S01.E06: Impractical Applications

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The first-year students are put through The Trials, a series of unconventional tests that must be passed to stay at Brakebills.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This was the most consistently funny episode of the series so far. I was initially apprehensive that the Trials were going to be too much like the Tri-Wizard tournament (especially since what we saw of last week's competition was pretty brief) but I ended up really liking the Trials, partly because it gave Eliot and Margo legitimate reasons to swan around dramatically like they were at the Mad Hatter's tea party and give the other characters a hard time (as opposed when they just do it for fun).

 

When I saw Quentin and Alice on the rooftop, I thought oh crap, I hope they don't fall, jump, get pushed, etc. so I was glad to see Quentin fly away as a goose.

 

Julia partnering up with Kady's mom could have been really interesting but I guess now that Hanna is dead, Julia still has no connection with the Brakebills storyline. This week Julia's plot brought up the most questions so maybe I just wasn't paying attention or they left out too many details. Where did Julia and Hanna get that protection/invisibility spell in the first place? Why did Katie give it to Marina? How did Marina know Hanna was behind stealing the cabinets (especially since Kady told Marina that she found the protection spell in an old textbook)? Why was only Hanna punished for stealing the cabinets and not Julia? When did Marina have time to put a spell on the cabinets? Or did she do that way before Julia and Hanna stole them because she expected that to happen and that's why she told the other guy to let them go? If so, wouldn't she have assumed that Julia was the one trying to steal them since Julia was the one who helped her get them out of Brakebils and was immediately expelled?

 

I was cracking up when the students were told that the secret spell had to be done naked since Penny's chest is always exposed no matter what he's wearing or doing. It will be interesting to see how Penny interacts with Kady now that she's told him the truth. But I guess we will have to wait until the first years are all un-goosified.

[GaT]

I am so tired of Julia & her entitled, needy bullshit.

[snuffles]

Finally a smooth flowing, suspenseful episode.

Julia was tolerable, but clueless about being watched. I assume Marina or her minions were watching them at the diner. The camera angles made it seem like there were 2 people spying on them. Probably how Marina knew Kady was lying about finding the invisible spell. Obviously it was a good spell that Marina is going to use in the future. I also assumed Hannah died because she opened the cabinet first. Poor Kady, she may have been angry at her mom, but I'm sure she'll want revenge for her death. Wonder if she'll blame Julia or Marina or both?

So Alice is Hermoine Granger and Quentin is Harry Potter, the chosen one? I am glad Alice is an extra special snowflake since Julia, Marina, Kady, Hannah, Margo, etc are not. Margo's talent is being the gossip queen, while Penny's talent is mind reading and traveling. Just not in the same league.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

At first I thought that Hanna was someone who Marina had sent to follow Julia so I kept waiting for Hanna to betray her, but it turns out nope, just another hedge witch who Marina kicked out.

 

So when Marina puts a red X on the magical tattoos, what exactly does that do? Julia and Hanna still had the ability to do magic, so does the red X magically remove their knowledge of spells they already learned with Marina's witches? I'm also curious as to who authorizes the magic tattoos in the first place. Is it just a thing that Marina's group does? Like if Julia and Hanna had successfully created their own little group, would they be able to bestow the magic tattoos and also use the magic red X?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

It's been years since the pilot, but this hasn't been properly reflected in the show imo.

As a non-book reader, to me it feels like maybe a few weeks have passed since the pilot (2-3 months at most). Eliot is still referring to Quentin, Penny, Kady, and Alice as first years and having to explain things to them so I assumed that not very much time had passed.

 

Penny and Quentin's conversation at Fillory in the opening scene was sad. Everyone left disappointed. But I liked that when Penny initially wanted to leave, Kady told him to stay and listen. Too bad that didn't last long. I did laugh when they said that that Quentin knew the most about Fillory so he could help. I've read all the Harry Potter books multiple times, but so have lots of kids so I don't know that I would be more helpful than an obsessive 12 year old who had read the books several times too.

Edited February 23, 2016 by SilverStormm
Spoilery, referring to book comparison

[wayne67]

I am so tired of Julia & her entitled, needy bullshit.

 

Totally agree. Her behavior in the bar was like a child throwing a tantrum in a shopping center in order to guilt someone else into getting them what they want. I hate her now. She just comes off as greedy and selfish instead of smart and ambitious. Seriously she never thought to bribe or trade for more spells ? 

She just yells and breaks things and expect people to give her stuff. She is such an entitled little brat.

 

On the upside it was good to see Alice come out of her shell a bit and be something other than grieving desperate sister. Also we got some backstory for Kady, her mother didn't think things through and Kady paid the price as did 2 other people with their lives. Despite the lying and thieving I actually kind of have some interest in Kady now where before she was merely a background character.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Oh, no. They're confirming the magical addiction?

 

Edited February 23, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Julia's behavior in this episode really pushed me over into not liking her. The last time she went to that bar, she was not very nice. For her second visit, she interrogated the bartender, told him to grow a pair, begged, knocked over glasses, and then threatened him. Even if we weren't talking about trying to access a magical group, she still came off as a psycho bitch. Apparently she's never heard that expression about how you catch more flies with honey. But seriously, she thinks this guy should risk having Marina come after him because she has nowhere else to go?

 

Mr. EB thought it was hilarious that these characters are magicians yet when they think someone is following them or creeping around the house, Julia pulls out pepper spray and Quentin throws a book.

 

Hahaha, loved that Alice's table was called Team Fishpunchers.

 

I loved Quentin squatting on top of his chair while Eliot checked their work.

 

Interesting that all the tasks we saw in the Trials required teamwork. I guess it's a good thing that the school wants them to learn how to work together and collaborate.

 

So sad that Alice lost her virginity with all her clothes on. Giiiiiirl.

 

I noticed that Alice and Quentin's ropes came off while they were clothed so I'm going to take that as a sign that the professors just wanted to give the students an opportunity to get nekkid with someone else at least once while they were at Brakebills.

Edited February 23, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Izeinwinter]

I read the Julia scene in the bar as her being worried that Marina had mindwiped that entire group too. Hence being a tad panicky. 

 

I figure the nakedness requirement was just the professors being practical. Why make a goose fight it's way out of a pile of clothes when you can have the student undress first? 

[Lemur]

I noticed that Alice and Quentin's ropes came off while they were clothed so I'm going to take that as a sign that the professors just wanted to give the students an opportunity to get nekkid with someone else at least once while they were at Brakebills.

 

They had to be naked for the spell that turned them into geese.

[zxy556575]

So the group shots showed only around 20 first-year students, total? Which would mean maybe 60 students in the entire place, given that Brakebills is apparently a four-year graduate institute and there are only two third-year students left. With all the culling going on, I can't imagine more than 8-10 a year manage to graduate. At this point I don't much care if anyone finishes or not, given that I still have no idea what sort of benefits would accrue.

 

To focus on the most minor of issues, it bugs me that the pronunciation of Quentin's name changes from quent to quint from character to character and moment to moment. On the plus side, Alice's skirt was finally a couple of inches longer.

 

Penny? Kady isn't worth your love.

Edited February 23, 2016 by lordonia

[Lemur]

Am I an the only one that noticed that the Trials are all so important, but yet Kady can pop out of them to go meet her crazy mother and crazy Julia and then pop back up-state like *that*?  I dunno, seemed odd.  Also, we never saw her actually complete the first trial.  We see her at the torch light meeting, then in NYC, and then running around in the forest with a net.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

They had to be naked for the spell that turned them into geese.

But Quentin and Alice weren't naked when they turned into geese. He was wearing boxers and she was wearing his shirt.

I figure the nakedness requirement was just the professors being practical. Why make a goose fight it's way out of a pile of clothes when you can have the student undress first?

Ha, good point. I guess that means when the flock lands and they are turned back into humsns, they get to see their entire class naked! One thing they did correctly on Buffy was that when people turned from werewolf (or rat!) into human, they were always naked. It drives me crazy on other shows when they're in tattered clothes that conveniently cover their bathing suit parts.

Edited February 23, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Lemur]

But Quentin and Alice weren't naked when they turned into geese. He was wearing boxers and she was wearing his shirt.

 

Naked enough.  I guess those two aren't as liberated as Kady and Penny.  Easier to get out of boxers or a shirt (at one point, they were at least topless - they had to be when they daubed the clay or whatever on each other) then a full suit of clothes. 

Edited February 23, 2016 by Lemur

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Naked enough. I guess those two aren't as liberated as Kady and Penny. Easier to get out of boxers or a shirt (at one point, they were at least topless - they had to be when they daubed the clay or whatever on each other) then a full suit of clothes.

Quentin and Alice did get completely naked before they started, but when they realized they weren't getting anywhere with the secret spell, they gave up and partially dressed (she put on his shirt and he put on his underwear), and then counted down to the deadline together.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So the group shots showed only around 20 first-year students, total? Which would mean maybe 60 students in the entire place, given that Brakebills is apparently a four-year graduate institute and there are only two third-year students left. With all the culling going on, I can't imagine more than 8-10 a year manage to graduate. At this point I don't much care if anyone finishes or not, given that I still have no idea what sort of benefits could accrue.

To focus on the most minor of issues, it bugs me that the pronunciation of Quentin's name changes from quent to quint from character to character and moment to moment. On the plus side, Alice's skirt was finally a couple of inches longer.

In the first big group scene (when they're all outside being told about the Trials), I guesstimated about twenty students. The only first year who was definitely eliminated was the guy working with Quentin and Penny on the first task. In the last shot of the episode, it looked like there were about twenty geese so did most of their class get through?

Side note: how did everyone else besides Alice and Penny's groups complete the first task? Did they all figure out ways to copy from Alice?

It always drove me crazy on original 90210 that Kelly pronounced Brenda's name as "Brinda" so I totally understand your Quentin/Quintin complaint.

I noticed Alice's skirt was longer this week too! I wondered if this was her tromping around in the woods skirt, but then I remembered that Quentin was roofied before the second task so I found myself wondering if all the first years were kidnapped/roofied the exact same way or if Eliot and Margo came up with a special scheme for each of them. Then I remembered that the walk between Margo's virgin sacrifice and the rest of the group looked like it was all of five feet, so I was giggling at the thought that everyone heard that exchange. Also hilarious: Quentin complaining that the pine needles were hurting his feet.

So was that piece of paper with the cloaking spell that Hanna and Julia let Kady take the hook that they needed to do the cabinet moving spell?

Edited February 23, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Philbert]

 

Oh, no. They're confirming the magical addiction?

 

I'm afraid so. That whole Julia/Kady's mother relationship screamed "Junkie." Hell, Julia even looked washed out like somebody suffering withdrawal symptoms through most of the episode. I can't make up my mind whether the writers want me to hate her or feel sorry for her but I'm having a great deal of trouble doing either. I like the actress and think she's doing as good a job as can be done with this character but they need to really get moving with this storyline. Yeah, yeah, she's a magical crack addict. We get it. MOVE ON.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Philbert

[zxy556575]

I can't make up my mind whether the writers want me to hate her or feel sorry for her but I'm having a great deal of trouble doing either.

 

The only reason I'm looking forward to the inevitable scene (probably in the finale/cliff-hanger) of Quentin and Julia pitting their magic against one another -- to the death! -- is that it gives me hope that Julia dies.

[Philbert]

 

The only reason I'm looking forward to the inevitable scene (probably in the finale/cliff-hanger) of Quentin and Julia pitting their magic against one another -- to the death! -- is that it gives me hope that Julia dies.

 

 

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. They'll go for the Quentin/Alice/Julia love triangle. They're sending out all the "torn between two lovers' shippy vibes-even down to the sweet innocent blonde/bad news brunette trope.

[Primetimer]

Just like in real college, the matriculating Brakebills magicians must survive dangerous and embarrassing tasks to be accepted by their peers.

Read the story

[Izeinwinter]

Side note: how did everyone else besides Alice and Penny's groups complete the first task? Did they all figure out ways to copy from Alice?

Or think of some other way to cheat - for example, they were told who wrote and encrypted the spells. Historical cyphers is the kind of thing you can find with 5 minutes of competent googling given that much info.

Heck, those very spells are almost certainly in a clear text grimoire in the brakebills library. So, mostly this was just a test of "Can you muster enough magic and guts to evade not-very-stringent surveillance for 6 minutes?"

 

 << <So was that piece of paper with the cloaking spell that Hanna and Julia let Kady take the hook that they needed to do the cabinet moving spell?

Yes. And it got spotted. 

 

>>>>>>I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. They'll go for the Quentin/Alice/Julia love triangle. They're sending out all the "torn between two lovers' shippy vibes-even down to the sweet innocent blonde/bad news brunette trope.

 

Hey, given that Alice is 90 times the magician Q is, and Julia's thirst for sorcery, Q isn't the logical hinge for this love triangle - Alice is! 

 

Q: "Uhm. Just to make sure I'm not imagining things. You are trying to steal my girlfriend."

J: "There is no try. I already did. You don't deserve her".

Q: "But.. you're not even a little bit gay"

J: "Seriously, you really have not internalized this whole Magic is Real thing."

Q: "... You hexed. Your own sexuality. To steal my girl."

J: "Yes."

Edited February 23, 2016 by Izeinwinter

[iMonrey]

 

So the group shots showed only around 20 first-year students, total?

 

I'm trying to fanwank that the group of first years we saw out on the lawn were just those from their house. Otherwise - yeah, that's a pretty huge school and campus for so few students! And overall the whole "trials" thing didn't work for me. For one thing we had Margo and Eliot running the thing which seems highly unlikely given their lack of seriousness. It felt more like a hazing ritual than a school-sanctioned test that would get you kicked out if you didn't pass it. I think this chapter in the story is probably something that works better in the books than on screen, especially given the limited budget for extras. (I have not read the books, but I'm just guessing.)

 

I'm still on the fence about this show. No doubt I'll see it through to the end of this season but I don't know if I'd come back for a second. Everyone is just so damn angry and/or depressed the whole things feels like a downer.

[wayne67]

Julia's behavior in this episode really pushed me over into not liking her. The last time she went to that bar, she was not very nice. For her second visit, she interrogated the bartender, told him to grow a pair, begged, knocked over glasses, and then threatened him. Even if we weren't talking about trying to access a magical group, she still came off as a psycho bitch. Apparently she's never heard that expression about how you catch more flies with honey. But seriously, she thinks this guy should risk having Marina come after him because she has nowhere else to go?

 

Mr. EB thought it was hilarious that these characters are magicians yet when they think someone is following them or creeping around the house, Julia pulls out pepper spray and Quentin throws a book.

 

Julia's insistence that people should risk their lives for her for nothing is tiresome.

I did find it amusing that none of these magicians show any self defense magic. No fireballs, shields, detection spells?

 

If only any of these characters were people who cared about their own lives at all.

[kat165]

I think Kady's mom's mistake was to take the blank spell papers and try to read them. That's

when the blood started to appear so I think it was the papers that were spelled.

 

Funniest part, Elliot & Margo discussing Quentin's facial expression when they made that crack

about blowing the horse. And then one of them said something like, yeah, he was willing to do

it but didn't want to be first.

Edited February 23, 2016 by kat165

[Triskan]

I really wish they had devoted more screentime for the confession dialogue of the final scene... it felt short and I would have loved to go even deeper into the reveals.

[Philbert]

 

 

Q: "Uhm. Just to make sure I'm not imagining things. You are trying to steal my girlfriend."

J: "There is no try. I already did. You don't deserve her".

Q: "But.. you're not even a little bit gay"

J: "Seriously, you really have not internalized this whole Magic is Real thing."

Q: "... You hexed. Your own sexuality. To steal my girl."

J: "Yes."

 

 

::Dies Laughing::

 

Well, that would certainly be a new twist on it and I'd certainly approve. Excuse me now. I'm dead...

 

 

And then one of them said something like, yeah, he was willing to do

it but didn't want to be first.

 

 

Yeah, that was Elliot and those two are now my favorite part of this show. If it ever gets cancelled, they need their own spinoff.

[grandemocha]

"I'm not done with you. Consider it a warning" ...damn, Julia is acting like a seriously shitty person right now. Threatening and harassing people all over the place is certainly not the way to make friends or have people want to help you out, why doesn't she get that? Pete was spot on with his comments toward her last episode.

 

Well, this was finally the episode where I gained a bit of sympathy for Kady and I no longer want her dead by the end of the season, so that was an improvement in my book hah ;)

Edited February 24, 2016 by grandemocha

[Richness]

I just binge watched the first six episodes. Not sure I like this show and its debby downer main protagonist, but I'll probably tough it out for the first season. I just laughed so hard at the the horse blow job scene. Especially the tag line about Quentin being willing, but not the one to go first. I had to watch that a few times.

[wayne67]

I just binge watched the first six episodes. Not sure I like this show and its debby downer main protagonist, but I'll probably tough it out for the first season. I just laughed so hard at the the horse blow job scene. Especially the tag line about Quentin being willing, but not the one to go first. I had to watch that a few times.

 

Yeah I'm not sure this is a great show for binge watching, both protagonists are kind of intolerable at times, Julia increasingly so as episodes progress (IMO). That said Quentin has had some great lines lately and people do rip on him quite frequently, this episode had horse blowjobs, mocking him by claiming to be doing a virgin sacrifice and him getting naked and exposing his chronic depression to someone. 

 

The episode in the mad house had him dancing around and he had some great physical comedy moments.

 

Elliot and Margot are gold :p 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

You guys, I JUST realized that Marina is Abigail Hobbs from Hannibal.

[Crim]

^ She was also on this week's episode of iZombie. She is awesome, isn't she?

 

I'm trying to fanwank that the group of first years we saw out on the lawn were just those from their house.

You mean the Physical Kids? Doubtful. Quentin was housed there only because there are so few of them. If all those were in his house, there would be even more in other houses, and we'd see way more students on campus and in class.

 

As every week, this episode was the most boring yet. The Trials were lame head games, the Hanna-as-Kady's-mother reveal very obvious (if only Kady had mentioned her parents before instead of juuuuust when we found out Hanna had someone she could contact... *sigh*), the secret reveals were just bare bones and boring, obvious, just crossing the t's, and why was Quentin's paint black when Alice, Penny and Kady all had white paint? After her meltdown and Hanna's portrayal, Julia is officially an addict in an analogy so obvious it could be used as a PSA video, but she is still the reason I keep watching. If only someone uploaded her scenes to youtube, I could watch that and quit the show. I do like Margo and Elliot, but they don't get enough screen time to make Brakebills fun, and I want to like Alice, but the actress is just... there.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Crim

[carrps]

... why was Quentin's paint black when Alice, Penny and Kady all had white paint?

 

After her meltdown and Hanna's portrayal, Julia is officially an addict in an analogy so obvious it could be used as a PSA video, but she is still the reason I keep watching. If only someone uploaded her scenes to youtube, I could watch that and quit the show. I do like Margo and Elliot, but they don't get enough screen time to make Brakebills fun, and I want to like Alice, but the actress is just... there.

I was wondering about the black paint, too.

 

I agree with most of your points, but I found this the most involving episode so far. It had pace, detail and a certain amount of genuine emotion. I'll stick with it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The weird thing is that I didn't make the connection when I saw her as Marina on The Magicians, so for six episodes she's just been there as Marina. But as soon as I saw her on iZombie in that first scene at the cafe, I was like OMG, that's Marina and Marina is Abigail Hobbs! I have no idea why her character on iZombie triggered that realization (especially since I didn't notice it at all while seeing her as Marina for multiple episodes).

[paramitch]

I thought this was one of the strongest episodes of the season thus far. But wow, some of the funniest moments and some of the darkest.

 

I guess I don't have to wonder about Marina anymore, right? She's not just bad, she's... BIG BAD bad. Bad. Bad. Wow, bad. That final scene with Hannah was so sad and upsetting (I liked the actress a lot -- she reminded me a bit of Genevieve Bujold).
 

This week Julia's plot brought up the most questions so maybe I just wasn't paying attention or they left out too many details. Where did Julia and Hanna get that protection/invisibility spell in the first place? Why did Katie give it to Marina? How did Marina know Hanna was behind stealing the cabinets (especially since Kady told Marina that she found the protection spell in an old textbook)? Why was only Hanna punished for stealing the cabinets and not Julia? When did Marina have time to put a spell on the cabinets? Or did she do that way before Julia and Hanna stole them because she expected that to happen and that's why she told the other guy to let them go? If so, wouldn't she have assumed that Julia was the one trying to steal them since Julia was the one who helped her get them out of Brakebils and was immediately expelled?

 

ElectricBoogaloo, to answer your questions (with only a slight disco beat and a hint of ABBA), in case it helps here's just my take:

 

Where did Julia and Hanna get that protection/invisibility spell in the first place?

Julia singlehandedly freeformed the spell while talking to Hannah, sketching it out between them.

 

Why did Katie give it to Marina?

Hannah told Kady directly that the spell would help and Julia didn't push too hard on questioning it (evidently Kady has a weekly quota to meet with Marina on magical stuff she steals or uncovers). And in retrospect, it seems likely that Kady thought she was helping her Mom by giving them the inside object, the "hook."

How did Marina know Hanna was behind stealing the cabinets (especially since Kady told Marina that she found the protection spell in an old textbook)?
She didn't. But she didn't need to know the identity, just a spell to combat whoever it was. Hannah was the one who opened the file cabinet and then pulled out a clutch of papers, presumably poisoning herself in some way with Marina's counterspell. Julia never touches either.

Why was only Hanna punished for stealing the cabinets and not Julia?

See above. Julia never touched the pages or cabinet. Only Hannah, who was able to warn her.

 

When did Marina have time to put a spell on the cabinets?
There is a pointed moment as the cabinets are rattling when Marina is watching furiously and at least a few minutes seem to pass on both sides. It is doable to me that someone as talented as Marina was able to do a switching sort of spell (doubtless prepared with a lethal substitute) to remove the cherished documents and replace with deadly blank ones.
 

I noticed that Alice and Quentin's ropes came off while they were clothed so I'm going to take that as a sign that the professors just wanted to give the students an opportunity to get nekkid with someone else at least once while they were at Brakebills.

 

Being as nearly unclothed as possible would be an asset for their transformation into geese, so that worked for me (although I really liked the little detail that both Quentin and Alice did redress themselves slightly after losing almost all hope).

 

I read the Julia scene in the bar as her being worried that Marina had mindwiped that entire group too. Hence being a tad panicky. 

 

I thought that too, then actually appreciated the bartender's niceness. I agree that Julia's a bit feral and high-strung here, but she's not able to be rational. I wish the show wasn't simplifying it quite as much to simply, "Magic is addiction," because I hated that shit on Buffy S6 SO much and it's much more complicated here.

 

I noticed Alice's skirt was longer this week too! I wondered if this was her tromping around in the woods skirt, but then I remembered that Quentin was roofied before the second task so I found myself wondering if all the first years were kidnapped/roofied the exact same way or if Eliot and Margo came up with a special scheme for each of them. Then I remembered that the walk between Margo's virgin sacrifice and the rest of the group looked like it was all of five feet, so I was giggling at the thought that everyone heard that exchange. Also hilarious: Quentin complaining that the pine needles were hurting his feet.

So was that piece of paper with the cloaking spell that Hanna and Julia let Kady take the hook that they needed to do the cabinet moving spell?

I thought it seemed like EVERYONE was pretty much being messed with or struck with some outside influence, but it ultimately worked for me and it seemed to work for the cabinet spell. (Aghgh!)

 

Julia's insistence that people should risk their lives for her for nothing is tiresome.

I did find it amusing that none of these magicians show any self defense magic. No fireballs, shields, detection spells?

 

Julia never insists that anyone risk their life for her. In fact, this episode was the direct opposite. She is very clear with Hannah that this is what she thinks she is doing -- saving Hannah -- by sending her away and not allowing her to help.

 

I just laughed so hard at the the horse blow job scene. Especially the tag line about Quentin being willing, but not the one to go first. I had to watch that a few times.

I did too. It was just so Eliot & Margo, but also -- so, so Quentin! The quick double-take from Quentin and Alice to the horse was just perfect, as was the horse's implied, (undecided) "Meeeee?" 

 

You guys, I JUST realized that Marina is Abigail Hobbs from Hannibal.

 

I've loved Kacey Rohl ever since "Hannibal," so I was very psyched to see her here since day one. I'm just bummed she's not just playing a baddie, but a Big Big Bad. I mean, wow. Marina is not just a bad person y'all, she is BAAAAAAAAD (in my best goat voice). BAAAAAAD. But I so agree; Rohl is so talented. I just wish Marina wasn't quite so comic-book-evil.

 

The downsides: I'm not thrilled with the show's continued insistence that Julia is seeking a drug, while Quentin is seeking something purer. The two are the same. The magic defines them. So Julia acting like she's getting a fix (or Hannah, in a rather over the top series of scenes) both worked but doesn't work for me. It isn't about a drug but about power and fulfillment, I think. So: ugh to that.

 

Meanwhile, I loved the secrets exchanges between Penny and Kady (aw, man, poor Kady) -- the unexpected vulnerability of Penny, and Kady's willingness to just let it all go. And same with Quentin and Alice -- my favorite scene with the two of them to date. I'm so intrigued by Alice's fear of her own power -- I liked her more here than ever before.

 

However, last but not least, I got a genuine horrified feeling of fear at poor Hannah's curse by Marina (I have issues with bleeding from the eyes y'all! ISSUES!), and especially in the moment when Hannah selflessly told Julia to RUN, that "Marina's coming." Just really scary stuff. I was really creeped out.

 

Meanwhile, I continue to think Jason Ralph is just KILLING IT as Quentin, but I also really love both Hale Appleman as Eliot, and Summer Bishil as Margo, who are note-perfect for me so far. I mean, I'd watch that spinoff y'all mentioned. Count me in. Seriously. Love them both.

Edited February 25, 2016 by paramitch

[LoneHaranguer]

With the ropes falling off, I'm guessing that one of the lines in the secret spell is "the truth shall set you free".

[zxy556575]

Now I'm nitpicking, but couldn't the show have mustered up a bit of CGI to show the ropes unraveling themselves and sort of dancing away? The close-up shots looked like the actors just manually shook them off.

[iMonrey]

 

Elliot and Margot are gold

 

They're good for a laugh, for sure. But - there is a disproportionate contrast between Elliot and Margo's smug aloofness and the morose and/or angry nature of all the other characters. It's kind of sick in a way, seeing Elliot and Margot sitting there laughing at and mocking people who might otherwise be committed to mental hospitals. So they're not so much lightening the mood with humor for me. It's more like they're kind of the sadistic Nurse Ratchet characters that get off on the first years' pain.

[zxy556575]

I wouldn't mind an episode in which Eliot in particular is brought low. I enjoy him as is, but nobody can swan through life like without any sentiments deeper than selecting the perfect accessories for each outfit.

[wayne67]

They're good for a laugh, for sure. But - there is a disproportionate contrast between Elliot and Margo's smug aloofness and the morose and/or angry nature of all the other characters. It's kind of sick in a way, seeing Elliot and Margot sitting there laughing at and mocking people who might otherwise be committed to mental hospitals. So they're not so much lightening the mood with humor for me. It's more like they're kind of the sadistic Nurse Ratchet characters that get off on the first years' pain.

 

I take their 'humor' as being the dark gallows humor of nihilistic realism. Magic is dangerous. There's not quests for every single person to make them feel super special. I appreciate it. However it's all subjective.

It's far more entertaining for me than Quentin's frequent sad sackitude and Julia's frantic and desperate need for validation/magic fix.

 

 

Julia never insists that anyone risk their life for her. In fact, this episode was the direct opposite. She is very clear with Hannah that this is what she thinks she is doing -- saving Hannah -- by sending her away and not allowing her to help.

 

She's asking for the bartenders help in defying Marina's expulsion from their club. Which is putting him and possibly everyone in that bar directly in the cross hairs of Marina's wrath without offering anything in trade. Instead she relies constantly on a combination of emotional manipulation, threats and physical intimidation. She also kept showing up at the main safe house risking Pete's life by getting him involved in defying Marina. Also even after her bf's mind wipe she is still directly targeting Marina instead of trying to learn spells anywhere else. 

She's shown no consideration of anyone and none for her own safety or wellbeing. 

She made a token attempt to get away from Kady's mother after finding out her backstory. Nothing to do with danger as far as I could tell. If she was concerned about her, she wouldn't have done the spell targeting Marina. Seriously did she not expect Marina to do anything in retaliation ?

[paramitch]

They're good for a laugh, for sure. But - there is a disproportionate contrast between Elliot and Margo's smug aloofness and the morose and/or angry nature of all the other characters. It's kind of sick in a way, seeing Elliot and Margot sitting there laughing at and mocking people who might otherwise be committed to mental hospitals.

 

To me they're simply being pretentious brats in that older-kids kind of way -- they're at least a year beyond Quentin & the others, so I can buy them both serving as TAs while also making the entire experience all about them because that's Eliot & Margo to me.

But I do think we've seen other shadings from them -- Margo had a really lovely moment with Quentin here when he told her Fillory was real, and she absolutely seemed genuine when she said, "I loved those books," and even went on to tell him how she'd once imagined that she would be an ambassador to the outer islands or something. 

 

And one of my favorite moments from Eliot to date is the conversation he had with Quentin early on about how magic comes from pain, and where he admitted to accidentally killing the guy who was bullying him.

 

So I think there's more to Eliot & Margo than meets the eye, but I will definitely admit that I'll enjoy the inevitable moment that Quentin, Penny and Alice get them back for some of their shenanigans. (Even if Margo's shock that Quentin wasn't a virgin was actually really hilarious to me. Poor Quentin!)

 

She's asking for the bartenders help in defying Marina's expulsion from their club. Which is putting him and possibly everyone in that bar directly in the cross hairs of Marina's wrath without offering anything in trade. Instead she relies constantly on a combination of emotional manipulation, threats and physical intimidation. She also kept showing up at the main safe house risking Pete's life by getting him involved in defying Marina. Also even after her bf's mind wipe she is still directly targeting Marina instead of trying to learn spells anywhere else. 

She's shown no consideration of anyone and none for her own safety or wellbeing. 

She made a token attempt to get away from Kady's mother after finding out her backstory. Nothing to do with danger as far as I could tell. If she was concerned about her, she wouldn't have done the spell targeting Marina. Seriously did she not expect Marina to do anything in retaliation ?

 

I absolutely think Julia was being reckless and naive, but in the early scenes you mention, there wasn't really any indication that Marina is physically dangerous as yet. It's only when Julia talks to Kady that she realizes that Marina is potentially REALLY bad news, and she (I feel) does attempt to definitively cut of Hannah from further involvement in the Marina scheme. I didn't see it as half-hearted at all.

 

Hannah (who does seem to know that some danger is involved), shows back up on her own and actually has to break through Julia's wards and locks to reenter the building where Julia is doing the spell. Again, that doesn't seem half-hearted to me -- Julia was serious about trying on her own.

 

But I think the fact that Hannah shows up and actually rescues Julia from potential harm by doing a spell that is too powerful and dangerous to do alone (we've seen what can happen to magicians who attempt this, like the disfigured girl or Alice's brother) -- that's what I think convinces Julia that it is a good idea to team up, after all. And again, I still don't think she had any idea how far Marina would actually go.

 

Julia's pretty obviously horrified at what happens to poor Hannah, so I don't think she'll make that mistake again. Which means Julia's going to be more alone than ever.

[wayne67]

I absolutely think Julia was being reckless and naive, but in the early scenes you mention, there wasn't really any indication that Marina is physically dangerous as yet. It's only when Julia talks to Kady that she realizes that Marina is potentially REALLY bad news, and she (I feel) does attempt to definitively cut of Hannah from further involvement in the Marina scheme. I didn't see it as half-hearted at all.

 

Hannah (who does seem to know that some danger is involved), shows back up on her own and actually has to break through Julia's wards and locks to reenter the building where Julia is doing the spell. Again, that doesn't seem half-hearted to me -- Julia was serious about trying on her own.

 

But I think the fact that Hannah shows up and actually rescues Julia from potential harm by doing a spell that is too powerful and dangerous to do alone (we've seen what can happen to magicians who attempt this, like the disfigured girl or Alice's brother) -- that's what I think convinces Julia that it is a good idea to team up, after all. And again, I still don't think she had any idea how far Marina would actually go.

 

Julia's pretty obviously horrified at what happens to poor Hannah, so I don't think she'll make that mistake again. Which means Julia's going to be more alone than ever.

 

Physical intimidation... would be coming into a bar where the bartender is obviously nervous and anxious, where she insults him, then snatches the handset phone base? whatever it's called, then when he tries to continue to make a call to the police she smashes glasses that shatter around the guy. I re watched the scene... How is that not physically intimidating someone that's scared of you and the trouble you may rain down on them by association? Simply by the fact that guy was so scared should have clued her into the fact that Marina was not a safe person to cross. There's also every interaction she had with Pete where he repeatedly warned her that Marina was dangerous and she should leave the city.

The question was whether Julia cared about her safety or Hannah. We saw no indication that she changed her mind because of safety reasons it seemed more that she got pissed off that Hannah had essentially sold her daughter to Marina because of fucking up and killing 2 people and was untrustworthy rather than caring about her health or well being.

Also Julia knows Marina is dangerous, she was there participating when Marina was mind raping Quentin from a distance, indifferent to his potential death and she mind wiped her ex bf and caused great physical pain to Julia and stripped her of something the previous episode. If Julia didn't know Marina was dangerous with all of that precedence than Julia is stupid. That goes way beyond being reckless and naive.

 

I wouldn't bet on Julia learning a lesson. Her bf got mindwiped and she went on with her magic chase in the same city as the person who did it while expecting to get rewarded for participating into psychically torturing her supposed best friend.

Edited February 25, 2016 by wayne67

[theatremouse]

Now I'm nitpicking, but couldn't the show have mustered up a bit of CGI to show the ropes unraveling themselves and sort of dancing away? The close-up shots looked like the actors just manually shook them off.

I'm quite certain they did just manually shake them off, but I think that was the point. The ropes were wrapped around their wrists and knotted to start. The magic just undid the knot, but not the wrap. If a rope is several times around your wrist but untied, you do need to shake it for it to come off. I didn't think the ropes were supposed to remove themselves in some kind of Fantasia move. They spend enough money on effects I can see it being an easy choice to avoid one when they could accomplish the scene without.

[Lemur]

They're good for a laugh, for sure. But - there is a disproportionate contrast between Elliot and Margo's smug aloofness and the morose and/or angry nature of all the other characters. It's kind of sick in a way, seeing Elliot and Margot sitting there laughing at and mocking people who might otherwise be committed to mental hospitals. So they're not so much lightening the mood with humor for me. It's more like they're kind of the sadistic Nurse Ratchet characters that get off on the first years' pain.

 

In one of the earlier episodes Eliot talks about being a former fat kid who was picked on terribly and one day used his latent telekinetic abilities to kill one of his tormentors.  There is a quiet desperation to both characters that really only come out in the quiet moments - between Margo and Quentin when they're discussing Fillory (though she does make a fantastic crack about the Beast being tonally inconsistent with the books which was gold), between Margo and Eliot when they're watching the First Years move into the cottage, even between Margo and Alice.  There's a lot of subtext with those two.

[carrps]

I guess I don't have to wonder about Marina anymore, right? She's not just bad, she's... BIG BAD bad. Bad. Bad. Wow, bad. That final scene with Hannah was so sad and upsetting (I liked the actress a lot -- she reminded me a bit of Genevieve Bujold).

 

 

Amy Pietz. My sister recognized her from that really old Lea Thompson series "Caroline in the City." That's going a loooooooooooooong way back.

[Terrafamilia]

Am I an the only one that noticed that the Trials are all so important, but yet Kady can pop out of them to go meet her crazy mother and crazy Julia and then pop back up-state like *that*?  I dunno, seemed odd.  Also, we never saw her actually complete the first trial.  We see her at the torch light meeting, then in NYC, and then running around in the forest with a net.

I just fanwanked that the Trials and Julia's travails were not contemporaneous.

[Lemur]

I just fanwanked that the Trials and Julia's travails were not contemporaneous.

 

Could be.  Hadn't considered that.

[LeGrandElephant]

Didn't Penny read Kady's mind when they first met? And it led to them having sex? So wouldn't he have known already if she was really thinking that he seemed useful rather than thinking she was attracted to him?

I would have thought she was falling for him in spite of using him, but since the ropes came off when she said she was just using him, maybe she truly isn't into him. That would be darker than the usual way it plays out, that she was doing something bad and using him but it was because she's being blackmailed and really she does love him.

Also overall Kady's lot doesn't make a whole lot of sense - how could the Brakebills faculty not have noticed her stealing and being blackmailed etc? And even if they didn't notice, she probably should have told them up front and asked for their help in protecting her from Marina.

As for the star tattoos, the show hasn't really made it clear, but I think it's a social thing rather than a power thing. That is, I don't think the stars give you any power, they just indicate your power within the hedge witch structure. So, crossing them out doesn't seem to actually remove any power, but marks you as an outcast within that world. Again, though ,it isn't really clear. Presumably if they were just normal tattoos Julia could remove the whole thing or just the red part, so there must be more to them than that. But they don't seem to really affect her abilities either way.

A question about the books - I did read the first book but it was awhile ago. I remember them turning into geese, but I don't remember the upperclassmen running trials. Did that happen in the book?

[Crim]

^ Very good points about Kady. Nothing about it made sense or even had any real point - unless she comes back later and all this is somehow significant.

 

You are right about the stars: they are just signifiers of power. I don't see why Julia couldn't get new stars on her other arm and never show these old ones. The location for the stars is not a standard and it's not like she has to strip in front of other magicians. The problem was that she didn't track down anyone else in another city to get away from Marina's influence.

 

A question about the books - I did read the first book but it was awhile ago. I remember them turning into geese, but I don't remember the upperclassmen running trials. Did that happen in the book?

No. Btw, the whole thing was changed, i.e. even the geese part played out differently. I thought the TV show was much lighter, and their stay was more like a class than a forced retreat, so intensive as to be mind-breaking/reshaping. Also, it happened way, way earlier, so imo some of the significance of it was blunted by this. I actually think it was meant to play a different function on the show. I was still disappointed.