Magic – The Magicians S5 E3 The Mountain of Ghosts

Jason and Cristina give you a in-depth review and discussion of The Magicians Season 5 episode 3 The Mountain of Ghosts! Harmonic Convergence, Takers, The Tournament

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Podcast Notes –

EPISODE 5.3: THE MOUNTAIN OF GHOSTS
Written By: Sera Gamble
Directed By: John Scott
Imdb: 8.3
Synopsis: “Harmonic Convergence, Takers, The Tournament”

OVERALL THOUGHTS

POSITIVE: Humor improved. Good emotions and interaction between Alice and Eliot. Increased stakes between Fen and Margo. In many ways, return to form of past seasons/style.

NEGATIVE: Julia’s story moves forward slowly. Still some stumbling plot in Fillory – what about the Banishment Marks (are they supposed to physically keep them out). No one recognizes Margo or Fen? The werewolf plot is back?? Reveal of the Dark King.

NEW FACES/ PLACES/ MAGIC:

FACES:

• Daniella Markus author of “Circumstantial Prognostication
• Yan the guide for Beyond the Wall adventure tours
• Dark King played by Sean Macguire (when first meets Sebastian)
• Bick Pickwick A Pickwick in charge of the annual tournament

PLACES:

• Mountain of Ghosts a mountain with a hole on top that goes all the
way to the Underground, can dispose of items

MAGIC:

• Harmonic Convergence a rare and powerful astrological occurrence,
magnifier of magic
• Banishment Brands
• Annual Tournament during the Yellow Ferret Month (spring) to select the Elite Centurion Guard comprised of the 12 greatest fighters
• Singh’s Advanced Skin Hardening Spell
• Child’s Play Knives

SYNOPSIS:

JULIA & PENNY – THE SURGE PROBLEM
Julia and Penny are looking for answers and Penny is struggling with his patches, which provide some relief but give him headaches. He’s requested some books from the Library but doesn’t think they’ll be quick in helping. The two go to London to visit Zoe Markus where she works as a financial advisor. The interior of the building looks just like the Physical Kids Cottage and Zoe tells them most magicians cast 23% more accurately when they’ve been drinking. Julia explains they’re hoping to talk to Daniella – they’re concerned they’re heading towards a major event and need her help to predict when it’s going to happen. But she denies them, yelling that they can’t help her. Beth was killed and Daniella nearly so; they saved the world one already.

Zoe went there in the 90s but since she did a lot of fieldwork, most of the professors don’t remember her, except Lipson who was her lab partner. She tells them Dani had two sisters, Zoe and Beth – rumor has it they averted an apocalypse in their senior year. Aside, Penny tells Julia that if they survive all this, they need to figure their relationship out and he wants a life with her.

The two go back to find Daniella who does want to help. She says she solved the problem and discovered that while the surges defy variations, she was able to create a statistical model that predicts the window where a big one might occur.
A Harmonic Convergence – a rare and powerful astrological occurrence, a magnifier of magic. There have been 4: 1) extinction of dinosaurs, 2) Pompeii, 3) sinking of Atlantis, 4) creation of Auto-Tune. Circumstances on the convergence will be exceptionally favorable and the surge will be powerful. Whatever they decide to do, her and Zoe will help.

ALICE & ELIOT – MOUNTAIN OF GHOSTS
The opening scene shows the conversation between Quentin and Alice from last season on the stairs where she tells him they’ve tried saving each other but are at their best when they’re a team working together. As she looks at Q, he disappears and realizing he’s not there, she wakes up from the dream (white bed and shirt). Following her mother’s text to check on the garden, Alice discovers a dead patch of soil, where a glowing bottle lays.

Inside, Margo enters through the clock to find Fen, Josh and Eliot brainstorming how she will overthrow the Dark King. Eliot tells her the story her grateful subjects were told about Margo saving them (thought it was actually Eliot, they need a simple, uncomplicated tale). Alice enters, trying to brush off Eliot’s questions, but he pushes until she admits she made a Quentin Golem and thought the piece of his soul would return to the Underworld, but it’s still in the bottle. She plans to get to the top of The Mountain of Ghosts and throw it in. Eliot insists this is too important and he’s going with her to help.
Arriving in Fillory at a camp below the mountain, they find a sign for Beyond the Wall Adventure Tours. The guide, Yan, offers them Living Stones (that burn Takers), and advises them to “Be careful, the Takers know a thing you value and will swipe it”. Eliot insists Alice let him hold it in his zip bag (where we see he’s hiding the letter as well). Following Yan up the hike, Alice thinks Eliot isn’t enjoying himself because this is ‘not his pilgrimage’. She’s there putting her boyfriend to rest and he ‘tagged along’ – out of a perverted sense of grief that Q saved him. He spits back that it’s all her fault for betraying them, Eliot winding up possessed, and Q dying cleaning up the mess. When Yan wonders if they’re ‘finished with their feelings’, a creature grabs him and they disappear.

Following the trail, Eliot and Alice try setting up a protective circle. Eliot hears a voice calling his name, sets down the bag, and a Taker snatches it and takes off. Eliot chases after it but his spell fails to knock it down. One attacks him but is thrown off when a stranger casts a spell that disintegrates it. The man offers to escort the two back down the mountain. Camping that night, he tells them how he was making ends meet by selling rare objects in Loria, though his family were magicians on Earth. Most spells don’t work on the Takers but a few have figured out ways to defeat them. When it touched him, it felt like a plague, so he cast an anti-viral on instinct – he agrees to teach them whatever her can. Drinking strong Lorian Bumble Wine, the three start sharing how they are each mourning a death – the man says he lost a love who died very young; Alice lost her boyfriend; and Eliot a ‘good friend’. When Alice goes to sleep, Eliot and the man continue talking. He asks if Eliot has ever had love. Eliot divulges it was the friend, but Alice doesn’t know, and he thinks Eliot should tell her the truth.

The next day, Eliot and Alice make it to the top of the mountain and stare over the well (with hole to the Underground). Alice drops the bottle in and Eliot shows her the letter. “I can’t send it but I can’t just let go…he wasn’t just my friend. I’m sorry, he loved you.” Alice admits she knew there was more and that Quentin was in love with him. Eliot tells her they spent a lot of time together in another timeline, but he never really go to tell him how he felt, and then he died for him. She reassures that he was doing is best (as she reminded herself despite hurting people) and sending the letter could create much worse events. Together they hold it out and drop it down and Alice thanks him for telling her.
Reaching the bottom of the mountain, the man offers to accompany them back to Castle Whitespire. Eliot and Alice see the Dark King’s carriage pull up and watch, confused, as they hand the man his robes.

MARGO, FEN & JOSH – THE TOURNAMENT
Fen privately tells Josh they should ‘tell Margo’, but he thinks they have enough to deal with right now. Due to the Banishment Brands, they need another way to get her in the castle. They tell Margo the plan – when the Taker attacks were just starting, they needed better guards, so he created an Annual Tournament to find the greatest 12 fighters in the land to become their Elite Centurion Guard. They offered fame, glory, and an instant wipe of your criminal record, including Banishment Marks. It takes place now, during the Yellow Ferret Month.

They go to Whitespire, where the Tournament is beginning. Bick Pickwick is taking entries, so Margo and Fen register. Margo – Janet Pluchinsky, selects her weapon of choice – Axes. Fen – Fencicle Walburger, picks her weapon – Child’s Play Knives. Aside, Margo tells Josh she’s having trouble; she tried to do Singhs Advanced Skin Hardening twice but it only worked on one side of her body. He shares that because Fillory has two moons and both will be full tomorrow, she’s about the have a serious werewolf transformation. They can be locked in the cells still downstairs, but first they need to fight.

A montage shows Margo and Fen sparring and taking about opponents easily. However, Bick informs them there can only be one female Centurion – years ago, in a show of progressiveness, the King agreed that one female might become a member if she proved worthy. Thy are scheduled to duel tomorrow night until Margo shares the truth of their Lycanthropy and he sets the time at one hour before sundown. During this confession, it’s revealed that Fen is also a werewolf, because she’s slept with Josh (several times).

Soon after Margo and Fen commence their fight, Margo overtakes Fen and stabs her in the chest. Initially horrified at her action, she is surprised to see Fen pop up unharmed, saying her ‘show was perfect’ and she’s glad Margo is a good person who, even in her state, reached for the child’s play knife (as they don’t do real damage). As their changes begin, the three are taken to the cells.

There, Margo admits she didn’t know it was a harmless blade. “Can I have a complicated emotion without having to resolve it so you can feel better?” Fen still want to forgive and Josh points out that she never gave up on them. But Margo says Eliot sent the letter; she was going to let them die for Fillory – she has a job and she put the kingdom first. Fen finally breaks, thinking she was stupid to trust her, and they both turn their backs on Margo.

QUESTIONS

• What happened the first time the three sisters ‘saved the world’ – what apocalypse did they avoid and will they help this time?
• What is Julia planning to do now to avoid it?
• Will her and Penny wind up together after it all?
• Are the Takers just manifestations the Dark King created to defeat?
• Was Eliot taken in by him? What will happen when they go back to Whitespire?
• Have Fen and Josh given up on Margo? Will they help try to take down the Dark King?