Hex This!
Why is it that everywhere I turn, there’s a little bit of magic?
I’ve managed to pick up the first season of the Hex series on DVD first premiered on the BBC a couple years ago. The sale price at Best Buy was dropped down to nearly half which motivated me into buying. And getting a glimpse of the TV show that has rave reviews from the mother country.
I’m not sure why the price became as cheap as a Goodwill shelf sale. I wouldn’t call it magic. It’s down right luck that I grabbed it cheap.
But the Hex series is about magic.
It’s an interesting idea about the Medenham Hall, a native English school nestling in a lovely countryside, where a battlefield of demons and ghosts soon rise from the ashes of an ancient war. It’s a classic battle between good and evil set on the lonely college that’s set on the McBain estate grounds where original witches originally lived.
The soldiers of old, these witches, were eventually burned to the stake.
And now a new generation of witches are rising on the same earthly grounds.
Led by the lovely Cassie as played by Christina Cole. You might have sent this actress before in the third season of Doctor Who entitled The Shakespeare Code. And not surprisingly, she plays yet again a witch in that episode.
Cassie helms the first part of the series as a witch leading a fight against an older enemy that takes form of a foreboding demon/stalker type in Azazeal. He stays within shadows. He manipulates people. He is a fallen angel who takes to matters of darkness. And his power seems to be slowly growing with or without the witches who stifle his progress.
It is this ancient battlefield that sets its sights on the ongoing battle between Azazeal and the witches.
What’s interesting is the number of influences from the Angel and Buffy TV shows from the Joss Whedon days. We see more of his writing snips in today’s television media. There’s more leaning towards stories about teenagers here and their sexual awakenings. Their fear of relationships and constant worries of doing what’s right. The stories revolve around youngsters not being able to fit into their peer groups. An issue many young people face today.
In the first episode, like reaching an adolescent stage, Cassie touches an old Voodoo vase that has been passed down through the generations in secret, and it awakens her magical powers.
Though, like any child, she is unable to control it.
At first, she uses it to spy on her friends or make a fool out of boys. But her powers grow and she takes the battle to Azazeal when she learns more about him. He is the constant antagonist.
Another part of the series focuses on an excellently written gay character Thelma played by Jemima Rooper. She is killed off right away at the beginning of the series only to be resurrected as a ghost. She is funny, warm, a little shy, and especially smart. Strangely enough, it is her character most audiences will identify with because of her loneliness. Yes, ghosts do eat potato chips.
Fact is, Thelma is more useful as a ghost than she was when living. Because she figures a lot of things out that Cassie doesn’t, becomes an important player.
The worst ambush on the series is the final departure of Christina Cole in the series. It was her presence that seems to remain a focus in stories. She is replaced by another witch Ella Dee who I'm unable to stand. The redheaded witch that follows in Cassie’s footsteps looks like she's a crackwhore 24/7 with her baggy eyes. And she has no charisma as did Cole. The original character is sorely missed.
The series then feels like a woman’s magazine written by women for women. Some of the later stories have a soap opera trend with people falling in love with one another and it hurts the progressive saga of good vs. evil in the earlier stories. It is the unfortunate shift of different lead characters that might’ve led to the downfall of the series. It was eventually cancelled in April of 2006 after the second season ran with just 19 episodes under the belt.
But it is an interesting glimpse into the teenager’s life as the series deals with abuse, suicide, illness, loneliness and sex which often defines the person’s life and who that person will be for the rest of their lives. The series delivers a snapshot photo of the teenager’s life at its most pivotal.
No spirit or witch is safe on these school grounds. And hell isn’t always a nice place to visit here.
I’ve managed to pick up the first season of the Hex series on DVD first premiered on the BBC a couple years ago. The sale price at Best Buy was dropped down to nearly half which motivated me into buying. And getting a glimpse of the TV show that has rave reviews from the mother country.
I’m not sure why the price became as cheap as a Goodwill shelf sale. I wouldn’t call it magic. It’s down right luck that I grabbed it cheap.
But the Hex series is about magic.
It’s an interesting idea about the Medenham Hall, a native English school nestling in a lovely countryside, where a battlefield of demons and ghosts soon rise from the ashes of an ancient war. It’s a classic battle between good and evil set on the lonely college that’s set on the McBain estate grounds where original witches originally lived.
The soldiers of old, these witches, were eventually burned to the stake.
And now a new generation of witches are rising on the same earthly grounds.
Led by the lovely Cassie as played by Christina Cole. You might have sent this actress before in the third season of Doctor Who entitled The Shakespeare Code. And not surprisingly, she plays yet again a witch in that episode.
Cassie helms the first part of the series as a witch leading a fight against an older enemy that takes form of a foreboding demon/stalker type in Azazeal. He stays within shadows. He manipulates people. He is a fallen angel who takes to matters of darkness. And his power seems to be slowly growing with or without the witches who stifle his progress.
It is this ancient battlefield that sets its sights on the ongoing battle between Azazeal and the witches.
What’s interesting is the number of influences from the Angel and Buffy TV shows from the Joss Whedon days. We see more of his writing snips in today’s television media. There’s more leaning towards stories about teenagers here and their sexual awakenings. Their fear of relationships and constant worries of doing what’s right. The stories revolve around youngsters not being able to fit into their peer groups. An issue many young people face today.
In the first episode, like reaching an adolescent stage, Cassie touches an old Voodoo vase that has been passed down through the generations in secret, and it awakens her magical powers.
Though, like any child, she is unable to control it.
At first, she uses it to spy on her friends or make a fool out of boys. But her powers grow and she takes the battle to Azazeal when she learns more about him. He is the constant antagonist.
Another part of the series focuses on an excellently written gay character Thelma played by Jemima Rooper. She is killed off right away at the beginning of the series only to be resurrected as a ghost. She is funny, warm, a little shy, and especially smart. Strangely enough, it is her character most audiences will identify with because of her loneliness. Yes, ghosts do eat potato chips.
Fact is, Thelma is more useful as a ghost than she was when living. Because she figures a lot of things out that Cassie doesn’t, becomes an important player.
The worst ambush on the series is the final departure of Christina Cole in the series. It was her presence that seems to remain a focus in stories. She is replaced by another witch Ella Dee who I'm unable to stand. The redheaded witch that follows in Cassie’s footsteps looks like she's a crackwhore 24/7 with her baggy eyes. And she has no charisma as did Cole. The original character is sorely missed.
The series then feels like a woman’s magazine written by women for women. Some of the later stories have a soap opera trend with people falling in love with one another and it hurts the progressive saga of good vs. evil in the earlier stories. It is the unfortunate shift of different lead characters that might’ve led to the downfall of the series. It was eventually cancelled in April of 2006 after the second season ran with just 19 episodes under the belt.
But it is an interesting glimpse into the teenager’s life as the series deals with abuse, suicide, illness, loneliness and sex which often defines the person’s life and who that person will be for the rest of their lives. The series delivers a snapshot photo of the teenager’s life at its most pivotal.
No spirit or witch is safe on these school grounds. And hell isn’t always a nice place to visit here.
posted by K.M. Paters at 1:01 PM
2 Comments:
AMEN. Great Review. Loved the series, but once Cassie leaves the show loses focus.
Thanks for the comment. I haven't expected anyone else to have seen the series. And hoped to spark interest in it in my area.
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