On last week’s episode of “The Magicians,” we were introduced to Quentin’s ailing father, the game of Welters and a Cancer puppy. Magic can’t heal all that ails us, but it makes for an interesting turn of events. The world of Fillory is interwoven is real, Quentin and his friends endure a series of trials while Julia seeks out a powerful ally.
Trials
Was Penny really in Fillory? Quentin says yes, Penny thinks Quentin is crazy, but… there was that girl and there was the encounter with the Beast. If Penny can’t control his power, he might land back inside that dungeon and, maybe this time, there won’t be a quick getaway. Let’s face it, Penny is a powerful magician, but he has no control over his astral projections yet, but that doesn’t stop Quentin from agonizing over the fact that Penny went to Fillory.
Penny finally gives in and has Kady complete the ink spells that will keep Penny’s body connected to earth. I like that the writers are keeping the appearances of the Beast at a minimum. It heightens the fear factor of this monster.
Although I’ve enjoyed the previous episodes, episode six was uneventful except for reminding us that the students will jump through every hoop to stay at Brakebills. The upper class, with Eliot and Margo play the ruling Queen and King, gives the lowly first year students another test. The Trials, like every other test given in this school, weans out the failures. Is it just me, or are there more tests than lessons given at this school. The students are separated in groups and the fun begins.
Julia
Julia has gone from a bad situation to a potentially new and improved dangerous one, if that is even possible. While looking for different hedges, Julie hooks up with a witch called Hannah. This woman claims that she’s also been burned by Marina.
Hannah’s solution is to combine their power and spells and start their own house, but first they have to steal Marina’s file cabinet of magic. These are the same spells that Marina stole from Brakebills with the help of Julia and Kady. Can they do it? Hannah says they can, but Julia is suspicious and rightly so.
Quentin
Poor Quentin tells Margo over drinks that he is shocked to learn the Fillory is not what he imagined and, while the other students seem to think Fillory a fairytale world, Quentin and Penny know it to be real. Quentin should have kept his thoughts to himself because at Brakebills, your secrets can be used against you. I can’t get a true feeling of Summer Bishil‘s Margo. Although she tries to act like a friend, I find her to be more of a conniver because the drink is drugged.
Conclusion
Penny is not afraid to cheat on a test if it keeps him and Quentin from getting thrown out of school and if you have the talent to astral project, you can steal answers from the smartest student. The second test involves Eliot and Margo playing tea party in a forest and telling the students they are to catch a horse, a pheasant, and a fish… but what is the ax for?
The magic word is teamwork and by exchanging tools, everyone passes this test. The last test will involve nudity and a rope, but before we find out what happens, let’s visit Julia.
Julie learns that Hannah is Kady’s mom and the reason Kady is Marina’s slave is because of a spell that backfired. If Hannah thought that her skills had improved, she was wrong. The files that are stolen from Marina carry a curse that kills Hannah and leaves Julia covered in blood. This helps explain why Kady is helping Marina and why she is spying on her friends.
Penny and Kady pair off as does Quentin and Alice. They are required to tell their most inner secrets to one another. Alice tells Quentin that she is more powerful than she lets on and Quentin tells Alice that he is always running away from himself and life in general. What was Penny and Kady’s secrets?
Except for the backstory on Kady and how it tied in with Hannah and Julia, this episode was not as much fun as the others. I feel that Penny and Alice are both more powerful than the other students and, I keep waiting for Quentin to dazzle me with more magic… I’m not feeling it.
I would have liked the Hannah character to have lasted longer than the one episode, but instead we were rushed through the relationship woes between mother and daughter. Kacey Rohl plays her Marina as the wicked bitch of the east and I love it, but I’m also looking forward to Julia taking her down.
Penny tells Kady that he loves her. This wasn’t easy for him to admit. Kady surprises me by telling Penny that she’s been using him. OUCH! But, I have a feeling that Kady is only trying to protect Penny. If you’re wondering what the prize was for passing the Trials, you’ll have to wait until next week, because all the students were last seen flying away.
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