Cotton Mather is busy writing and studying. He says that he has been in Salem a fortnight and has already hung three witches. Cotton is drunk and is wondering if this is the price of being a servant to heaven. Cotton prays and talks about the fact that he may have pressed an innocent man to death. Caleb asks God to give him a sign.
Issac makes his way pulling along carts. He enters an area where dead bodies are just lying in a raven surrounded by flies. Issac pulls a bundle out of his cart and drops it with the bodies saying, "forgive me," before taking off. I assume that bundle is the body of Miles Corey.
Cotton is now in bed with Gloriana and it's clear that he is still upset. Gloriana tells him that grown men don't fear their fathers but Cotton replies that everyone fears their father. Great so part of Cotton' problems are daddy issues but unfortunately, I cannot be arsed to care. John bursts into the room and throws a naked Cotton against the wall, Gloriana calls for John to leave Cotton alone. John tells Gloriana to get out and asks if Cotton wipes the blood of his hands on the ass of a whore. Gloriana grabs a robe and heads for the door. Cotton argues that since Miles Corey didn't plead, no one knows if he was innocent. John puts a knife to Cotton's throat and asks for a reason not to kill him. Cotton replies that he cannot give one and adds that he has been expecting the angel of death since he was ten. Cotton then compares the face of the angel of death to that of John's and declares himself prepared to burn like black tar. John gets a flashback to the witch ceremony and says that he has seen hell on earth. John demands that Cotton get dressed because he has something to show him. Damn I thought we were going to see the well deserved end of Cotton.
Later, on the street, John tells Cotton that they are headed to the woods. When Cotton asks why, John explains that though Cotton has no moral compass, he does know something about witches. John admits to seeing witches, including animal heads. Before Cotton and John can make it to the woods, Magistrate Hale stops them and puts John under arrest for his supposed violent actions at the pressing of Corey. The Puritans put a man to death but it's John who is out of order. I suppose that this is yet an inkling of how superstitious problematic this society is but a we know from the first episode, Hale is on the side of the witches. John tells Cotton to talk to Issac and then asks Hale if he plans to press him like they did to Corey. Hale tells John to take that up with Cotton, because Cotton is responsible for the pressing of Corey, not him. When men move into grab John, he fights back but soon finds himself overwhelmed and dragged away, as Cotton watches.
Hale heads to see Mary, who wonders when Hale had planned to inform her of his arrest of John. Hale calls John a loose cannon, who threatened the selectmen in front of half of the town. Mary declares that if John is a problem, then he is her problem. Hale points out that John could become a problem for all of them but Mary points out that since her husband controls Salem and she controls her husband, they are to do nothing without her approval. I do like this show of force and control from Mary given that in the last episode, much of her action was guided by the corrupt guiding hand of Tituba. It further thwarts gender norms as in this society, women certainly cannot be more powerful than a man. Mary adds that Hale is to concern himself with who broke their circle. Mary orders Hale to go back to the woods and find the seer because his eyes were there. Hale leaves.
In the woods, Issac leads Cotton back to the location of the circle. Issac confirms that John saw the witches as well, along with the witches stabbing a white dove. Issac says that this felt like the saddest thing in the world to bleed a single dove to death. Cotton moves away to investigate the site by the light of his lantern and he comes across a whole in the root of a tree. Cotton reaches in and pulls out a pulsing hand, which quickly releases insects. I will gave Salem props for the creepy here.
Mary heads to the jail and orders John's cell opened. Mary reminds John that Salem still hangs men for threatening the selectmen but assures him that she would never let that happen. John questions where Mary's passion was when Corey was being crushed to death. Mary doesn't answer but says that John is free to go though the selectmen urge John to leave Salem and never come back. John steps into the light and asks if the warning really comes from her. Mary makes it clear that she is trying to save John and that he doesn't belong in Salem. John tells Mary that she doesn't belong here either but Mary is insistent that she cannot leave. John points out that George is in no shape to stop her. Mary says that John's confidence is amazing and asks if he imagined that she would welcome him back with tears of joy. Mary tells John that it's too late and that she doesn't want him there. John tells Mary that he almost believes her and Mary again warns that if he doesn't leave Salem that he will be hanged. John makes his way out but not before stopping to give a beggar his half of the silver coin as Mary watches.
Hannah is in labor and Mary storms in saying that baby will not be allowed to born until the name of the father is revealed. Bridget, who is acting as the midwife, tells Mary that the child must be born but Mary replies that Salem cannot shoulder another bastard. Mary then notices Anne Hale, who claims that Bridget shows her the wonders of God's own creation - or whatever the hell that means. Bridget again asks the name of the child's father and Hannah replies that she cannot tell because the man is not allowed to marry, or he will lose his apprenticeship. Mary says that this is the father's problem and not Salem's. Bridget begs Mary and reminds her that she was a poor woman once. Bridget asks Mary to use her position among the Puritans to help one of her own for once. Mary leans in and tells Hannah that no man is worth this and that if he is, he would rather her reveal the name than have her die to protect him. Hannah screams in pain and then reveals the father as Billy. Mary steps back and Bridget tells Hannah to push. Mary has a flashback to her abortion, as Hannah delivers the baby. Mary leaves the building and sees yet another pregnant woman entering Bridget's home.
Hale makes his way though the woods and comes across Petrus, who informs him that he heard him tramping through the woods the moment Hale left the road. Petrus instructs Hale to follow him. They make their way into a makeshift shelter and Hale says that he had trouble finding the place. Petrus says that Hale's kind find him when they need him. Hale asks who broke their circle in thew woods last night. Petrus picks up an animal saying that it was in the woods last night. Petrus then says that Hale should inform Mary that he will find out who was in the woods last night but it will take time.
