Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The Magicians is officially off its rockers because everything was great. The cliffhanger left from last week’s episode was defused by Margo’s timely arrival, and the group is once again split apart as fast as they are all brought back together. Margo and Josh are taken by the Elliot Monster to hunt down Bacchus in Fillory, while everyone else scrambles to get access to magic. Oh, Alice is also in this episode, working to get everyone’s books from The Library. Once again, all of these storylines may seem disconnected, but are united by the common goal of protecting each other.

Margo is an outstanding female character. She keeps outdoing herself, telling Josh to “start acting like a real pussy” was so fierce. Her friendship with Elliot is highlighted in this episode, despite his character being possessed, and showcases how far Margo will go to protect her friend. She also did a lot of smart thinking like by not using the “golden chair” trap and instead bargained with the Monster like a true High King of Fillory.

The pairings in this episode were well-chosen: Quentin and Julia, Penny 23 and Kady, Josh and Margo, Alice and Nik (Santa Claus). I appreciate Q and J for the childhood friendship, and how they confided in each other about how their efforts to save magic may have been in vain. Penny 23 and Kady have great chemistry despite him being a different Penny, and their plan to swipe extra magic coins was… honestly I don’t blame them. Alice and Nik’s escape from The Library is the smallest part in the story, but an essential one because the fallout of Alice escaping with those books will have major ramifications later on.

Quentin playing the Push card game was really entertaining, and using Penny 23 as a bargaining chip was a dick move. The final round of Push had me shaking in my seat!

I praise the show for bringing on Zach Cherry from YOU and giving him the role of their counterfeit dealer. His scenes were well-done using the power of Luck, and the scene when they tracked him down was too real. How Penny 23 restarted Penny 40’s (the OG) phone alongside everyone else was the realist thing… The voicemail cliffhanger was a solid way to end the episode. It angered me, which means I fell for the suspense. Damn you, The Magicians!

Overall, I was really into that episode. I think season 4 is the strongest entry yet to the series, and the early renewal for a season 5 seems like the right move. The writers know what they’re doing especially with the dialogue. I am too excited for next week. Hopefully, I remember this show airs on Wednesdays!

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