Motherland: Fort Salem Gets Representation Right (Other Witch Shows Don’t)
Representation matters and Motherland: Fort Salem’s approach to integrating marginalized populations is something other witch shows can learn from. Set in an alternate reality where witches are conscripted to fight in the United States Army, the female-led cast features actors who themselves come from a wide spectrum of identities, and the writers have given their characters space to let those identities shine through. Shows that center around witches and other supernatural beings often deal with “otherness” and how they handle that topic can be pretty revealing in terms of what is valued by the creators.
In a world where women have control, gender roles are flipped, and sexuality isn’t shamed but instead celebrated, Motherland: Fort Salem season 2’s cast list included people like non-binary actor Ess Hödlmoser, while the plot features queer soldier M. Raelle Collar (Taylor Hickson), who stood her ground when a witch matchmaker tried to set her up with a man, saying that wasn’t what she wanted. There are also the Bellweathers, a Black family who are one of the strongest, possibly the strongest witch line in modern times. Yet these examples aren’t just interesting factoids; this is how the world works in Motherland: Fort Salem. Societal expectations are stripped away in this show, leaving in its wake a clean slate to build a more inclusive world.
Related: American Horror Story: The Backstory Behind Miss Robichaux’s Witch Academy
Other witch shows, which do attempt to tackle the idea of “otherness,” fall short when it comes to representation. While Chilling Adventures of Sabrina includes Black and non-binary cast members and characters, they are sadly extremely peripheral and not given the attention they deserve.
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