Type: Romantic
Show | Books: A Discovery of Witches and Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy
Featured Characters: Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop
When it comes to fantasy or science fiction, fated mates and forbidden romance thread together gorgeously. And, more often than not, they work best within the genres because the high stakes feel believable enough to know that the couple will withstand the tribulations that cross their path. Such is the case for A Discovery of Witches, where Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop’s relationship takes center stage from the first episode to the last.
Though their love is prophesied from the beginning, Matthew and Diana’s story still focuses on what it means to choose one another through everything—to put aside everything they once believed to become one instead. It’s a story about physical desires fusing into emotional bonds stronger than either of them thought possible.
The Invisible Strings Between Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop
Matthew and Diana have one of my favorite beginnings—the initial intoxication that comes from both an instant attraction and something more that neither can understand until they start uncovering more of their past. The invisible strings that bind them together make the beginning stages of their relationship both achingly tender and deeply enthralling.
As much as it’s fated that the two of them will find their way to each other, Matthew and Diana’s journey works because, in a short period of time, they grow closer to one another after showing admiration for each other’s talents. As academics, there’s an inherent respect that’s present from the moment they challenge each other. As a witch and a vampire, they shouldn’t be even a little entangled with one another, but that doesn’t stop them from marveling at what the other has to offer. This is ultimately why it’s easy for them to trust each other by the time Season 1, Episode 3, happens because they establish a trust that’s deeper than either of them expected to find.
Because demons are also after Diana, Matthew then takes it upon himself to be her protector (drawn to her in inexplicable ways that are both physical and emotional). The invisible strings that bind them can also be described as the unique ways in which they can challenge one another that no one else could, which works because both Matthew and Diana are natural competitors. They chase what they want and seize what they need, tirelessly searching for ways to enrich their minds and souls. They need the other person to satisfy all parts of their beings.
Similarly, both Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop are natural-born protectors, making it damn near impossible for anyone to succeed in harming the other because once they decide they’ll give the world for someone, it’s a perpetual promise they intend to keep. With this, every single time harm comes their way, the other is the first to find them—the first to sacrifice and do everything in their power to protect them. (And it always results in some of my favorite scenes: the best kind of hurt/comfort.)
How Season 1, Episode 3 Changes Everything
Season 1, Episode 3 is my favorite for a reason, and it’s one I’ve written about in detail. This is where the show’s truly faultless and where their relationship becomes indescribable.
“There’s so much to be said about why this is the episode that sets everything into motion beautifully. (And the episode that had me officially hooked.) Where there’s a formidable hindrance in any relationship, the result of overcoming and giving in to the love could go a number of ways. A Discovery of Witches may have just set the bar too high to meet. Matthew, dropping to his knees in an immaculate effort to comfort Diana in a position of overwhelming uniformity, showcased his very intentions with her beautifully. Intimacy is more than a physical touch or, in this case, a breathtaking first kiss. Intimacy is the choice to share oneself with another — mind, body, and soul. Intimacy is the exhibition of complete and utter vulnerability, gorgeously validating that Diana has, in every way, captivated Matthew to his core — awakening the disposition to love that’s long been dead inside of him. Intimacy is a man with great strength and, in this case, a threatening reputation, revealing himself in the form of pure humility in front of a woman he’d risk everything for. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her and the physical showcase brought his heart to life impeccably.
So much has happened between the two so far, but the quiet intimacy of this moment continues to be the one I can’t stop thinking about. And perhaps, it’s because it’s the first time we’re seeing Matthew in a state of such tangible softness. The vampire’s resilience, now governed by an intense desire to protect Diana, is overtaken by sensitivity in the form of a man who’s silently promising her a thousand accords all at once: protection, adoration, benevolence, and whatever virtuous pledge lies between. And Goode authenticates here that he’s the right choice for the role, going from one extreme emotion to another in the blink of an eye with the most jaw-dropping subtly I’ve seen in a long, long time. The tenderness in Goode’s tone of voice and the longing observation in his awe-struck eyes bring Matthew’s emotions to life in a masterful display of profound vulnerability. It’s his way of asking for permission — permission that’s already been granted to him, but one he cannot begin to grasp because his desire to be careful is far more than any of his selfish needs.
Finally, the two of them walking out of her rooms serve as the beautiful manifestation of just how much change is coming. Out of the darkness and into the light together.”
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
A Discovery of Witches isn’t a story about perfect people, which is precisely why Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop work as a couple. They’re both deeply flawed and, at times, understandably frustrating. Matthew more so than Diana when his protective instincts sometimes cloud his judgment and the patriarchal beliefs come to the forefront. Still, the best and most memorable couples are the ones who stay profoundly loving even while the ugly parts of them come to the surface.
The series is chiefly character-driven, but the lore is vast and detailed. The plot matters as much as the individual journeys because it entwines the couple and grounds them through different points of time. As they understand more of their past and how they are brought together, it makes fighting against opposing forces more seamless. Understanding the prospect of his blood rage and what could happen makes controlling it more believable and far more nuanced in what it represents.
A Discovery of Witches is a story about how far two people will go to ensure that the other is safe and sound, which comes from a deep understanding of every part of them that others might turn away from. There’s no sugarcoating, glossing over, or mindlessly erasing what doesn’t sit right. Instead, it’s about recognizing her lion’s heart and his rage to grasp why their unity feels so cosmic.
Their story looks toward what happens when all the parts you hate become someone’s favorites. Before Diana, Matthew Clairmont lived his life without a purpose, even when he had one. He walked around with hatred and holes in his heart that he never thought anything would fill until Diana Bishop peered into his eyes and held him steady. She didn’t fix him, but she helped heal all the pieces of him he thought were broken by effortlessly forcing himself to mend them one at a time. She gave his eternal life meaning by showing him how deep love could run and why what his parents had mattered so much. She helped him see that the daylight could be just as soothing as the night sky.
Together, everything they barricaded is set free because the love they share runs and spreads through all points in time. It’s the key to unifying creatures because it’s real and right and unending. Theirs is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. And, more importantly, a once-in-a-lifetime fictional relationship.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Sky UK.