'The Magicians' Season 5 Episode 4 Review: A whimsical detour sets up big things in 'Magicians Anonymous'
Spoiler alert for 'Magicians Anonymous' — Season 5, Episode 4 of 'The Magicians'
After three emotionally heavy episodes in a row, this episode feels like a bit of a breather, having a bit of fun and silliness while setting up much bigger things to come.
The odd tone does take away the impact that some of the more serious scenes should have had. If you like a little light exploration into the world of 'The Magicians,' an array of excellent guest stars, and not have to take things too seriously, this is the episode for you.
For those paying attention to the synopses, 'The Magicians' has hit new heights in terms of vague understatement. "Julia lends a book to some lady," it says, neglecting to mention that the "lady" in question is an actual goddess Julia (Stella Maeve) summons.
This is something Julia can apparently just do, now, without too much evident effort or assistance. Considering how much it took from her to summon a god way back in Season 1, this is either a mark of how far Julia's come, or a complete invalidation of that journey, and it's hard to say for sure which it is.
The irreverence of 'The Magicians' can make it difficult to tell when you're supposed to take something seriously and in this episode that's especially true.
Unsurprisingly, Clarion, the Goddess of Melody (Juliette Goglia) offers up a miracle in return for a difficult choice that ultimately ends up completely satisfying no one, but what she asks for IS a surprise — she wants to be mortal.
To do this, Julia needs to enlist the aid of the Binder (Matt Frewer), bringing some more wonderful screen time for Frewer even if it serves little other purpose. Julia gets her miracle, but has to decide whether to use it to save the world, or to save Penny-23's (Arjun Gupta) from the Signal at the cost of his powers.
It's a move reminiscent of Penny's decision last season, and while Penny does not seem all that upset, it doesn't seem to sit entirely well with him, either.
The irreverence of the episode comes out strongest in the acid trip to the ethereal lands that Kady (Jade Tailor) and Dean Fogg (Rick Worthy) take to find out who took the depository that Kady needs.
The need for Kady to take the magic acid comes out of nowhere, making her decision to take it feel particularly inconsequential. The episode takes her struggle with addiction rather lightly, as it does Dean Fogg's decision to remain in a permanent high, but hopefully the fallout next episode picks up some of the slack.
The Dark King (Sean Maguire) is appropriately tyrannical, though the extent of it remains in question. It's definitely the show's C-plot, as Eliot (Hale Appleman) and Margo (Summer Bishil) are now undercover at the palace to find out what they can about the King.
Alice's (Olivia Dudley) and Zelda's (Mageina Tovah) last stand at the Library is another thing that feels like it should have had more weight, but it does set up a new Visigoth villain — the always delightful and ever-duplicitous David Anders, who fits right in to this kind of show — and now has approximately half of the Library's collection.
While it's been a lighter episode, it more than makes up for it with the episode's cliffhanger. For a series that has had gods, the failure of magic itself, and threats of multiversal collapse, it's can be a challenge to bring in a sense of awe and scale, but this season has done it again.
Starting next episode, the magicians of Earth are going to need to find a way to move the moon. The actual moon.
The next episode of 'The Magicians' airs on February 12 on Syfy.