Let’s talk about Camarilla.
On episode 3 at the Hague, Russia’s rep unleashes a new “seed” sound, belonging to a recently discovered band of nomadic witches and debates what should be done with them. Alder is affected by the sound and connected to it, asking for the witches to be left alone for the time being, which clashes with the other reps intentions of obtaining the seeds, resulting in more mistrust regarding Alder’s intentions.
At the museum Scylla talks about how people (civilians) always feared and hated them (witches). The camera focus on the expression of a man holding a scythe and Scylla specifically emphasises on it. Raelle says “the burning times are over” but Scylla questions “are they?” and the camera again focus on a particular artifact called “Camarilla Scythe” and they move along as she describes the place and ends on adding “there’s something like that ever go away?” Their conversation is interrupted when Raelle notices Porter, changing the tone and subject of their conversation.
With this interaction, the show drops a little more information about Scylla’s feelings about civilians and after episode 6, I believe it may connect with what happens. Until the wedding the Spree has been attacking/targeting civilians, including the Kiev’s attack. At the wedding Charvel’s cords were removed and such method depicts a hate attack. It’s just so violent and brutal, completely dehumanizing, vile and degrading. The Spree wants to free the witches from the system and such method seems too hateful against their own. Such method seems more in line with the long hate and fear humans depict against witches.
We see balloons at the wedding and the only evidence for them to show up is because Scylla failed her mission and did not deliver Raelle. They came for her and for Raelle. The agents who murdered Charvel had chest shields to cancel magic and used the traded mark method of the Spree to off themselves. The use of shields to counter magic raises questions about the murder being orchestrated by the Spree. Before the agents set themselves on fire they identify as the Spree, claiming the attack for the group but so far in the show there’s been no evidence that the Spree is taking action against witches. Seems plausible to assume the Spree is only involved in chasing Scylla and Raelle and the murder is being pinned on them.
On episode 6, Bellweather’s bastards have been murdered with the same method as Charvel and she was the only legitimate Bellweather pure witch. Seems odd for the Spree to waste resources on targeting all of Bellweather bloodline, including the bastards.
A more interesting idea and possibility is that the Bellweather’s mass murder were ordered by the government, more specifically Russia’s with the intent to cause political disruption between the US government and the military by feeding mistrust against Alder and disband the witches army.
Returning to the Camarilla. I’ve done some research and found the name attributed to a group of courtiers who surrounded a ruler. In the 19th century, Russia's government was frequently described as a camarilla. There’s also a specific soundtrack entitled The Camarilla. It’s a track much different to the one used when the Spree is involved.
My guess is that the Camarilla is the third party element of the clashing forces in this show and I think they are part of Russia’s government, as the result of the Hague scene and the focus on them. Alder is being questioned on more than one front: by Petra, by the US governement and by the other countries’ reps. Now with Scylla captured and being the first Spree captured by the army, she’ll do everything in her power to fight back all accusations and assert her position.
There’s no evidence that Alder knows about the Camarilla (but it’s possible) but the Spree appears to know. Scylla at the museum connects this. There’s always been this idea that the ultimate conflict will be a civil war between witches vs humans and the existence of a third party player in the political game makes sense.
Russia is distabilizing the political scenario weakening the US government’s credibility, using the Camarilla to gradually distabilize the relationship between US government and Alder’s army, using the Spree as a scape goat and instigating more conflict between the army and the Spree and lastly, within the own army, since Alder is not doing enough about the Spree. The Spree’s primal target has never been the army but the system that created the army and we’re probably going find out that the real war will be the same that has been going on for centuries and centuries - humans vs witches.
[Shit, this show really needs to be renewed!! I can’t take it if they don’t.]
EDIT: can’t believe I mispelled Alder’s name at the end lol