History WebVideo / TheBirch

After Evie Grayson witnesses a murder committed by drug dealers, she is targeted by local crime lord Sebastian Polk. She discovers a mysterious ally in the forest, the titular Birch -- a fierce guardian that will destroy her enemies when summoned. But as gruesome deaths plague the small town, Evie begins to question the nature of her supernatural protector.

In a parallel story, Lanie Bouchard is the adopted daughter of a local politician and has just given birth in secret. Her parents insist the baby is her "sister", and go to increasing extremes to keep Lanie away from her child. Troubled by strange visions and a power she doesn't fully comprehend, Lanie fights to save herself and her daughter from the Bouchard's control.

* AbusiveParents: The Bouchards are extremely controlling of Lanie, drugging her and locking her inside the house to prevent her from acting out.

* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler: Lanie's newborn daughter Laura is poisoned by the Bouchards with nightshade.]]

%%* MamaBear: Lanie will do anything to protect her newborn daughter. Likewise, the Birch functions as one to her summoner.

* MisaimedFandom: [[{{Invoked}} In-universe]]. Evie becomes Rory's greatest hero because she sees Evie, [[spoiler: who was falsely blamed for the murders committed by the Birch]] as somebody who took matters in her own hands and paid back those who caused her pain.

* RedBaron: Evie eventually gets nicknamed [[spoiler:the King's Point Killer by the public due to the Birch's brutal murders being blamed on her.]]
* TheReveal: Why Lanie's parents keep her child away from her: [[spoiler:when Lanie was a little girl, her mother was pregnant and told her that she was going to have more responsibilities with a new brother or sister. Unwilling to share her mother, Lanie had the vines attack the woman, making her miscarry and leaving her infertile. ]]

** [[spoiler: Sebastian Polk, on the other hand, has ''absolutely'' no issue with hurting his nephew. One of his goons threatens to slice up Gavin's face on his orders, and when Gavin defies him to save Thurston, Sebastian slashes the child with a power saw and kicks him several times]].

* BaitAndSwitch: [[spoiler:It appears at first that both segments chronicle the Birch protecting two people, Evie and Lanie. But then it's revealed that Lanie isn't protected by the Birch, she ''is'' the Birch, having originally been a human capable of controlling plantlife and eventually transformed into the titular creature when her powers skyrocketed in a bout of grief.]]

* RedBaron: By the start of Season 2, Evie is nicknamed [[spoiler:the King's Point Killer by the public following the brutal murders carried out by the Birch in Season 1.]]

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Very much the case in Season 2, where the titular monster is ultimately just a tool for the season's true villain, [[spoiler:Rory]], who deliberately summons the Birch and uses it as part of a murder spree.

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler:Averted. Lanie's newborn daughter Laura is poisoned by the Bouchards with nightshade.]]

'''The Birch''' is a 2019 [[Website/{{Facebook}} Facebook Watch]] original series, based on the WebVideo/CryptTV short story of the same name.

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: The series jumps between the stories of Evie and Lanie, one in modern times and one decades prior.

* BigBad: Sebastian Polk for Evie's half of the story, Don Bouchard for Lanie's portion.

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler:Averted. Lanie’s newborn daughter Laura is poisoned by the Bouchards with nightshade.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Thurston Polk works for his uncle selling drugs, and is the initial antagonist of the story. But his [[SympatheticPOV POV]] reveals that he tries to spare Evie out of guilt for her mother's death, and is working on a plan to escape from his abusive uncle.
* MamaBear: Lanie will do anything to protect her newborn daughter. Likewise, the Birch functions as one to her summoner.
* MissingMom: Evie's mother died of a drug overdose, prior to the series. The Polks provided it, creating the initial conflict between the Polks and the Grayson family.
* MoralityPet: Gavin Polk, Thuston's little brother.
* MySecretPregnancy: Lanie's parents took her out of school for "Mono", and kept her at home until she gave birth. Afterwards, they actively try to convince her that the new baby is her "sister".
* SympatheticPOV: Thurston comes across as a dangerous thug initially, but the episodes from his [=POV=] often show him in a much better light.
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler: Lanie becomes the titular Birch, consumed by her rage and grief at the death of her daughter]].
* WouldHurtAChild:
** [[spoiler: The Birch captures Gavin and buries him in the garden, though it isn't clear whether she would have killed him or not. Evie has considerable difficulty getting him back, once she realizes her mistake]].
** [[spoiler: Sebastian Polk, on the other hand, has ''absolutely'' no issue with hurting his nephew. One of his goons threatens to slice up Gavin's face on his orders, and when Gavin defies him to save Thurston, Sebastian slashes the child with a power saw and kicks him several times]].

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: The series jumps between the stories of Evie and Lanie, though their exact connection remains unrevealed.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Thurston Polk works for his uncle selling drugs, and is the initial antagonist of the story. But his [[SympatheticPOV POV]] reveals that he tries to spare Evie out of guilty for her mother's death, and is working on a plan to escape from his abusive uncle.

* MissingMom: Evie's mother died of a drug overdose, prior to the series. The Polks provided it, creating the initial conflict between the Polks and the Grayson family.