Magic – The Magicians S5 E4 Magicians Anonymous

Jason and Cristina give you a in-depth review and discussion of The Magicians Season 5 episode 4 Magicians Anonymous! Etheric Realm, Holding Actions, The Moon

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Podcast Notes –

EPISODE 5.4:  MAGICIANS ANONYMOUS

OVERALL THOUGHTS

DEN OF GEEK:     The Magicians doesn’t do anything halfway, but unfortunately that principle also applies to its missteps, of which “Magicians Anonymous” is one. Where the series is usually able to weave together disparate storylines to create a cohesive thematic tapestry, this episode felt oddly disjointed. It was almost as if the narrative itself was akin to the brown bunny in the Etheric Realm, jumping from story to story with dizzying disorientation while admittedly charming us along the way.  Each storyline on its own really wasn’t that bad all told. The problem may have been the abrupt edits, leaving and rejoining storylines with little to justify some shifts, which made the choppiness of the narrative more obvious.  The deficiencies of this episode can’t be blamed entirely on technicalities. The mysterious signal and the curious powers of the Dark King, however divided those plots are now, may eventually relate to the coming apocalypse, but meanwhile “Magicians Anonymous” dropped some serious acid, and despite some explosive moments, it left us waiting for things to go back to normal.”

NEW FACES/ PLACES/ MAGIC:

FACES:

• Merritt          Penny’s student – Plum Merritt Chatwin
• Clarion Goddess of Melody
• Overlord Terrence Visigoths – Germanic barbarians who show up at the worst times in history.  Leader played by David Anders.
• Emperor Hank Ruler of the Etheric Realm

PLACES:

• Magicians Anonymous an addiction group for Magicians
• The Etheric Realm a parallel realm that can only be reached by taking acid.

SYNOPSIS:

KADY & DEAN FOGG

At an MA (Magicians Anonymous) meeting, Kady shares her troubles including those related to the Hedge Witches.  She is trying to discover an answer to removing Reed’s Marks by finding the book in the Library Deposit but it’s missing.  The only way to move something that warded is through the Etheric Realm and there’s only one way into the Realm – RCH: Nickname Archie – Acid.  It turns out the woman in the meeting who was encouraging Kady is actually Dean Fogg in disguise.  He privately reveals himself and the fact he’s been going since getting sober – “it relates to crushing weight of leadership”.  He also admits he’s been dismissive of hedges in the past and wants to make amends. 

They both take the drug and are transported to a parallel realm where they see a psychedelic parade in the streets.  They track a bunny with sunglasses who’s leaving clues to a cotton candy vendor that tells them the only one who knows where things are in the realm is the Emperor. 

They continue onto a beach laden with unmatched socks.  Despite the high, Kady is trying to prompt Fogg to remain focused on their task, but he’s only concerned with locating his long-lost argyle sock (“so this is where they go!”) Here, they meet Hank – the Emperor.  “As long as you’re here, the high never goes away”.  They ask where to find the depository and Hank tells them even here, there’s a price.  He will dig into their thoughts to see which of them gets to leave and who has to stay.  .

However, he determines it’s equal so they’ll have to decide.  Kady and Fogg argue briefly over who wants it more.  But during the conversation, Kady brings up needing the information first and the Emperor realizes she’s still holding onto some responsible intent, and he chooses Fogg to stay.  She thinks he doesn’t really want this but he says his whole life has been filled with suffering and pain; now he’s home.  She promises to come back and is then transported back to their world with a note that says, “Hell’s Kitchen”.

JULIA & PENNY

Brainstorming their next move, Julia, Alice and Penny think they need someone who can give them the bigger picture.  Julia suggests summoning a God.  Despite thinking this is a bad plan, Penny admits that Merritt’s signal keeps getting stronger and he has to try to resolve it, so he travels away.  Alice says she needs to find books on the Convergence and leaves for the Library.

Going to see Merritt, Penny learns that both of them are starting to hear a voice in the signal but can’t make out what it’s saying.  Penny magically modifies a new patch that is supposed to be stronger and absorb the signal, but as soon as he replaces it, he is unwillingly transported again and can’t remember where.  During the subsequent struggle, Penny manages to tell Lipson (who’s trying to treat him), “Get Julia”. 

Julia is busy summoning another God – this time, the answering deity is Clarion, Goddess of Melody.  She shares that what Julia is imagining regarding the Harmonic Convergence isn’t enough; it’s so much worse.  When all the magicians’ spells go haywire, there will be earthquakes, fire, starvation, plague and cannibalism.  She can stop it but wants something in return.  She admits she’s been interested in Julia for a while because she wants to be human herself – she can’t feel music (just understand it on an intellectual level) and thinks she could be a rock star.

This leads Julia to reactivating The Binder.  He is annoyed but unsurprised that Julia didn’t follow through on her agreement to burn him out of existence.  He also wonders that she didn’t learn anything from her previous interactions with deities – why would she trust Clarion?  Julia agrees it’s a bad idea but feels they don’t have any other options.  Thus, she threatens to simply hand over the Binder if he doesn’t help. 

Clarion says stopping the signal is impossible, it’s coming from a place she can’t reach; but she can save Penny.  However, as Julia has only one thing to trade, she can have only one miracle – her boyfriend or the world.  She chooses Penny and Clarion leaves with the Binder.  Awakening, Penny realizes more has happened here so Julia tells him the only way to save him was to take away his Psychic abilities.  This also means he can’t travel (or he’d be going blind).

         Wait, isn’t he part creature and his abilities come with that?

He realizes this is ironic karma (because of his decision for Julia), and finds it strange to have quiet for the first time.  Merritt now admits this is all her fault for not revealing the truth sooner; she is actually Plum Merritt Chatwin.  She’s never safe and doesn’t know what the signal is, but she’s going to figure out how to fix it.  So she pulls off her own patch and is travelled away.

ALICE & ZELDA

Alice enters a Library in disarray – dark, with scattered and missing books, and finds another group in there to steal books.  As they start coming after her, Zelda grabs her and pulls her back into an office to safety, putting up wards.  She tells her the group outside are Visigoths – Germanic barbarians who always show up at the worst points in history.  In the past, they raided cultural strongholds on Earth before moving onto the multiverse.  Alice tells Zelda she needs books on the Harmonic Convergence (which they have many of but outside where the group is). 

The Visigoths begin breaking through the wards and the Overlord Terrence, introduces himself.  He explains to Alice that they are polite, intelligent, and always keep their word.  They seek to acquire only the deepest knowledge in areas such as high arts and philosophy.  But Zelda knows what they’re really after – The Books of Everyone – so they can plan to pillage every great work before it’s even made. 

She and Alice retreat into a back room, but Alice tells her it’s only a matter of time before they break through and encourages Zelda to leave with her.  Zelda insists she can’t – if she could do it all again, she’d be a better mother and a truer friend, but she’s given her life to this and it’s all she has; she’s not strong enough to leave and start over.  Yet as the Visigoths break through, Zelda lights all the books on fire and puts a wall of flame between them, giving Alice enough time to get them out. 

Back at the house with Penny and Julia, they think that the Visigoths got about half the collection, including all the books on the Convergence.  Not all is lost though as Zelda read most of them.  The answer isn’t complicated but it’s near impossible – they just need to move the moon.

FILLORY – MARGO & ELIOT

At Whitespire, the Dark King tells Eliot he’s impressed with his skills and offers him the appointment – Official Court Magician in Defense of the Kingdom.  He will be trained by the King and can then train others – a position Eliot says he’s honored by. Seb (as he can call him when they’re alone) apologizes for deceiving Eliot, saying he has to be careful who to trust and sometimes it’s a relief to remove the weight of the crown for a while. Privately, Margo is shocked that Eliot is being taken in and urges him to hold his decision if the King is good or evil.  They need to gather more information and then regroup.

Video on SyFy site shows Hale Appleman referring to the Dark King as Sebastian (though don’t think we ever heard that on last episode)

Margo goes to a meeting of the Centurions where the Lead Centurion explains the most important job is protecting the king – he is powerful but not invulnerable.  Margo is shown the magic pools placed in every room of the castle and most taverns, so the people can witness the King saving them from the Takers.  “It’s like Fox News” – “Foxes all lie; who would ever believe their news?”

The King then leads the group into the forest to find the mapmakers.  When they’re surrounded by Takers, Margo manages to hit two with axes but they rise back up.  The King kills them with magic but seems drained by the effort (falling on Margo).   

Afterward, he returns exhausted to Whitespire, where the King says he used to be great but now its just ‘holding actions’.  He passes out before Eliot can discover where the rest of the Centurions are (including Margo).  She is with the group looking for something else in the cabin.  Margo is able to see the fairy hiding under the floorboards but says nothing as they find and arrest her.

QUESTIONS

• Is this the end of Dean Fogg’s storyline with the Magicians – will he stay in the Etheric Realm? Will Kady ever return there? 
• Will she find the Library Depository at Hell’s Kitchen?
• Is this really the end of Penny’s psychic and traveling abilities? And if so, what does that mean for his magic in general? (we’ve seen him regain powers in the past and even the decision for Julia wasn’t the end of all magic for her)
• Why is Plum in danger and what has she gone to figure out?
• Will Zelda continue working with our group now?

How are they going to move the moon?  Especially since any magic they do has bigger consequences with the surges.