The new WGN America series SALEM takes the classic tale of the Salem witch trials and imagines that the witches were real, and that there not only witches residing in Salem, but other things that go bump in the night too. Capitalizing on the recent television craze for historical fantasy, SALEM offers adds an element of supernatural horror to its dark series.
SALEM stars Janet Montgomery and Shane West as star-crossed lovers John Alden and Mary Sibley who were cruelly separated for 7 years during the American Revolutionary War. Seven years is a long time and with John Alden presumed dead, Mary Sibley moved on in her life. She went from being just a beautiful young maiden, desired by all the good men of Salem, to being the wife of the town’s more prominent leaders. So when John returns from the war, thinking to reclaim his home and the girl he loved, he is in for a cold surprise. Likewise for Mary, who believed John was lost during the war and made a series of irrevocable life choices based on that false assumption; choices which she undoubtedly wishes she could take back.
So John Alden’s return to his hometown of Salem is met with a bit of shock and sadness. [Read more…]