YMMV / A Discovery of Witches

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Gillian. Is she a Well-Intentioned Extremist who truly cared about Diana and blindly puts her faith in Peter Knox - who is considered a wise and respected leader to the witches - out of a desire to help her friend and not get in trouble herself? Or is she a False Friend who sees this as an opportunity to endear herself to Knox and rise up the ranks, using concern for Diana as an excuse? Matthew thinks she was always jealous of Diana and that she has ambitions to join the Congregation. Gillian does initially appear genuinely friendly with Diana and doesn't outwardly begrudge her success in the face of her own stalling career, although she is also quick to believe Knox's false claims that Diana has lied to her about being unable to use magic despite their years' long friendship. During her confrontation with Matthew, Gillian also seems more preoccupied with slamming Diana for "debasing herself" with Matthew rather than expressing concern for her well-being. Gillian's motives could even be a mix of both interpretations, which is the approach her actress Louise Brealey took:
  "She does betray Diana, but she believes wholly that she's doing it for Diana's good. I think it's interesting because she's jealous of [Diana] but it's not to plot her downfall or anything. I think it's reasonably subconscious in Gillian that she envies her friend."
• Fan Nickname: "Friendly Adaptation Spiders", for the Canon Foreigner spiders who appear in the series's dream sequences.
• Narm: When Diana is giving her blood to Matthew when he is dying, she tells him, "I am inside you giving you life."
• Questionable Casting: With Trystan Gravelle, who played the role in Seasons 1 and 2, unavailable to return as Baldwin Montclair for Season 3, he is Other Darrined with Peter McDonald, who looks nothing like him and is noticeably older, and gray-haired. More than one viewer wondered who he was supposed to be.
• Strangled by the Red String: Diana and Matthew barely know each other by the time they're proclaiming their undying love. It's even lampshaded in the first season; when Diana first tells him she loves him, Matthew points out that three weeks ago she didn't even know he existed (although it's indicated he's pulling a Break Her Heart to Save Her), and Ysabeau states that Diana knows very little about Matthew beyond their brief relationship (with Diana not even being aware until this point that Matthew once had a wife and son who died). In spite of this they have no doubts, and they're willing to defy the Covenant and risk their lives to be together. It's lessened by the actors sharing good chemistry and the characters having believable reasons for being attracted to each other (plus it's implied they're destined to be together, so magic may be involved), though how quickly they go from tentatively-trusting acquaintances to adoring life partners can still cause a bit of whiplash for some.

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