S02.E02: Hotel Spa Potions

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Quentin, Alice, Penny and Margo seek a new weapon; Eliot struggles with being king; Julia and The Beast find an unexpected ally.

Promo:

 

Sneak peek:

[Philbert]

Great. I've just become a Julia/Beast/Marina shipper.

 

Damn you, show. Just....damn you!.

[grandemocha]

The Beast singing show tunes lol, I love it! And yeah, I think Julia is a bit deluded if she thinks her "friends" are still going to want to be her friends after how she screwed them over. 

Quentin and Alice seem to be working through things in time.

I need more of Marina/Julia/The Beast. I found that trio hilarious together.

[GaT]

The singing has got to stop, if I wanted to hear that singing I would go see a Broadway show.

[Hanahope]

Damn, the Beast has got a nice voice.  I could listen to it all day.

Hedge witches "split" the country?  Really?  The west coast hedge witch looks like she's done something with her power, Marina bubkis.

Elliot was hilarious in having to remember his life on the farm, lol.  Looks like he and a certain guard have an attraction.  That doesn't bode good for the future.  I wonder how the Beast's curse works.  How did none of the castle people know about the bodies in the throne room?  Didn't prior subjects wonder what happened to the prior king?

the pixie's riddles were pretty good.  I was thinking the "island of streets" was Manhattan, but I guess the riddle is "road island."

Oh, I like that they included the back demons from the book, but interesting that Margo got a tattoo first, but Q had no tattoo, the demon became his tattoo.  So why did Margo get a tattoo?

Edited February 2, 2017 by Hanahope

[Philbert]

8 hours ago, GaT said:

The singing has got to stop, if I wanted to hear that singing I would go see a Broadway show.

 

Yeah, I think that's exactly what Julia and Marina were thinking in the last scene.

[TiffanyNichelle]

I dug the singing. The Beast has a nice strong singing voice and it was clearly just to irritate Julia. Who still irritates me so that was nice. She really came off as naive at points. Did she really claim the Brakebills crew as her friends? Yes, they would have been if the time line hadn't been changed but at this moment the only friend she has there is Q. The rest don't like her and all they know about her is that she helped trap Q in that mind spell of Marina's and that she stole the dagger from Alice and almost got them all killed. She was damned lucky that Alice was still juiced up and was able to save them.

I liked the scene where she and Q met up so he could warn her about the battle magic though I worry she may stop them in order to get her revenge on Reynard.

The Dean was a little too hard on Marina, imo, but he was also really cute with Bigby.

Where is Kady?

[iMonrey]

I didn't find this episode quite as engaging as last week's. I spent the first season more or less disinterested in Julia's story, but now I'm verging on animosity towards the character. I'm finding myself annoyed whenever the story switches over to her. I honestly don't know how she recovers from the betrayal of Quentin, Alice, Margo and Penny - the last three of whom would be dead right now if Alice hadn't "juiced up." She has essentially sold her soul to the devil, for lack of a better analogy. She's made a deal with him at any rate.

And while Charles Mesure has a fantastic singing voice (assuming that was in fact his own voice), and this was no doubt a showcase episode for his talents, the humor doesn't quite work against the character's actions so far. I guess I'm just supposed to forget the people he has killed, blinded, maimed, etc., because it's funny he's singing? I don't think so.

At first I was tempted to think Julia had a point in that Reynard is killing people whereas The Beast is only killing magic so the former is more important than the latter. On the other hand, Reynard is only killing people who are messing with magic when they shouldn't be and summoning him, so it's not like these victims are chosen at random. 

The search for the battle magic and the ensuing scenes with Bigby were tedious. I hope they're not going to spend the entire season trying to chase down ways to kill The Beast. 

Eliot's story was the only saving grace here IMO. Loved the guy who shot him the "Bitch, please" look when he was kissing his wife, and his attempts to talk her into an orgy.

[Hanahope]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

On the other hand, Reynard is only killing people who are messing with magic when they shouldn't be and summoning him,

I think it was that way at first, but it looked like he was now going after all hedge witches.  It didn't look like that hedge witch from the west coast had summoned him.

I agree that I don't think anyone other than Q will call Julia a friend, after what she did.  I don't think the rest of the Brakebills group even really know her, they didn't spend all that much time together in Fillory.

I'm also a bit confused.  If the Beast's killing of magic from Fillory would also "kill" Brakebills (isn't that what the dean said?), wouldn't that kill all magic, or would everyone become hedge witches?

[iMonrey]

I'm assuming that would end all magic, everywhere, period. No magicians, no hedge witches - but, what about Reynard and other "gods" or demons? Would they also be de-powered? Maybe it's best to kill all the magic. Two birds with one stone. I also don't get why killing magic in Fillory removes magic from entirely different worlds. Apparently all the magic in the universe comes from Fillory?

I'm reminded that these episodes seem to be edited for SyFy in a way that they aren't in Canada, because chunks of story seem to be missing. Why did Quentin, Alice, Penny and Margo go to the fountains to get back to Brakebills? Why didn't they return the same way they came in, thru the tree? For that matter, how did they even get to the fountains? I wasn't aware they were even in Fillory. I thought there were in some sort of limbo dimension, a world between worlds like in The Magician's Nephew (where the idea obviously came from.)

[AlliMo]

I liked the Beast and his theatrics and how much it needled Julia. I also don't think that we're supposed to think his antics are particularly funny or charming as much as be reminded that he gives no F's because he severed his soul, something that has to be at least a little tempting to a traumatized Julia.

Eliot delights me. That is all.

I actually liked that the Dean basically told Marina to go kick rocks. Not only did she steal from Brakebills, but she's killed and tortured people without a shred of remorse. She's got it coming and then some.

[Hanahope]

I think only Q and Julia came through the tree and that was from the phone booth in London in 1942 or so.  The rest always traveled through the fountains.  There's a fountain from Fillory to the fountain place, then a fountain direct to Brakebills. I did like how they ported back directly into the castle.

[diebartdie]

13 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Oh, I like that they included the back demons from the book, but interesting that Margo got a tattoo first, but Q had no tattoo, the demon became his tattoo.  So why did Margo get a tattoo?

 

Everybody got the tattoo / scarification, we only saw Margo actually getting hers.

[kat165]

When that fire demon/thing burrowed into Quentin's back his back did not appear to have a tattoo. Was the tattoo perhaps placed elsewhere on him?

[diebartdie]

Well it's subtle, like already healed to scar tissue but it's there...

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I used to work with a girl who walked around the office singing ALL THE TIME and it was super annoying, so I totally get the Beast doing it just to bother Julia. It also illustrates his point - removing his shade means he doesn't feel guilty or judged or afraid that people won't like him, unlike Julia who still cares about Quentin and doing the right thing and not forcing Marina to be their bait.

Mr. EB suggested that maybe Julia should get the Beast involved in some off Broadway musical to get him out of her hair, but you know that would end with a Showgirls-esque "marbles spilled on the stage" incident.

Poor Eliot really is taking one for the team. Not only is he stuck in Fillory, but he had to access his farmer knowledge and he's married to a girl. I see how hard he's trying, so I appreciate that he's taking his duty seriously. He should have asked Margo to bring back a case of champagne from earth!

While I understand that Bigby didn't want to help without getting something in return, since she's a pixie and she uses magic, wouldn't it be in her own interests to help Quentin et al defeat the Beast to keep magic in Fillory (and hence earth)? Would she really want to live without magic?

Speaking of self-interest, why didn't Quentin tell the others about the Beast's curse? Yes, that would mean admitting he went to Julia to warn her about what they're going to do, but big picture, I think they would want to know about the curse.

Ha, love that the first thing Penny did when they got back to Brakebills was try to punch Josh for ditching them in Fillory. And OF COURSE Penny would try to seduce his teacher while he's shirtless, tied up, and getting his hands fixed.

[kat165]

Thanks, diebartdie.

EB, I've never seen Showgirls so I'm not getting ""marbles spilled on the stage."
Are you eluding to perhaps there would be a masacre? Getting him involved with
Broadway would be great though. :)

Yeah, Bigby not wanting to help puzzled me. If there was no magic in the world
she wouldn't be able to use it either. And is it magic that keeps her from aging?
So, could she live without magic? And what about Reynard and Beast? Don't they
also ultilize magic? With Reynard doesn't he also use magic? Or are gods immune,
work with something else?

Maybe Q is waiting to just tell Elliot about the curse or he didn't think they didn't
to focus on that just yet.

Which reminds me, what gives Julia the idea that the others are her friends? Even
if they went through everything the 49 times or whatever it was, they all only have
memory of the last time so none of them would think of her as a friend. They barely
knew her. They basicially just knew "of" her. And what little they know, as mentioned
by someone above, isn't anything good. Unless she's just using the expression "friends"
when only mean "friend"/Quention but doesn't want to pinpoint him to the Beast.

Every wk the hour goes by so quickly. This is the only show that I'm
currently watching that's completely engrossing even when it's not
that great (mostly all the Julia scenes!).

[tennisgurl]

Not quite as good as last week, but I still enjoyed the episode, for the most part. I still feel really bad for Elliot. He is suddenly stuck running a country he knows nothing about, being married to a woman(and has to be only with her), and he cant ever go back home. At least he's actually to be a good ruler and make things better, in his own sassy way. And he gets to use his farm boy past! Poor Elliot, he has to explain fertilizer! The horror!

Of course the first thing Penny does when he gets back is punch out that guy that ditched them. To be fair, he probably deserved at least a few choice curse words, understandable as his choice to run was. And I loved him trying to hit on his teacher, only for his teacher to be the rare hot young TV teacher to actually be like "hooking up with students, even adult ones, is a bad idea. Call me when you graduate".

Julia is just so painfully naïve. She really has learned nothing from all this. Yeah, she is trying to hold the Beast in check, but does she really think that's going to work out? And does she really think the gang will forgive her betraying them? Sure, Quentin will forgive her, they've got tons of history, but the rest of them will probably just remember her as the girl who screwed them over royally for her own purposes, and left them to die. If Alice hadn't gotten her power up, most of them would probably be dead now. It is nice that Marina is helping her, although I do know question how Hedge Witches actually work. It seems like the other Hedge Witch was some super powerful business women, is this a normal thing for them? I got the vibe last season that most Hedge Witches were rather lower or working class style magicians.

I don't mind the theatrics of The Beast. It comes off as less funny and more deliberately annoying, and a bit menacing. Its that classic contrast between the jolly side and the monstrous side.

[ketose]

What's up with Elliot's wife judging the orgy? They have sex with sentient animals in Fillory.

[Mabinogia]

41 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

And I loved him trying to hit on his teacher, only for his teacher to be the rare hot young TV teacher to actually be like "hooking up with students, even adult ones, is a bad idea. Call me when you graduate".

As unbelievably hot as that scene was, I do love her character even more because she understands the teacher/student relationship. Ironically, of all the versions of this I've seen, this one would be the least objectionable (at least he's not a high school student) but respect for not going there Teach (I don't know her name but I hope she's around more so I learn it).

Bigby was way too forced for my taste.

3 hours ago, kat165 said:

EB, I've never seen Showgirls so I'm not getting ""marbles spilled on the stage."

One showgirl threw marbles on stage to make another one fall so she could get her spot. I think the Beast would just kill anyone whose roll he wanted though. lol

I do like the characterization of the Beast. I like that he's not dark. He basically has no soul she he has no fucks to give and can kill while whistling a little tune because the killing really doesn't mean a damn thing to him.

I'm not hating Elliot in Fillory. I was worried, having him so separate from the others, but unlike Julia, he can pull it off. Which brings me to what is really the only weak spot for me now, Julia. Still don't like her but at least I can tolerate her now that the Beast is there to constantly annoy her. lol

I kind of love Marina, but also totally get why she wasn't given sanctuary. She's got some major balls to even show up there and ask.

I'm enjoying this season (all two episodes of it so far) more than I thought I would. Yay.

[kat165]

Thank you, Mabinogia. I never would have guessed that. And yeah, I too think
the beast would just outright kill whoever's role he wanted. Why waste time
w/ marbles?

Did the Beast sell his soul or did it crumble/evaporate because of the abuse
he suffered? I'm forgetting this part or didn't watch/listen carefully enough.
Someone please remind me? Thank you.

[mammaM]

8 hours ago, kat165 said:

Thank you, Mabinogia. I never would have guessed that. And yeah, I too think
the beast would just outright kill whoever's role he wanted. Why waste time
w/ marbles?

Did the Beast sell his soul or did it crumble/evaporate because of the abuse
he suffered? I'm forgetting this part or didn't watch/listen carefully enough.
Someone please remind me? Thank you.

The Beast purposely got rid of his soul, his shade he called it. He tried to get Julia to get rid of hers but she wouldn't (as of yet anyway).

Which brings me to my problem, I think the Beast has a good voice and I like musical theater, but I'd have killed him after the first hour of non-stop singing. And I know Julia been incredibly damaged and I do sympathize with that, but I really can't stand her. I can't tell if it's the actress or the way they're writing her but I find myself wanting to fast forward thru all her scenes. As someone upthread said, separating her from the gang isn't doing her any favors. 

And Elliot in Fillory, damn,  I could watch that as it's own show. Him trying to be a good king while still finding time to "invent" Champagne. Love it!!

[kat165]

mamma, did he ever say how he got rid of his soul?

I don't exactly hate Julia but she is boring. And the actress doesn't come off as
very likeable either. There's something a bit snotty/snobby about her. I don't
know what it is. Plus she seems like a big bummer. I can't imagine the character
of Julia or the actress ever being happy or expressing happiness. She seems like
a giant pill. I've only seen Stella Maeve in one other thing when she was much
younger, which was an episode of Bones. Her character (as written) in that was
kind of unlikeable too. And the actress seemed just as sulky/mopey.

I think if another actress in was in the role Julia might not be as sulky or as
boring. I get that a lot of how she comes off is Stella Maeve's affect. And
you're right, keeping her separated does her no favors. I find her more tolerable
when she's interacting with Q or Kady or even Marina.

If I spent any time around her I might be singing showtunes too. Just to get her
out of her slump. Her energy is very low. And negative. Which is somewhat
understandable, but...

I adore Elliot.

[mammaM]

1 hour ago, kat165 said:

mamma, did he ever say how he got rid of his soul?

I don't exactly hate Julia but she is boring. And the actress doesn't come off as
very likeable either. There's something a bit snotty/snobby about her. I don't
know what it is. Plus she seems like a big bummer. I can't imagine the character
of Julia or the actress ever being happy or expressing happiness. She seems like
a giant pill. I've only seen Stella Maeve in one other thing when she was much
younger, which was an episode of Bones. Her character (as written) in that was
kind of unlikeable too. And the actress seemed just as sulky/mopey.

I think if another actress in was in the role Julia might not be as sulky or as
boring. I get that a lot of how she comes off is Stella Maeve's affect. And
you're right, keeping her separated does her no favors. I find her more tolerable
when she's interacting with Q or Kady or even Marina.

If I spent any time around her I might be singing showtunes too. Just to get her
out of her slump. Her energy is very low. And negative. Which is somewhat
understandable, but...

I adore Elliot.

It was season premiere, Beast said he removed his soul with a spell and it wasn't a hard one either (I know, phrasing). Started to do spell on Julia to show her how good she'd feel w/o a soul but she made him stop. There was a bit more to it but I deleted the episode. I do know we were supposed to feel bad for Julia and how hurt she must be that a soul removing spell sounded good, but I didn't, that's the problem.  It is a bit of a dilemma, I like the Beast but not Julia.

[Mabinogia]

There is something about Julia that is so unsympathetic. I mean, if you look at her story, it is horribly tragic and we should be rooting for her. She had magic, which she loved, taken away from her only moments after finding out it's real, she's been threatened and raped, has no real support system and yet, I just can't muster up any sympathy for her. I can't quite tell why. I think it might be the actress. She just seems so dead inside that it's hard to muster any passion for her. She also has a smugness to her that makes me want to see her fail.

I pretty much love all the other characters though. I think Julia might be more tolerable if she were incorporated more into the Brakebills story and not off on her own. Elliot, however, could totally handle being the star of his own side story. I'm loving the Fillory stuff with him. Yay for taking his new position seriously.

[Mari]

Well, personally, it's because she's arrogant and entitled.  

In the first season, Julia's reaction to not getting into Brakebills came across less like her having a breakdown because someone messed with her memory, and more like a giant tantrum because Quentin got something she didn't, and she couldn't believe he got something she didn't, and might have abilities she didn't.  It's hard to find sympathy because someone's having a meltdown because she found out someone else is special, too.

Then, she's completely willing to betray the Brakebills group, because she's decided getting her monster is more important than getting the monster they're after.  

She makes a deal with Martin--who's had people trying to defeat him for how long now?  Upthread, there were comments that she was naive.  I don't think it was naivety.  I think it was a callous disregard for the others and overconfidence in her own judgement and infallibility.

What happened to her was horrible.  She did not deserve what Reynard did, and there's definitely an argument to be made that getting him is more important than getting Martin.  But the way she made a deal with Martin and cut out the others says she's still the same person who thinks she's better than everyone else.

[kat165]

Thank you again, mamma. I didn't catch that part, but I do remember him doing
a spell on Julie to remove her "shade" and she made stop. I find it hard to feel
sorry for Julia too. So you're not alone! And yes, again, she might be more likeable
if she was incorporated more with the others. After all, Margo in the beginning of
season one was kind of a smug bitch, but what saved her was her sense of humor
- and the friendship of Elliot! (a little Elliot goes a long way:). But as the episodes
continued it was much easier to appreciate Margo. I think Julia could use a little
of that.

I love Elliot in Fillory and I loved him at Brakebills. I think I'd love him reading
the phone book. The actor and character are that engaging.

Mari, right on. Yeah, she is.

Mabinogia, you're right. Her story is tragic. And I agree with everything else
you've said about her too.

Edited February 5, 2017 by kat165

[Mabinogia]

10 hours ago, kat165 said:

After all, Margo in the beginning of
season one was kind of a smug bitch, but what saved her was her sense of humor
- and the friendship of Elliot! (a little Elliot goes a long way:). But as the episodes
continued it was much easier to appreciate Margo. I think Julia could use a little
of that.

A sense of humor goes a long way with me. Julia seems completely humorless. I go back and forth with Margo. I do love her at times but other times I just want to punch her. You are right in that she benefits from being around the others, being able to show small moments of friendship and compassion behind all that hard shelled carelessness. They are doing Julia a disservice by having her disconnected from anything resembling a friend.

Margo is around people who make her a better person. Julia is constantly seeking out people who make her a worse person. I mean, what good quality is she going to learn from Beast and Marina? I prefer Marina to her because, as terrible as she is, at least she's got style. lol (and the actress has that "it" quality that makes her extremely watchable). Hell, I prefer the Beast because he is damned entertaining. Julia's just a void. Though if Marina decides to join the Beast in joyfully tormenting her with song and dance, possibly some limericks or role playing games, I'll at least like her scene's more.

[mammaM]

15 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

A sense of humor goes a long way with me. Julia seems completely humorless. I go back and forth with Margo. I do love her at times but other times I just want to punch her. You are right in that she benefits from being around the others, being able to show small moments of friendship and compassion behind all that hard shelled carelessness. They are doing Julia a disservice by having her disconnected from anything resembling a friend.

Margo is around people who make her a better person. Julia is constantly seeking out people who make her a worse person. I mean, what good quality is she going to learn from Beast and Marina? I prefer Marina to her because, as terrible as she is, at least she's got style. lol (and the actress has that "it" quality that makes her extremely watchable). Hell, I prefer the Beast because he is damned entertaining. Julia's just a void. Though if Marina decides to join the Beast in joyfully tormenting her with song and dance, possibly some limericks or role playing games, I'll at least like her scene's more.

Marina and the Beast! Now doing six shows a week at the Tropicana! That's a show I'd watch. 

[ketose]

4 hours ago, mammaM said:

Marina and the Beast! Now doing six shows a week at the Tropicana! That's a show I'd watch. 

You won't be able to leave your chair*

*Because the Beast used a paralysis spell.

[kat165]

Mabinogia, I feel the same way about Margo. And a wholehearted yes to your
entire post.

[Terrafamilia]

Elliot must have grown up on some organic only farm if they were doing their fertilizing with manure. We used anhydrous ammonia or other chemical fertilizers. But then again, we didn't have any livestock.

[ketose]

18 minutes ago, Terrafamilia said:

Elliot must have grown up on some organic only farm if they were doing their fertilizing with manure. We used anhydrous ammonia or other chemical fertilizers. But then again, we didn't have any livestock.

I suppose it may depend on the crop or the location. As a kid, I remember the week every year where the farm across the road would spread manure.

[Philbert]

On 2/5/2017 at 10:58 AM, Mabinogia said:

A sense of humor goes a long way with me. Julia seems completely humorless.

I got a few chuckles out of her interactions with Martin and Marina and expect we'll see more as that storyline progresses. I guess I like Julia a bit more than most fans here do (or at least sympathize her more) and I'm really not understanding any of the Stella Maeve hate. It's not an easy part to play.  To me, she comes off as emotionally distant because she is. On top of what Reynaud did to her, I'm wondering how much of her seeming isolation and sense of 'being wronged' has to do with her being severed from the rest of this group in this timeline. We know that in all the times previously, Julia went to Brakebills with Quentin and was up front and center in all the battles with the beast...and died every single time. I have not read the books so all I've got to go on about the character is what I see on the show but I agree with others that she's much better when interacting with the characters that care about her-like Quentin and her sister. There have been flashes of humor with her throughout the series but it is true that they seem drowned out the atmosphere of gloom and doom hanging over her.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Inside the episode:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Making magic:

[paramitch]

I love this show and the risks it constantly takes. This was one of the nuttiest, weirdest episodes of TV that I have ever seen in my life, and I totally dug that. The opening teaser with The Beast wandering into traffic to smugly cap off his big musical number was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. And Charles Mesure is obviously having a blast in the role, and that's always fun to see as well.

I was so glad they included the cacodemons on the show, since they're such a cool idea in the first book. And they even had the Dean administer them! I love the ways this show is true to the books and yet also incredibly creative in how they approach translating that story to TV.

On 2/3/2017 at 1:04 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Poor Eliot really is taking one for the team. Not only is he stuck in Fillory, but he had to access his farmer knowledge and he's married to a girl. I see how hard he's trying, so I appreciate that he's taking his duty seriously. He should have asked Margo to bring back a case of champagne from earth!

Ha, love that the first thing Penny did when they got back to Brakebills was try to punch Josh for ditching them in Fillory. And OF COURSE Penny would try to seduce his teacher while he's shirtless, tied up, and getting his hands fixed.

I like the way The Beast's singing is a way to illustrate just how evil and soulless he is. Which I totally love (and I'm a theatre geek going way back). And LOL at Julia sidetracking The Beast into being a Broadway star! I totally flashed on The Beast doing a kind of revue where he got to do highlights/medleys from hit shows in absolutely diabolical and yet horrible ways. I would totally watch that.

Meanwhile, I'm a little iffy on how I feel about the whole "Eliot must marry (and only sleep with) a girl to rule Fillory" thing -- but I also trust these writers and what they're doing, and that they know Eliot as a character enough that it will pay off honestly. Fingers crossed. Because it's very hard watching poor Eliot have to deny his sexuality and his true self this way. Although it is amusing that the fact that he grew up on a farm pays off in such a funny way.

Penny and Professor Sunderland (Anne Dudek, who will always be "Cutthroat Bitch" to me, sigh) always have seriously amazing chemistry, but I love even more that while she is visibly tempted (and who wouldn't be?) she is also a mature, responsible person who responds appropriately with "yes, I'm tempted but I'm also your teacher so I'll see you when you graduate," and also, even better! -- visible amusement, because it does make him seem very young in a way. He's so used to being beautiful and to using his hotness to navigate situations. And she sees that and just eyerolls. It's great.

And me too -- I was so glad Penny punched Josh. Who richly deserved being punched.

 

On 2/3/2017 at 2:55 PM, Mabinogia said:

As unbelievably hot as that scene was, I do love her character even more because she understands the teacher/student relationship. Ironically, of all the versions of this I've seen, this one would be the least objectionable (at least he's not a high school student) but respect for not going there Teach (I don't know her name but I hope she's around more so I learn it).

I do like the characterization of the Beast. I like that he's not dark. He basically has no soul she he has no fucks to give and can kill while whistling a little tune because the killing really doesn't mean a damn thing to him.

I'm not hating Elliot in Fillory. I was worried, having him so separate from the others, but unlike Julia, he can pull it off. Which brings me to what is really the only weak spot for me now, Julia. Still don't like her but at least I can tolerate her now that the Beast is there to constantly annoy her. lol

I kind of love Marina, but also totally get why she wasn't given sanctuary. She's got some major balls to even show up there and ask.

I'm enjoying this season (all two episodes of it so far) more than I thought I would. Yay.

About Penny and Professor Sunderland? WHAT YOU SAID. Perfect. And I felt the same way -- it's even cooler that they are most definitely consenting adults but she STILL recognizes the teacher/student barrier and respects it. That's awesome. I love her, and I always love Anne Dudek, the actress. Although IMDB says her character's first name is PEARL and... I just... for some reason, that's not clicking for me.

I love Marina too, and also liking poor Eliot in Fillory (I still think his goodbye hug with Quentin was one of the loveliest moments so far in the series). 

You make a great point about The Beast, and I've been very surprised at how genuinely interesting and fun he's been as a foil for Julia. I also thought his scene with her about her "shade" (or "soul?") was really interesting and complex. I'm so glad Charles Mesure has been given the chance to play the Beast's terrifying mix of whimsy and brutality -- he's just wonderful in the part.

On 2/5/2017 at 7:58 AM, Mabinogia said:

A sense of humor goes a long way with me. Julia seems completely humorless. I go back and forth with Margo. I do love her at times but other times I just want to punch her. You are right in that she benefits from being around the others, being able to show small moments of friendship and compassion behind all that hard shelled carelessness. They are doing Julia a disservice by having her disconnected from anything resembling a friend.

Margo is around people who make her a better person. Julia is constantly seeking out people who make her a worse person. I mean, what good quality is she going to learn from Beast and Marina? I prefer Marina to her because, as terrible as she is, at least she's got style. lol (and the actress has that "it" quality that makes her extremely watchable). Hell, I prefer the Beast because he is damned entertaining. Julia's just a void. Though if Marina decides to join the Beast in joyfully tormenting her with song and dance, possibly some limericks or role playing games, I'll at least like her scene's more.

Very good point about Julia -- but I would argue the nuances of it. I would agree that she's humorless NOW, traumatized and post-rape. But what I think is worth noting (and what's so sad) is that Julia has shown that she can be funny, light and delightful when she isn't. Look back at the pilot episode in her initial scenes with Quentin. Or at the final few episodes of season 1 when she and Quentin delightedly return to Fillory.

So in a way -- I feel like Julia is just not supposed to be "likable" right now. She's not supposed to smile. She watched her friends killed just when she was feeling accepted and at peace, and was then brutally raped by the dead body of her lover. I mean, that's dark stuff. So I get that Julia doesn't feel much like smiling right now.

Meanwhile, I'm always a fan of Marina and it was a treat to see her again (and especially feeling a little penitent and humbled). And if she had broken into song with the Beast I probably would have died and gone to heaven as it would have been the best thing ever.

On 2/6/2017 at 2:16 PM, Philbert said:

I got a few chuckles out of her interactions with Martin and Marina and expect we'll see more as that storyline progresses. I guess I like Julia a bit more than most fans here do (or at least sympathize her more) and I'm really not understanding any of the Stella Maeve hate. It's not an easy part to play.  To me, she comes off as emotionally distant because she is. On top of what Reynaud did to her, I'm wondering how much of her seeming isolation and sense of 'being wronged' has to do with her being severed from the rest of this group in this timeline. We know that in all the times previously, Julia went to Brakebills with Quentin and was up front and center in all the battles with the beast...and died every single time. I have not read the books so all I've got to go on about the character is what I see on the show but I agree with others that she's much better when interacting with the characters that care about her-like Quentin and her sister. There have been flashes of humor with her throughout the series but it is true that they seem drowned out the atmosphere of gloom and doom hanging over her.

I agree, and you make a great point that Julia's disconnection appears to be deliberate by the Dean and poor darling Jane, as the risk that might change things enough for Quentin & co to have a chance. So what's a bummer is that, aside from Quentin, everyone is already built to distrust and exclude Julia anyway, so the betrayal made it (of course) that much worse. A deal-breaker for the core four (plus Penny) who are basically family now. I did -- for this reason -- very much like the fact that Julia warned Quentin about the potential curse on Eliot. There was a little flash of the Quentin/Julia friendship there that I really liked.

So I certainly forgive Julia a lot right now. She is -- as Quentin told the group -- truly not sane right now. She's completely traumatized and focused. That's not fun stuff to be. It's not fun stuff to watch. But it's not meant to be. 

It is however somewhat ironic that The freaking BEAST is a lighter character right now than Julia. Which amuses me. I kind of love him. Don't judge me.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

@paramitch - during S1 before they gave names to the two female teachers, I was just calling them Blue Fairy and Cutthroat Bitch in my head.

Charles Mesure has a great singing voice so I kind of wish that they had worked in a dream sequence where he was singing a really known show tune (ooh, maybe Phantom of the Opera which would be super meta in a dream - "In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came, that voice which calls to me and speaks my name") and then Julia wakes up and realizes she can't escape his singing even when he isn't actually singing.

[paramitch]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

@paramitch - during S1 before they gave names to the two female teachers, I was just calling them Blue Fairy and Cutthroat Bitch in my head.

Charles Mesure has a great singing voice so I kind of wish that they had worked in a dream sequence where he was singing a really known show tune (ooh, maybe Phantom of the Opera which would be super meta in a dream - "In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came, that voice which calls to me and speaks my name") and then Julia wakes up and realizes she can't escape his singing even when he isn't actually singing.

LOL! @ElectricBoogaloo, you had to do it, YOU WENT THERE. I was already struggling with the mental image of The Beast as some kind of Phantom/Jean Valjean hybrid because I adore music theatre, and I heroically had managed to restrain myself BUT NO, you went there, and HERE WE ARE. Sigh. 

Also, you are fabulous.

And most especially, this would be awesome. I would totally go to a revue show where the Beast just did, like, deliciously diabolical selections, from "Chess," Phantom," "Les Misérables," and (for extra subtext) "Passion," "Pippin," and (best of all) "Rent!" Come on, you know that would be INSANE. I would so watch that.

And meanwhile the scene you mention would be hilarious. Even if it was Marina, for instance, which seems more appropriate since she'd just cuss at him and go back to sleep. Sigh. Good times.

[Mabinogia]

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

So in a way -- I feel like Julia is just not supposed to be "likable" right now. She's not supposed to smile. She watched her friends killed just when she was feeling accepted and at peace, and was then brutally raped by the dead body of her lover. I mean, that's dark stuff. So I get that Julia doesn't feel much like smiling right now.

That is a very good point. I just don't remember ever liking her. I think there was a flashback where she seemed less miserable but, and this might sound mean, but I think it's the actresses face. She just has a slightly constantly stoned or half asleep or on cold medicine. She just always looks sleepy to me. With everything she's been through I just, personally, I like watching a character who reacts with more fire than someone who sleepwalks through it all, though both are legitimate reactions to the kind of horror she's been though. It's just not as compelling to me to watch.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 2/13/2017 at 1:56 AM, paramitch said:

LOL! @ElectricBoogaloo, you had to do it, YOU WENT THERE. I was already struggling with the mental image of The Beast as some kind of Phantom/Jean Valjean hybrid because I adore music theatre, and I heroically had managed to restrain myself BUT NO, you went there, and HERE WE ARE. Sigh. 

Also, you are fabulous.

And most especially, this would be awesome. I would totally go to a revue show where the Beast just did, like, deliciously diabolical selections, from "Chess," Phantom," "Les Misérables," and (for extra subtext) "Passion," "Pippin," and (best of all) "Rent!" Come on, you know that would be INSANE. I would so watch that.

And meanwhile the scene you mention would be hilarious. Even if it was Marina, for instance, which seems more appropriate since she'd just cuss at him and go back to sleep. Sigh. Good times.

Hee, I can only hope that Julia will have this dream in a future episode! Imagine a huge full blown musical number with bright lights, costumes, and elaborate sets and then Julia wakes up in her blue-lit apartment, sits up in bed, and just rolls her eyes in exasperation before flopping back down and pulling the blankets over her head. Make it happen, show!

[AudienceofOne]

On 05/02/2017 at 10:11 AM, Mabinogia said:

There is something about Julia that is so unsympathetic. I mean, if you look at her story, it is horribly tragic and we should be rooting for her. She had magic, which she loved, taken away from her only moments after finding out it's real, she's been threatened and raped, has no real support system and yet, I just can't muster up any sympathy for her. I can't quite tell why. I think it might be the actress.

She just basically murdered a group of people who trusted her and still thinks they're her friends? She's walking into exactly the same Faustian bargain that got her raped in the first place (I mean that in a non victim blaming way, no matter how that sentence sounds). It's the same narcissistic entitlement that led her to unquestioningly join a witch cult in the first place.

It's horrible when horrible things happen to anybody. But watching somebody perpetually screw everyone over and then blame them for it is sincerely unlikeable. I mean, remember when she tried to kill Quentin for being mean to her? You can blame what she's been through for her behaviour now... except it's no different from her behaviour before. If this had gone the other way and Quentin had betrayed her to get revenge, you can just imagine how that conversation would have gone.

GROUP: If we kill the Beast, Quentin might get caught in the crossfire

JULIA: Fuck him. He deserves it.

On 03/02/2017 at 0:25 AM, Hanahope said:

Oh, I like that they included the back demons from the book, but interesting that Margo got a tattoo first, but Q had no tattoo, the demon became his tattoo.  So why did Margo get a tattoo?

No clue what was happening with the tattoos. None. Maybe I zoned out and missed a key piece of exposition but I have no clue.

On 13/02/2017 at 5:58 PM, paramitch said:

It is however somewhat ironic that The freaking BEAST is a lighter character right now than Julia. Which amuses me. I kind of love him. Don't judge me.

You know, he's not working for me. The musical theatre persona just doesn't seem to fit the bleak Victorian childhood or the desperate descent into the Beast. These two concepts seem discordant to me.

[Hecate7]

On 2/4/2017 at 6:11 PM, Mabinogia said:

There is something about Julia that is so unsympathetic. I mean, if you look at her story, it is horribly tragic and we should be rooting for her. She had magic, which she loved, taken away from her only moments after finding out it's real, she's been threatened and raped, has no real support system and yet, I just can't muster up any sympathy for her. I can't quite tell why. I think it might be the actress. She just seems so dead inside that it's hard to muster any passion for her. She also has a smugness to her that makes me want to see her fail.

I pretty much love all the other characters though. I think Julia might be more tolerable if she were incorporated more into the Brakebills story and not off on her own. Elliot, however, could totally handle being the star of his own side story. I'm loving the Fillory stuff with him. Yay for taking his new position seriously.

It's her nose. The way it's placed gives her a permanently snotty look. She can't help it and there's really nothing that can be done about it--she's not making that face, her nose is.

Julia isn't very sympathetic, though, because she doesn't care about others much. She put Quentin through hell in the very beginning, and she has endangered the group several times. I think of her as kind of a villain.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Hecate7

[Camera One]

I don't hate the Beast as much as I expected, and the actor has a great voice, but I hope he will be killed and off the screen soon.  The Julia stuff is as bland as it usually is.  I did like her scene with Quentin, though.  I did feel a little badly for Marina, but it's so easy to forget all the horrible things that she did.  

The search for the book in the library was amusing, though after a while, all this preparing-for-the-Beast stuff felt like filler.  Doesn't the school have experienced magicians?  Why are a bunch of first-years constantly having to fight the Beast on their own?  

Is the subplot with Penny's hands supposed to be comic relief?  It felt shoehorned into both episodes.  

I'm still mostly engaged, but these two episodes have been all over the place.

[CigarDoug]

On 2/3/2017 at 5:25 PM, ketose said:

What's up with Elliot's wife judging the orgy? They have sex with sentient animals in Fillory.

Gay sex is hugely popular in San Francisco. You can live in San Francisco, be aware of this, and still not want to take part in it.