'The Magicians': Quentin and Eliot shippers relieved as emotional scene finally acknowledges their love
Spoiler alert for Season 5 Episode 3 of 'The Magicians' — 'The Mountain of Ghosts'
'The Magicians' has always played coy with regard to defining Quentin's (Jason Ralph) sexuality. Despite spending an entire lifetime together in an alternate timeline, Eliot (Hale Appleman) and Quentin almost never talked about their feelings for each other. Fans online have long despaired the show for not featuring Quentin and Eliot's feelings for each other more prominently, leaving enough room for doubt about whether Quentin was always straight.
This episode changed that in a big way, as Eliot finally tells Alice (Olivia Dudley) how much he loved Quentin. Alice, who perhaps knew Quentin best, tells him that she knows, and lets Eliot know that Quentin absolutely loved him back.
It was an emotionally heavy scene, one that has left the fans reeling. "This episode is about to own a piece of MY soul essence because I’m already sure I am gonna be in tears for the third week in a row," wrote one fan, referring to the piece of Quentin's soul that Alice and Eliot had to properly dispose of this episode.
Other fans were finally able to let out a digital sigh of relief, with one tweeting, "Someone finally said it thank you Eliot loved Q too can we just acknowledge that I need my #QuelliotRights." Another tweet thanked both actors for the scene — "@hale_appleman @OliviaDudley that scene was beautiful, and cathartic for both of you! And we finally established in canon that their life at the mosaic was love and mutual and that they loved each other for so long."
There were a few fans who hadn't gotten the memo and were surprised by Alice letting Eliot know that Quentin loved him, which only goes to show just how ambiguous the show had made the question of Quentin's sexuality. "Wait what?? Quentin and Elliot were into each other? Since when was Q bi??" asked one surprised viewer.
The scene was the show's highlight, with Brittan Curran — who plays Fen on the show — rousing the fans for a moment of applause for the scene, and for the writing. "Can we take a moment to applaud @hale_appleman and @OliviaDudley for their beautiful and heartbreaking performances tonight? Grief is a complicated monster and seeing them experience it through @serathegamble's beautiful words was so poignant," she tweeted.
Olivia Dudley and Hale Appleman have not had many scenes together, and this episode has left the fans hoping for more. "They let go of the letter to Quentin together at the same time. I need more of this Alice and Eliot friendship," says one fan.
The next episode of 'The Magicians' airs on February 5, on Syfy.