The Mystic and The Mayor — Episode 3: "Who is Sophia?"

Audio Always | August 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Mystic and The Mayor delves deep into the background of Sophia Martinez—the enigmatic medium whose relationship with Agde's mayor, Gilles d’Ettore, has scandalized a French seaside town. Hosts Anna Richardson and Leo Schick, joined by journalist Louise Colcombe and child psychologist Dr. Marta, peel back the layers of Sophia’s life. They investigate how childhood trauma, charisma, and alleged supernatural gifts propelled her into the mayor’s inner circle—raising questions about power, belief, and vulnerability.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Review of the Story So Far

(00:58–02:52)

• Recap: Gilles’ father dies in 1997, leaving behind the dream of becoming mayor. Gilles becomes mayor in 2002, fostered prosperity until 2020 lockdown.
• Sophia's Entry: Gilles is introduced to Sophia by a police officer; she begins conducting spiritual sessions, soon mingled with mysterious "Papa" phone calls—allegedly from the Archangel Michael.
• Mixing Realms: Gilles sits on a throne-like chair for the unveiling of an Archangel Michael statue—blurring church-state lines—with Sophia seated in the front row.
• Entanglement: Gilles walks Sophia down the aisle at her wedding, where guests are asked to “thank Papa,” drawing suspicion about the boundaries between spiritual happenings and political power.

  “If she had nothing to do with these phone calls and nothing to do with Archangel Michael, then surely she’d be questioning… Why are we thanking Papa?” —Anna Richardson (02:52)

2. Who is Sophia? Understanding Her Past

(03:21–08:10)

• Early Life: Sophia born in Alsace, described as striking, outgoing, and instantly likable.

  “She’s really gifted at personal relationships… She feels you feel alone, she’ll invite you over, buy you a drink and make friendship so easily.” —Louise Colcombe (03:49)

• Childhood Trauma: Abandoned by parents, mother with mental illness, placed into state care before age three, suffered abuse.

  “She was under the age of three.” —Louise Colcombe (04:48)

• Stability Through Foster Care: Warm foster family became her “real” parents, offering her a foundation.
• Imaginary Friend "Papa": As a child, Sophia invents "Papa"—an imaginary friend—paralleling the adult story’s spectral father figures.

  “Papa is the name that the Archangel Michael wants Gilles to refer to him by. So the dots are starting to be connected here, right?” —Anna Richardson (05:47)

• Marked by Clairvoyance: Teenage Sophia gains a reputation as a fortune-teller (nicknamed "Madame Irma").

  “People said jokingly in the schoolyard that she was like Madame Irma.” —Leo Schick (07:34)

3. Power, Influence, and Life Imitating Art

(08:10–10:23)

• Cultural Reference: Madame Irma is a trope of French fortune-telling—a figure from a 1950s play, much like “Mystic Meg” in the UK.
• Patterns and Parallels: The play’s Madame Irma is involved with a police officer, mirroring Sophia’s ties to Gilles (an ex-cop) and her network through police contacts.
• Fascination with Authority: Repeatedly, police officers appear in Sophia’s story, either as helpers or love interests.

  “There’s something about that power dynamic that intrigues her.” —Leo Schick (10:14)

4. Expert View: Trauma and the Imaginary Friend

(10:57–12:25)

• Dr. Marta’s Perspective: Childhood trauma leads children to create imaginary worlds/friends as protective fantasies.

  “Children who have suffered abuse… have a very rich imaginary world that never goes away… their brain is protecting them by projecting a fantasy reality.” —Dr. Marta (12:25)

• Attachment Styles: Trauma can lead to emotional detachment or over-attachment, and blurring lines between kindness and romantic love.

5. Sophia's Adult Evolution: Medium, Healer, and Local Celebrity

(13:04–15:26)

• New Beginnings: Moves to Agde in her late twenties, starts medium and hypnosis work, gains a reputation as "gifted".
• Testimonies of Her Abilities:
  • A male client recounts Sophia divining specific, unknown details of a deceased friend (“she knew what kind of tree, she knew the story, she knew the name…”).
  • Client "Marie" (F, clip) describes Sophia’s accurate details during a seance about her late son, leading to lasting peace.

  “She doesn’t know who I am. She has no information about me. She starts working on a Ouija board. She says, does the letter K mean anything to you?” —Marie (15:40)
  “I didn’t doubt it for a single second, because from the start, everything she told me, she couldn’t have just guessed it… She brought me great peace.” —Marie (16:10)

• Skepticism vs. Faith: Anna and Leo emphasize that, whatever one believes, Sophia’s clients experience genuine healing or closure.

  “It’s either that your son is in the room or it’s that actually, Sophia just has an incredible ability to read your mind, whatever that means. Either way, it’s a skill.” —Leo Schick (17:37)

6. Sophia—in Summary

(17:56–18:15)

• Anna’s Reflection:

  “Sophia sounds like she’s had a deeply troubled childhood, but that she has grown up to be a charismatic, resilient, successful woman who… sounds like she is a very gifted psychic medium.” —Anna Richardson (17:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sophia’s appeal:
  “She’s very outgoing… makes friends instantly. She’s really gifted at personal relationships. And that’s… one of her powers.”
  —Louise Colcombe (03:49)
• Childhood trauma and ‘Papa’:
  “She also found company in an imaginary friend called Papa.”
  —Leo Schick (05:37)
• Child psychologist on coping mechanisms:
  “Children who have suffered abuse… have a very rich imaginary world that never goes away… it just remains.”
  —Dr. Marta (12:25)
• Clients’ testaments to Sophia’s gifts:
  “She knew what kind of tree. She knew the story. She knew the name… And she knew that in his left pocket, he had a souvenir—which was a knife.”
  —Unnamed client (14:00)
  “I didn’t doubt it for a second... Sophia brought me great peace.”
  —Marie (16:10)
• Summary of Sophia:
  “A charismatic, resilient, successful woman who… sounds like she is a very gifted psychic medium.”
  —Anna Richardson (17:56)

Important Timestamps

• 00:58–02:52 – Recap of the Gilles-Sophia saga
• 03:31–04:52 – Louise Colcombe on Sophia’s upbringing and childhood trauma
• 05:37–06:06 – The recurring motif of "Papa"
• 08:10–09:49 – The Madame Irma cultural connection
• 10:57–12:25 – Dr. Marta discusses trauma and imaginary friends
• 13:56–14:56 – Client stories of Sophia’s supernatural insights
• 15:40–17:07 – Marie’s moving testimonial about connecting with her son through Sophia

Takeaway

Episode 3 paints Sophia as a figure molded by hardship and extraordinary adaptability, whose quest for control, belonging, and meaning found supernatural expression. Through interviews and expert analysis, the show questions whether Sophia is a healer, a manipulator, or simply an unusually perceptive survivor—while her influence over Mayor Gilles and the town remains under the investigative microscope.

[Next episode: The focus shifts to Gilles d’Ettore—his temperament, his leadership, and the opaque political climate he fostered.]