Second Episode Spells Improvement For ‘The Magicians’

If Episode 1 of The Magicians was very much a pilot episode — full of character introductions, world building, and action sequences to hook viewers — Episode 2, “The Source of Magic,” is very much a second episode; it expands on backstory and character dynamics, and further sets the table for upcoming events. Warning: SPOILERS for Episode 1 and 2 lay ahead.

Above all, “The Source of Magic” explores consequences. Events set in motion last week by Quentin and company have very real, very immediate, and very lethal ramifications. Magic isn’t miraculous or awe-inspiring; it’s dangerous, full of unforeseen repercussions that injure people and ruin relationships.

Eliot spells this out eloquently when he tells Quentin, “magic doesn’t come from power; it comes from pain.” This is a devastating truth, both to the characters and to viewers; it dispels the idea of magic as a fairytale power that comes without consequence or personal cost.

“The Source of Magic” opens with flashbacks to the encounter with the Beast. They are some of the best scenes of the episode. They flesh out how the students survived the encounter with the disturbingly creepy Beast and the immediate aftermath of their fight. Alice is revealed as exceptionally powerful, capable, and cool under fire. Kady fires off a prohibited battle spell that stuns the Beast and helps repel him. Once the professors determine how the Beast got into the heavily-warded school grounds, Quentin, Alice and Penny are called to task for their roles in the horrific violence unleashed by the Beast. Every action has its consequence.

The repercussions of that encounter cause deep emotional stress, driving everyone to rash actions. Those actions culminate in a fight between Quentin and Penny, one of the few times actual magic is used this week.

In the B-story, Pete, whose spell ripped off Julia’s shirt and shackled her to a radiator last week, takes Julia to a warehouse to meet several hedge witches. There, she struggles to pass a mildly ghoulish initiation test and prove herself worthy of further training with the underground magicians network.

Several of the issues that hurt Episode 1 are on display again. Commercial breaks come every two to three scenes and seem poorly timed. Events and places are given little explanation. The Physical Kids’ house is a major setting in the books, where students escape from reality, deal with anger and boredom, and hook up with other students. Here, it’s little more than a pleasant clubhouse with an amazing bar.

More difficult to follow is why Alice and Quentin team up. After they each see the same arcane symbol, they suddenly become partners in casting a complex, advanced spell, because Alice’s brother disappeared at Brakebill’s five years earlier. What? It’s barely explained, but it has major ramifications. Not long after that, Quentin suddenly makes a huge leap of logic involving the Beast and Fillory. His insight has no basis in anything he’s experienced or learned; it simply happens, and with little explanation. It also hints strongly at the central mystery of the story, which was teased out slowly in the book.

Relationships are portrayed as if people had known each other for years, but on screen, they’ve only just met. Why does Penny hate Quentin so much? Why does Eliot tell Quentin a formative story from his past he’s never told before?

It’s hard to develop well-rounded characters in two episodes. Still, several characters feel one-dimensional. Eliot, one of the most conflicted and fascinating characters from the books, has yet to show any real depth. When he tells Quentin the story of how he was bullied and how it molded him, it feels like haphazard, not the heart-felt bonding moment it’s meant to be. Alice is portrayed as the Shy Girl With Something to Prove, but she looks and acts more like a character from Mean Girls. Penny is the Angry Guy Who Fights With The Hero. His rage is explained in a somewhat pat story he tells to Kady, but it’s not difficult to sense that he and Quentin will become friends, or at least allies.

Still, “The Source of Magic” is an improvement over last week. Exploring consequences is a solid direction for the show, hinting at the serious themes from the book. The episode feels less rushed, and the story flows more naturally. Julia’s quest to become a hedge witch, which wasn’t prominent until the second book, has almost equal footing with Quentin’s story, giving the show more balance. And while there hasn’t been a ton of magic on screen so far, it’s clear that it’s coming. If The Magicians isn’t quite there yet, it’s showing signs that it might grow into appointment viewing.

The Magicians, Season 1/Episode 2 “The Source of Magic” / B-