The Magicians - Season 3

[Christopher]

Both Margot and Elliot have begun to change and have empathy for others. They used to be pretty self centered.

I think that basic decency was always there in potential. I mean, heck, Elliot was willing to take awkward, nerdy Quentin under his wing and be nice to him, which from a college student's standpoint is a pretty benevolent act. But being royalty has forced them to take on more responsibility and make important choices, and on the whole, they've made the right ones more often than not.

I am beginning to wonder why the fairies are really there. They are creepy but inconsistent.

That's pretty much the archetypal role of the fairy folk in myth and lore -- they're capricious and arbitrary, sometimes kind and sometimes cruel for unknowable reasons. (I saw a Facebook post the other day suggesting that animals see humans the way humans in folklore see the Fae -- we're vast and unknowable, we have incomprehensible powers, and sometimes we kill them for sport or as food, but at other times we lavish them with kindness and gifts, for reasons they can't understand.)

 

[JD]

The fairy queen gave that poor shlub an earworm to supposedly drive him nuts. I thought she was going to rip out his tongue.

Honestly, I think I'd rather have my tongue my pulled out, at least that would be over quick, rather than being slowly driven insane.

I am beginning to wonder why the fairies are really there. They are creepy but inconsistent..

Yeah, I've been wondering if there is some kind of long game going on with the fairies. From what Christopher said, it sounds like they could just be screwing with them for the hell of it.

This show has a lot of different stories going on and it jumps around between them so we can see what's going on for them all. That's good, but a little jarring sometimes.

I've watched a lot of shows like this with a ton of stories going on at once, so I'm used it by now.

I loved Margo standing up for the Muntjac's right to say no. The Queen's brutal response to that was rather ghastly, and not at all what Margo wanted. And it wasn't done out of any concern for the Muntjac, but merely to "reward" Margo for standing up and being queenly, and to threaten her with what would happen if she was any less authoritative in carrying out the Fairy Queen's arbitrary commands.

OK, that does make it worse. I just thought it was cool that she was actually defending the Muntjac and helping Margo and co.

He seemed fairly nice as demons go, but that could be deceptive.

I was a bit surprised he wasn't more threatening, but he is a demon, so I find it hard to believe he's actually as friendly as he seemed.

 

[Christopher]

I was a bit surprised he wasn't more threatening, but he is a demon, so I find it hard to believe he's actually as friendly as he seemed.

In Greek and Roman lore, daimons/daemons were not intrinsically malevolent; as with so many other things from old religions, it was Christians who defined them as evil. I imagine the pre-Christian version of demons were probably much like the Fae, or the yokai of Japanese belief -- sometimes helpful, sometimes uncaring, sometimes dangerous, depending on whether your goals align with theirs in a given interaction, or whether you extend them the appropriate courtesies, honors, or payment.

 

[JD]

I didn't realize that, I know of demons as the Christian style evil beings from Hell.

 

[Christopher]

Well, mythology aside, we've seen other fictional franchises where demons could be neutral or good, e.g. the Buffyverse (Anya, Lorne, Clem, etc.). DC has the Demon Etrigan, who's sort of an unclear case, since he's generally heroic but I think it's because he's bound by Merlin's curse to Jason Blood and thus somehow constrained to do good. And then there's Hellboy, a demon who was born to be evil but who was adopted as a child by a human and raised to be a hero.

 

[JD]

Good point.
IGN has a post episode interview with the showrunners where they address Penny and Alice's father's deaths, and there is no mention of the demon, so I guess that might be it for him.
I hadn't noticed until they pointed it out, but poor Penny has ended almost dying a lot more than the other characters.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

After Supernatural, I always think of Death of the Four Horsemen when I see that actor.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Christopher]

Oh, that was Julian Richings as the demon? I didn't recognize him. I'll always associate him with the dreadful second season of War of the Worlds: The Series from '89-'90. He was one of the regular alien villains that season, the scientist of the group, IIRC.

 

[JD]

New episode tonight
Be The Penny
As Eliot is hunted, Quentin and Julia discover a powerful secret tied to the history of Brakebills.

 

[JD]

Wow, poor Penny.
The pervy not-really-a-ghost guy, was funny. I loved Penny threatening to cockblock him for eternity.
Ewww, Eliot ate people.
Penny's reactions to the others' reactions to his death was hilarious.
So what's going to happen to him now that he burned his body? I had assumed he was gone, but then Eliot saw him at the end.
Eliot accidentally creating an illusion of his father was pretty good. It was definitely interesting to get some more ideas of what his childhood must have been like.
I actually thought they were going to kill Kady too there for a minute.

 

[Christopher]

The pervy not-really-a-ghost guy, was funny.

I liked how he was a meta commentary on the audience -- or at least certain segments of it. "As a person born in 1902, I find a heterosexual white male lead really appeals to me."

Ewww, Eliot ate people.

Between this and Star Trek: Discovery, that's happening a lot on TV lately.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Apparently, The Magicians is allowed 10 fucks per episode. Even though generous something about the hard limit amuses me.
http://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/the-magicians-syfy-f-word-basic-cable-language-fx-usa-1201923587/

 

[JD]

I'm actually a bit surprised it's that high.

 

[Velocity]

I'm going to be counting them from now on, since I know that. Just to see how "fuck"ed up this show can get. I don't want to, but I know that I will be more aware of it for awhile.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

They should throw a little counter up on the screen.

 

[Christopher]

This show goes to some really interesting places sometimes. Quentin and Eliott's "quest" was rather moving. "The beauty of all life" indeed.

On the subject raised in prior posts, I counted 8 f-bombs this week, but they blew through half their quota of 10 in the cold open.

 

[Velocity]

Margot was leading and who could blame her?

 

[JD]

I loved the stuff with Quentin and Elliot trying to solve the mosaic.
I was a bit surprised by Kady's reaction to seeing Penny at fir, but thinking about it more I guess after what she went through after he "died" it makes sense she'd be pissed.
So I wonder if this means they'll just be leaving Penny as an invisible astral projection, at least for now.
I was surprised to see Prince Ess pop back up.
Damn, the kid Margo ended up having to marry is a kinda scary.

 

[Velocity]

Yep! He killed his brother and didn't try to hide it. Margot better sleep with one eye open...oh...um...well...sorry

 

[JD]

Speaking of Margo's eye, she has the greatest I patches I have ever seen.