Before you press play, this episode does contain discussions on sexual assault. I examine a chilling trope that runs through horror and real life alike: when a woman’s love is weaponized. From Rosemary’s Baby to The Stepford Wives to Midsommar, I explore how devotion, trust, and emotional labor are twisted into tools of control. Then, I bring it all into the real world with Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, where the quiet erosion of identity reveals a horror that feels all too familiar.

Hello, Matriarchs! In this episode, I’m unpacking the controversy surrounding Mia Ballard’s novel Shy Girl, from allegations of AI use to questions about editing and accountability. But instead of doing a typical takedown, I wanted to sit with the nuance. This situation isn’t just about Ballard or her book. It opens up bigger conversations about who gets to create, what ethical use of AI actually looks like, and how the publishing industry responds when something like this happens. So if you’ve been seeing this discourse online and don’t quite know what to make of it, this one’s for you.

Whyn Lewis' porftfolio: http://www.whynlewis.com/whynlewis.com/Whyn_Lewis.html

What happens when women stop trying to be likable?

In this episode, I dive into the “unhinged woman” archetype in horror, and why they're often underperform at the box office. From The Bride to the cult classics that dared to center female rage, I explore why these stories are so often misunderstood. Later I’m joined by Virginia Feito, author of Victorian Psycho, to talk about repression, violence, and the darkness lurking beneath polite society.

In this first episode of The Matriarchs of Horror, host Sandra Rose Salathe dives into the terrifying side of religion. Beginning by breaking down horror films like The Omen, The Witch, and Saint Maud, Sandra examines how each one reveals the patriarchal control lurking beneath strict religious structures.

Sandra is then joined by author Linda Hamilton to talk about her upcoming feminist gothic novel The Fourth Wife, which explores the power dynamics behind religious polygamy. Inspired by Hamilton’s Mormon ancestry and her own experiences with the church, the novel examines the ways faith, obedience, and patriarchy can become their own kind of horror.