The Magicians Review: Twenty-Three (Season 3 Episode 11)

Julia and Josh venture to the 23rd timeline after D-Josh asks for their help defeating the beast on The Magicians Season 3 Episode 11, “Twenty-Three.”

Alternate timelines are something that The Magicians have introduced before, but never fully dived into until now and, honestly, what were they waiting for? This episode is one of the highlights of the whole season for me because we get to see Marina again.

I know that many people disliked Marina’s character, but I always found her fascinating. Villains on shows sometimes don’t get the credit they deserve when all they’re seen as is a bad guy.

Marina’s backstory was always intriguing to me, which makes me wish that we had gotten to see more of it while she was alive in the 40th timeline.

I’m not sure how I feel about Penny and Marina from the 23rd timeline jumping ship to the 40th timeline, especially with Penny still alive in the current time. There’s entirely no way that Kady won’t find out about another Penny, notably one that is in love with Julia.

Maybe it’s because I’m so in love with Kady and Penny together, but I can’t see Julia and Penny making a good relationship together. I can, however, see how they would most certainly have power couple status with Penny being a traveler and Julia, a mastermind magician.

If we’re being honest, this problem is Quentin and Julia’s fault so they both need to be the ones to take care of Penny and Marina running around their timeline. If they had never made contact with 23rd timeline Alice, then she never would’ve brought her Quentin back to life, ending with him becoming the beast.

We didn’t see Marina use any magic, but Julia removed the markings on her face to show that it’s real. So, does that mean that she has access to magic and can use it? Julia gave Penny the sigils on his fingers so that he could travel again, so she obviously did something to Maria other than cure her migraines and addiction.

Things are going to get crazy no matter what because now that Marina knows the truth about what Julia did to her I’m not sure she’ll want to work with her at all. And she definitely won’t go back to her own timeline willingly when everyone she knows and loves is dead.

As for Josh, I’m a tad bit frightened as to what could come from The Quickening. D-Josh didn’t accurately describe what it is before his untimely death, but from everything that I’ve looked up what I found out about The Quickening is that it could be possible Josh is either turning into a werewolf or giving birth to one. Either way, he’s in for a trip.

Beast!Quentin informs Julia that he saw her opening the door to let magic back in but let something terrible free instead. He did have her shade inside of him when he told her that so it wasn’t a lie, but is it accurate?

Other Thoughts:

• Even in an alternate timeline Margo still loses one eye, and that’s messed up.
• Maybe the seventh key wouldn’t show Julia the future because the sixth key is still in the fairy realm.
• Hopefully next week we see the return of Kady, and maybe Harriet with Victoria.

What did you think of this episode of The Magicians? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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

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