The Companion

I have a theory but I put it in spoiler quotes since it is speculation.

Ha, I am a member of the ample bosom and rear end societies. Let us unite. I think I have said it before but I have always thought Alice's styling is a little too tight and a little too short on purpose. She comes from a household where there were often orgies, nudity and presumably revealing clothing, so it always seemed like an attempt to wear conservative clothing by someone whose frame of reference was skewed by her upbringing. In other words, her clothes are conservative and non revealing when compared to what she is used to, but may seem a little less conservative when compared to the real world. Even if that is true, I think it would be nice if they had her style evolve a bit. In the say Margo's clothes say Margo + fillory, it would be nice to see some visual character development for Alice.

Totally agree on both of them looking awesome. I covet Margo's hair and I loved the cool threaded metal rivet thing that was happening on Kady's hair. The costumes, hair and makeup on this show deserve a ton of credit. It's obvious when they do creature make-ups, but there is a lot of consistency and subtlety in all of their work. Speaking of a win for the costume department, I love Eliot's "Winosaur shirt." Hee. I thought Marina23 came back with Penny23 and planned to seek out her girlfriend.

RIP Quentin's quesadilla. So much to unpack. I don't even know where to begin. I loved the Filory storyline. Margo giving up her throne to save her best friend. Fen's unwilling coup. Josh's adorable awesomeness. The return of the bunny-grams. I love how this show teases something (like the coup) then turns it on its head. I had theorized it would be a fake coup to find a traitor or something. I loved Margo telling everyone to be nice to Fen on her way out. Quentin didn't do much except drop his quesadilla (hee) but I love how the tension continues to build and i loved how he refused to give up. It was good to see Eliot! And I enjoyed Penny getting to use his psychic powers. Whatever was happening in that field was not pleasant. The moment with Zelda and Kady was awesome. This show does such a good job combining different characters and getting real content out of it. I, honestly, didn't care as much about Alice's internal struggle but I did enjoy having her be more integrated into the story. Loved the bombshell at the end. I honestly don't know how they wrap this season up but I am in.

Yes. He has that quiet desperation voice he uses with the monster that is so good. Jason really balances the depression and the introverted nature of the character with an understanding that the character is also a person who has deep and meaningful one on one relationships. Quentin is better character for it. I have really been appreciating Quentin as a character as he plays off the monster and others. This season has a much heavier character focus, and I think Quentin shines in those stories. I think one of the things I love about the confirmation of his sexuality is that it actually feels like a natural part of his character. He is a person who gets to know his friends and who cares deeply about them. The idea that he falls in love with the person, regardless of gender actually fits very organically. Beyond that, Jason could just play Quentin this year as fake in front of the monster and depressed otherwise, but instead there is a lot of nuance in his performance. It was pretty fun this week as well to slightly break character because of the dragon baby pheromones.

Yet another great episode description. I love Felicia Day. I know she is polarizing but I was excited to see her back. The dragon plot was funny but felt a bit disjointed. I did appreciate that they gave something useful to Julia. Also, the dragon's message to her was definitely intriguing. Oh and I loved the part where dragons were old news. Alice's mom continues to be a narcissist. Even in not turning Alice in, it was because Alice was all she had left. I couldn't tell if we were supposed to conclude Sheila was coerced or not. Maybe she couldn't say no to a cupcake at book club. Was I the only one who wanted Q to say he already had been a father once? I enjoyed Margo getting a bit of her groove back and I always enjoy Fen (and her badass knife skills). Not as enthusiastic about the prophecy. I feel like we are close to the home stretch and I have no idea where we are going. Not necessarily a bad thing. I just have too many things I want wrapped up.

"Quentin and Julia play Pictionary Margo drinks some weird milk" cracked me up. True, but he did feel like he had found a good place, emotionally. I didn't get the feeling that he would never interfere. He said something like: we can see the bigger picture here. I wonder, too, if something like death isn't worth interfering with when you are happily settled in the afterlife.

I can see that, but I actually liked the narration and didn't find it intrusive. It could have felt gimmicky but for the fact that it implicitly updated us on a fourth character missing from the narrative. Penny 40's enthusiasm and depth of knowledge (and acceptance that he couldn't change what was happening in the land of the living) was important, IMO. Last week we understood that he was no longer trying to get back and that he was a full on Librarian, but this gave us some insight into his life on between those points. It was clear it wasn't some brainwashing or cupcake trick. He seemed legitimately happy with his role. Proud of what he was doing. I liked that aspect of the story, personally.

Oh man, I loved this episode. Kady was so conspicuously absent after stealing the apartment. In a lesser show, she would have shown back up unexplained to be told by Penny 23 that her Penny missed her, and then disappeared again. Her story could have been a minor quest story, but instead she started a revolution. It was nicely balanced with Zelda's story. You saw the Library's side and the hedge witch side. The Library explosion was explained. Speaking of Zelda, that mirror world was creepy. Rounding it out was the enjoyable Fen story. She is so enjoyable. Her delight at the souffle prediction was adorable. Also her speech. I loved that she was taking control of something. Nice call back with the knives. It was also great to see Penny 40. He has a bit more edge and dark humor, which I love. I loved his longing for Kady (hey, that was probably part of the test) and his genuine enthusiasm for what they do. I am dying to know who was in the elevator.

I think that is exactly right. The other characters have grown into friends and she has felt very static. I think there was an interesting dichotomy between how she was raised and who she wanted to be (which even went into what she wore) but that got put on the shelf and it feels like she is just . . . there. I almost wish they had her own her bad acts (sort of like Marina). It would make her current crisis a lot more interesting to watch. I think that is also accurate. Alice is a mess of guilt and even she doesn't know if she is a good person or has good inside of her anymore.

I think Q has always been the type to sacrifice for his friends and the situation is definitely magnifying it. I do love the urgency that his feelings for Eliot bring to the story. In my opinion, Q has really developed into a great character. There is consistency in his intense one-on-one friendships and the way he approaches romantic relationships. His desperation and distress in the conversation with Julia was intense. I get Margo. Everyone is asking things of her and she won't let herself properly grieve. What she said to Josh was awful, and the way he responded was really sad. I think the saddest thing is that the person who could probably pull her out of her current place of desperation is Eliot and she knows it. It's hard when the person you want to turn to in crisis is gone. It is sad to see her drive away her allies. Camryn Mannheim made the Alice storyline better/more interesting, but I still can't get into it. It feels like a total break from the rest of the show and I am struggling to care that she is learning that magic can be used for good. Blaming magic feels like more of the same avoidance of consequences/responsibility to me.

Alice has always felt a bit immature and this is one of those times. You can't force trust or forgiveness. Even saving Q seemed to have the underlying motive of forgiveness. She kept pushing when she needed to let it be. Agree. Q hooked up with Eliot and Margo before that episode. I feel like that is enough to establish the character is bi. I hate the talk of him being mostly straight or actually straight, etc. We have seen him in relationships with women and with Eliot. I remember a lot of discussion at the time of whether it was polyamory and it seemed pretty clear to me that it was at least something in that neighborhood. They are really good together. So much chemistry. I was actually hoping for A Life in the Day to reassert itself when Eliot resurfaced. I thought watching the monster with Q was hard in part because of their relationship otherwise. I love Margo. I am a Margo when it comes to the sad stuff. Working so I don't have to be sad. I loved the Fillorian silliness as usual. I figured we would lose Shoshanna but I did enjoy her while it lasted.

The Quickening only happens every 30 years with a particular lunar event per his discussion with the professor who gave it to him.

I didn't really see them together, but they work surprisingly well. Apparently their relationship stems from a throwaway joke from Season 2 that caused the showrunner to find herself shipping them. https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/13/the-magicians-margo-josh-sex/.

On the bright side, if there is any place that werewolves won't raise eyebrows, it is Fillory. She can just save a particularly righteous execution or politically expedient murder for the quickening. Problem solved! She broke my heart when she brought of Eliot. I miss the Margo and Eliot adventures. I am gonna be honest that I have no interest in redemption for Plover. He was so very confident that he didn't deserve bad things for doing bad things and that his actions weren't him. It sounded like a lot of justification to me. I suspect we will get some Alice redemption, but I wouldn't mind seeing Plover dropped in the middle of the vacuum of space. He engaged in repeated and systematic abuse. I don't buy that he just stopped wanting to do that on his own. He continues to say things like: kids don't mind if you contradict yourself. No thanks.

ELIOT!!! How great is Hale Appleman at being creepy enough that it felt good to see our Eliot. Loved Margo. I mean, I always love her, but I loved her particularly this episode. I worry about the prediction about how alone she will be from a few episodes ago. I guess being L+ could be a factor. I enjoyed that she made a decision and owned it. They could have made her reluctant, but instead she decided she could worry about it in 30 years and went for it. The Julia-Penny thing was also a pretty enjoyable storyline both from the perspective of getting some fallout from Bacchus and from getting some follow-up on his storyline. I wish someone would ask about our Penny and his damn cupcake of doom. That being said, Arjun Gupta plays this Penny, with a lot less angst. It is a subtle distinction that I actually really appreciate.i also really like Julia's new follower. She is really entertaining. I hope she gets a good storyline before something awful eventually happens to her. I enjoyed the way they flipped Q and the monster. They teased that maybe Qs grief helps the monster grow a heart, but instead Q saw a little bit of value in destruction instead. The Alice story continues to bore me. At least she is out of her cell, but she still feels like she is in a holding pattern.

Agree. Combined with the way he tried to protect Julia, you could see a mix of guilt from having to watch them die over and over and a soft heart buried under his gruffness. This episode put that decision in context, which I really liked.

Well that title pretty much sums it up. For the briefest of moments I missed Eliot/Quentin from A Life in the Day. You know, before the monster came out. That was some pretty intense stuff. Poor lil piggy. Margo continues to be the best thing about this show. I love her. I was a little bummed to hear the assertion that she might have to rule alone. Girl has earned some happy. I really enjoyed Marina and the gang trying to unscramble everything. Marina and Julia both screwed with something without understanding the consequences. I feel like Dean Fogg undersold the importance of the spell keeping them safe. The only downer was Alice. The Library prison is boring. They need to move it along.

I hope they don't string out the Alice storyline too long. There is only so much you can do with her pacing a cell. Otherwise it was good to see the gang. I love Margo so much. I was happy to see her release her cutting bitchiness even as someone totally different. Also yay for another cool eye patch. I enjoyed getting glimpses into their fake lives and seeing the characters come through. So it looks like the library is sort of reasonable with the magic supply. That was a bit of a surprise, I thought. They don't not have a point about irresponsible magic use. Good to see Marina up and alive. It was good to have the show back.

This is amazing. Also, the name is a reference to Doctor Who, if you were wondering. I don't want to be the Doctor, but I wouldn't mind it if he/she showed up with the TARDIS and I could be a companion for awhile. The only think I feel like we missed out on was by not even getting a glimpse of the Good Place, we have no idea whether there are delightful puns. If not, I object to calling it the Good Place. I did like the fact that they flipped the hell is other people concept. For Chidi and Eleanor, each other was good or at least good enough.

Agreed. I loved that the problem related to the complexity and interconnectedness of modern life. Each action has a lot more effect downstream and upstream. I am not a huge shipper but Eleanor and Chidi worked for me tonight and I think it is because they complimented one another. Speaking of compliments, I am going to need someone to compliment me next time I am waiting on a Board.

I think it was directly related. He was engaging in the act both to satisfy his needs because he couldn't bring himself to do so with the mate he resented and to avoid his mate in general. I think this is more analagous to porn and a device than sex because the scene appears to play out on a fairly set script and the partners don't have any AI/individual agency.

Absolutely, though from an HR perspective I supposed the fact that he was off duty (even if he was asking to leave early) is also a mitigating factor. They might have a different opinion had he been on duty. Even then, porn addiction might be treated like any other addiction. I would imagine there might even be protocols in place for use of the holoporn in species who have strong mating seasons/go into heat. A lock is probably going on the maintenance list, though.

The "neat" made me laugh so hard. The non happy ending is one of the best things about the show. There are real stakes. I thought the same thing last year with the gender reassignment. The ending shouldn't always be satisfying. Lol. That entire scene was great. I actually enjoyed how much Klyden got into it. It was wholly unsatisfying and I was happy to see it as a continuing plot line as well. I think it is interesting to see the tension between partners. I actually think there is an element of cultural influence that is fascinating. Bortus, who interacts more outside their home with other cultural perspectives is struggling between his cultural heritage and a different viewpoint that he is starting to adopt. I would love a starker contrast from his child, who will be raised and educated with wildly varying viewpoints. I think it makes sense that it isn't a firing offense for two reasons. First, the Union probably prefers use of holoporn to fraternizing. There would be some who were unable to date anyone not below their rank, and many of their vessels may be on extended voyages. Second, and perhaps more critically, a ship requires specialized crew and carrying non essential personnel is already a burden. Firing someone would either require diversion or keeping someone on board for some period of time who has knowledge to cause problems and a grudge. Only the most serious offenses (such as something requiring incarceration) would be resolved that way. Negligence would likely be addressed through probation, retraining, etc.

Agreed on both accounts. The hope turning to agony as they had to choose 30 people to survive was intense. I was also so glad the fallout continued. How often do we see an episodic show immediately forget about some intense conflict? I thought the answer might be Bortus going through some intense mating cycle and being scared of having another girl. I really liked this episode. The show continues to balance the humor and the emotional impact.