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'The Magicians' Season 5 Episode 10: A trip to the Underworld reveals what will cause the Apocalypse

In this episode, Josh is sent to the Takers' realm, we find out what the source of the Signal is, and more importantly, the cause of the end of the world
UPDATED MAR 19, 2020
Arjun Gupta as Penny-40 (IMDb)
Arjun Gupta as Penny-40 (IMDb)

Spoiler alert for 'The Magicians' Season 5 Episode 10 'Purgatory'

'The Magicians' has set up a lot of mysteries, and we're finally beginning to get some answers, though not all. The source of the signal is finally revealed, but more importantly, we know what causes the Apocalypse, and it's tied into this season's central theme in a major way.

A quieter episode setting up a bigger threat, it's very much a chaotic calm before the storm.

The protagonists of 'The Magicians' have often gone through great lengths to hunt down the answers they need, but in this episode, they sort of stumble on to it in ways quite characteristic of them.

Josh Hoberman (Trevor Einhorn) is sent by Rupert Sebastian Chatwin (Sean Maguire) to the Takers' realm, where he finds an elevator to the underworld. In order to clarify a clerical error that would leave Josh and his tag-along from the Takers' realm, Josh and Penny-40 track down Hades (Michael Luwoye) to an address on Earth.

There, Alice Quinn (Olivia Dudley) and Kady Orloff-Diaz (Jade Tailor) find that Hades is grieving as well, but must put that aside because Rupert's attempts to bring his lover back to life might upset the balance between life and death, ending not just Fillory, but all the worlds of the Multiverse.

This season has seen everyone trying to deal with their grief in as healthy a way as they can, but Rupert is a dark mirror to that grief, a dire warning as to what they might have become.

One by one, every character close to Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) has found a way for magic to bring him back to them one more time, whether it be through a seance, a golem or time-travelling postage. They've all walked away from it, learning to let the past go.

The Dark King, however, has clearly not been able to let his grief go, and he will break all of existence before he gives it up. His motivations are fascinatingly complex, and with the big reveal of the last episode, it's a let down to not see them further explored in 'Purgatory.'

However, the tying up of several loose ends leaves a lot more room for that to be dealt with in the lead-up to the series finale.

The signal turned out to be a lot less important than it seemed it would be. We've had very little time to get to know or care for Plum Merritt Chatwin (Riann Steel), and the disconnect to the rest of the show's events makes it feel like the signal could have been first introduced last episode with no change to the plot whatsoever.

Arjun Gupta pulls a double shift this episode, appearing both as Penny-23 and Penny-40. Penny-40 is always a welcome presence, and Kady's reaction to seeing him — however briefly — is heartbreaking.

Penny-40 appears to be living his best afterlife as a bureaucrat of the Underworld, and with the barrier between worlds weakening, we may be seeing more of him in the episodes to come. 

It's not one of the season's stronger episodes, but it does have a few memorable and fun moments. A prism movie projector sticking out of Margo Hanson's (Summer Bishil) eye is particularly memorable, as is Eliot's Waugh's (Hale Appleman) Inception-ing of Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve).

Overall, though, the purpose of this episode seems to be some necessary clean up, while adding weight to the episodes to come.

The next episode of 'The Magicians' airs on March 18 on Syfy.

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