Spoiler warning: The following article references events from the show's first season through the season 2 premiere episode
Mayfair Witches is officially back for season 2, with the premiere episode now available to stream via AMC+. But it has been almost two years since the season 1 finale, so you'd be forgiven for forgetting some details and character names between now and then, especially if you, like me, didn't have time to rewatch the first season ahead of the second.
There are a lot of Mayfair family members running around, and that's not even touching on the Talamasca agents and various season 2 newcomers. I found myself pausing the premiere several times to double-check who someone was. I decided to create a handy character guide to help anyone who might be in the same boat as me! The guide will be updated as the season progresses, characters return, or new ones appear.
Rowan Mayfair (Alexandra Daddario)
Series protagonist Rowan Fielding is the prophesied 13th witch and allegedly the most powerful member of the Mayfair family. In season 1, Rowan was living a relatively normal life as a pediatric neurosurgeon in San Francisco. She had a close relationship with her adoptive mother, Ellie Mayfair. We follow Rowan as she learns the truth about her family and magical heritage. At the end of season 1, Rowan gives birth to Lasher's newly embodied form.
Deirdre Mayfair (Annabeth Gish)
Deirdre is Rowan's biological mother. When Deirdre was a teenager, her uncle, Cortland Mayfair, raped her at one of his parties. The Deirdre we meet in season 1 is being held captive in an unresponsive state under the watchful eye of her aunt, Carlotta Mayfair. She is later murdered by an assassin Cortland hired.
Lasher (Jack Huston)
Lasher is a mysterious and ancient shape-shifting entity bound to the Mayfair witches for over a century. He is the series' primary antagonist. At the end of season 1, he gives up his powers in exchange for a corporeal body.
Ciprien Grieve (Tongayi Chirisa)
Ciprien is a member of the Talamasca, a secretive organization dedicated to maintaining balance in the supernatural world. He has the ability to see an object's past through touch, which is why he usually wears gloves to prevent his gift from becoming overwhelming. Ciprien and Rowan had a romantic liaison in the first season.
Cortland Mayfair (Harry Hamlin)
Cortland is another series antagonist. He is Rowan's biological father, having raped Deirdre at a party when she was a teen. At the end of season 1, Rowan turns him to stone, trapping him in some kind of mental prison. However, the promotional material has teased that he will have a significant role in season 2.
Tessa Mayfair (Madison Wolfe)
Toward the end of season 1, Rowan relinquishes her bond with Lasher, severing her tie and transferring it to another witch via a transference spell. Lasher chooses Tessa to take Rowan's place. But when witch hunters capture Tessa, Lasher seemingly abandons her and doesn't help her escape. Rowan manages to prevent Tessa from getting burned alive by her captors, but Tessa still dies by a hunter's hand. Tessa's death will play an important role in season 2.
Millie Mayfair (Geraldine Singer)
Millie Mayfair, sister of Carlotta Mayfair, died a long time ago but remains in the Mayfair house primarily because of her connection to Carlotta. Despite Carlotta's death, Millie remains a ghostly presence in the Mayfair home and periodically pops up to offer Rowan advice.
Dolly Jean Mayfair (Charlayne Woodard)
Dolly Jean is another Mayfair witch and a cousin of Cortland, Millie, and Carlotta. She acts as a mentor to Rowan but clearly has her own agenda regarding Lasher.
Josephine Mayfair (Jen Richards)
Josephine "Jojo" Mayfair is Cortland's daughter and Rowan's half-sister. She helps run the Mayfair wing of the New Orleans hospital and has offered Rowan a job as a neurosurgeon there. Jojo can see the future through her premonitions.
Arjuna (Suleka Mathew)
Arjune is one of Ciprien's only remaining allies. Another member of the Talamasca, Arjuna, is a healer. In the season 2 premiere, Ciprien records his memories in a book and sends it to her as a backup in case the Talamasca erases them.
Albrecht (Dennis Boutsikaris)
Albrecht is one of the Talamasca's leaders and basically Ciprien's boss. In season 2, Ciprien fears that Albrecht will try to wipe his memory. Instead, Albrecht says he and the Talamasca leaders have been impressed by Ciprien, and they offer him a new mission to capture Lasher, who they fear will become a threat to the supernatural world with his new body.
New season 2 characters
Julien Mayfair (Ted Levine)
Julien hasn't been properly introduced in the show yet but has been name-dropped a few times. He is Cortland's father and while he's dead now, it seems like he will still have a part to play in the new season as he's one of the only members of the family who really understands Lasher. He is described as a "master manipulator."
Moira Mayfair (Alyssa Jirrels)
Moira is a mind-reading witch and Tessa's sister. She arrives in New Orleans to investigate her sister's death, and immediately butts heads with the other witches, particularly Rowan and Dolly Jean, who don't want to provide Moira access to Lasher. The Talamasca believes Moira's vendetta will make her a suitable double agent.
Sam Larkin (Ben Feldman)
Lark is Rowan's ex-boyfriend. He knew her before she moved to New Orleans and learned about witchcraft. He is a geneticist, and Rowan seeks his assistance to study Lasher's DNA.
Gifford Mayfair (Thora Birch)
Gifford hasn't been introduced yet. Variety describes the character as "a self-deprecating tarot card reader and wannabe-bohemian who lately spends a lot of time at her lake house."