Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, created by Michelle Ashford and Esta Spalding, ends its first season with an intense and dreamlike finale.
In this episode, the prophecy hinted at throughout the season finally comes to life. Throughout Season 1, Rowan Fielding (played by Alexandra Daddario) shows her relationship with Ciprien Grieve (Tongayi Chirisa) while becoming more linked to the demon Lasher (Jack Huston).
While Rowan and Ciprien seem to be falling for each other, it’s uncertain how much of their bond is influenced by Lasher’s manipulations.
By the season’s end, Rowan and Ciprien’s relationship remains unresolved. However, one thing is clear: Season 2 will feature a new version of Rowan, who is now embracing her powers and connection to Lasher after his rebirth into the world.
Season 1 of Mayfair Witches also centers on Rowan learning about her biological family. The finale reveals major secrets about Cortland Mayfair (played by Harry Hamlin) and Deirdre Mayfair (Annabeth Gish), which change Cortland’s relationship with Rowan and his daughter Jojo Mayfair (Jen Richards).
Who Is the Father of Rowan’s Baby in Mayfair Witches Season 1?
One of the most puzzling aspects of the Mayfair Witches Season 1 finale is the question of who fathered Rowan’s baby. Both Lasher and Rowan tell Ciprien that the baby is his.
However, some doubt remains about whether this is true or if it’s just a strategy to keep Ciprien from wanting to harm the baby.
The paternity isn’t entirely clear, especially since Rowan also had sex with Lasher, who sped up her pregnancy.
In an interview with Variety, co-creator Esta Spalding confirms that Ciprien is indeed the father, and the baby was conceived in Episode 5. However, Lasher orchestrated the entire event.
Spalding explains, “The way we have built the structure of the story, Lasher is orchestrating all of this, including trapping Rowan and Ciprien in that house together in Episode 5 so she can get pregnant.” Lasher, however, cannot directly conceive the baby who will serve as his vessel.
Cortland Mayfair Is Revealed To Be Rowan’s Father in Mayfair Witches Season 1
Another major plot twist in the Mayfair Witches Season 1 finale is the revelation that Cortland is Rowan’s father.
Early in the season, we see Cortland selecting a young man at a masquerade ball to seduce Deirdre and conceive her child. While this seemed unsettling at first, the finale reveals even darker truths.
When Ciprien touches a mask from the ball, his powers show that Cortland wore the young man’s mask, allowing him to impregnate Deirdre himself, resulting in Rowan’s birth.
In the show’s lore, the incestuous Mayfair relationships help maintain their power, and Rowan is an especially powerful witch because of her pure Mayfair bloodline.
Cortland believes that because he helped fulfill the prophecy that brought Lasher back, he would be greatly rewarded. This is partially true. When Rowan tries to kill him, it’s revealed that Cortland’s deal with Lasher worked, making him immortal.
However, he didn’t expect how powerful Rowan would become in the process or how much Lasher would favor her. Since Rowan can’t kill Cortland, she turns him into stone instead.
In her final moment of the episode, Rowan tells Ciprien, “You can’t control me,” as lightning almost strikes him. Although Cortland set much of the prophecy in motion, Rowan has now gained Lasher’s power.
Rowan’s Important Visions in the Mayfair Witches Season 1 Finale
Throughout the Mayfair Witches Season 1 finale, Rowan is unconscious for much of the time, experiencing visions of her family’s past. Lasher tells her, “Follow the path of your ancestors to the end,” leading Rowan on a journey through time.
During this, the show offers views of many deceased Mayfairs, described in detail in Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. The most prominent figure is Suzanne Mayfair (Hannah Alline), the first Mayfair witch and a midwife who helps Rowan through her labor.
Rowan also sees Antha Mayfair before getting to speak with her mother, Deirdre, who explains that Lasher will be reborn as Rowan’s child.
Other brief views include Deborah Mayfair, Suzanne’s daughter and the first Mayfair witch to summon Lasher, and Julien Mayfair, one of the few male witches in the Mayfair line.
Julien, who is also Cortland’s father, will have a larger role in Season 2, with Ted Levine now cast to portray him.
Unanswered Questions for Mayfair Witches Season 2
The Mayfair Witches Season 1 finale leaves fans with many questions. The most pressing is whether Rowan and Ciprien’s relationship can be saved.
Additionally, what are Ciprien’s true intentions regarding the baby? He seems determined to separate Rowan from the child, but will he develop feelings for his own child?
It’s also unclear how much of Rowan’s behavior in the finale is due to Lasher’s influence. Will Season 2 show a Rowan who fully embraces power, or will she try to distance herself from Lasher?
Viewers will have to wait until 2025 to find out when Mayfair Witches returns for Season 2.
Mayfair Witches Season 1 concludes with an intense finale where Rowan Fielding embraces her powers after discovering shocking truths about her family.
The season centers on Rowan’s growing connection to the demon Lasher and her complicated relationship with Ciprien Grieve.
A major revelation uncovers that Cortland Mayfair is Rowan’s father, deepening the show’s twisted family dynamics.
As Lasher is reborn through Rowan’s child, questions about the baby’s future and Rowan’s next moves are left for Season 2.
The finale also features visions of the Mayfair family’s past, setting the stage for more supernatural drama in the next season.
Mayfair Witches Season 1 is currently available for streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
