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Hex (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Hex is a British
television programme developed by Shine Limited
and aired on the Sky One
satellite channel. The story is about a remote English country school that becomes the battleground between a demonic entity and the witches who oppose it. Both series of the show are currently available on Region 2 DVD
, with the first series released on Region 1 DVD
in June 2007.
The show was cancelled in April 2006 after the end of the second series.
The programme premiered in the United States
on BBC America
, sometime after, dividing the episodes into two equally long series for American viewers. Series 1 (Episodes 1-10—the 6 episodes of series 1 plus the first 4 episodes of series 2) aired in the summer of 2006, while series 2 (Episodes 11-19, the remaining 9 episodes from series 2) aired in the summer of 2007.
) to a new heroine, Ella Dee (Laura Pyper
).
school, Medenham Hall, which occupies the former manor house and grounds of the McBain estate. It was the site of an 18th century witchcraft
scandal in which the female members of the line, the Medenham Witches, were tried and executed. Cassie, who raised herself in a single-parent household caring for her mentally unstable mother, has latent telekinetic
, pyrokinetic and clairvoyant
abilities that are awakened when she touches an antique vase that had been used in Voodoo rituals by the Medenham Witches. Her roommate, Thelma
(who harbors an ill-concealed crush on Cassie), discovers that Cassie is a descendant of the Medenham Witches. Cassie has startling visions and dreams that she strives to interpret, and also struggles with controlling her growing telekinetic and pyrokinetic powers, which she is only able to summon in times of stress.
Cassie is stalked by a "dangerous looking" stranger who calls himself Azazeal
. Initially glimpsed fleetingly, he becomes increasingly bold, even entering into the students' rooms later in the series without warning or permission. Azazeal is revealed to be the leader of the biblical Nephilim
, fallen angel
s, and he claims to be in love with Cassie. He has had previous relationships with schoolmistress Jo Watkins and Cassie's own mother, which may have contributed to her mental illness
.
Frustrated by his inability to convince Cassie that his claims are sincere, Azazeal kills Thelma before Cassie's eyes as a sacrifice
to increase his power and prove that he is truly who he says he is. This act has two unintentional consequences: his power over Cassie is initially weakened by the shock, and Thelma thereafter continues to share Cassie's room as a ghost
that only Cassie, Azazeal and other ghosts can see. Thelma never forgives Azazeal for her own death, and is a strong voice against him to Cassie, who has grown to have feelings for him. Thelma is unable to touch the living, but she can touch other ghosts and presumably manipulate inanimate objects (including clothing, artifacts, books, doors, window sashes, and vending machines) and eat, which she does constantly (since ghosts cannot gain weight). Thelma works behind the scenes to spy on Azazeal and gather evidence from places where Cassie cannot enter. Cassie, while horrified by some of Azazeal's behaviour, ultimately finds herself drawn into his power. Azazeal possesses
Cassie, and while under his power, she gives herself to him and they conceive a child.
Thelma learns from Peggy, the ghost of a woman who died in the 1918 influenza pandemic
, that the gestation
of Azazeal's child is weakening the veil between worlds, allowing more ghosts to appear to the living. If the child is born, the veil will be torn, allowing the rest of the Nephilim to enter our world. If the pregnancy is terminated, the veil will heal, preventing the Nephilim from returning and leaving Azazeal the only one of his kind in our world. But there is a side effect: ghosts will also vanish from this world.
Cassie, after much convincing from Thelma decides that her fetus
must be aborted
, although it is growing at an alarming rate. A week after conception
, the doctors believe she is nearing the end of her second trimester. Thelma assists Cassie, without telling her that success means that she may never see Cassie again. Azazeal tries to interfere and save his son, but Cassie goes through with the abortion...or so she thinks. When Thelma realizes that Cassie can still see her, Thelma knows that something has not gone right. Cassie discovers weeks later that the doctor who performed her procedure has been influenced by Azazeal, and that the baby is alive and in Azazeal's care.
While Cassie and Thelma strategize, new characters are introduced at the school while old ones depart. Troy, convinced that Cassie's child is his, left the school at the end of the first series. Jo Watkins, having "really let herself go," is seldom seen at school as she has become Azazeal's live-in nurse and nanny. The school gains a new chaplain
, Jez Heriot, who doesn't "wear the uniform" except when conducting services and also teaches Ethics
. When Jo effectively disappears, David Tyrel asks Jez to take her classes as well. The students don't initially realize that he is a priest
, and Roxanne is quite taken with him, so much so that she can't help but seduce him even after the truth is known. A new student arrives at Medenham: Ella Dee. Her wardrobe instantly wins her points with the boys, evokes jealousy in the girls, and makes the faculty uncomfortable. Thelma is mildly attracted until she realizes that Ella can see her. There are other anomalies: Ella's tuition is paid by a corporation and her family background is unknown. She also seems to know entirely too much about Cassie... and Azazeal.
It is quickly revealed that Ella is definitely not what she seems. She is 445 years old and the daughter of John Dee
. Ella is also a witch and has been hunting Azazeal for centuries. So far, she has been very successful in preventing Azazeal from begetting a son by a mortal witch. This time, however, Ella was too late. Her mission: kill Malachi.
Ella instantly takes charge of both Cassie and Thelma, and formulates a plan to kidnap Malachi and sacrifice him in the school chapel. They are successful in grabbing the child, but Azazeal follows them and a series of alternately foolish and selfish decisions leads the girls inexorably to tragedy. With Azazeal present, Cassie loses her resolve and throws her body between Ella and Malachi. She dies instantly when Ella can't stop her killing blow, and Azazeal regains Malachi and retreats.
Ella tries to devise a new strategy while Thelma tries to deal with her deep sense of loss, but Ella loses her edge as she feels herself falling for Leon. Azazeal appeals to Thelma's own selfish desires and convinces her to steal and give him the Stone of Belial
, one of Ella's objects of power, in exchange for a last meeting with Cassie. Jez is revealed to be Ramiel
, another Nephilim
and Azazeal's "right-hand entity". With the Stone in their possession, Azazeal and Ramiel conspire to drive Ella insane by forcing her to relive the 17th century witch trial in which she was found guilty and nearly executed. Azazeal uses the Stone of Belial on Thelma, who travels back to Ella's witch trial and rescues her from execution in the past. Ramiel's scheming and manipulation leads to Ella's commitment in an insane asylum, where a triumphant Azazeal seemingly abandons her.
Ella rapidly ages as she is stripped of her powers, but after Leon is brought in on her secret and is granted the power to see Thelma, he helps to revive her using the Volta. A friend of Leon's who helped him get Ella out of the hospital (where she was cared for by Azazeal's lover Perie the Faerie) is tortured by Azazeal and the now teenaged Malachi, who kills him out of pity.
Azazeal is asked to leave by "higher powers" and enlists Malachi at Medenham Hall. He and Ella say their goodbyes; with Malachi born, Ella has no desire to kill him, and Azazeal leaves the Stone of Belial in Malachi's possession. Ella kills Jez and makes it look like suicide
, precipitated by the revelation that he was having an affair with a student, which deeply affects Roxanne, who felt responsible because she had seduced him.
Ella and Malachi romance one another magically and otherwise, and their respective mentors, the Archangel
Raphael
and the demon
Mephistopheles
, both use psychological tactics to get them to do as they wish. Ella and Malachi eventually have sex, as the evil side had wanted, and by fulfilling Ella's true desire (to be normal), she is made a slave to Malachi – his succubus
.
Malachi kills a lesbian
girl named Maya so that her ghost can consort with Thelma and give him leverage. Ella's enslavement to Malachi is ended by Thelma, who invaded her dreams and invoked her greatest fear: fire
. Leon attempts to kill Malachi, but is betrayed by Thelma (in hopes of keeping her and Maya together in the living world) and saved by Ella after Malachi sends a fallen Archangel
, Sariel, to attack him. Mephistopheles
betrays the cause of evil by helping Ella save Leon, who he feels did not need to die, and is subsequently punished and has his eyes removed. Raphael falls from grace by trying to rape
Ella, who announces at this point that she no longer works for Raphael's master, God
, and is a freelance agent at last.
Ella loses all her feelings for Malachi, who quickly moves on to romancing Alex and other girls in the school. He eventually seduces the entire student body, creating an army of succubi
and incubi
that makes him too powerful for Ella to kill. The only students who are not converted are Roxanne (who becomes a "pure soul" in her quest for forgiveness from God
for seducing Jez and causing his apparent suicide
), Tom (who is secretly gay
, in love with Leon, and impossible to convert because Malachi cannot make Leon love him back), Thelma (because after Ella later kills Maya, he has no hold over her), and Ella herself, who had already been freed from Malachi's spell.
Ella digs up Maya's corpse and beheads it, which destroys Maya's lingering presence on Earth
. Leon tries to kill Alex but cannot go through with it, leaving him feeling inferior to Ella. Jo Watkins, Cassie's former teacher and Azazeal's former lover, returns as Malachi's new emissary from the "higher powers" and restores her position as headmistress by framing David Tyrel for embezzlement
of school funds. Malachi cannot convert Tom, so he fakes the "mark of Malachi" on his neck and ensures that Leon will see it. Fooled by the false mark, Leon kills Tom, but by doing so, he achieves his greatest desire (not being inferior to Ella) and becomes an incubus of Malachi's.
Leon almost kills Ella with knowledge gained from the Book of Orokiah, but Thelma helps to save her. He is locked in a cage and sedated, at which point Thelma saves him from Malachi by invoking his greatest fear (having his penis
amputated). Returned to normal, he still ends his relationship with Ella and leaves the school. Roxanne is given the ability to see ghosts, and Thelma pretends to be an angel
to get her to steal the Stone of Belial back from Malachi. Ella uses the Stone to travel back in time and attempts to kill Malachi while he is still a baby (at the end of Series 1), but she is attacked by Perie the Faerie and receives a mortal wound to the chest. Ella returns to Medenham Hall where she confesses her love for Leon as she lies dying under the watchful eyes of Thelma.
Rejected by Hell
, Mephistopheles convinces Leon to return, where he saves Ella by cauterizing her wound. Malachi sacrifices the pure-of-heart Roxanne to "enrage God" by killing one of "His creatures." The school is set ablaze and Thelma, Ella, and Leon escape from it to a field somewhere. As Malachi has started the "End of Days," described by Mephistopheles as the final battle between good and evil
, the series ends with blood pouring from a rock bearing the mark of Azazeal, similar to Malachi's.
Also appearing in Series One is Geraldine James
as Cassie's mother, Lilith Hughes. Recurring cast included Jessica Oyelowo
as Rachel McBain, Holly Lumsden as Esther McBain and Katy Carmichael
as Peggy.
Recurring cast for Series Two included Stephen Wight
as Felix, Jemima Abey
as Alex, Sam Troughton
as Jez Heriot/Ramiel, Ronan Vibert
as Mephistopheles, Katrine De Candole as Perie the Faerie, Laura Donnelly
as Maya Robertson, Leon Ford
as Max Rosen, Grant Parsons as Dr. Surtees and Anatole Taubman
as Raphael.
manor modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. Several external scenes in Series 2 were filmed in the city of St Albans
(Hertfordshire), using locations such as the city centre, the Cathedral grounds and a small street adjacent to it.
The region 1 release is labeled as "Season 1", and contains 10 episodes—all of Series 1, and the first four episodes of Series 2.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television programme developed by Shine Limited
Shine Limited
Shine Limited is a British media production company with offices in London and Manchester....
and aired on the Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
satellite channel. The story is about a remote English country school that becomes the battleground between a demonic entity and the witches who oppose it. Both series of the show are currently available on Region 2 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, with the first series released on Region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in June 2007.
The show was cancelled in April 2006 after the end of the second series.
The programme premiered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
, sometime after, dividing the episodes into two equally long series for American viewers. Series 1 (Episodes 1-10—the 6 episodes of series 1 plus the first 4 episodes of series 2) aired in the summer of 2006, while series 2 (Episodes 11-19, the remaining 9 episodes from series 2) aired in the summer of 2007.
Synopsis
From its outset, Hex appears to be the story of Cassie Hughes, an attractive but withdrawn young woman who enrolls at the school but can't quite seem to fit into the social milieu. The second series shifts the focus from the departing Cassie Hughes (Christina ColeChristina Cole
Christina Cole is an English actress known for portraying Cassie Hughes in the Sky One supernatural television series Hex.-Background:...
) to a new heroine, Ella Dee (Laura Pyper
Laura Pyper
Laura Pyper is a Northern Irish actress, known for portraying Ella Dee in the second season of Hex, Jane Fairfax in Emma and Lexine in the video game Dead Space: Extraction.-Background:...
).
Series One (6 episodes, 2004)
Hex is set at a remote EnglishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
school, Medenham Hall, which occupies the former manor house and grounds of the McBain estate. It was the site of an 18th century witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
scandal in which the female members of the line, the Medenham Witches, were tried and executed. Cassie, who raised herself in a single-parent household caring for her mentally unstable mother, has latent telekinetic
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
, pyrokinetic and clairvoyant
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
abilities that are awakened when she touches an antique vase that had been used in Voodoo rituals by the Medenham Witches. Her roommate, Thelma
Thelma Bates
Thelma Bates is a fictional character played by Jemima Rooper in Sky One's British horror dramedy series Hex.She appeared in every episode of the programme...
(who harbors an ill-concealed crush on Cassie), discovers that Cassie is a descendant of the Medenham Witches. Cassie has startling visions and dreams that she strives to interpret, and also struggles with controlling her growing telekinetic and pyrokinetic powers, which she is only able to summon in times of stress.
Cassie is stalked by a "dangerous looking" stranger who calls himself Azazeal
Azazeal
Azazeal is a fictional character in the British television series Hex, played by Michael Fassbender.The character is seemingly based on the similarly spelled Azazel from The Book of Enoch. However, past the name, the similarities end...
. Initially glimpsed fleetingly, he becomes increasingly bold, even entering into the students' rooms later in the series without warning or permission. Azazeal is revealed to be the leader of the biblical Nephilim
Nephilim
The Nephilim are the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" in Genesis 6:4, or giants who inhabit Canaan in Numbers 13:33. A similar word with different vowel-sounds is used in Ezekiel 32:27 to refer to dead Philistine warriors....
, fallen angel
Fallen angel
Fallen angel is a concept developed in Jewish mythology from interpretation of the Book of Enoch. The actual term fallen angel is not found in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Christians adopted the concept of fallen angels mainly based on their interpretations of the Book of...
s, and he claims to be in love with Cassie. He has had previous relationships with schoolmistress Jo Watkins and Cassie's own mother, which may have contributed to her mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
.
Frustrated by his inability to convince Cassie that his claims are sincere, Azazeal kills Thelma before Cassie's eyes as a sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
to increase his power and prove that he is truly who he says he is. This act has two unintentional consequences: his power over Cassie is initially weakened by the shock, and Thelma thereafter continues to share Cassie's room as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
that only Cassie, Azazeal and other ghosts can see. Thelma never forgives Azazeal for her own death, and is a strong voice against him to Cassie, who has grown to have feelings for him. Thelma is unable to touch the living, but she can touch other ghosts and presumably manipulate inanimate objects (including clothing, artifacts, books, doors, window sashes, and vending machines) and eat, which she does constantly (since ghosts cannot gain weight). Thelma works behind the scenes to spy on Azazeal and gather evidence from places where Cassie cannot enter. Cassie, while horrified by some of Azazeal's behaviour, ultimately finds herself drawn into his power. Azazeal possesses
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
Cassie, and while under his power, she gives herself to him and they conceive a child.
Thelma learns from Peggy, the ghost of a woman who died in the 1918 influenza pandemic
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
, that the gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
of Azazeal's child is weakening the veil between worlds, allowing more ghosts to appear to the living. If the child is born, the veil will be torn, allowing the rest of the Nephilim to enter our world. If the pregnancy is terminated, the veil will heal, preventing the Nephilim from returning and leaving Azazeal the only one of his kind in our world. But there is a side effect: ghosts will also vanish from this world.
Cassie, after much convincing from Thelma decides that her fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
must be aborted
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, although it is growing at an alarming rate. A week after conception
Fertilisation
Fertilisation is the fusion of gametes to produce a new organism. In animals, the process involves the fusion of an ovum with a sperm, which eventually leads to the development of an embryo...
, the doctors believe she is nearing the end of her second trimester. Thelma assists Cassie, without telling her that success means that she may never see Cassie again. Azazeal tries to interfere and save his son, but Cassie goes through with the abortion...or so she thinks. When Thelma realizes that Cassie can still see her, Thelma knows that something has not gone right. Cassie discovers weeks later that the doctor who performed her procedure has been influenced by Azazeal, and that the baby is alive and in Azazeal's care.
Series Two (13 episodes, 2005)
Thelma discovers that Azazeal is raising the child, who is walking already, in an abandoned nearby church. She and Cassie decide that they must somehow get the child, whom Azazeal has named "Malachi", but are clueless as to how to accomplish this. Azazeal becomes aware that they are watching him and tries to convince Cassie that he only wants her to join them so that they can be a "real family". Cassie, still partially under his spell, is obviously attracted by the prospect but retains enough of herself to know that this is something she should not want.While Cassie and Thelma strategize, new characters are introduced at the school while old ones depart. Troy, convinced that Cassie's child is his, left the school at the end of the first series. Jo Watkins, having "really let herself go," is seldom seen at school as she has become Azazeal's live-in nurse and nanny. The school gains a new chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, Jez Heriot, who doesn't "wear the uniform" except when conducting services and also teaches Ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
. When Jo effectively disappears, David Tyrel asks Jez to take her classes as well. The students don't initially realize that he is a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, and Roxanne is quite taken with him, so much so that she can't help but seduce him even after the truth is known. A new student arrives at Medenham: Ella Dee. Her wardrobe instantly wins her points with the boys, evokes jealousy in the girls, and makes the faculty uncomfortable. Thelma is mildly attracted until she realizes that Ella can see her. There are other anomalies: Ella's tuition is paid by a corporation and her family background is unknown. She also seems to know entirely too much about Cassie... and Azazeal.
John Dee (mathematician)
John Dee was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, imperialist and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination and Hermetic philosophy....
. Ella is also a witch and has been hunting Azazeal for centuries. So far, she has been very successful in preventing Azazeal from begetting a son by a mortal witch. This time, however, Ella was too late. Her mission: kill Malachi.
Ella instantly takes charge of both Cassie and Thelma, and formulates a plan to kidnap Malachi and sacrifice him in the school chapel. They are successful in grabbing the child, but Azazeal follows them and a series of alternately foolish and selfish decisions leads the girls inexorably to tragedy. With Azazeal present, Cassie loses her resolve and throws her body between Ella and Malachi. She dies instantly when Ella can't stop her killing blow, and Azazeal regains Malachi and retreats.
Ella tries to devise a new strategy while Thelma tries to deal with her deep sense of loss, but Ella loses her edge as she feels herself falling for Leon. Azazeal appeals to Thelma's own selfish desires and convinces her to steal and give him the Stone of Belial
Belial
Belial is one of the four crown princes of Hell and a demon in the Bible, Jewish apocrypha and Christian apocrypha...
, one of Ella's objects of power, in exchange for a last meeting with Cassie. Jez is revealed to be Ramiel
Ramiel
Râmîêl is a fallen Watcher in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, one of 20 leaders, mentioned sixth. Ramiel means "thunder of God" from the Hebrew elements ra'am and El, "God". Remiel is one of the archangels of the Christian and Islamic traditions, the Hebrew name meaning "Mercy of God" or "Compassion...
, another Nephilim
Nephilim
The Nephilim are the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" in Genesis 6:4, or giants who inhabit Canaan in Numbers 13:33. A similar word with different vowel-sounds is used in Ezekiel 32:27 to refer to dead Philistine warriors....
and Azazeal's "right-hand entity". With the Stone in their possession, Azazeal and Ramiel conspire to drive Ella insane by forcing her to relive the 17th century witch trial in which she was found guilty and nearly executed. Azazeal uses the Stone of Belial on Thelma, who travels back to Ella's witch trial and rescues her from execution in the past. Ramiel's scheming and manipulation leads to Ella's commitment in an insane asylum, where a triumphant Azazeal seemingly abandons her.
Ella rapidly ages as she is stripped of her powers, but after Leon is brought in on her secret and is granted the power to see Thelma, he helps to revive her using the Volta. A friend of Leon's who helped him get Ella out of the hospital (where she was cared for by Azazeal's lover Perie the Faerie) is tortured by Azazeal and the now teenaged Malachi, who kills him out of pity.
Azazeal is asked to leave by "higher powers" and enlists Malachi at Medenham Hall. He and Ella say their goodbyes; with Malachi born, Ella has no desire to kill him, and Azazeal leaves the Stone of Belial in Malachi's possession. Ella kills Jez and makes it look like suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, precipitated by the revelation that he was having an affair with a student, which deeply affects Roxanne, who felt responsible because she had seduced him.
Ella and Malachi romance one another magically and otherwise, and their respective mentors, the Archangel
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
Raphael
Raphael (archangel)
Raphael is an archangel of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, who in the Judeo-Christian tradition performs all manners of healing....
and the demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore...
, both use psychological tactics to get them to do as they wish. Ella and Malachi eventually have sex, as the evil side had wanted, and by fulfilling Ella's true desire (to be normal), she is made a slave to Malachi – his succubus
Succubus
In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus...
.
Malachi kills a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
girl named Maya so that her ghost can consort with Thelma and give him leverage. Ella's enslavement to Malachi is ended by Thelma, who invaded her dreams and invoked her greatest fear: fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
. Leon attempts to kill Malachi, but is betrayed by Thelma (in hopes of keeping her and Maya together in the living world) and saved by Ella after Malachi sends a fallen Archangel
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
, Sariel, to attack him. Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore...
betrays the cause of evil by helping Ella save Leon, who he feels did not need to die, and is subsequently punished and has his eyes removed. Raphael falls from grace by trying to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
Ella, who announces at this point that she no longer works for Raphael's master, God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, and is a freelance agent at last.
Ella loses all her feelings for Malachi, who quickly moves on to romancing Alex and other girls in the school. He eventually seduces the entire student body, creating an army of succubi
Succubus
In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus...
and incubi
Incubus (demon)
An incubus is a demon in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have intercourse with them. Its female counterpart is the succubus...
that makes him too powerful for Ella to kill. The only students who are not converted are Roxanne (who becomes a "pure soul" in her quest for forgiveness from God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
for seducing Jez and causing his apparent suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
), Tom (who is secretly gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, in love with Leon, and impossible to convert because Malachi cannot make Leon love him back), Thelma (because after Ella later kills Maya, he has no hold over her), and Ella herself, who had already been freed from Malachi's spell.
Ella digs up Maya's corpse and beheads it, which destroys Maya's lingering presence on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Leon tries to kill Alex but cannot go through with it, leaving him feeling inferior to Ella. Jo Watkins, Cassie's former teacher and Azazeal's former lover, returns as Malachi's new emissary from the "higher powers" and restores her position as headmistress by framing David Tyrel for embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
of school funds. Malachi cannot convert Tom, so he fakes the "mark of Malachi" on his neck and ensures that Leon will see it. Fooled by the false mark, Leon kills Tom, but by doing so, he achieves his greatest desire (not being inferior to Ella) and becomes an incubus of Malachi's.
Leon almost kills Ella with knowledge gained from the Book of Orokiah, but Thelma helps to save her. He is locked in a cage and sedated, at which point Thelma saves him from Malachi by invoking his greatest fear (having his penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
amputated). Returned to normal, he still ends his relationship with Ella and leaves the school. Roxanne is given the ability to see ghosts, and Thelma pretends to be an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
to get her to steal the Stone of Belial back from Malachi. Ella uses the Stone to travel back in time and attempts to kill Malachi while he is still a baby (at the end of Series 1), but she is attacked by Perie the Faerie and receives a mortal wound to the chest. Ella returns to Medenham Hall where she confesses her love for Leon as she lies dying under the watchful eyes of Thelma.
Rejected by Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, Mephistopheles convinces Leon to return, where he saves Ella by cauterizing her wound. Malachi sacrifices the pure-of-heart Roxanne to "enrage God" by killing one of "His creatures." The school is set ablaze and Thelma, Ella, and Leon escape from it to a field somewhere. As Malachi has started the "End of Days," described by Mephistopheles as the final battle between good and evil
Armageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
, the series ends with blood pouring from a rock bearing the mark of Azazeal, similar to Malachi's.
Cast
The Hex cast consists mainly of students and teachers of Medenham Hall in addition with several recurring supernatural characters.Series one
- Cassandra "Cassie" Hughes (Christina ColeChristina ColeChristina Cole is an English actress known for portraying Cassie Hughes in the Sky One supernatural television series Hex.-Background:...
) is a descendant of the Medanham Witches and becomes tempted by Azazeal. - Thelma Bates (Jemima RooperJemima RooperJemima Rooper is an English actress.- Background :Born in Hammersmith, London, Rooper is the daughter of TV journalist Alison Rooper. She attended Redcliffe Primary School in Chelsea, London and Godolphin and Latymer girls' school. While working on The Famous Five, she passed eight GCSEs with A*...
) is Cassie's best friend and in love with her. - Azazeal (Michael FassbenderMichael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
) is a Fallen Angel and leader of the Nephelim. He seduces Cassie in order to have a son. - Leon Taylor (Jamie DavisJamie DavisFor the American singer of the same name, see Jamie Davis .Jamie Davis is an English actor. He is known for playing Harley Lawson in Footballers' Wives and its spin-off, Footballers' Wives: Extra Time, Leon Taylor in Hex and Alex Partridge in "Candy Cabs".-Biography:Davis was born and brought up...
) is a fellow student. He becomes the love interest of Ella and gets pulled into the world of supernatural by Thelma in order to save Ella's life. - Roxanne Davenport (Amber SainsburyAmber SainsburyAmber Sainsbury is a New Zealand actress. She has starred in the Sky One UK television series Hex as Roxanne Davenport...
) is first portrayed as manipulative and cold leader of the school's elite, but later becomes devoted to God in order to make peace with her actions. - Jo Watkins (Anna Wilson-JonesAnna Wilson-JonesAnna Wilson-Jones is a British actress. She is probably best known for her role as Juliet Miller in Hotel Babylon.-Background:...
) is a teacher at Medanham Hall. She falls under the thrall of Azazeal and becomes his mistress. - David Tyrel (Colin SalmonColin SalmonColin Salmon is a British actor best known for playing the character Charles Robinson in three James Bond films.-Personal life:...
) is the Headmaster of Medanham Hall and regularly interacts with the student body. He is also aware of the school grounds' gruesome past. - Troy (Joseph MorganJoseph Morgan (actor)Joseph Morgan is an English actor.-Early life:Morgan was born in London, England. He lived in Morriston, Swansea for 11 years and was a pupil at Morriston Comprehensive School and then studied a BTEC Performing Arts course at Gorseinon College, now Gower College Swansea, before moving back to...
) is the roommate and friend of Leon's. He dates Cassie, but later leaves Medanham Hall. - Gemma (Zoe TapperZoe TapperZoe Tapper is an English actress who first came to prominence playing Nell Gwynne in Richard Eyre's award-winning film Stage Beauty in 2004. She is known for portraying Anya Raczynski in Survivors and Mina Harker in Demons.-Background:...
) is a friend of Leon's, Roxanne's and Troy's.
Also appearing in Series One is Geraldine James
Geraldine James
Geraldine James, OBE is an English actress.-Early life and family:James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father...
as Cassie's mother, Lilith Hughes. Recurring cast included Jessica Oyelowo
Jessica Oyelowo
Jessica Oyelowo is a British actress.She attended Woodbridge School as a child and was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, actor David Oyelowo, and their three sons....
as Rachel McBain, Holly Lumsden as Esther McBain and Katy Carmichael
Katy Carmichael
Katy Carmichael is an English actress and a professional entertainer. She has been on stage many times in Liverpool, but is most notably recognised for her role of Lucy Barlow/Richards in the ITV soap Coronation Street, Twist Morgan in the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced and Melissa Ryan in Waterloo...
as Peggy.
- Directed by Brian Grant
Series two
Following the departure of some regulars from the first series (notably Christina Cole), the second saw the introduction of several new characters.- Ella Dee (Laura PyperLaura PyperLaura Pyper is a Northern Irish actress, known for portraying Ella Dee in the second season of Hex, Jane Fairfax in Emma and Lexine in the video game Dead Space: Extraction.-Background:...
) is a witch who has been trying stop Azazeal from having a child for centuries. She develops feelings towards Leon. - Malachi (Joseph BeattieJoseph BeattieJoseph Beattie is an English actor, known for portraying Malachi in the second season of Hex and Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park.-Background:...
) is the son of Cassie and Azazeal. After his quick growth during the first episodes of Series Two, he enrolls to Medanham Hall in order to seduce its student body. - Tom Wright (Samuel Collings) is Leon's new roommate after Troy leaves Medenham Hall at the end of Series One. He is secretly gay and in love with Leon.
Recurring cast for Series Two included Stephen Wight
Stephen Wight
Stephen Wight is a British actor, who trained at the Drama Centre London.-Career:Wight's television career dates back to 2003 with a minor part in Casualty....
as Felix, Jemima Abey
Jemima Abey
Jemima Abey is a British actress who is best known for her work in the second series of the Sky One television series drama Hex. Abey has also appeared as Katie, alongside fellow Hex cast member Jemima Rooper, in Channel 4's As If as well as playing the role of Susan in EastEnders.Also appeared in...
as Alex, Sam Troughton
Sam Troughton
Sam Troughton is a British actor. He is the son of David Troughton and the grandson of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton. His younger brother is Warwickshire cricketer Jim Troughton...
as Jez Heriot/Ramiel, Ronan Vibert
Ronan Vibert
Ronan Vibert is a British actor, known for his appearances on British television.-Early life:The son of Dilys and David Vibert, both artists. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1983 to 1986. He has a brother named Cevn....
as Mephistopheles, Katrine De Candole as Perie the Faerie, Laura Donnelly
Laura Donnelly (actress)
Laura Donnelly is an actress from Northern Ireland. She made her on-screen debut in 2005 in the Channel 4 drama Sugar Rush, where she featured as a love interest of the female protagonist in two episodes. She is also known for appearing in Casualty, Hex, and as a main character in the Irish film...
as Maya Robertson, Leon Ford
Leon Ford
Leon Ford is an Australian actor who has appeared in many television and theatre productions. He is best known for his roles in the television series The Cooks, Changi and the telemovie Stepfather of the Bride.Ford portrayed 1st Lt...
as Max Rosen, Grant Parsons as Dr. Surtees and Anatole Taubman
Anatole Taubman
Anatole Taubman is a Swiss actor, who has appeared in many films, such as a henchman in the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace and as the monk Remigius in the TV miniseries The Pillars of the Earth.-References:...
as Raphael.
Film location
Hex was filmed at Englefield House, a TudorTudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
manor modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. Several external scenes in Series 2 were filmed in the city of St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
(Hertfordshire), using locations such as the city centre, the Cathedral grounds and a small street adjacent to it.
Episode list
| Season | Ep # | First Airdate | Last Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | 6 | 17 October 2004 | 14 November 2004 |
| Series 2 | 13 | 18 September 2005 | 18 December 2005 |
DVD release
| DVD | | Release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |
| Hex Complete Series 1 | 5 June 2007 | 19 September 2005 | 5 November 2005 |
| Hex Complete Series 2 | N/A | 6 March 2006 | 24 October 2006 |
The region 1 release is labeled as "Season 1", and contains 10 episodes—all of Series 1, and the first four episodes of Series 2.