Lilia and Jen were knocked off the Witches' Road. Lilia's trial went unchanged. Agatha and Billy couldn't survive it no matter what because they don't know what to do. They wish for Lilia to return to them. It turns out succumbing to the mud isn't as deadly as it was previously teased. Agatha pulled herself back onto the Road. Meanwhile, Lilia and Jen navigated the tunnels underneath. That too presents a choice. They could escape. They were betrayed. Billy didn't know he had that kind of power within him. He's strong with his mind-reading abilities. It's easy when Lilia's thoughts are so loud. Agatha keeps her mind guarded at all times. And yet, Billy acted impulsively. He's apologetic now. He appreciates Lilia now that he suddenly needs her. He fits in with the rest of this coven through that mentality. He's finally behaving like every other witch. He has a question worthy of the journey on the Road. When his fortune is told, the ceiling stops. However, he's not the focus of this particular trial. Instead, Lilia is the one meant to read the fortune and pose the question regarding her fate. That makes for one incredible episode. It's power derives so much from Patti LuPone's performance. It guarantees the heartbreak that arrives when the final destination is revealed.
The flow of time is an illusion. Lilia offers that explanation to Jen for why she loses her train of thought. It's not her simply being kooky. It's her being out of place in her own reality. This happened all the time when she was a child. As a result, she foresaw the downfall of every society she was a part of. That contributed to her desire to be alone. She didn't need a coven. That wouldn't offer any greater protection. The same fate would befall those around her. Of course, death is inevitable. It happens to everyone. It's the one thing that connects everyone. Lilia has lived for centuries. She previously claimed she was on this journey to regain power. That's what was missing in her life. In reality, she wanted to avoid death. She wanted to escape the fate that has claimed the lives of so many people. She has seen it numerous times. She wanted to ignore these visions. She couldn't see what was right in front of her. She was dimming her own light in the process. She chose to deflect. She understood the meaning of the cards. She refused to apply them to her own life. She has to step fully into her power now. That's the only way to complete the cycle. It's an ending. One full of tragedy. It's also a noble sacrifice for people who deserve it.
The season has laid these clues that something more was happening with Lilia. She would say random things that didn't apply to the current situation she was in. She would lose track of what she was saying. Her thoughts were complete. They just weren't always happening at the same moment in time. It's only in seeing things through Lilia's perspective that everything locks into place. It's an agonizing way to live. One where she is only comfortable sharing the truth with Jen after they fall off the Road. It requires vulnerability. Lilia doesn't force Jen to continue on the journey with her even though she knows that is the outcome. Instead, she presents it as a choice. She does so in a way that honors who Jen is and what this friendship has meant. Jen is Lilia's sister in the craft. Her expertise is still needed. One of the obstacles ahead highlights the High Priestess and the powers she holds. It's important she is protected. Free will is still offered. Lilia finally sees the members of her coven clearly. She remembers reading William's fortune at his bar mitzvah. She knew Billy would need time to explore who he was. The sigil protected him until he was ready to come forward as himself. He still has plenty of questions. His journey appears at the center of this mission on the Road. Agatha holds agency too. Her past includes a connection with the personification of Death.
Rio is Death. Lilia doesn't make that connection until it's time to flip the final card of the trial. She is unclear of the resolution. All of the other symbols were laid out through her adventures in time with the other members of the coven. It started when she was just a child. They were always connected. This coven was meant to form. They endure this journey together. However, not all of them survive. Alice's death was a crucial part of the journey. It divided the coven. Lilia chooses to stay behind and kill the Salem Seven. The trial has been invaded by these ancient powers who want to kill Agatha. Lilia has plenty of reasons to be resentful of Agatha and Billy. She doesn't have time for that. She has to focus on the task at hand. It's pivotal for her life despite how little time she has remaining. This is the end of her life. She takes ahold of that firmly. The trial changes the appearances of the coven to famous versions of witches in media. Lilia has always pushed back against the stereotypes in pop culture. She doesn't want to be defined that way. That led her to being resentful of witches. She was better off alone with her own limited power. That was safer. It wasn't fulfilling. She has to be proud of who she is. That's true regardless of how others perceive her. She ends with a fall. She controls it. The coven reaches safety. She stays behind to ensure the journey ahead includes fewer obstacles. Rio still presents as a mystery. Billy has unanswered questions. The pursuit of power isn't what is driving these characters forward. Instead, they are each after something much more personal and significant. That can't be ignored. It has to be shared honestly amongst the group. That's difficult when Agatha has been withholding Rio's true identity all along.
