Mayfair Witches: Tongayi Chirisa Breaks Down Ciprien’s Connection With Rowan in “Second Line” (Exclusive)

Last week, the second episode of AMC’s with the horrifying death of Dierdre Mayfair (Annabeth Gish) just as she met her daughter, Rowan (Alexandra Daddario) for the first time. For Rowan, it’s a development that couldn’t have come at a worse time. She’d not only just lost her adoptive mother but is starting to realize that everything she knew about herself — or at least thought she did — isn’t what it seems. Fortunately for Rowan, she does have someone she can turn to in Ciprien Grieve. Played by Tongayi Chirisa, Ciprien will play a major role for Rowan now that she’s in New Orleans and Lasher (Jack Huston) is closer than ever. This week’s episode, “Second Line”, sees Rowan and Ciprien’s connection begin to form as well as sees Ciprien start to investigate Deirdre’s murder. It’s an episode that sees things starting to make some major shifts in everyone’s story and speaking with ComicBook.com, Chirisa opens up about what Ciprien’s goals are in all of this, his growing relationship with Rowan, and what fans need to be paying attention to as we get deeper into the story.

Nicole Drum, ComicBook.com: My first thought going into this third episode was, ‘Well, any hope Sip had for this being a nice, chill, teach Rowan about stuff and protect her, that’s out the window now.’ And it’s starting to feel a little bit like he might be getting in over his head. Tell me about where he is as we head into episode three after that massive ending of episode two.

Tongayi Chirisa: First of all, episode two was a doozy. Talk about surprises. But I think after that, Ciprien’s mission, obviously he doesn’t know what’s taking place until Rowan meets up, but his main goal at this point is like, ‘Okay, shit just hit the fan. Okay, she’s not in the most logical, emotional place. So, I know that anything I say could take her to the next level in terms of just spiraling out of control.’ Because we see what happened. We saw what happened in the second episode where he touches her, and he’s got his gloves on but she’s still able to do something to him. So, he’s aware that whatever he says at this point, he needs to bring her down from that hysterical point, that emotional state.

And so that journey of making sure that she can trust him with his intentions, and he’s not like any other individual that she’s met so far that is obviously belittling her or making her feel less than. But he’s trying to say, ‘Hey, I’m here for you. I know what you’re going through because I have a unique talent and I know what it feels like when you think that nobody cares for you and you’re the only person in this world that has this gift and I’m here to guide you, to show you that there’s a way out of this and there’s a way you can use your powers to help everybody around you.’

We really do see Sip’s powers come into play. We’ve seen Rowan’s. We know some of the stuff that she’s capable of, but what is interesting about this episode is it’s Sip’s story, too. We see him use his powers and investigating. We see where he is trying to juggle his role as protector and Talamasca but also investigate this crime. And we see him touch the elevator and get static and that’s where we start to realize this may be a bit bigger than we thought. Walk me through that.

There’s so much with that particular, because this is where it’s like, “All right, now we’re starting to pull the little strings. Let you know what’s really going on.” But yeah, I think that the static in the elevator is the first time that his gift has never worked. So automatically, it’s a little confusing, but then he understands, okay, there’s more something more sinister at play because this is not an earthly situation. This is more supernatural. So obviously, there’s somebody else that has abilities, and we don’t know who that is. So that in and of itself is a quest that he now needs to discover because why are all these things beginning to pop up at the same time? Why is somebody preventing Sip from discovering who the murderer was, or who was in the elevator at the time? This is uncanny. And so, I think with that, and then also with the new relationship that’s starting to blossom with Rowan, it’s starting to open up Sip in ways that he had been shut out to the world for a very long time.

And that’s interesting because it’s young love. When you starting to discover how much of this relationship that’s starting to happen between him and Rowan, how much of that does that affect his ability to do his work professionally and the way in a way that is unseen? Because that was his ability to hide in plain sight. And now with this thing going on, does that affect him? Does he slip up? Does his moral obligation to the Talamasca, is that now conflated with his emotional truths that are starting to manifest? So, I find that to be very interesting, in how he then tries to navigate those two. And obviously, finding out what happens later on when you start to mix business and pleasure.

And there’s that vulnerability that Rowan brings out in him as well. Especially when he touches Deirdre and gets to see through her memories.

Yeah, and you’re right because I’m saying it’s something that’s new for Sip. And like you said, the analogy of the two people in the woods, he now sees somebody that sees him because of this unique ability, because any other human being would’ve looked at him as an opportunity or a freak, depending on what their agenda was. And I think being closed up for so long was to protect himself. But now with Rowan, it’s like, wow, somebody I can actually shed and unfold and show my softer, sensitive side.

There are also some interesting breadcrumbs in this episode, and I think they’re breadcrumbs for people who have read the books and people who have not read the books. People have read the books obviously know that your character is in a sense a hybrid of two book characters, Michael and Aaron, and a little bit of fun spice and new things mix in, of course. And we know that there’s some significance to Michael connected to the family in the books because there is. No spoilers there. But Ciprien has seen Lasher and that’s abnormal. And we get the sense from he’s mentioning to … It’s his supervisor at the point where there’s a sense of, he’s like, “Well, I’m not the one in danger.” But you’re starting to get the feeling that maybe Sip is in danger here. Someone raise a red flag. Do you feel like at this point we’re starting to get the feeling that maybe someone needs to be worried about Ciprien here?

Well, if you look at the history and especially with the narrative of the books, every agent from the Talamasca that’s been assigned to a woman from the Mayfair has either disappeared, died mysteriously, left the country, or something happens. So, off the bat, if you are assigned a Mayfield Witch, that should be like, “Oh my gosh.”

Run.

Run, exactly, ’cause how are they going to get you under their smile that somehow you fall in love with the very subject that you supposed to be protecting? So, I love how if those that are loyal readers of Anne Rice’s books already know this, and it’s just like, “Okay, let’s see how this is going to unfold for this particular agent.” And for the new ones, it’s like, “Oh my gosh, okay. He’s tasked. Okay, she’s beautiful. Is this going to happen?” This the likelihood is going to happen, but what happens when they choose to go down this romantic path? So yeah, I think off the bat, you should be afraid and worried for your boy because it’s not a happy ending for a lot of them.

And the other thing that I thought was an interesting breadcrumb … the second episode mentioned the burned body, but then we also get the medical examiner this episode. But we’re building to some anti-witch sentiment. How concerned should we be about that as we get a little deeper?

Well, in regard to the storyline, I think it is … I love how they brought that in and brought the historical facts about women being burned at the stake, because there’s certain qualities of healing. But it was like they were just healers in the times. And so, bringing that up, I think it speaks a lot to society today, and that’s a metaphor for so many things you can pick, pick a random subject. But they did a great job in bringing that to the forefront. And I think within the storyline, the Mayfair Witches or the Mayfair women have always been in constant danger, whether it’s this alluring ominous final 13th wish that they keep talking to and nobody really knows who it is. But you have this man, Lasher, who’s constantly very present and in some capacity manipulating these women to continue to breed amongst themselves because they need that pure line for this whatever outcome it is that they’re looking for.

So yeah, they are special. And I think those that actually understand what this is or who Lasher is, have suffered consequences. And then you have people in the family that want to see this happen because of the benefits that this man keeps bringing. So, it’s like, yeah you sleep with the devil, he gives you the world. But you going to complain about what he wants ultimately at the end? I don’t know. And so, when some people like the Talamasca try to come and say, “Hey, y’all need to wake up. This is not good for y’all.” But it’s like if I give this up, then I’m giving up a lifestyle that many generations have benefited from, so I don’t know.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC and AMC+.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.