries of attempts to deliver the envelope were foiled by his evil uncle), the magical Beauchamp sisters, titular characters of Lifetime's "Witches of East End," only found out about their abili- ties after one sister was kid- napped and their aunt, Wen- dy, was killed. It's definitely not the ideal time to discover that you have incredible powers, but it is a fitting introduction to the mysterious and danger- ous magical world Lifetime created over the first season of "Witches of East End." With a new episode set to air Sunday, Aug. 24, Lifetime is delving deeper into the world and the secrets of its inhabitants. Giving life to the matri- arch of the supernaturally talented family is Julia Or- mond. Prior to stepping into Joanna Beauchamp's shoes, Ormond appeared in various movies and TV shows, in- cluding "My Week with Mar- ilyn" (2011) and several epi- sodes of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." As Joanna, Ormond wields an array of magical abilities. Her charac- ter used her thousands of years of life to hone her mys- tical abilities and can now move objects with her mind and heal others, among oth- er fantastical talents. Joanna's sister, Wendy, is played by Mädchen Amick ("ER," "Twin Peaks"). Wen- dy had a falling out with her sister years ago, but turned up at Joanna's door at the beginning of season 1 to warn her sister that she was in danger. After redeeming herself in their mother's eyes, Wendy helps teach In- grid (Rachel Boston) and Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) to use their powers. Throughout the course of the series so far, it's been re- vealed that Joanna Beau- champ is an immortal witch and she, along with her daughters Ingrid and Freya, were sent to Earth years ago. Freya and Ingrid have both lived various previous lives, having been cursed to be born again after their deaths. Joanna, believing that magic was somehow re- sponsible for her daughters' dying young over and over, pledged to keep the secret hidden from them. As with all well-meaning pledges, that backfired and she was forced to tell Ingrid the truth in order to save Freya from a furious past-life boyfriend. Later in the first season, the girls (and view- ers) discovered their true past as citizens of the realm of Asgard. Freya is set to marry the charming Dash Gardiner, played by the gorgeous "Days of Our Lives" alum Eric Winter, despite her growing and complicated feeling for his brother, Killian (Daniel DiTomasso, "Beauty and the Beast"), but her wedding day is fraught with omens of doom. As a counter to the bad mojo, Ingrid, Jo- anna and Wendy — who was resurrected after her death in the pilot — cast a blessing spell to protect Freya. The problem is the spell causes Freya's bracelet — a gift from her fiancé — to fall off her arm, hinting that he was causing the problem. Freya is summoned by her father, Victor (Joel Gretsch, "The 4400") — a denizen of Asgard who came to Earth to help his family — who tells his daughter he doesn't trust Dash. Convinced she can't marry him, Freya breaks the news to Dash, who assumes it's Killian's fault and immediately seeks out his brother for revenge. Around the same time, Wendy and Joanna found out that the saboteur who had been plaguing the fami- ly throughout season 1 is none other than Dash and Killian's mother, Penelope, played by Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen ("Sideways," 2004). After Joanna is attacked, the sis- ters team up to take down the threat and end up killing Penelope, releasing the pent-up power she stole from her sons. Lifetime's summer super- natural drama has received mixed reviews, although viewers of "Witches of East End" stayed faithful even when the show's freshman season aired on the same night as AMC's zombie hit "The Walking Dead." The season 2 premiere brought in 1.2 million viewers, up to 1.5 million the following week. Keep up with the Beauchamps when a new episode of "Witches of East End" airs Sunday, Aug. 24, on Lifetime. Rachel Boston, Julia Ormond, Mädchen Amick and Jenna Dewan Tatum star in "Witches of East End" Witchy wonder Travel back to 'East End' to catch up on Lifetime's mystical drama Featurestory