The Magicians Roundtable: Can Poppy Be Trusted?

Quentin almost hits a breaking point, Penny is giving up, and Margo is still fighting off her underage husband on The Magicians Season 3 Episode 6, “Do You Like Teeth?”

With Eliot and Margo on the cusp of a plan to beat the Fairy Queen now, they must figure out their strategy.

Tell-Tale TV writers Christina Cerutti and Cade Taylor, joined by Starry Constellation Magazine writer Lisa Steinberg, discuss the episode below.

• Lisa Steinberg (@GoodHumorGrl)
• Christina Cerutti (@teen_hale)
• Cade Taylor (@cadehtaylor)

1. Why do you think the Fairy Queen is using Fillory to grow her army?

Lisa: I think that the Fairy Queen is trying to start a hostile takeover of Fillory as she knows The Kings and Queens lack magic and lack the fortitude to stop a literal game of thrones from happening.

Christina: The Fairy Queen just loves being a ruler of all. She loves being on top and in charge of everyone, and she just wants to take over everywhere she possibly can.

Cade: I think that it’s a little fishy that she’s growing an army on Fillory when she clearly doesn’t need one to get the job done. Either she just loves having a tight grip on everyone, or she’s fearful of something.

2. How do you feel about Alice now having magic back?

Lisa: I have mixed emotions since she has abused it in the past when she becomes a Niffin. Although she is quite smart, sometimes her will gets in her way, and it becomes a detriment. I hope she uses it more wisely this time and hopefully it doesn’t come back to bite her.

Christina: I’m not a huge fan because of how she abused her magic in the past as a Niffin like Lisa mentions. I fully understand why Julia wanted her rapists magic out of her. I just hope Alice doesn’t abuse the magic again. I’m hopeful she’ll be able to do right with it.

Cade: I don’t like it at all. I think that Julia should have kept it because she was the one chosen. But I can understand why she didn’t want to keep that piece of ****s magic inside of her. I think that Alice is already showing signs of abuse, or delusion.

She just got magic back and she’s already trying to build a whole brand new body for Penny. Girl, you aren’t that powerful.

3. Do you think that The Stone Queen is secretly trying to figure out a way to kill the Fairy Queen? Can she be trusted?

Lisa: I think The Stone Queen is clever and has some tricks to her sleeve. Whether she’s trying to kill the Fairy Queen, I think that has to be part of it but also sabotaging anyone else in her path while she’s at it as well. She’s very much like Cersei, what she wants, she gets, and anyone who crosses her will live (or perhaps not) to regret it.

Christina: I think The Stone Queen has her own agenda that will betray both Fillory and The Fairy Queen. So, no I don’t think she can be trusted.

Cade: I don’t think that The Stone Queen can be trusted at all. She’s sketchy as heck and trying to force Margo to have sex with her underage son is outrageous and evil.

4. Do you think that Poppy can be trusted?

Lisa: I think Poppy definitely has many sides to her and what her intentions are right now, it’s hard to say. I don’t fully trust her right now; she’s only stirred things up since she came aboard the Muntjac. I hope when we see more of her in action she will be an ally instead of another enemy.

Christina: At first I didn’t trust her. Her little story didn’t seem to add up, but Q was certainly buying it. That man needs to not get blackout drunk with a stranger like that; it’s not safe. Poppy just wants magic back and is willing to help Quentin. I agree with Lisa, I don’t fully trust her, but I hope she turns out to not betray Q.

Cade: My first impression of her is not good. So far all she’s shown is that she’s always thinking about herself and thinking of ways to get her way. I hope that later on she turns out to be good, or at least decent.

5. Margo steals fairy embryos on her trip with Eliot. What do you think she is going to do with them? Do you think the Fairy Queen will care?

Lisa: Right now I think Margo is acting impulsively, so yes she has stolen the embryos, but what she will do with them specifically I don’t know. I definitely think the Fairy Queen will care and there will be hell to pay, and like The Lannisters, Margo always pays her debts.

Christina: I’m curious to see how the embryos storyline plays out. They look like they’re about to hatch any second, so I wonder if she’ll care about just a few of them since there appears to be thousands and more on the way.

Then again they’re all her new children/future army so it could end up being like Twilight’s Eclipse.  Where Victoria made an army of vampires only to take revenge on the Cullen’s. She had told the newborn vampires she cared for them, but she only had revenge on her mind. So like Victoria, The Fairy Queen might not even care at all.

Or she might care very much because in any situation a mother will do whatever she can for her babies. Once as a child, I tried to take a closer look at Robin’s nest to see the eggs, and the mother swooped out of nowhere and chased me down a hill. My only saving grace was diving behind my trampoline.

So, in conclusion, she could either not care at all or do everything in her power to save them.

Cade: I agree with Christina, I think there’s a possibility that she won’t care about the embryo’s themselves, but she most definitely will care about Margo stealing them. I also agree with Lisa, she’s acting recklessly and impulsively, but now with Eliot here with her, I think they’ll come up with a decent plan.

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What did you think of this episode of The Magicians? Respond to our roundtable questions with your own answers in the comments below! You can also catch up with our review of “Do You Like Teeth?” right here.

The Magicians airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Syfy.

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