The Magicians Season 1 Episode 7
Why can’t all of the professors in The Magicians be like Mayakovsky? If the Trials of last week’s episode led to the students transforming into geese and flying to Antarctica to get some real learning done, it would be one of the most significant turning points in Brakebills’ graduate program. The training sequences were not without their narrative hiccups, but together with the turning point in the Eliot-Margo relationship and the family details for Julia, there was definite forward progress in the overall story. This relieved tension made it understandable and expected that Quentin and Alice would give in to their pent up passions. Their discussions about the joy of flight as geese was mirrored nicely in their choice of transforming into foxes to survive what presumably was another test as they were sent naked into the cold. Although, to be honest, this section of the episode was a bit confusing with the purpose of the mind control test and the fox discussion being slightly muddled. Much more preferable was Mayakovsky’s interaction with Penny and Kady. The cranky old professor showed surprising compassion when confronting Kady about her thefts on behalf of Marina, and his encouragement of Penny to use his traveling skills and remove the tattoo which hobbles his gift was downright fatherly. As for Margo’s sudden departure, viewers can only hope it will lead to her redemption. Hey, if Penny can forgive her… Margo’s reluctance to share Eliot is what makes the addition of a love interest the perfect shake-up for the upperclassmen. Not only does Mike have a curiously strong effect on Eliot right from the start, but their lack of assistance with the “magical gin” project seems a fitting punishment for Margo’s superficiality. And as if Mike’s derailing of the Ibiza trip isn’t bad enough, his apparent allegiance to moth-man is even more disturbing. On the bright side, having a djinn might come in handy. Julia usually has the more interesting plot, but this week she takes a back seat to the Brakebills contingent. However, there are some subtle but intriguing details given about her family that make her brief screen time worth it. Her sister, Mackenzie, gives the audience another outside view of Julia’s deteriorating “normal” life that’s been neglected due to her obsession with magic. The mention of a controlling mother who put their father in a mental institution creates suspicions of hereditary magic that could cause trouble for Julia. It should be interesting to see what Mackenzie has in mind for her sister.
