Synopsis of 3×07: On the latest episode of The Magicians, Julia breaks the sacred rule of “no take backs” to save Alice’s life. Quentin uncovers a route to the underworld in the form of bickering lovers Penny and Kady.

Rating:

So here’s the skinny:

  • Alice almost died because her body isn’t accepting the magic Julia gave her. Although, she refuses to return the magic until she almost kills Julia. In light of her nearly fatal mistake, she returns the magic.
  • Julia made a deal with Irene McAllister, the new Dean of Brakebills, for the magic to use to relieve Alice of her magic. That said deal leaves Julia indebted to Irene.
  • Quentin, Poppy, and Penny break Kady out of the psychiatric hospital. She then meets with Harriet, our favorite ASL expert, to make a deal for help into the library. Harriet agrees to the deal, only if they help her rob the library as well. Penny heads off to the underworld. 
  • After a whole episode of endearing family moments between Eliot, Fen, and Fray, the Fairy Queen drops a mercilessly big bomb. Fray is not their child, their real child died during childbirth. With no leverage left to wager for her eggs, the Fairy Queen accepts a deal Eliot and Margo present her. The deal will allow everyone in Fillory to see all of the fairies, thereby ending the manipulation from behind the scenes.

I Will Survive… Unless I Don’t

After a reunion in the woods, the Brakebills gang returns to the physical house and find Alice passed out on the floor. Thankfully, Alice is fine and a few of the others discuss her condition with Dean Fogg. Fogg is uncharacteristically pessimistic and makes no attempts to hide his lack of confidence in her survival. Quentin leaves Alice to a caring Julia.

You Occasionally Stop Being a D**k When the Fate of the World is at Stake

Through an apparent one-sided conversation, Quentin convinces Penny to help him recover the key from the underworld. Poppy offers some insight into the existence of the Library’s dragon, “the bookworm.” She’s actually been quite an addition to the team and she’s been especially enthusiastic about joining the quest.

I Call “Take-Backs”

Dean Fogg convinces Julia that Alice’s only hope for survival is to return the magic she was given back to Julia. Julia and Fogg’s relationship is an amusing and interesting one, especially considering that he has been her Dean in 38 alternate realities. She’s sarcastic, while he’s slightly drunk and painfully honest. Of course, Alice won’t surrender her only magic without a fight, so Fogg brings Julia to a familiar face for help. She’ll need to fight magic with magic.

Family Ties

Fray and Fen return from their NYC trip with Todd. It leads to a sweet moment between Eliot and Fray, where we see her cold demeanor crack just enough. She can see that he’s trying and wants to be a good father, so she appreciates it and admits that she could “despise him less, with time.”

Sweet, Sweet Extortion

The Fairy Queen meets with our favorite High King and High Queen. They request a deal between the Fairy Queen and the whole of Fillory. By the rules of magic, such a deal would allow all of Fillory to see the fairies.

Travelers Stick Together

Quentin and Poppy pay Victoria (the traveler) a visit. Now here is where we learn Poppy is a REALLY bad friend, even in pretty clear-cut situations. Poppy ruined her sisterly relationship with Victoria by sleeping with Josh, Victoria’s boyfriend at the time, during their original Fillorian vacation.

Either way, Victoria can’t be part of such a plan since she’s already part of a different group that wouldn’t appreciate it. Waddya know, Harriet (The Magicians‘ token ASL representative) heads the group, but she hates Penny. So, now we’re down to two connections, both of which hate two of our heroes.

They visit Kady, but she’s doped up in the psychiatric hospital’s solitary confinement.

Let’s Make a Deal, You Know How Well Those Turn Out

So Irene McAllister is the new dean of Brakebills since she had to buy it to keep the other board members from tearing it up. Needless to say, Fogg is throwing some major shade. Julia makes a deal with Irene for magic cocaine (it’s not really cocaine) under the pretense that Julia will provide an unnamed favor when the time comes.

Time to Break Her Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest

Quentin, Penny, and Poppy plan how to free Kady. Quentin and Poppy finish each other’s sentences, both oddly knowledgeable about general psychiatric hospital rules and regulations. Quentin and Poppy visit Kady as certified doctors. The plan starts off well (the two of them getting in as doctors, Quentin picking a security badge off a guard, and signaling Kady to sneak her the security badge) until the badge hand-off fails. 

Let’s Try That Again

They manage to break Kady out anyway, with plan B. Cue guard abuse and Poppy coming through in the clutch.

The Bombshell of the Episode

The Fillorian negotiation finally takes place. After Fray found out about the eggs Eliot and Margo stole, she ran straight to “queenie” and told her about them. The Fairy Queen ups the stakes by threatening to kill Fray if her eggs are not released.

When Fray sees Eliot willing to give up his leverage to save her, she confesses that she was never Eliot’s and Fen’s child. Forced into a corner, the Fairy Queen admits that Fray is a random human child raised by the fairies and Fen’s real child died during childbirth. With no leverage left, the Fairy Queen takes their deal. 

I’m Sorry We’re Cursed

Kady makes a deal with Harriet for the group to rob the library in exchange for help entering the library. Before Penny leaves for the underworld, he and Kady finally regain a taste of that sentimentality they thrived in before.

Hedge Witch Buffy

Apparently, vampires exist. Which I guess makes sense right? Since other magical creatures do. Alice attempts to make a deal with one to become a magical creature herself. Julia gets in the way and Alice almost kills her in an uncontrolled rage. Alice comes to her senses and returns her magic to Julia.

I’m Your Queen, You Motherf**kers!

To finish off the episode, we see an angry riotous mob rip Eliot and Margo from their carriage. With torches and pitchforks, the mob carries them off as they scream and yell at the top of their lungs.

I know I enjoyed this episode, what did you “Fillorians” think? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear it and respond!

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