The AMC+ show Mayfair Witches is full of witches, psychics, and paranormal entities, with some doing a great job of communicating the story's themes and ideas. The show was the second to be launched in the Immortal Universe franchise, which began with the critically appraised Interview with the Vampire. The two shows, along with whatever else Immortal Universe releases, are set in the same universe. This universe was created by influential horror and fantasy author Anne Rice, who wrote the books that Mayfair Witches is based on, inventing many of the magical characters that now populate the TV show.

Mayfair Witches season 2 will start to head further into the territory devised by Anne Rice in the source material, The Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The Lives of the Mayfair Witches books are a trilogy consisting of The Witching Hour, its sequel Lasher, and its final book, Taltos. Mayfair Witches season 1 looked into the first book in the series, whereas season 2 is set to adapt Lasher. As such, some Mayfair Witches season 1 characters are about to become far more important, while season 2 will see the addition of a few more key players, developing the narrative laid out by Anne Rice.

10 Deirdre Mayfair

Rowan's Birth Mother

Deirdre Mayfair was one of the opening characters of Mayfair Witches season 1 and Deirdre set the scene for the show's southern gothic horror. Deirdre was slumped catatonically in a chair on the porch of a beautiful, southern-looking house, assuring viewers that mystery and horror-tinged drama was to come. Deirdre's fogged eyes were a memorable facet of this tragic character.

Mayfair Witches season 2 will be released in 2025.

Deirdre's opening scene aptly communicated her helplessness, which is key to her character and was a thread in her arc all the way to its end. Deirdre's untimely end was a tragic manifestation of her role in the problematic Mayfair family and a catastrophe for Rowan Fielding, Deirdre's birth daughter. Deirdre got some power back in the show at one point, and it seemed like she could rise above the Mayfairs' difficulties, but her fate was ultimately sealed by the family's political intrigue.

9 Tessa Mayfair

The Ambitous Mayfair

Tessa Mayfair is one of the witches of the Mayfair family, the focal family of the books and show. This powerful but toxic family is a good allegory for toxic families in general, and Tessa stood out as someone hoping for better. Tessa served an important purpose in season 1 as a catalyst for Rowan's transformation into a true Mayfair.

Rowan Fielding, the show's main character, spent season 1 wrestling with her newly discovered status as a witch and the head of the Mayfair family. Tessa, unfortunately, came to an early death, which gave Rowan the motivation to own her power as a witch and seek justice. Tessa was a bright, ambitious witch but was sacrificed for Rowan's development.

8 Cortland Mayfair

The Nefarious Patriarch

Cortland Mayfair was one of the most scheming, conniving characters on a show full of schemers, but may have been the most unsavory. Cortland's presence as a patriarch on the show was offset by the Mayfairs' powerful women, allowing Mayfair Witches to explore gender roles and relations. Cortland's toxic goals were his undoing, demonstrating the show's internal justice.

Rowan discovered some of Cortland's crimes in Mayfair Witches season 1, leading to her putting a stop to him. However, it has been confirmed that Cortland will return in season 2 and go through “very, very weird things” (via Collider). Harry Hamlin can keep being a nefarious presence in Mayfair Witches season 2 as Cortland, providing a foil for less villainous Mayfairs.

7 Ciprien Grieves

The Talamasca Member

Ciprien Grieves came to Rowan's rescue in Mayfair Witches season 1. Ciprien was one of the show's few protagonists with clear, positive motives, allowing viewers to root for him. As a psychic and psychometric, Ciprien could detect events around objects by touching them. This allowed him to relate to Rowan's isolation as a witch and help her in her journey.

Ciprien is a member of the Talamasca in the show - this secret society documents the paranormal in Anne Rice's world. The Talamasca TV show coming up may include Ciprien Grieves or focus on other Talamasca described by Rice. Ciprien appears to replace Anne Rice character Michael Curry in Mayfair Witches, with Curry playing a similar role to Grieves in the books.

6 Suzanne Mayfair

The Scottish Witch

Suzanne Mayfair was an intriguing character on the show, present in flashbacks to the distant past. Mayfair Witches offered viewers these flashbacks bit by bit to explain Mayfair history. Suzanne was a healer in a Scottish village, soon maligned as a witch, in accordance with the era's religious fervor.

Suzanne's story shows the risk of holding down a woman's power and initiates the complex interplay between Lasher and the witches.

Suzanne refused to stay caged, instead choosing to summon a demon, as ironically taught to her by one of her hunters. Suzanne freed herself, sealing the fate of future generations with her deal with Lasher. Suzanne's story shows the risk of holding down a woman's power and initiates the complex interplay between Lasher and the witches.

5 Carlotta Mayfair

The Controlling Aunt

Carlotta Mayfair is a character from the Anne Rice books with ample gravitas in Mayfair Witches. Carlotta, at first, seemed like the worst Mayfair of the bunch, keeping Deirdre sedated with medication to control her. As Deirdre's manipulative aunt, Carlotta was fairly odious, but the complexity of her motives became more apparent as season 1 went on.

Fulfilling a matriarchal role in the Mayfair family, Carlotta had a fake smile and social formalities that signified the rotten heart of the Mayfairs and the various skeletons in their closet. Carlotta's ruthlessness was revealed early in Mayfair Witches. However, she later seemed more logical than she had at first, with Rowan finding out more and more about the Mayfairs' unique curse.

4 Jojo Mayfair

The Voice Of Reason

Jojo Mayfair was well portrayed by Jen Richards, who put across the kindness and humanity of her character, even despite the cruel schemes she was embedded in. Jojo tried to help Rowan, although she inevitably had her own ideas about the part Rowan should play in the family. Jojo often came across as the voice of reason, a rare presence in an ocean of calculating characters.

Jojo was faced with some very difficult decisions near the end of Mayfair Witches season 1 and managed to come through them with her moral integrity intact. This was always going to be a challenge in the Mayfair family. As the events of Anne Rice's Lasher unfold in Mayfair Witches season 1, Jojo's logic will be welcome.

3 Keith Murfis

The Witch Hunter

Keith Murfis is not one of the Anne Rice book characters that appears across the Immortal Universe shows. Instead, he is an original creation of Mayfair Witches, along with the modern-day witch-hunter arc. This arc serves to show the threat that misogyny still poses to powerful women, and Keith Murfis is the perfect poster boy of the anti-witch movement.

Keith Murfis is a successful villain as far as the show goes, evincing a convincingly disgusting incel-type character. The lonely desperation comes through and makes the witches seem more sympathetic, pursued as they are by Murfis and his team. Regardless of whether or not the show needed this original character, he is well-represented by Ian Hoch.

2 Rowan Fielding

The Designee

Rowan Fielding is played well by Alexandra Daddario, despite some of the writing in the show making her seem superficial at times. It seems that Rowan will step into her power more in Mayfair Witches season 2, and she may start becoming the convincingly powerful designee that she is in the books. Rowan's designee status made her critical in season 1, and the recipient of Lasher's attentions.

Rowan's power and vulnerability were felt in equal measure as she navigated the complexities of her inheritance.

Landed with the Mayfair curse of being tied to the demonic Lasher, Rowan had to tread carefully in season 1. Rowan's power and vulnerability were felt in equal measure as she navigated the complexities of her inheritance. Rowan could feature in Immortal Universe crossovers in season 2 and could equally start to seek safety for her family and revenge for the harm done to it.

1 Lasher

The Taltos

Lasher is a morally ambivalent presence in Mayfair Witches, but by the end of season 1, it seems like Lasher's villainy is front and center. Although a seemingly caring creature that seeks the power and health of the witches he is tied to, Lasher has many selfish motivations. Mayfair Witches season 2 has been set up to explore these motivations and focus on Lasher's story.

Portrayed by Jack Huston, Lasher is a dark, ghostly figure with a power to charm the witches tied to him by the generational curse he generated with Suzanne. As such, witches like Deirdre and Rowan fell under his sway easily in season 1, being designees of this magic. Lasher's sinister charm came through in Huston's performance, and season 2 can develop this further.

Source: Collider