Spoiler warning: This story reveals major events from the “Coven Academy” Season 1 finale, now streaming on Disney+.
“Coven Academy” ended its 21-episode first season with enough supernatural upheaval to keep Crescent Veil Academy buzzing for another term. Miss Graves revealed that she is Briar’s birth mother, Ollie left town, McKenna faced the consequences of a werewolf bite, and Jake’s history with dark magic remained a concern even after William’s defeat.
Creator Tim Federle has now unpacked those cliffhangers — including the romantic moment between Briar and Jake that was filmed but ultimately withheld from the finale. Although Disney+ has not officially renewed the series, Federle already has ideas about where its characters could go next.
Briar’s family revelation raises new questions
Malina Weissman stars as Briar, a new student at New Orleans’ mysterious Crescent Veil Academy. Under the watch of Miss Graves, played by Tiffani Thiessen, Briar spends the season developing her powers, investigating her mother’s mysterious murder and building a coven with perfectionist Sasha (Jordan Leftwich) and upbeat Tegan (Ora Duplass).
Neither Weissman nor Thiessen knew about the finale’s mother-daughter twist when they joined the series, Federle said. He considered keeping the reveal off the printed script page to prevent a leak, but co-showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer persuaded him otherwise.
Any continuation would leave Briar with difficult questions. Federle stressed that Mary remains Briar’s mother because Miss Graves did not raise her, but Briar would still need to learn why she was given away, what happened around her birth and who her birth father is.
Federle said he believes Miss Graves has “noble intentions” and must have concealed the truth for a reason connected to protecting Briar. He also expects Briar to remain at the school if the show returns, placing the two characters in close proximity as they confront their newly revealed connection.
Why Briar and Jake did not kiss
The finale appeared to bring Briar and spell-caster Jake, played by Malachi Barton, to the edge of a kiss. It turns out that viewers nearly saw one: Federle confirmed that two versions of the scene were filmed.
He ultimately chose the slower romantic path because he did not want Briar’s move toward Jake to feel like a rebound after her relationship with brooding vampire Ollie, played by Louis Thresher. Federle said a first kiss between Briar and Jake should happen through a deliberate choice rather than during a vulnerable moment.
Jake helped Briar and her coven defeat the evil warlock William and promised to leave dark magic behind. Even so, Federle expects the temptation to remain beneath the surface. Jake understands that dark magic can provide heightened power when wielded in a particular way, though the creator does not want future stories to reduce the character to a simple question of whether he is good or bad.
Ollie’s departure may connect to Mason
Ollie leaves town after telling Briar he needs to become a safe place for her. Federle suggested that part of his journey could involve telling his family in Bristol what happened to him after he went to America.
His situation may also intersect with Sasha’s discovery that her presumed-dead brother Mason is alive as a vampire. With Sasha attending a powerful magic school, Federle raised the possibility that characters could investigate whether some element of vampirism can be undone.
That potential search would affect both Mason and Ollie, but Federle also sees a larger question ahead: whether they would actually want to change, or whether being vampires has given them access to something they did not possess before.
McKenna and Tegan’s story is only beginning
Tegan’s budding romance with McKenna, played by Swayam Bhatia, also reached a dangerous turning point when Tegan learned that McKenna had been bitten by a werewolf.
Federle confirmed that the bite will have consequences but said he does not want the romance to become tragic. He pledged to remain mindful of tropes surrounding queer tragedy, particularly because one member of the potential couple is a young woman of color.
“I really believe this is the beginning of their story,” Federle said.
What Happens Next?
William may have been defeated, but Federle acknowledged that death is not always permanent in a genre series. Still, he believes William’s chapter is “almost certainly” finished and does not expect him to serve as the primary villain of a possible second season.
Instead, Federle teased the possibility of “something new and fun and witchy” ahead. For now, however, those plans remain prospective: Disney+ has not officially ordered Season 2.