The Magicians 3x09: The Musical
Last week The Magicians brought us a collection of magical vignettes, stepping outside regular television story-telling structure to further the plot in an inventive way. As I talked about last week, one of The Magicians greatest strengths is it's ability to continually reinvent and reimagine itself. If you have ever made it to the fifth season of a drama, you will understand this is a vital (and rare) ability. But one outside of the box episode was not enough for The Magicians, oh no, for this week it gave us something just as special. Last season we were treated to the surprise One Day More sequence, as Margo summoned a spontaneous musical interlude to serve as a pep-talk for Eliot. I remember my sheer delight at watching that scene unfold, the feeling of "Is this really happening? Are they really doing this? Are we going full Les Mis??" It was, they were, and we did.
This season the writer's decided not to let the Fillorians have all the fun, and topped last year’s paltry ONE musical number, with an episode jam-packed with song, dance, and even a bit of burlesque. At the beginning of this episode we rejoin our magical friends already in progress with their various crises. Penny is trapped back at the Library, Eliot and Margo have been sentenced to death in a Fillorian peasant overthrow, Julia and Fen are grappling with their horrific fairy powder revelation, Victoria and Harriet are likely dead, and everyone else is hanging out with Quentin. With key #4 retrieved from the Underworld, the Book of the Seven Keys reveals the next chapter, which happens to be sheet music. Honestly I had been wondering how long it was going to take them to delve fully into key/key pun territory. I was not disappointed.
Musically minded Kady is able to play the notes correctly, transporting her, Quentin, and Alice into a an alternate party universe! This brightly-lit version of the Physical Kid's House is filled with party people, a rather domineering Todd, and presided over by Josh (who we have not seen in quite a while). I would like to point out that even though none of the other Magicians have noticed Josh has been missing from the show for weeks, I 100% did. Always here for you Hoberman. Even though everything seems happy and musical, and there is even magic (!) something is definitely rotten in the house of physical kids. For starters, any deviation from the good vibes results in an intense stare down, which escalates to an even more intense physical beating. While Kady distracts Todd and the rest of the party crew with a sultry strip number (that I was LIVING for), Quentin and Alice confront Josh about just WTF is going on here. Josh for his part has been trying to get in contact with the main Magicians crew for weeks, but after being continually rebuffed and abandoned, turned back to his party ways in order to numb the pain. Supes relatable. His particular sensitivity to abandonment stems from an incident in his youth when he and his brother were supposed to see David Bowie together, but instead his brother ditched him in order to take a girl instead (bummersville). With a chip on his shoulder, and an affinity for partying, Josh is more than a little reluctant to help his former comrades.
Meanwhile back in the real world, Julia convinces Fen that the two of them need to help Skye. Fen is conflicted, her hatred of all fairy kind butting up against her strong morale sense of justice. Eventually she agrees to help, and Julia comes up with a plan to teach Skye that she is magical, and not a helpless creature. With Fen's help, Julia is able to get Skye in touch with her inner mojo, but Skye immediately begins to bleed from all of her face holes! Evil Jaime Ray Newman has forced Skye to wear a necklace triggered to kill her if she attempts magic. Real dick move. However just as Skye seems doomed to a bloody ooze death, Julia freezes her in time with golden magic from her eyes!
Speaking of life and death, over in Fillory Margo and Eliot have been sentenced to death in their Trial by Wombat. I found that joke HILARIOUS and I am still tittering about it. Get it guys, wombats! Sorry, sorry. Margo and Eliot select death by infinite waterfall, as infinite suggests there will be more time for a dramatic rescue/escape (seems like they have seen the show). However on board the Muntjac on the way to the falls, there is a shocking Tick Pickwick twist. Appearing as the loyal servant all these many...however long they have been in Fillory.... Tick has really been waiting for his moment to strike back against his monarchs. Citing a constant stream of incompetent Children of Earth rulers (I mean, he's not wrong) Tick wants to rule a Fillory for Fillorians (again not so bad), but he also wants to push my beloved Eliot and Margo over a waterfall and THAT is simply unforgivable. Commanding the Muntjac to go to the Infinite Waterfall, he leaves our fabulous forever friends to confront their pasts and attempt to make peace with their imminent doom.
Back on the ranch, Alice, Q, and Kady discover the 5th key in the back of a piano. Get it, key. Upon touching it a neon sign lights up pointing to this "world's" exit. Handy! But Q won't leave without Josh, who is now being beaten to death. This is when our heroes discover they can all hear one another! It's unifying, it's electrifying, it's the UNITY KEY! This was quite a nice way to get the whole gang back together again, as we haven't seen our core group all in one place in a long LONG time. Possibly not even since season 1 since Julia has been such an outlier (correct me if I'm wrong, I also have a goldfish memory). And what do they do once reunited in such a way? Why use the opportunity to sing Under Pressure of course! This magical melody winds up saving the day for Josh by healing his David Bowie-related abandonment issues, spurs Julia's god-eye magic to save Skye, and even propels the Muntjac over the waterfall - and INTO THE AIR. I am a liar if I said my heart did not grow three sizes when I saw that majestic Margo-loving boat take to the sky. Bless.
The musical key puzzle cracked, "Todd" reveals himself to be a middle-aged German fun-demon (because of course). He also reveals though that someone put him up to setting up this particular puzzle for Q and co. This implies the quests are not simply problems to solve in the world, but rather specifically tailored trials for our magicians. Curiouser and curiouser. The episode also left a number of other pleasing questions over which to mull. What will Eliot and Margo do now that they have dodged death and now live on an intelligent flying ship? Knock a Tick Pickwick out, that's for damn sure. How powerful IS Julia now exactly? Her increasing abilities have been hinted at all season, but the power to stop and reverse time and death is a whole ‘notha level. Also now that she's saved a fairy, will she be the one to perhaps bring peace, or at least broker a better deal, for Fillory? Meanwhile Penny is just chillin' re-shelving at the Underworld Library. Carry on.
With only two keys left to go what could tonight's episode possibly hold in store??!? I hope Queen.
XO MD
