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S02.E04: The Flying Forest

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in The Magicians [V]

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HunterHunted

HunterHunted

(edited)

Even with Alice gone, I think everyone assumed that Quentin would be all gung ho clean the wellspring, save magic, and save and rule Fillory once he was healed. Unfortunately, they don't really know about Quentin's depression, his disappointment with Fillory (it's terrible to meet your heroes), his feelings of betrayal and abandonment because of Julia, and his grief about Alice. As Julia was so fond of reminding Margot, they weren't friends. In the past Quentin would have leaned on Julia or Alice when he had problems. Now he has neither. I'm not surprised Quentin Coldwater gave up.

Huzzah Elliot got laid, but so did his wife. If Elliot ends up stuck in Fillory, Quentin should really tell Elliot about the Flying Forest. I'm pretty sure he'd appreciate the forest.

Of course there is years of mismanagement and neglect in Fillory. I do love Abigal, the tree sloth royal advisor.

Ya still suck Julia. It's interesting to note that Julia and her dipshit coven summoned Reynard back to earth. Hell of their own making??!?

Edited by HunterHunted
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iMonrey

iMonrey

So I don't think I get how the Gollum thing works (is that what it's called? the clones?). Which version of Eliot came back to Brakebills with Margo - the real one or the clone? Are both versions experiencing the same thing at the same time, hence that weird double-sex scene? What was Fillory Eliot doing while Brakebills Eliot was walking around the frat house? It looked like he was asleep in bed until his wife came in.

Who was it that made a clone of themselves last season - was that Margo? I can't remember the circumstances.

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HunterHunted

HunterHunted

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

So I don't think I get how the Gollum thing works (is that what it's called? the clones?). Which version of Eliot came back to Brakebills with Margo - the real one or the clone? Are both versions experiencing the same thing at the same time, hence that weird double-sex scene? What was Fillory Eliot doing while Brakebills Eliot was walking around the frat house? It looked like he was asleep in bed until his wife came in.

Who was it that made a clone of themselves last season - was that Margo? I can't remember the circumstances.

It's actually a golem. It's from jewish folklore. The most famous one is the golem of Prague. The golem is activated by a parchment with a spell or a true name of God written on the parchment and inserted into the mouth of the golem.

In the Magicians, the golem seems to operate a little like the avatars in the movie Avatar and the androids in Surrogates. The driver is asleep or plugged in while their other self roams the world. Fillory Eliot was driving his golem Eliot in his sleep. However when his wife tried to wake him up in Fillory, she disrupted the connection. He wasn't asleep, but he wasn't really awake either, which is how he ended simultaneously having sex in Fillory and Brakebills.

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NorthstarATL

NorthstarATL

1 hour ago, HunterHunted said:

Fillory Eliot was driving his golem Eliot in his sleep. However when his wife tried to wake him up in Fillory, she disrupted the connection. He wasn't asleep, but he wasn't really awake either, which is how he ended simultaneously having sex in Fillory and Brakebills.

That's what i thought, too. But the whole thing is a little too close to conversion therapy for me to be comfortable with it. 

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Philbert

Philbert

(edited)

So, yeah, absolutely loved this episode, which I thought was the strongest of the season so far.  Really loved bitchy Queen Margo. She might not be the strongest of the group as far as magic goes but she's got the strongest personality. As much as I enjoyed Julia putting her in her place though, I do think that she really is Elliot's friend. She very clearly loves him deeply. I also think she has some feelings for Quentin. Julia's probably pretty much on point about Margo's relationships with everybody else however. Margo is unbelievably scary.

Speaking of Julia, I'm not on the "Hate" wagon as I've said before but I do see the point people make about her being a trainwreck when she's on her own . When she's got nothing but herself, she has a tendency to fall into self pity. On the other hand, when she actually has to look out for other people, I think the 'better angels of her nature' kick in. Granted, she certainly needed Kady's help last night but saving Kady last season was the one truly selfless act she's performed so far. Julia needs at least one friend in the world now that she's lost Quentin. (and okay I'm a Julia/Kady shipper. I admit it.)

The Elliot stuff was pure gold, as it always is. Either he'll end up being the greatest High King Fillory has ever had...or he'll kill himself and take everybody with him. At this point, either way is bound to be endlessly entertaining.

I generally find Penny as irritating as everybody else finds Julia but his scenes with Quentin was largely amusing. I suppose I should feel bad about laughing hysterically as Q chopped his hands off but damn that scene adds new meaning to the phrase "painfully funny."

Which leads us to poor, poor Quentin. What a wreck he is. Other people have already mentioned how emotionally crushed he is with first losing Julia and now Alice. He's gotten everything he ever wanted-and has lost the very things he needed. I really want to see where they're going to take him next.

Edited by Philbert
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Teitr Styrr

Teitr Styrr

This has to right up there for one of the best episodes for this show for me. The comedy in the "high" flying forest, the drama for Quentin of course with missing Alice, but also for Elliot and his desperate plea for help with the Dean. I liked Margot growing up a bit, but from my recollection, she always did have a front, that didn't take much of anything to puncture. You pretty much just needed to be straight with her, and she seemed to consider your words. I hope Penny is done with the hands stuff. Fun while it lasted, but it's been run dry. And, like Philbert, I've never had any problem with Julia and her story. It certainly is tragic. And, as we learned tonight her group freed Reynard. Also, real good to see Katy (Kady?) again! I loved how she talked about crap, I can't think of her name, the girl they raised tonight. and how she kicked her some, like she was just making sure she was dead. I'm with Quentin in that I already miss Alice.

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waving feather

waving feather

Episodes like these really elevate this show and make it into quality television for me. So far, season 2 is kicking season 1's butt. What the Dean said, "And now magic is failing on Earth because of shit, proving once again that comedy and tragedy can co-exist in the g**damn sentence", sums up this show nicely.

Glad to see Kady and Julia teaming up. Julia is more likable whenever Kady is around. Kady is the only one Julia is not an emo mess with. I have to agree with Julia on her argument that they could have took down both Reynard and the Beast together if the other team had listened to her and had more patience.

Poor sweet Quentin. His pain was palpable. He is so done with the magic world.

Margo is the wisest of them all. I bet if she were the one stuck in Fillory, she would turn things around there quickly. Natural leader, that one. Margo and Elliot's friendship is one of the best relationships on the show; they love each other unconditionally and are fiercely loyal towards each other.

The show did a great job with characters reacting to Alice's death in accordance to the relationships Alice had with each one.

I always love the scenes in Fillory because the locations are beautiful.

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

  • Author

I admit that in S1, Quentin's emoness annoyed me, but Jason Ralph's acting this week was really good. Even though weeks had passed since Alice's death, he was unconscious the whole time, so it was still fresh to him when he woke up. Seeing his face when he read Eliot's note about burying Alice was so real. Love that Eliot signed his note "your benevolent overlord."

When Penny initially approached Quentin, Mr. EB and I jokingly asked if they were finally going to hug but NOPE. Those two can't even mourn without fighting. Hilarious to watch them wandering through the Flying Forest together. It was sweet when Penny later told Quentin that he understood. Maybe they'll never be BFFs but they can understand the pain. I know Penny is the one with the reputation for being a dick, so I give him full credit for approaching Quentin twice. That may have been the nicest that Penny has ever made an effort to be to him.

I know that Eliot made Margo the high queen because he loves her, but he couldn't have made a better choice. She is doing her best to take care of the kingdom and her friend. I don't blame her for attacking Julia when she found her in the cottage. The last two times she has encountered Julia, people have been hurt very badly due to her decisions. Even though Margo admitted that Alice was not her friend, she is still upset at her unnecessary death. Love that even when the situation is dire, she can still take a moment to appreciate a huge horse dick. Never change, Margo!

I don't know why Quentin wasted his wish on being sent back to earth. He could have done that easily himself. I do like that he has some self-awareness now. He has definitely realized the truth of "be careful what you wish for." I'm glad that his emoness hasn't spiraled into the typical "and it's all my fault." I don't need to see him wallowing in self-blame and guilt.

I agree that Julia is more tolerable around Kady, but I hate that Julia didn't bother to go looking for Kady until she needed her for something. In the "inside the episode" video above, Stella says that she knows Kady owes her, which is true, but it seems terrible that once again, Julia's motivations are selfish. I'm willing to concede that maybe Julia didn't want to see Kady previously because she would only serve as a reminder of what happened, but still.

I think the difference between Quentin and Julia is that he's willing to live without magic. At this point, I think he realizes that he'll be miserable no matter what so he may as well have a boring office job and a routine life to dull the pain. Julia, on the other hand, was not willing to live without magic and that became her focus. If she had gotten a regular job, she still would have been seething with rage at magic being kept from her. Kady's presence is balancing her out a little, so hopefully that continues. Poor Marina. I felt bad for her. Heh, and then I was like MARINA, BE MORE SPECIFIC!

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ketose

ketose

On 2/16/2017 at 4:05 PM, HunterHunted said:

It's actually a golem. It's from jewish folklore. The most famous one is the golem of Prague. The golem is activated by a parchment with a spell or a true name of God written on the parchment and inserted into the mouth of the golem.

In the Magicians, the golem seems to operate a little like the avatars in the movie Avatar and the androids in Surrogates. The driver is asleep or plugged in while their other self roams the world. Fillory Eliot was driving his golem Eliot in his sleep. However when his wife tried to wake him up in Fillory, she disrupted the connection. He wasn't asleep, but he wasn't really awake either, which is how he ended simultaneously having sex in Fillory and Brakebills.

I had no idea what Surrogates was until seeing it on TV the other night.

 

On 2/16/2017 at 5:14 PM, NorthstarATL said:

That's what i thought, too. But the whole thing is a little too close to conversion therapy for me to be comfortable with it. 

I'm pretty sure that isn't like any kind of conversion therapy out there. Other than that, Elliot seems to have a somewhat fluid sexuality already. The thing that annoys me is the perpetuation of the stereotype that gay guys are somehow better at sex with women than straight guys are. Seriously?

NorthstarATL

NorthstarATL

1 hour ago, ketose said:

I'm pretty sure that isn't like any kind of conversion therapy out there

Conversion therapy often relies upon getting someone to perform a 'suitable" gender by arousal induced by the gender that works for them. What they did with Elliot being aroused by a same-gender partner in order to perform on another plane with his wife was pretty much that, except with the magic stuff thrown in.

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Pixel

Pixel

3 hours ago, NorthstarATL said:

Conversion therapy often relies upon getting someone to perform a 'suitable" gender by arousal induced by the gender that works for them. What they did with Elliot being aroused by a same-gender partner in order to perform on another plane with his wife was pretty much that, except with the magic stuff thrown in.

I get what you're saying, but in the context of the show I didn't take it that way. I took it as if Elliot was having a magical three-way. He loves three-ways.  It was just that he was the only one of the three who knew it.

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kj4ever

kj4ever

I missed Alice.  She brings a sort of balance to the show and it seemed off without her.

I've tried tried tried tried tried to tolerate Julia but that character/actor is a hot mess.  I include the actor part because everything about that character should be sympathetic but she plays her so cold, indifferent, snotty, and down right bitchy.  I mean seriously how can I not feel for someone who has went through all that she has gone through?  I felt terrible for Marina when she was murdered and she killed people.  If they killed off Julia right now I'd be relieved that I didn't have to see her condescending face on my TV anymore.

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ColdwatersCancer

ColdwatersCancer

I'm sorry but did all the humans involved with this show (writers, actors and viewers) collectively forget about Q's dad's Brain Cancer? He had the white lady and didn't think to ask to save his freaking father? Or am I missing something obvious? (Like did he die off-screen? That would be really disappointing)

I mean come on. Maybe it wouldn't work but you have to try at least

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FiveByFive

FiveByFive

(edited)
19 hours ago, ColdwatersCancer said:

I'm sorry but did all the humans involved with this show (writers, actors and viewers) collectively forget about Q's dad's Brain Cancer? He had the white lady and didn't think to ask to save his freaking father? Or am I missing something obvious? (Like did he die off-screen? That would be really disappointing)

I mean come on. Maybe it wouldn't work but you have to try at least

I think one of the takeaways from the episode featuring Quentin's dad was that you can't cure brain cancer with magic. I could see him thinking bringing Alice back might have worked since her death was a magical one and they did bring back her brother even if he was still evil and niffinish. 

Edited by FiveByFive
Here to write about shows not talk about my life.
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NorthstarATL

NorthstarATL

1 hour ago, FiveByFive said:

It can but it's usually more complex process where they first make you unlearn your behaviors (and hate yourself) then teach you how you should behave -- from personal experience. The main thing is that here Elliot knew what he was doing, allowed it to happen and doesn't seem psychologically damaged from it. While he has some issues in general, I don't believe he hates his orientation. He just doesn't necessarily feel sexual attraction to his wife. I'm also pretty sure he's fluid.

Sorry for what you went through, but that is not the norm. It's normally approached as with other behavior modifications. When left to his own devices and desires Elliott has been shown to choose males. Being physically capable of performing and not retching when in proximity to female body parts does not imply "fluidity".

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AudienceofOne

AudienceofOne

On 24/02/2017 at 0:06 AM, NorthstarATL said:

Sorry for what you went through, but that is not the norm. It's normally approached as with other behavior modifications. When left to his own devices and desires Elliott has been shown to choose males. Being physically capable of performing and not retching when in proximity to female body parts does not imply "fluidity".

Obviously a lot of sensitivities around this issue so I don't want to upset anybody. I will say that Elliot, to me anyway, has been pretty strongly established as bisexual. I think on the Kinsey scale he prefers men to women but he has had multiple threesomes and clearly enjoyed them. I think if asked he'd say he enjoys having sex with men and women but sees himself eventually settling down with a man. That's just my interpretation of the character and my interpretation of that scene was a 'cake and eat it too' scenario where he got to be both monogamous to the wife he actually likes while still having sex with men on the side.

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Camera One

Camera One

I was disappointed Quentin squandered his wish.  At the very least, he could have made himself a little stronger at magic.  His scene with the White Lady was very moving though.  Could he have wished for the well-spring to be cleaned?

Julia was a lot more palatable with Kady.  Hopefully, they can kill Renauld and we can move on from this.  

Is Margot going back and forth to Fillory easily now?  I'm glad she helped Julia with the book, though Julia was totally out of line with what she said.  The infuriating thing is she still insists she was right.

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