The Magicians Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Homecoming
Elena Zhang
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After last week's phenomenal episode, I have to say I was a little disappointed with The Magicians Season 1 Episode 10.
I was looking forward to following through on the momentum behind The Beast and Fillory storylines, but instead they both take a backseat in favor of sex therapy.
The sex plot with Quentin and Alice was kind of hilarious, but I'm pretty sure the comedy was unintentional. Of course the only spell that can help Penny requires them to have sex. Of course!
I do have to commend the show for approaching sex in a somewhat realistic way. Both Quentin and Alice are new to a sexual relationship, so it's understandable that they would be a little clueless in regards to pleasing one another.
And I did like how the key to improved sex required both partners to adjust and adapt to each others needs, while allowing themselves to become more vulnerable and honest.
Now I kinda feel like a dick for making fun of your Garden State soundtrack.
Quentin
Sex is complicated, mixing up a bundle of preconceived notions, psychology, and hormones, and the writers did a good job of exploring the idea that sex doesn't come as easy as media would allow you to believe.
That being said, while the idea was good and thoughtful, the execution was laughable. The chemistry between Quentin and Alice still seems forced and unnatural.
While it makes sense on paper that these two insecure, nerdy characters would be drawn to each other, in practice they fail to generate the intangible sparks that make a romantic pairing heat up the screen.
It comes down to the manufactured sexual tension that the writers have forced upon these characters. Every other episode, Quentin and Alice seem to stumble into a situation that just so happens to require them to be nude around each other.
These scenes are meant to titillate the viewers, but they happen so frequently and so unnecessarily that when Quentin and Alice finally do embark on a sexual relationship, all of the heat has dissipated already.
If you would just shut up for about for two seconds, this sex dream would pass the Bechdel test.
Alice
It's too bad, because given a slower buildup with less frequently forced sex scenes, Quentin and Alice's relationship could've been something interesting to watch, instead of something to roll your eyes at.
Regarding Penny's storyline, the concept of the Neitherlands was a really cool idea, and the imagery of a maze of fountains upon fountains worked really well. I hope we see more of the Eve character, because she was extremely engaging and dynamic from the start, and I'd love to know more about her.
After seeing the librarian give Penny the pages from Martin's life book, it seems more likely that Martin is, in fact, The Beast, and not Plover. It will be extremely intriguing to learn what exactly is in those pages, and what new information will come to light.
I'm not sure what to make of Eliot and Margo yet. I was really enjoying how Eliot was becoming more and more integrated with the main characters and the central story. With Margo in the picture, I'm afraid Eliot is going to get sucked into side-plot hell for the rest of the season.
A golem of Margo. A Margolem.
Eliot
As for Julia, I'm glad she and Kady are partnering up, as they seem to work really well together, and are in fact pretty similar in terms of personality and history. I'm excited to see where this new religious magic will take them.
What did you all think of this episode? Do you think Eliot and Margo are going to become a couple? Why do you think Margo wants to keep the golem? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Don't forget, you can watch The Magicians online anytime here at TV Fanatic!
