The Real Reason The Biddies Hiss In Motherland: Fort Salem

Freeform's supernatural alternate universe series "Motherland: Fort Salem" may be ending after Season 3, but the show's unique take on witches will certainly remain unforgettable. "Motherland: Fort Salem" posits a world in which there's a different outcome to the Salem Witch Trials. Instead of being burned, witches — who are real in the series — are conscripted into the U.S. army to fight for their country. Aiding in the Civil War and many other conflicts, this would not be possible without General Sarah Alder (Lyne Renée).

In the series, Alder is the original witch responsible for making the Salem Accords happen and stopping the persecution of witches. But she's nothing without her biddies, who are followers of Alder who sacrifice years of their lives for her, allowing her to live for extremely long. Biddies follow her wherever she goes and are likened to cult members, believing in her with blind faith. But this isn't their only notable trait. Their unusual connection to Alder includes developing strange hissing and clicks of their teeth, and though odd, there is a very specific reason for this.

Witch ranks in "Motherland: Fort Salem" are crucial, and the witch hierarchy in the military is highly respected in this universe. General Sarah Alder is the highest rank, gaining her prominence for being the one who first stops witches from being persecuted. She is also of note because she is over 300 years old, which Alder accomplishes with the help of her biddies. Alder enlists several women who willingly give up their youth to her, and this connection provides a telepathic link so strong that they essentially become an extension of her.

Biddies can mimic not just Alder's movements, but her emotional state as well. The biddies' penchant for hissing and clicking is all a result of this telepathic connection. They are a physical personification of Alder's emotional state, but this is not a conscious effect on their part. They are so connected to Alder's persona that when she becomes emotional, they act out without thinking in hisses and clicks. Though Tally (Jessica Sutton) is only in her service for a short time, she finds herself hissing when Alder is upset, through no fault of her own. It is a relief when Tally is relieved on her duty and regains her youth and personhood.