The Companion

Agreed both on being disappointed on the age comments and appreciating the way the crew was so supportive. The continuity on this show is great. They don't forget about stuff by the next episode. I really appreciate that. FWIW, I am pregnant, so I would definitely appreciate a chocolate cake at 3 am. Claire is missing out.

I thought the water was the magic lake water that had was released with Everett's death. Everyone reacted to the residual magic coming back and it was then stronger than they were used to. That fish magic is pretty impressive.

Poor Eliot has a lot to contend with. He clearly knew something of what was happening with the monster (and Julia seemed to really know so it may be that he got even more insight than we realize). Then he has to contend with facing his biggest regret with no possible resolution. I don't want destroyed Eliot. Actually I would LOVE to have seen him work through what the monster did in his body with Quentin. Ugh! But I feel so robbed of him this entire season.

I think I said it previously, but what I loved about that as well was how consistent it was with the character. He makes deep personal connections with people (rather than having a lot of shallow connections). Many bisexuals talk about loving the person. For them, deep emotional connections are what create physical attraction. It felt like Quentin was one of those people. In a world where bisexual men are rarely portrayed and bisexual characters are often portrayed poorly, the loss of his character really bums me out.

The only way they make this up to the Eliot/Q shippers is to somehow end the series by having Eliot die, get his pass from Penny, and walk through the door to find Quentin waiting for him and telling him he is late as a callback to their first meeting. Well, now I am going to be disappointed in however they actually end the series.

This. Imagining your funeral isn't uncommon for those with suicidal thoughts, and this combined that with the promise that once you die things will be better for you and for your loved ones. I still think it was a beautiful ending for Quentin, but I agree that it could have been incredibly triggering, especially for those who found a lot in common with a character who suffered from similar struggles.

Maybe I am just in denial, but in a show like this I am never sure someone is well and truly dead. The writers say he is, but they would, wouldn't they? They aren't going to say: "yeah, we emotionally manipulated all of you for a really sweet twist next year." If it is permanent, they are going to have to write a pretty tight season next season because Jason Ralph acted his butt off this season and Quentin's story was exceptionally compelling to watch. They also have to figure out how to have the characters mourn without reminding the audience how mad they are that the writers killed him off.

I agree. The message was a little concerning (everyone will miss you when you are gone but be better off without you?), but also I think Quentin's story is one that I enjoy being told. It is already counter to the white Male protagonist trope to have a bisexual person with clinical depression. He is like the opposite if toxic masculinity. He cares deeply about his friends and feels openly. I think what is bothering me most about the Alice thing, is that it is the most tropey. Guy dies to save his girlfriend like a big hero. It was unnecessary. We would have felt that loss regardless. Hell, we all felt that loss when we saw the group scene. If you want a traditional woman crying and screaming while being dragged away, make it Julia, his best friend from childhood. Once they had the vials, there was no reason Julia couldn't join. The mirror world doesn't allow for magic, so she is equally capable of contributing. Justify it with her wanting to throw the being who again took away her agency into the Seam. That? That would have been earned and would have made the restoration of her magic more emotional. It also could have given is a lovely scene before battle where we essentially called back to their lifelong friendship.

I am TOO PREGNANT for that funeral scene. A lot of tears were shed. So many tears. Look, death isn't particularly permanent in this show, regardless of what the internet may be saying, so we will just have to see. Quentin is such a great character and I am gonna be really pissed if that is it. I maintain we could have cut the romance between Alice and Quentin. A renewed friendship would have made that final reaction from her just as valid. It was shoehorned in. Meanwhile that look he gave Eliot when he saw he survived. Excuse me, I have to go cry forever. Onto other not gutwrenching observations. I am glad the monster/gods plot is done and we won't have it carry over. I am also happy to see the Library getting overhauled. Julia being turned human was more of the same. She never gets any choice, does she? At least we don't have to watch her struggle to be normal next season. Josh (the fresh prince) and Quentin eating cake and dealing with the Executive underling was hilarious. Another highlight was the sweet moment for Margo and Josh. She got to be a badass and sweet, which I appreciated. I also loved her recognition that she was being callous. I am glad we have badass Kady back, and I loved the use of the hedges. It was really cool that they managed to work them in. Ugh, I am still gutted by that ending, y'all.

We have seen that a siege is a common tactic for battles in this world. Being unable to last the winter within the walls could force their hand in traditional combat. This would be a common concern when expecting a battle. Will the AOTD employ such tactics? Probably not, but who knows. They don't need supplies and the cold won't get to them (both issues that could bring down human forces).

Exactly. Just Cersei and her guard. It was a huge contrast from the Court we saw in early seasons.

This is me. I love the big episodes, the twists and the crazy plot points, but the heart of the show is the interpersonal drama. Without it, everything else loses its impact. I get that everyone likes something a little different about the show. And if you are a person who loves surprises and twists, this episode was not for you. Nothing new was learned and it was a lot of set up. However, I was happy to have so much happen between the characters. The reunions mattered and it was satisfying to have so many of them happen at once. I also loved that the long awaited reunions DIDN'T magically fix everything. There are a lot of moving parts and it will take some work to navigate them. The people of the North value their independence, and I think it would be inconsistent for them to welcome Dany with open arms. I also think there is a real problem with them not really understanding the threat here. It is something we have seen throughout. Everyone seems to underestimate the AOTD. I said it before but I am reiterating that I agree. She wasn't sure how to react. In the past, she could take drastic action to prove herself, but that isn't really the case here. Agreed. She is out of allies and needs to keep Euron on the hook. I am not sure Cersei Lannister has every enjoyed anything in her life that doesn't involve murdering her rivals. I vote for using him. I love her so much. I agree with both of these points. The North is not really loyal to anyone but the North and nobody can come in and challenge them because the North is also a harsh place to try and attack. You aren't going to win the North with compliments or with brute force. You have to earn their respect, and that takes time. Sam was still holding out hope he could repair the relationship on his way to the Citadel, and he wouldn't be the first kid to have a complicated mourning period over a flawed parent. What is worse, he knows how his father was and knows that Dickon probably didn't feel he could do anything else. Dany didn't try to hide it or sugarcoat it or overly justify it. I think she gets credit for that. Agreed. It would strengthen everyone's position. I think this is right (though I also think Jon underestimates the threat from the South. I think I mentioned this last year. Both Jon and Sansa have valid points, and both are simultaneously correct and incorrect. Jon knows the threat to the North and underestimates the political and other threats because he has tunnel vision for the AOTD. Sansa knows the South and has seen how political intrigue (and particularly Cersei) can destroy families and lives. Both underestimate one-half of the equation. For Sansa, giving anyone power is concerning. For Jon, being undermanned against the AOTD is concerning. They don't see eye to eye because of their different experiences. I am not sure she has any concept of how close Bronn is to Jamie, and I think she believes he can be bought. Honestly, she seems to think most people can be bought. Cersei, for all of her maneuvering, has always been short sighted and impulsive. Maybe she will test him and he will emerge without a thread on his body. BRB, gotta go write some fanfic. :) I have had some time to digest a little more, and I really think this episode was a great one (even if it didn't deliver the craziness people were hoping for). I was anxiously waiting for so many of these reunions. It was satisfying to see Arya, who has longed for her family and who spent so much time isolated from everyone, finally reunite with so many people she cared about (plus the Hound, heh). I enjoyed the Sam/Jon reunion. Jon's joy at seeing him and his concern for Gilly were touching. We didn't get much of Bran/Jamie, but how can you not be excited for the fallout that he represents? The tone is going to change quickly next week as everyone scrambles to figure out what to do with him. I loved the increased isolation (physically and geographically) of Cersei. I do think she realizes she is in a precarious position (Euron even admitted he was out of there if he has picked the wrong pony). I suspect sleeping with him was absolutely to tie him there by making him think the baby is his. In fact, I suspect she even planted the idea of putting a prince in her belly in his mind. She sees him as a stupid buffoon, and therefore someone she can control. It was interesting to me that we didn't see the Night King, but only saw the effects of his march forward. He feels like this looming threat and there is nothing to really tell us how much time the characters have (but presumably not much). I thought Jon and Dany were scouting on the dragons, but that was clearly not the case. We are set up to have some really epic final episodes. The storylines are compressing and everything is coming together. I am excited to see how it all ends.

I actually thought Daenerys was unsure of herself and out of her element, rather than arrogant. She seemed shaken that people didn't just listen to her and her general tactics aren't going to work. I don't think she knows what to do, and it shows. Even going to thank Sam went poorly for her.

She did still take out a hit on her brothers, lest you worry she is becoming too much of a softie.

I thought she banged him to get some plausible deniability on her baby daddy.

I loved that the beginning of the episode basically told us: the world has shrunk and everything is consolidated. Things went down from a relationship standpoint, and I am here for it. I agree Danerys was floundering a bit, and I actually think that was a good choice. She can't steamroll everyone. She has to change her approach. I loved Sansa's unimpressed reaction to things. I am here for snarky Sansa. Cersei was pretty boring tonight. Not going to lie that I am petty and therefore glad she didn't get her elephants.

The awkward was amazing and poor Sam was in the middle of so much of it. Arya and Jon got me a little teary. I loved the scene where Arya reacted to seeing everyone.

Late to the game, but I agree with the criticisms here. I don't take this show as seriously, so it didn't bug me too much. That being said, Ed's strategy made no sense. You go in with your strongest arguments. You say it is a phenomenon that hasn't been observed by your scientists on other planets but you will send some people for a scientific exchange and in the meantime, you will remove the potential alien risks from their planet. And, honestly, you don't do anything to address their own people, because you don't actually know (particularly Ed who hasn't been to the camps). Just because their explanation makes no sense, doesn't actually mean it is untrue. Suppose there is some environmental factor that affects babies born at that time (e.g., babies under x days old exposed to a particular pollen have some sort of physiological change). It could be a timing thing that correlates with that particular birth month. If not, extended exposure to other cultures will probably destroy the belief more effectively. Despite the plot holes, this show is still enjoyable and that makes up for a lot with me.

I do think that is ultimately how it ends up, right? His love of the idea of Fillory has to count for something. It is just that the conversation leading up to that point didn't really make that clear, and it didn't seem like any of them really understood the rules, so why not have multiple people give it a go?

I think that is another thing that annoys me about the pairing. It feels shoehorned in there to cause drama. There wasn't enough build up to make it feel like a natural progression of the plot. This show has a way of turning expectations on their head, so maybe there will be some tweak to the traditional love triangle/pining for someone plot, but it doesn't feel like it from here. There were plenty of potential sources of drama for the pairing, so why go with a love triangle?

This episode didn't work for me as much as I wanted to, and I can't quite put my finger on why. I think it was because we had so many characters missing (Eliot and Julia were monsters, Josh was a fish). And maybe because so much of it felt like set up. I think I will appreciate it more after next week, when hopefully we get some payoff for all of this. What did work for me was Quentin's speech. I love the way they continue to acknowledge his depression and his struggle to feel normal and important. Also, I loved Margo, as always. The scene of her at the vet's office was amazing. I loved the advice that she could love Josh and still be a bitch. I also appreciated that she sat out to make sure Josh. Well, I liked the growth of admitting he matters. I didn't love the set up because I want her out there being a badass. She got the axes after all. What didn't work? Quentin and Alice. It feels like a backslide for both of their characters. I said it last week and I will say it again. Neither of them seems to be moving forward when they are together. Forgiveness is not the same as being together, and I wish it wouldn't have been tied together in that way. It was also boring to have Alice back to batting her eyes at Quentin and otherwise being useless. She is supposed to be a talented magician and she is relegated to boring pep talks. I am also having trouble getting into the Eliotmonster and Juliamonster plan here. I liked the comparison between the two and the acknowledgment that the Eliotmonster was more human than he wanted to admit. However, let's go get the old gods is a bit anticlimactic of a goal. Why not have them seek revenge against the Library. It would have been a more interesting point. I did like Kady and Zelda and the realization that Penny could have been saved. The poison room scenes were interesting, though Everett's assertion that he will totes be different was a load of garbage. It was a bit disappointing to see Kady return to a defeated attitude. That also felt like backsliding. I thought it was weird that Quentin was the one with the "best chance". Not Margo who ruled and cared about her people? Not Fen who lives there (did it have to be someone not from Filory because I didn't hear that in the rules). It gave us a great scene, so I will hand wave it. I honestly believe next week is going to give us some satisfying emotional and plot payoff. This show generally does a great job closing the loop. I think I am just ready for some resolution.

Margo was on fire tonight. I can't decide if my favorite part was telling Quentin to grow a pair of tits, the funny sequence of her retelling the story, the way she plopped her tampon in the book or the way she yelled at Hyman that she could see him with her fairy eye. I legitimately laughed out loud multiple times. So the Library gets worse and worse, and the monster gets more sympathetic. They locked him up so they didn't lose their godhood and mutilated his sister for power. I suddenly feel a lot less sorry for them. Not gonna lie, I didn't love Alice and Quentin memory lane, but it was sort of fun to see silly smitten Quentin. Honestly, I am good with them finding common ground but neither of them needs to go back to the other. I am going to hate it if they take it in that direction. Frankly, I liked it better when Alice was working with Kady. She has always been linked through Quentin, so having her develop something different was more interesting. Poor Julia can't catch a break.

Well we know the water cooler is busy with all the gossiping going on.

I totally thought it was the girl from the bar because that was the last person we saw him with. I guess the leprechaun makes more sense, as he probably tortured her to get to them.

Summer Bishil killed the entire episode. But definitely that last scene got me. I guessed the secret to the red sand creatures but the reveal was still awesome. I am also a sucker for a musical episode, but especially when combined with a faux Eliot reunion. I loved that there was some intersection of the two other plots this week brings ("good luck with your thing"). The tension is definitely building and I am excited to see how it all comes together. I sorta love how Julia has simultaneously become a novelty and is 100% over it. These gods are such gossips.