The residents of “Salem” are going to be shaking in their boots come Season 2. But it won’t be thanks to Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery).
For the second outing of WGN America’s drama about the townspeople and witches of 17th century Salem, Mass., a new, powerful woman is claiming her territory: Countess Palatine, Ingrid von Marburg played by “Xena: Warrior Princess'” Lucy Lawless.
“The countess is going to be, I think, a driving force in Mary’s life because Mary has what I want,” Lawless tells Zap2it. “I want everything. All I want is everything. Me and my curious son move in and it’s not going to go well I’m afraid. But it’ll be a lot of fun … I just want to give her hell.”
During the Season 1 finale, Mary finally completed the Grand Rite and unleashed a plague on the people of Salem. However, the Countess — who is one of the only remaining descendants of an ancient line of European witches — doesn’t respect Mary for her accomplishment, she only envies her for it.
“There’s multiple agendas for her,” says co-creator Adam Simon. “She wants to seize control. She is the character who was alluded to last season who Increase [Mathers] defeated attempting the Grand Rite about 60 years earlier. Now she doesn’t look like she could be that old, but we find out she’s much older than that. She’s here to find out who is it that exceeded at what [she] failed to do, and [to find out if she can] seize it.”
The Countess is clearly not an opposing force that “Salem” fans have encountered before. She is a beast in her own right and has secrets and powers that not even Mary fully understands.
“She’s more than a rival,” says co-creator Brannon Braga. “She’s there to do bad things. She’s Mary’s biggest threat of all time.”
“Salem” Season 2 premieres Sunday, April 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on WGN America.
