After the bug creature attack – known rather
imaginatively as “The Beast” of last week, we get the aftermath. Between Kady
throwing battle magic, the Dean giving a watch to Qunetin and Alice doing
something crafty they managed to make the bug creature flee. But then boss lady
Professor Pearl does some investigating because she knows that the only way the
bug man could have got through the school’s wards is if someone did something
very unwise.
Like, y’know, performing a séance.
Lots of stress follows – Alice and Quentin both freak out
because the idea of being expelled is terrible for them. Alice needs to find
out what happened to her brother (and we learn, through some friendship bonding
with Margot, that Alice basically got into the school from sheer awesomeness
rather than actually passing the exams). Quentin is supported by Elliot who
continually tries to comfort Quentin’s fears and guilt (including a past story
of his own accidentally murdering someone as well as pointing out little
magical disasters are not unknown at the school).
Margot and Elliot seem to be the background oh-so-amusing
supportive friends without any real roles to play.
Quentin also takes a break to talk about how his fantasy
books are totally real because the author of the Fillory series had lots of people
disappear around him. Quentin that just means your favourite author was a
serial killer who is good at hiding the bodies.
Penny has his own issues since he thinks the voice in his
head is actually the Beast – which means he’s been lied to and manipulated all
this time. He wants to leave school but, when Kady convinces him to stay, he
apparently throws Quentin under the bus instead.
Faced with memory wipe and expulsion at least Quentin
realises how shoddy his treatment of and dismissal of Julia was last episode.
Because he wants something from her. But baby steps I guess.
Quentin also decides to zap Penny with battle magic which,
like everything he seems to do, goes spectacularly wrong. Luckily for him the
mind-wiping woman is Eliza, one of the cryptic figures from the first episode,
who is duly cryptic and ominous. She talks about Fillory which is
totally-real-but-we’re-not-going-to-say-it. Also this means big ominous shit is
coming and that’s a shame because Quentin isn’t special or destined for
greatness or a hero in anyway. Hey this would be a great message if she didn’t
turn round and basically say he’s still the Chosen One. I think I’m happier
with a Chosen One who is super skilled and dedicated and smart than a Chosen
One who is just Chosen BECAUSE REASONS. Penny has shown more interesting skills
and smarts and Alice is amazing in comparison – but CHOSEN ONE.
Anyway he’s just on probation. And because this woman just loves to contradict herself, she also urges him “not to stay on the garden path” (i.e. don’t play it safe). Which is the opposite to what everyone else has been telling him.
She visits the Dean who is terribly injured and
surprisingly not dead and he’s all pissy because he thinks it’s her job to get
out there and do shit – alas she cannot. She can only train the Chosen one to
be all Chosen and shiny.
Now to the story I care about – Julia is taken by Pete to
meet his fellow “Hedge Witches” where she is introduced to other newbie,
Marina. They don’t get on. The Hedge Witches definitely have a harsh initiation
process – the next stage involves Marina and Julia being forced into a giant
freezer and forced to find a way out and not to freeze to death. Not freezing
to death means Julia has to find a spell in a body bag and then rip open a
convenient human corpse (puppetted by Pete) for ingredients showing how
ruthless and determined she is. And then she takes the door off its hinges – showing
that she realises magic doesn’t solve all problems
It’s impressive – and certainly impresses Marina who is
secretly chief Head Witch
Y’know, I actually think the Hedge Witches’ methods
produce a much scarier and more practical class of Magicians. Oh sure it’s
dangerous – but remember the school managed to lose and entire year of students
so it’s not exactly safe
But we do have to point out that we now have one Black
character horribly mauled in a hospital bed, and a Black corpse being ripped up
for spell parts. It’s something when inclusion can be improved by “a Black
character who isn’t mangled”.
So how does Marina get all her shinies? It turns out she
is making Kady steal things from the school – and it doesn’t look like it’s
amicable.
