The Magicians - S1E8 - The Strangled Heart
Previously on The Magicians, ‘The Mayakovsky Circumstance’
This week’s The Magicians wasted no time in jumping into the consequences of Elliot’s new man being either controlled by The Beast or in league with him.
Mike attacks Quentin with a knife (which he pulled from the body of a rabbit he’d just killed), but gravely wounds Penny instead. Despite having surgery, Penny’s wound continues to bleed until there’s a tree growing out of his stomach. Quentin recognizes it as something in Fillory and Dean Fogg calls in Eliza for help, but warns she needs to keep away once this is done.
Meanwhile, Julia checks into rehab for drugs and alcohol, hoping to use the 12 steps to help her get over magic. She and Marina are at a sort of stalemate when the hedge witch visits Julia in the facility. As long as Julia leaves her alone, Marina won’t kill everyone she knows. Sounds fair to me.
Of course, one of the counselors recognizes Julia’s tattoos and reveals that he’s a hedge witch as well. He hooks up with something she assumes it magic, but it turns out it’s a prayer. Seems Julia might be trading one crutch for another.
Mike is in custody and claims he doesn’t remember anything he’s done at Brakebills. Because he’s an alumni member with a key to the school, Fogg suspects that made Mike the perfect target for mind control, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility that Mike was acting on his own.
Eliza provides a little insight into what The Beast wants: control of Fillory and all doors leading to it, and he thinks Quentin can lead the way.
While Alice and Quentin search for an item that may help cure Penny, Eliza visits Mike. She recognizes immediately that he is possessed by The Beast and pretending to be confused, brainwashed Mike. He also outs Eliza as Jane Chatwick, surprising absolutely no one watching. Everything was planned, including using the Virgo Blade, which was sure to bring Eliza to the school. He kills her and almost kills Fogg before Elliot steps in and uses magic to snap Mike’s neck.
The Magicians S1E8
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Plot - 8.5/108.5/10
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Dialogue - 9/109/10
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Performances - 8.5/108.5/10
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Magic & Effects - 10/1010/10
Summary Review
While everyone saw the reveal that Eliza was Jane coming from way back, I don’t think anyone expected her to be killed so early in the story, or killed at all. I wonder if The Beast is one of her brothers, trapped inside Fillory. And now I’m wishing I’d paid more attention to the Fillory stuff.
Every scene with Mike was great and creepy, especially because it wasn’t immediately clear how much he was aware of what he was doing. Watching Elliott figure out that Mike didn’t remember meeting him was heartbreaking, and I hope that Elliott being the one to kill him means that Elliott will have more to do than drink and tease the newbies going forward.
