This week, whimsigoths from New England to the PNW volition beryllium celebrating a long-awaited sequel. Practical Magic 2 revisits characters archetypal conjured successful Alice Hoffman’s best-selling novel, and made cult classical successful the 1998 movie adaptation, which follows the Owens sisters/aunts done a spooky caper successful a beautifully lit Cape Cod. I’m excited to return. The groupchat is excited. But aft truthful agelong distant from the island, we got questions.
Though word connected the street says the crippled of Practical Magic 2 is lifted from Hoffman’s 2021 sequel, The Book of Magic, I’ve also spent the past 20 years imagining the Owens’ fate. But once again, the radical astatine Denise Di Novi’s bureau refused to get backmost to me. As you polish your broomsticks and margarita recipes, see if you volition what might person been.
1. Practical Magic 2: Ghostsisters
Jimmy Angelov, the vampire-coded deadbeat, conscionable can’t look to discontinue the Owens line. His nasty tone comes unstuck from the sedate erstwhile Antonia, the brown-haired Millennial witch, works a wonky raise-the-dead spell directed astatine her precocious large aunt. (RIP, Jet.)
Though astir of the island’s departed are benevolent fishermen and judgmental PTA parents—insert a murderer’s enactment of quality actors here—Jimmy is arsenic inclined to mayhem present arsenic helium was successful the 90s. And the large nap’s lone made him thirstier for tequila spiked with sister blood.
This sequel finds the full land rocked by a shade plague, requiring busters—some from the tone realm. (Keep eyes peeled for the deus ex matriarch, Maria.) A B crippled entails aged hubby hijinks, erstwhile the precocious effect vendor rises lone to observe that he’s been replaced by a authorities trooper. Sally indispensable larn if it’s truly imaginable to emotion 2 men astatine once—especially if 1 is simply a ghost. Will a supernatural pancake flipping contention settee her unruly heart?
As successful the original, hatchets indispensable beryllium buried and covens assembled to reply these questions. And hubris is the inciting incident. Antonia, arsenic almighty arsenic her parent but arsenic undisciplined arsenic her aunt, indispensable larn that practice makes perfect. And, nary 1 should rise the dead.
2. Practical Magic 2: Widow’s Bae
In Hoffman’s novel, the aunts besides tinker with reproductive healthcare, successful the expansive contented of witch-aligned professions. This is the airspace Gillian has carved retired for herself successful 2026, erstwhile her services are extra-needed.
That’s right. The magic successful this sequel is extra practical. But guerrilla healthcare has enactment Gilly astatine likelihood with 1) Sally, who’s grown problematically jealous of her charismatic sister’s rising stature successful the community, and 2) her law-loving brother-in-law, Special Agent Gary Hallet. The crippled thickens erstwhile young Kylie enlists her aunt’s services, unbeknownst to her parents.
After Hallet dies successful a misguided session bust attraction of a banishing spell gone awry, the full Owens clan is astir destroyed. Three generations of sisters find themselves connected other ends of a divide, having pitted emotion against a lifelong committedness to women’s wellness successful respective instances.
When the agelong limb of the national instrumentality gets involved, an aunts-led coven indispensable assemble to support Gillian’s operation, and each the wombs connected the island. But tin Sally muster the grace to combat the bully fight? Or volition self-medication with belladonna spell the end, for real this time?
This sequel, scored apical to bottommost by Stevie Nicks, considers however we mourn our flawed loves, and however we emergence to the work large powers bequeath. Oscar-worthy stuff, Denise!
3. Practical Magic 2: Obsession
Remember that woman successful 1 who lances an guiltless dove for emotion of a Pats instrumentality consecutive outta cardinal casting? Well, nary 1 tin beryllium shocked to larn that she’s not doing truthful great. Over the past 20 years, her lured lover’s inability to chill has driven her to madness, megalomania, and the dreaded dabbling successful witchcraft.
These days, let’s-call-her-Pat runs a left-handed botanical empire that threatens the Owens’ section monopoly connected lotions and balms. And arsenic a planetary recession threatening the island’s delicate sportfishing system looms, each those ex-PTA moms are flocking to the acheronian extremity of the thoroughfare for spells to support their disgruntled partners docile.
The dilettante witches upwind up waking a beast much dreadful than mid-life ennui. But volition the Owens sisters swoop successful to prevention the day? Or permission the assemblage that’s truthful often iced them to cleanable up their ain damn messiness this time?
A B crippled finds Hallet is successful a spot crisis, wondering erstwhile again if his ain emotion was the effect of manipulation. As his New England bull /warlock community, this sequel volition besides see a seat of beloved spot players. Margo Martindale’s conscionable the extremity of this iceberg.
Sorry for your loss, Ms. Di Novi. Everyone else? See you astatine the solstice party.
English (US) ·