"She doesn't have a plan B": Madison Wolfe on Tessa being rejected by Lasher in Mayfair Witches Episode 7 (Exclusive)

In Mayfair Witches Episode 7, Tessa Mayfair is bound, gagged, caged, burned at the stake, and ultimately shot. It’s a challenging role for just about any actor, but Madison Wolfe, at 20 years of age, handles it with gusto.

She tries to enchant her captor Keith (Ian Hoch), attempts to get into the good graces of another witch hunter; but ultimately succumbs. A gripping episode, setting up the finale perfectly.

We spoke to Madison Wolfe, the star of Mayfair Witches Episode 7, about her journey on the show coming to an end. She outlined the challenges she faced in the environment within which she worked. She also highlighted how these circumstances led to such an exemplary performance.

SK POP was delighted to interact with the star, also known for her performances on True Detective and The Conjuring 2. And while her Mayfair story may have concluded, her career’s only just taking off in a major way.

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How Madison Wolfe used the trials and tribulations of the setting of Mayfair Witches Episode 7 to her advantage

Imprisoned by a fundamentalist group, Madison’s character Tessa is tried for being a witch in Mayfair Witches Episode 7. Her captors attempt to videotape her performing magic on camera, to no avail.

Wolfe mentioned that while her co-star Ian Hoch’s character in the show was creepy, he was very sweet in real life:

"Ian’s great. He’s really so sweet and so kind and such a chill guy off camera. And then, on camera, he’s such a talented actor you know. Slipping into that sort of nerdy, creepy guy which is so far from who he actually is. But yeah, I think he did such a great job and obviously as an actress, you can only hope that you you’ll be able to feed off your castmates’ performances. And vice versa, right?"

At a certain point, Keith mentions to Tessa in Mayfair Witches Episode 7 how nobody would swipe right on his face. Did Tessa feel a sense of sympathy? Madison disagreed:

"Honestly, I think in that moment her only concern is trying to survive. I think that Tessa is a sympathetic person in general. But in that specific moment, I think that her flight or fight kicks in and she’s trying to get out of that cage. She knows that this is her only hope and any information he gives, she’s going to use that against him."

While she hadn’t had an opportunity to watch Mayfair Witches Episode 7 at the time of the interview, Wolfe recalled how taxing the experience was:

"It was really gruelling to be honest. I mean we were shooting it for a few days in this huge warehouse (smiles nostalgically) in the middle of Summer in New Orleans. So, it was so hot. So much physical action. Emotionally just super, super high energy."

Did her character feel a sense of remorse that Lasher did not show up to save her in her moment of duress? Wolfe pondered:

"I think that the moment when she’s in the cage and she calls out to him, and then, he doesn’t show up, I think that’s kind of where reality hits her a little bit. I think that’s her last hope. She doesn’t have a plan B. She’s really desperate in that moment and I think that’s a huge catalyst for her emotional state."

Wolfe summed up Tessa’s desperation:

"And why she does get so emotional in that moment is because she kinda knows in her heart that there’s not much else she can do. She tried to use her glamour. She tried to break out of that cage by force. She’s tried to call Lasher. And that’s it. So yeah, I think she’s feeling kind of hopeless at that point."

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With only one episode to go this season, Mayfair Witches Episode 7 is the perfect prelude to the finale. Gear up for an exciting finale next Sunday on AMC!