Kady punches a dude. Margo misses cocaine. Yawn.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Syfy's The Magicians.
"Apocalypse? Now?!" was written by Mike Moore and directed by Shannon Kohli
Magic is unpredictable. That makes it dangerous that there is so much readily available now. In fact, this season may serve as a strong argument for the noble goal the Library tried to achieve last season by wanting to regulate the levels to avoid any more catastrophes. And now, the Library has fallen as an institution. Moreover, it seems as if magic will actually destroy the entire world. The protagonists feel the urgency to prevent the pending apocalypse. Everyone rallies on Earth once more. That is the priority. They feel like the remnants of hope who understand the threat coming and know exactly what to do to prevent it. They just happen to be working against those who welcome these destructive circumstances. The magical surges have been unpredictable. Magicians have blown themselves up as a result. There is the fear that this abundance of magic will actually end the world. It doesn't have to be some celestial event where the planets and stars align to make things more deadly. It could simply be the failings of humanity. People have craved this power. Penny23 wants the freedom to walk away from his position as a professor now that he is no longer a traveler. And yet, Brakebills can't afford to lose him right now. Dean Fogg is gone. The world runs the risk of descending into chaos. These people have a dependency on each other in order to feel good about themselves or deflect from their problems. Yes, the issues and trauma they face are much more exaggerated because of all they have endured. Eliot and Julia were both possessed by lethal monsters who made them painfully aware of everything they were doing in their bodies. Neither of them have truly coped with what that means for them and what they should do with their lives moving forward. Instead, their grief comes from losing Quentin. That feels like the distraction that runs the risk of ruining this entire ceremony that will hopefully move the moon. That is the last ditch effort to save the world. In the end, it may only lead to more destruction. That is a direct action taken because of magic. People wish to use it for their own objectives. Kady understands that she fights for a cause larger than herself. She would also love to embrace her vices once more and give up this responsibility all together. Because she still cares about others and has a mission to accomplish, she is offered all the guiding tools necessary to succeed. Zelda helps her put all of that into focus even though the Library is the organization that doomed her fellow hedge witches. Kady may even welcome the source of disruption during the lunar ceremony. She has no clue who has been working against her interests. And now, it is revealed to be Marina23. She has once again consolidated power for herself. Her actions run the risk of causing even more harm. It doesn't ultimately matter that Eliot can perform the spell to call out to the moon by himself. Marina23 is right there in the moment to fight for her own agenda. As a result, the moon is split in half. That is such a destructive image. It proves that there remains a cost that will significantly damage this world. This isn't the only reality these characters have to play within. There are a lot of concerns happening in Fillory as well. Fen is tasked with a mission to figure out what is going on with the fairies. She doesn't make a whole lot of progress here but that section of the plot should become clear soon as well. The Dark King can't be trusted no matter how much Eliot may admire and respect him. In fact, it's powerful to watch just how easy it is for Eliot to be distracted because he is so uncertain of his feelings. He found some peace over Quentin's death with Alice. But that was hardly the only trauma he endured. His friends reach out hoping to help. They can still rely on him when the time comes. But again, the audience has to wonder if this world is truly better off now that magic is so readily available. It feels like it runs the risk of destroying humanity without any push from the magical surges. That is dangerous and creates a rather intense future where these various groups may still ultimately blow each other up because there is no longer a sense of unity amongst magicians. Everyone is looking out for themselves which may doom them all in the end.
