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S03.E01: The Tale of the Seven Keys

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in The Magicians [V]

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Poltargyst

Poltargyst

(edited)

And I remember why the Magicians is my favorite show on tv now.  So much fun.

I loved the talking in code with subtitles.  Buffy's best episode.  The musical?  The other one.  (Hush).  I pretty much agree.

Love that bunnies are the messengers.

The Cock seems like a cool guy.  And there's a sentence I never thought I'd type.

How long will the quest take?  A season.  Yep, I bet it will.

Next week's episode looks badass.  Looking forward to it.

Edited by Poltargyst
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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

I forgot how much I love this crazy crazy show. Its just such a good time, and is so weirdly creative. 

Loved Elliot and Margo speaking in pop culture code. "Your Grace Parks!" I also love how much theyre really trying to be good leaders, and how much they care about their people, especially Elliot. He didn't want this job at all and had about zero experience in much except for magic, drinking, and sass, but he is trying so hard to do a good job. Also, Margo looks awesome with her eye patch. 

Bunnie messengers! Plus the meeting with the snail and the sloth! And of course Elliot finds a magical peacock guy named The Cock. Of course he does. 

Also liked Bacchus as the party dude bro god and Quentin and Julia trying to get some info from him/getting drunk. It was also nice to see more of their friendship, and I could really see their connection here. In the past, I felt they were a bit Tell not Show about their long time close friendship, but I really bought it this week. 

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Philbert

Philbert

1 hour ago, Poltargyst said:

 

The Cock seems like a cool guy.  And there's a sentence I never thought I'd type.

 

 

Elliot's response-"I've seen one or two" had me rolling. God, how I've missed this show.

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millahnna

millahnna

I really should have binged the first two seasons before watching this because I'm like a third lost; I kinda remember magic being gone but the shit going on in Fillory was utterly confusing.  That code conversation was bloody brilliant. But man what a fun ride.

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TiffanyNichelle

TiffanyNichelle

I'm so glad the show is back. The scene where Margo and Elliot talk in code was the best. I wonder based on the coming attractions how Margo can go on the quest if the Fairy Queen  (who I just realized is Candis Cayne) is spying on them through her eye.

I hope they save Penny soon!

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

42 minutes ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

I hope they save Penny soon!

Penny as a magical librarian in a suit is a pretty awesome idea for a spin off show. Or at least a few webisodes before they save him from death/eternal unpaid internship. 

Cant wait for the epic quest to get the whole gang together again. "How long will the quest last?" "About a season". 

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Kareny

Kareny

(edited)
Quote

the Fairy Queen  (who I just realized is Candis Cayne)

I just realized this tonight too! 

Is this groundbreaking, to have an openly transgendered actress playing a role that's not specifically written to be transgendered? (And she's killing it!) I didn't recognize her from I Am Cait when I watched last season of The Magicians - I didn't even make the connection until I finally noticed her name in the credits tonight. 

Edited by Kareny
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iMonrey

iMonrey

(edited)
Quote

I really should have binged the first two seasons before watching this because I'm like a third lost; I kinda remember magic being gone but the shit going on in Fillory was utterly confusing.

Here's what I did: I read through all the Season 2 recaps to help refresh my memory. That was an enormous  help. 

http://www.syfy.com/themagicians/episodes/season/2/episode/12/ramifications

However, I don't really remember why the fairies have taken over Eliot's castle. I also don't understand how Penny can still travel if the magic is turned off. I'm not sure what's going on with Kady either - I guess, she's just working as a waitress at a diner somewhere?

There were lots of fun moments though, especially the bunny who appeared, and then all it said was "Need Help. Love, Eliot." And the pop culture code conversation was gold. 

I also loved who the Cock referred to Quentin as "the fool."

Edited by iMonrey
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AlleC17

AlleC17

This was a great season opener!  The code conversation was hilarious, as were the bunnies and pretty much everything.  I wanted to mention something in the coming attractions that is NOT a spoiler but was funny as hell:  The words 'Questing Bitch Face' appear, then they show Margo making a bitch face...I just giggled my butt off.  Love this show, which is so weird, since I could barely get through the first book when it came out. 

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WInterfalls

WInterfalls

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

However, I don't really remember why the fairies have taken over Eliot's castle. I also don't understand how Penny can still travel if the magic is turned off

The fairies basically just showed up in force at the end once magic was turned off. As for Penny I'm not sure but what I think is that magical creatures are still the same, and Penny's ability to travel is an actual biological trait.  I'm making that assumption because even last year when he could not do any real magic because of his hands he still had the natural ability to travel.  I don't know, call it a fan wank, but it works for me. haha

I loved the episode. I had binged the first 2 season the week before so I would remember everything.  It reminded me that I really enjoy this show.  

1 hour ago, AlleC17 said:

Love this show, which is so weird, since I could barely get through the first book when it came out. 

I read the book after watching the show and I HATED IT SO MUCH!!! It was a weird experience to love a show but hate the book.  I didn't read any of the others books after that. 

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WInterfalls

WInterfalls

1 hour ago, doram said:

I think it's part of Penny's contract as a librarian. The library exists in a different plane from Earth.

That could work but I would think that would only work while he's in the Library.  Also I swear "the plumber" last season cut the Library off from magic as well.  At least he was walking through the Library while everyone in it was freaking out.  

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iMonrey

iMonrey

Quote

I think it's part of Penny's contract as a librarian. The library exists in a different plane from Earth.

Yes but so does Fillory and magic is off there too. I'm going to have to go with Winterfalls' theory that Penny's ability to travel doesn't qualify as magic, it's more of an innate ability. ?

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

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Penny essentially said as much when he was talking to the guy with the overdue library book. He said that magical creatures still have magic because it’s an innate part of them. For travelers, traveling is something they have to learn how to control so that they aren’t doing it involuntarily. In S1 Penny talks about how much it sucked to accidentally travel and wind up in parts unknown. 

For the record, I feel like they’re splitting hairs because in S1, Quentin accidentally did magic before being trained at Brakebills which would indicate that, like traveling, magic is an innate part of magicians. But I guess they just wanted a way for Penny to be able to keep popping in and out. The bunnies are magically traveling too so somehow magical traveling is still possible even with magic turned off. 

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WInterfalls

WInterfalls

1 minute ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

For the record, I feel like they’re splitting hairs because in S1, Quentin accidentally did magic before being trained at Brakebills which would indicate that, like traveling, magic is an innate part of magicians. But I guess they just wanted a way for Penny to be able to keep popping in and out. The bunnies are magically traveling too so somehow magical traveling is still possible even with magic turned off. 

Good point and Eliot killed a guy on accident with telekinesis! 

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

Maybe magic is in inherent part of Magicians (hence Quentin and Elliot doing magic by accident before being trained) but when magic is "gone", it cant be channeled anymore? Like, they still have magic in them, but they cant really access it anymore? I wonder if they might try to access their innate magic at some point? It could be interesting, if they decide to go that route. I also think that Penny can travel as a part of the Library, which exists beyond the normal rules of reality. 

Or, thats my fanwank at least. It works for me. 

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AngelKitty

AngelKitty

I didn't forget how much I love this show and am so glad it's back even though I don't remember everything that happened last season. I'm going to have to read the recaps, but it doesn't really matter because the show is entertaining regardless.

The bunny messengers were fun The big Cock was fun. I think the quest will be a fun adventure and it sounds like they are all going to get together. I like it when they all work together.

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Lemur

Lemur

20 hours ago, WInterfalls said:

That could work but I would think that would only work while he's in the Library.  Also I swear "the plumber" last season cut the Library off from magic as well.  At least he was walking through the Library while everyone in it was freaking out.  

The Library is in the Neitherlands.  So while the people are cut off from magic, the Neitherlands itself isn't as it's essentially the hub.  Also, since there's no time there Penny can stay there indefinitely without dying from his super cancer.

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Lemur

Lemur

18 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Penny essentially said as much when he was talking to the guy with the overdue library book. He said that magical creatures still have magic because it’s an innate part of them. For travelers, traveling is something they have to learn how to control so that they aren’t doing it involuntarily. In S1 Penny talks about how much it sucked to accidentally travel and wind up in parts unknown. 

For the record, I feel like they’re splitting hairs because in S1, Quentin accidentally did magic before being trained at Brakebills which would indicate that, like traveling, magic is an innate part of magicians. But I guess they just wanted a way for Penny to be able to keep popping in and out. The bunnies are magically traveling too so somehow magical traveling is still possible even with magic turned off. 

Pretty much, this.  The Plumber was turning off magic as a method of bending the laws of physics.  Basically, it was cutting off anyone who was using tapping into magic externally, like they cut off the force.  The Magical Beasts are inherently magic.  Penny's ability is inherently magic.  Though I do agree that they're splitting hairs, though the whole "manifestation" that Q and Eliot had pre-Brakebills could have been an accidental casting (think Harry making the glass at the snake house disappear) as opposed to an inherent ability (think Harry speaking parseltongue to the snake before making the glass disappear).

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

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6 minutes ago, Lemur said:

since there's no time there Penny can stay there indefinitely without dying from his super cancer.

That’s why the librarian said she was only sending him on trips that should take less than an hour and why Kady urged him to leave so quickly - every minute he spends on earth (or anywhere outside the Neitherlands) is a minute that allows his cancer to get worse. 

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iMonrey

iMonrey

Quote

"When was the last time a practitioner didn't get utterly assfucked by a wish granting?"

I noticed they didn't even bleep the F word this time. I guess they finally threw in the towel. 

Quote

Though I do agree that they're splitting hairs, though the whole "manifestation" that Q and Eliot had pre-Brakebills could have been an accidental casting (think Harry making the glass at the snake house disappear) as opposed to an inherent ability (think Harry speaking parseltongue to the snake before making the glass disappear).

They would really need to distinguish between Penny being a "magical creature" with an "inherent ability" versus a regular magician like Quentin who could do magical card tricks. Can he still do card tricks, if that's his "inherent ability?" Then it would at least be consistent across the board, if each of them could just do one "inherent" thing - card tricks for Quentin, finger sparking for Julia, traveling for Penny, etc. 

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Enginerd

Enginerd

I liked the episode, but I'm looking forward to the team getting back together instead of being so separated. Alice in particular seemed so alone and sad.

Can Eliot not use his loathed agriculture skills to help the people develop an irrigation system for the crops? Although if they're already in a food crisis, maybe they can't last long enough for a non-magical growing season. Or the horrible fairies would ruin anything they tried.

Eliot doesn't seem to have developed any paternal instincts, which I suppose isn't terribly surprising since he hasn't been around the baby. But he's worried about the people starving, wants control of the kingdom back, and has a certain amount of pity for poor Fen, but never seems to have any impetus to rescue his child in particular.

I know I'm old and nerdy because Bacchus and his rager party just seemed tedious and annoying to me...to attend; as a show scene it wasn't bad. LOUD!!! and FLASHY!!! and INTOXICATION!!! and WACKY!!! clothes seem like a poor and try-hard substitute for more enjoyable things to me. I'd rather find one interesting person, maybe two or three, to talk with and slink off to some cozy quiet corner with a fireplace and comfortable place to sit. Or go hot air ballooning or something. So much less headache!

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Lemur

Lemur

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I noticed they didn't even bleep the F word this time. I guess they finally threw in the towel. 

They would really need to distinguish between Penny being a "magical creature" with an "inherent ability" versus a regular magician like Quentin who could do magical card tricks. Can he still do card tricks, if that's his "inherent ability?" Then it would at least be consistent across the board, if each of them could just do one "inherent" thing - card tricks for Quentin, finger sparking for Julia, traveling for Penny, etc. 

I completely agree, they're playing fast and loose with the magical ecosystem, but ehh, such is life.  Quintin could do card tricks before Brakebills and Julia supposedly has a spark because she's the god-touched.  I hope they explain this better as we go on.

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iMonrey

iMonrey

Julia was able to do the finger-sparking thing even before she fell in with the OLU crowd. It's the first thing she showed Quentin when they met up after he got into Brakebills and she didn't. Back in Season 1, wasn't there some sort of explanation how each student fell into a particular group? Like - some of them were physical kids and some of them were element kids? or something? and somehow they could all be classified (obviously I'm forgetting what the classifications were) but Quentin couldn't be. 

I'm thinking it would be helpful if they could revisit that, and re-establish that they all have a particular inherent ability but can learn to do other spells, etc. And with magic "turned off" they can only do that one thing that's inherent to them. It would at least make them all have to work together to accomplish whatever they need to get done.

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Jynnan tonnix

Jynnan tonnix

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Julia was able to do the finger-sparking thing even before she fell in with the OLU crowd. It's the first thing she showed Quentin when they met up after he got into Brakebills and she didn't. Back in Season 1, wasn't there some sort of explanation how each student fell into a particular group? Like - some of them were physical kids and some of them were element kids? or something? and somehow they could all be classified (obviously I'm forgetting what the classifications were) but Quentin couldn't be. 

I'm thinking it would be helpful if they could revisit that, and re-establish that they all have a particular inherent ability but can learn to do other spells, etc. And with magic "turned off" they can only do that one thing that's inherent to them. It would at least make them all have to work together to accomplish whatever they need to get done.

All good points regarding the inherent magical abilities. On rewatch, I noticed far more how much emphasis seemed to be paced on the "not quite human" abilities that Penny still has. For the moment I m just going to enjoy whatever seems to be going into building the season without too much questioning or complaining because it's just all SO much fun to watch, but I'll definitely feel a bit disgruntled if the season goes by without attempts to tie it all together. I do have faith that it will all be addressed eventually though.

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iMonrey

iMonrey

festivus - Penny got some weird sort of magical cancer from going into the "poison room" of the library. 

Quote

For the moment I m just going to enjoy whatever seems to be going into building the season without too much questioning or complaining because it's just all SO much fun to watch, but I'll definitely feel a bit disgruntled if the season goes by without attempts to tie it all together. I do have faith that it will all be addressed eventually though.

I've been reviewing the recaps from the first two seasons to refresh myself on some of the details. Don't get your hopes up about everything being addressed. The show has left a lot of plot points dropped over the past two seasons. A lot of the first season episodes raised and then dropped issues from one episode to the next. The show has enough ideas to fill several shows so it tends to be a bit unfocused. I agree, it's a fun ride, but when you really look at it in writing, a lot of what's written is simply written for the moment, for a laugh, an emotional gut punch, or a shock. Kind of like the writers have ADD.

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WildPlum

WildPlum

So I doubt this is the first time Eliot has completely believed the line a magnificent cock in the woods has told him. Why does he believe in the quest? Wouldn't Eliot know by now that magical creatures are absolutely not to be trusted?

Thought the Bacchus bit was not very interesting and could, pretty much, have been completely skipped - the best thing that came out of it was Josh's meanderings. Felt like a bunch of frat house one-liners.

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MissL

MissL

That awful dance that Julia and Q performed was my first laugh out loud moment of the episode.  Soo bad.

I continue to love Margo and Eliot and that whole scene with them speaking in code was amazing. this may be a unpopular opinion but I didn't miss Alice at all. I was ok with not seeing much of her.  Strange because usually I'm FFing through Julia but she was interesting to watch this ep. Enjoying so far...interested to see where it goes! 

"Need help. Love Eliot." Heh. 

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Whimsy

Whimsy

On 1/12/2018 at 3:58 PM, doram said:

Oh they tweeted about this. No more bleeting off.

That’s weird. They were bleeped for me, which could surprised me because I just binged season 2 which I recorded on SYFY and they didn’t bleep anything. 

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coppersin

coppersin

12 hours ago, Whimsy said:

That’s weird. They were bleeped for me, which could surprised me because I just binged season 2 which I recorded on SYFY and they didn’t bleep anything. 

Did you watch a repeat airing of it? I caught it again yesterday morning and it was censored then, presumably because of the time of day.

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Whimsy

Whimsy

2 hours ago, coppersin said:

Did you watch a repeat airing of it? I caught it again yesterday morning and it was censored then, presumably because of the time of day.

Not sure.  Probably.  Things just show up on my Tivo lol. 

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Hanahope

Hanahope

Great opening episode for the season.  So many great lines.

The quest- will last a season.  Ya think?

All the "cock" jokes.  What a plume!

Pop culture/tv code!  I got all the references, but definitely glad they used subtitles.

I guess its good Bacchus didn't know who Ember was.  I wonder if he knows Renard?

The fairys sure aren't the cute little flutterbys that we usually associate with that name.  They're pretty malevolent as a group.

The rabbits!  Need Help, Love Elliot. bwahaha!

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AudienceofOne

AudienceofOne

That pop culture code conversation was the best thing I've ever seen and I had to rewind it and watch it again. This was a cracker of a first episode.

On 11/01/2018 at 2:06 PM, Poltargyst said:

I loved the talking in code with subtitles.  Buffy's best episode.  The musical?  The other one.  (Hush).  I pretty much agree.

The best episode of Buffy is clearly Restless. But they were close.

Quote

Love that bunnies are the messengers.

Which, following the Buffy musical reference, was awesome. It must be Bunnies!!!

On 12/01/2018 at 7:07 AM, WInterfalls said:

As for Penny I'm not sure but what I think is that magical creatures are still the same, and Penny's ability to travel is an actual biological trait. 

On 12/01/2018 at 10:37 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Penny essentially said as much when he was talking to the guy with the overdue library book. He said that magical creatures still have magic because it’s an innate part of them.

He then said to be careful because magical creatures could look almost entirely human. It's clear his travelling is an innate trait rather than relying on external magic.

On 16/01/2018 at 4:51 AM, MissL said:

That awful dance that Julia and Q performed was my first laugh out loud moment of the episode.  Soo bad.

I continue to love Margo and Eliot and that whole scene with them speaking in code was amazing. this may be a unpopular opinion but I didn't miss Alice at all.

I think the writers have finally got a handle on Julia but every time large bits of screen time are devoted to her and Quentin I can't help wondering where Alice is. I'm wondering if her contract is different because she's often AWOL. 

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