Warning: Spoilers ahead for the film Hocus Pocus 2.
Hocus Pocus 2 rings in the return of the calamitous Sanderson Sisters of Salem -Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) – but they aren’t the only witches in this sequel. In the opening sequence the audience is treated to a look at the sister’s origins, showing the three facing the regular persecutions facing young, independently-minded women living in the puritanical 1600s. In order to escape her fate of being wed off, Winifred and her sisters run into the Forbidden Woods where they meet a beautiful and enigmatic character.
In the world of Hocus Pocus, witches gain their powers on their 16th birthday, a legend that newcomer witch Becca (Whitney Peak) assumes is “based in some sort of patriarchal fear of female aging”. We are introduced to a young Winifred (Taylor Henderson) on her 16th birthday. After she and her sisters, Mary (Nina Kitchen) and Sarah (Juju Journey Brener) have found themselves deep in the woods, they form a calming circle only to be interrupted by the arrival of the fabulous Witch Mother played by Hannah Waddingham.
Upon trying to “eat” the soul of little Sarah, she is stopped by a forceful Winifred whom Witch Mother instantly recognizes as a fellow practitioner of magic, smelling her power in a rather unnerving interaction. She explains that the wood is a sacred place for witches, twirling her fingers around and showing the girls a ball of light, before producing A Book and handing it over as a present to Winifred. She leaves the girls with a dire warning never to use one of the spells within named ‘Magicae Maxima’, before lamenting on losing her coven and disappearing with a puff.
Despite the time and place and the spattering of “thou” and “dost”, you would hardly think that Mother Witch was a 17th-century character. Her meticulous make-up, complete with diamantes around the eyes, and fabulously feathered cape screams music festival goer more than they do forest dweller in the 1600s. This may be the film’s way of saying she is a magical being, beyond the styles of the time, though it feels a little odd. Fans of the movie, however, will doubtless be cosplaying Mother Witch come this Halloween, and Hocus Pocus has never claimed to be historically accurate after all.
Other than a smattering of sightings of her crow form throughout the remainder of the film, we do not see Waddingham again. Her only role was to serve as part of the exposition and to set the Sanderson Sisters on their magical and evil track. To have the Emmy Award-winning actress in only one scene feels a little wasteful, and they hardly made use of her singing talents. What they may be doing, however, is setting up the character for a reprise in a possible third film, which was hinted at in the end credits.
You can watch Waddigham and get into the Halloween spirit with Hocus Pocus 2 now available on Disney Plus.
