The Magicians: Consequences of Advanced Spellcasting Show Only
February 3, 2016 10:47 AM - Season 1, Episode 3 - Subscribe
Quentin and Julia have an unexpected - and volatile - reunion. Penny is overwhelmed by the power of his own psychic abilities and Alice is determined to find out what happened to her missing brother - at any cost.
more than a bit of a dick.
posted by leotrotsky at 11:56 AM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by leotrotsky at 11:56 AM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
At this point, I'm totally #teamhedgewitch.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:05 PM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:05 PM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
Apparently I gave Quentin too much of the benefit of the doubt - I'd thought he didn't tell Brakebills admin that Julia remembered them because he didn't want them to kill her.
The psychic dorm seems like the world's most annoying hippies, ugh. No wonder Penny teleported anywhere else.
posted by tautological at 12:52 PM on February 3, 2016
The psychic dorm seems like the world's most annoying hippies, ugh. No wonder Penny teleported anywhere else.
posted by tautological at 12:52 PM on February 3, 2016
I'm trying to remember... was there anything good about this episode?
Maybe the books humping? That was cute.
I REALLY wanted to like this show, but after this episode I'm in "you get one more chance" mode.
posted by 256 at 1:42 PM on February 3, 2016
Maybe the books humping? That was cute.
I REALLY wanted to like this show, but after this episode I'm in "you get one more chance" mode.
posted by 256 at 1:42 PM on February 3, 2016
Weird, I thought this episode was really good. I mean, Quentin is currently in Holden Caulfield levels of suckitude but that's intended.
posted by Justinian at 2:10 PM on February 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 2:10 PM on February 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
I actually found Alice more slappable than Quentin. I mean, yes, Quentin is also punchable, but I found Alice even less sympathetic.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:24 PM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by miss-lapin at 2:24 PM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't feel like I'm supposed to sympathize with anyone. Except maybe charming Physical guy.
Also is this guy an intentional Dawson parody or is it just me?
posted by corb at 3:44 PM on February 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also is this guy an intentional Dawson parody or is it just me?
posted by corb at 3:44 PM on February 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm with Justinian, I liked this episode. They are all annoying self-absorbed little shits, these kids (yes even Penny, though Alice was by far the worst of the lot this episode), but yeah I assume that is intended and they'll grow out of it. Quentin putting Alice's brother in the box at the end was really the first glimmer that Quentin might actually have some genuine heroic tendencies.
Randomly teleporting Penny was neat but that "before you end up teleporting inside a volcano" comment had me wondering - I mean if it's truly just a random location on the surface of the earth that you teleport to, the odds of landing in a volcano have got to be miniscule, whereas the odds of ending up way the fuck out in the ocean somewhere and drowning would be better than 60%. Basically what I'm saying is people who teleport randomly and can't control it should be forced to wear a life jacket at all times.
posted by mstokes650 at 4:06 PM on February 3, 2016 [6 favorites]
Randomly teleporting Penny was neat but that "before you end up teleporting inside a volcano" comment had me wondering - I mean if it's truly just a random location on the surface of the earth that you teleport to, the odds of landing in a volcano have got to be miniscule, whereas the odds of ending up way the fuck out in the ocean somewhere and drowning would be better than 60%. Basically what I'm saying is people who teleport randomly and can't control it should be forced to wear a life jacket at all times.
posted by mstokes650 at 4:06 PM on February 3, 2016 [6 favorites]
I think I sympathize most with Julia but empathize most with Quentin. Because I'm pretty sure I used to have far too many sucky Quentin-like qualities. Ugh.
posted by Justinian at 4:21 PM on February 3, 2016
posted by Justinian at 4:21 PM on February 3, 2016
I think I STILL have Quentin like qualities. That scene in the first ep at the party was...painfully familiar.
posted by miss-lapin at 4:46 PM on February 3, 2016
posted by miss-lapin at 4:46 PM on February 3, 2016
Wait, were we supposed to think that running off to read a book while the party was happening was a bad thing??!?!
posted by Justinian at 5:47 PM on February 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 5:47 PM on February 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
Watching this show reminds me of watching S1 of 'True Blood', where they stuck to a lot of the book plot but not book characterization, which made things feel disjointed. I haven't read any of the 'The Magicians' books, but I'm guessing the same dynamic is at work, because Quentin makes no sense to me. For him to be all high and mighty to Julia about the danger she's putting herself in, after his first magical transgression helped to get one teacher killed, another (temporarily?) blinded, and then this week again nearly got people drowned & killed was pretty WTF.
Oh, well. I'm still curious as to where this is going, and appreciating every Eliot scene.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:59 PM on February 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh, well. I'm still curious as to where this is going, and appreciating every Eliot scene.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:59 PM on February 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Quentin's real motivation appears to be, per this episode, that he's been harboring a burning resentment that she (as Nice Guy Quentin probably sees it) friendzoned him and the danger thing is just a rationalization.
posted by Justinian at 6:33 PM on February 3, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 6:33 PM on February 3, 2016 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I was getting a very friendzoney vibe - though his issue seemed a little less "you never dated me" and more "You knew I had a crush on you and pretended not to know so that you didn't actually have to say it", with a side helping of "You only like me when I'm incompetent and you're successful", the last I have to say maybe justified. She sure spiraled pretty hard from "Get rid of your fairy books, loser" to "Magic is real? I'm not going to apologize to you for telling you to grow up, I'm just going to expect you to help me for no reason."
I did get the idea that his warning to Julia was more because he had seen people who were extremely skilled at magic (like Alice) get people killed.
My side speculation is also that Julia's magic was kind of tamped down by her belief in reality - kind of like a Changeling with an extra banality side - and that's why she didn't pass the test. Otherwise it doesn't make a lot of sense.
posted by corb at 6:40 PM on February 3, 2016 [7 favorites]
I did get the idea that his warning to Julia was more because he had seen people who were extremely skilled at magic (like Alice) get people killed.
My side speculation is also that Julia's magic was kind of tamped down by her belief in reality - kind of like a Changeling with an extra banality side - and that's why she didn't pass the test. Otherwise it doesn't make a lot of sense.
posted by corb at 6:40 PM on February 3, 2016 [7 favorites]
I agree, both Quentin and Julia are walking piles of insecurity and unfortunate personality traits.
posted by Justinian at 6:48 PM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 6:48 PM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah, at the risk of running afoul of "show only" I think I can say that this show hews pretty close to the books on characters, but diverges substantially on plot, rather than the other way round.
posted by rikschell at 9:12 PM on February 3, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by rikschell at 9:12 PM on February 3, 2016 [4 favorites]
I liked seeing Abby Miller (formerly of "Justified") as Emily this week.
posted by lauranesson at 1:38 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by lauranesson at 1:38 PM on February 7, 2016
mstokes650: odds of ending up way the fuck out in the ocean somewhere and drowning would be better than 60%. Basically what I'm saying is people who teleport randomly and can't control it should be forced to wear a life jacket at all times.
You're thinking in 2D - what about depth? On top of the ocean, fine - life jacket (and some transponder to help others find you, should you pass out) would be enough. But what about landing above or below the water? Scuba apparatus and parachute. But since this is a land of magic, they can be pre-cast spells and talismans on rings and necklaces instead of bulky "muggle" gear (have they used any handy short-hand for non-magical stuff?).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:19 AM on March 3, 2016
You're thinking in 2D - what about depth? On top of the ocean, fine - life jacket (and some transponder to help others find you, should you pass out) would be enough. But what about landing above or below the water? Scuba apparatus and parachute. But since this is a land of magic, they can be pre-cast spells and talismans on rings and necklaces instead of bulky "muggle" gear (have they used any handy short-hand for non-magical stuff?).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:19 AM on March 3, 2016
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posted by Pendragon at 11:28 AM on February 3, 2016 [1 favorite]