The Magicians Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Divine Elimination
Mandy Treccia
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Margo killed Quentin, Alice, and Eliot.
And that was the fun part on The Magicians Season 2 Episode 3 "Divine Elimination."
Credit where credit is due: the show knows how to throw a curveball.
We learned about the Beast's curse on The Magicians Season 2 Episode 2. But the way it played out still managed to be a surprise.
The only thing more fun than watching the royal friends attempt to assassinate one another was watching Penny try to stop them.
Fen: Curses are tricky.
Penny: You don't say.
Fen: They usually end once they've run their course. And not before.
Penny: That doesn't help us. This one seems to want to run its course until they're all dead.
He's by far the character with the least patience for the group's often adolescent behavior. He sticks with them because it's practical and the right thing to do.
But part of him probably got just as much satisfaction of out of their temporary deaths as Fen did with Margo's.
And it's hard to blame him for that. Especially since he's suffered so much lately.
Naturally, more suffering was his reward for saving the day.
Sometimes, it's hard to like Julia. We can understand where she's coming from.
She's been hurt in the worst possible way. She wants to stop a monster. I want her to succeed in making Reynard pay.
But she went too far when she hurt Penny.
How does leaving him with destructive magic solve anything? She came off like a child throwing a tantrum because she didn't get her way.
She had to know at that point it was too late to get back to Marina.
Reynard: I'm impressed. You have talent.
Marina: I bet that's what you say to all the girls before you rape them, kill them, and eat their hearts.
Poor Marina.
She's done some terrible things in the past, too. But she did not deserve what happened to her. That's on Julia as well.
Julia knew what Reynard would do to Marina. Maybe she believed she'd be there to save her.
But given her history, and how often things go wrong, some part of her must have known this would happen.
Of course she might not have guessed just how slow and gross the torture would be. I'm not sure I'll ever get the image of Marina's cat out of my head.
But where does Julia go from here? Reynard needs to die. She's right about that.
The smart choice would be to team up with Quentin and the others. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the group would take her back at this point.
Not after what her interference cost them.
The scenes leading up to the final battle were some of the best in the episode.
Quentin and Alice's private moments always come across as awkward. Even with everything they've been through, they still have trouble expressing how they feel.
But Quentin came through with a powerful speech Alice needed to hear. He wasn't making excuses or false promises.
He just wanted her to know that he would be the better man she deserved.
And he succeeded, but not in the way any of us were expecting.
Although, maybe we should have been given the way the show took the time to remind us how Alice's brother died in the previously on segment at the beginning of the episode.
I wish shows would trust viewers' memories rather than remind us of a past action before it's repeated. Let us connect the dots on our own after it unfolds.
You're no god! You're a farm animal! You're a farm animal!
The Beast
For the second week in a row, we were hit over the head with the meaning of an episode title.
It's probably a safe bet that no one guessed that's what they meant by "Divine Elimination."
Because gross. And childish.
No wonder Fillory is dying when one of its gods results to bathroom humor to stick it to his enemy.
Be honest. You're going to miss the Beast a little. I am, too.
Mainly because Charles Mesure is talented enough to sell the character's outrageous behavior. Plus, the singing.
But it still felt satisfying to watch him die. The children of all worlds can breathe a little easier with him out of the picture.
Except it's still confusing as to whether magic is safe now. Is that still possible after Ember took it upon himself to destroy the wellspring?
You're not even a real magician, are you, Martin? You're just a scared little boy. You wouldn't last an hour at Brakebills.
Alice
It seems like a safe bet that magic will remain viable.
The royals are going to need it to bring Alice back. Because they have to bring her back. She's way too important to just die.
Alice died a heroic death made even more tragic by the fact that Quentin was the one to seal her fate. He made the right call. Even if it's permanent, which I don't want it to be, Quentin had to protect Margo and Eliot.
Eliot: Jesus. Alice has gone full Harry Potter part seven/eight over there.
Margo: God, I hope we're winning.
Which further illustrates the differences between Quentin and Julia.
He's looking at the bigger picture while she's focusing on the satisfaction of instant revenge. She didn't care who the Beast hurt as long as the ends justified the means.
Quentin knowingly took action that caused the death of the woman he loves because he needed to save his friends, who didn't deserve to die.
Not to mention everyone else Alice might have hurt in her altered state.
Where do we go from here? Will they get Alice back? Will Julia ask for another chance? Hit the comments and tell us what you thought of "Divine Elimination."
If you need to catch up, you can watch The Magicians online anytime!
Mandy Treccia was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2017. Follow her on Twitter.
