The Magicians Review: Apocalypse? Now?! and Oops!… I Did It Again (Season 5 Episode 5 & 6)

All hell breaks loose in a two-episode feature focusing on Eliot and the end of the world. Whales are more important than ever thought before, Margo and Eliot are stuck in a time loop, and another world is in danger of peril on The Magicians Season 5 Episode 5, “Apocalypse? Now?!” and Episode 6, “Oops!… I Did It Again.”

With a double episode premiere this week that focuses mainly on the internal struggles Eliot’s been dealing with since getting rid of the monster, I’d say it’s one of the most trippy rides the gang has been on.

I like the angle that both episodes aren’t all about Eliot, but in reality, they are all about how he’s navigating and surviving, literally, on a day to day basis. One thing that makes me ecstatic is the fact that Eliot no longer has to deal with what his friends think are psychosomatic issues due to the monster being in him because it was never the monster contacting him in the first place.

Eliot’s arc over the season has been a slow play overall because the whole time he’s been timid when it comes to overtly explaining how he feels inside; it doesn’t make it better that he begins to hear what he thinks is the monster trying to get Eliot to free him.

The reveal of Charlton being Eliot’s “imaginary” friend is pretty dope because a lot of the time Eliot has a hard time explaining how he feels and even when he does it’s hard to truly open up, even when it’s Margo. With Charlton being set free from his mind it’s like he has his own little personal helper who can help him critically think every decision he has to make.

Charlton, from living inside of Eliot’s happy place, also knows what makes Eliot tick and he knows how to guide him in the right path. Overall I think that Charlton being free will help Eliot move on from the entire situation because time loop after time loop made him go crazy thinking the monster would gain control again. Now, he doesn’t have that fear anymore.

Although, one thing that doesn’t sit right with me is Eliot seeing the monster side of him in his reflection of the mirror. It could be the moon brain speaking to him at the time or it could be a hint at what’s to come in the future, but I hope it’s just a crazy imagination from not sleeping.

I love how all over the place The Magicians is, especially with this week’s episode. Whale’s controlling the time loop Eliot’s in, whales being the sole protectors of the earth from the Kraken, and the moon having a mind of its own? This show continues to amaze me with the lengths it goes week after week.

The writing on this show is absolutely superb and it should win more awards because every single person who works to put this show on is doing gods work.

I think that the biggest mind screw is the fact that the asteroids aren’t the cause of the apocalypse at all, but the Kraken being set free by the asteroids is. Nowhere in my brain would I have ever thought that’s where the plot would go and that’s one of the most important things I love about this show. There’s never a dull moment and even when you think you have it figured out, you more than likely aren’t even on the same plane of thought.

Julia being the hero this season that pushes everyone to continue fighting feels right. It feels like something that should’ve been happening all along. She has had lead reigns over situations in the past and has helped in the direst times as the OG who helps win the fight, but this time she’s the one making the moves and deciding where everyone goes at all times.

The way Julia doesn’t pressure anyone to stay up to help save the world and makes it known that there’s a chance it won’t work anyway plays true to her character because she’s never been the person to beg someone to help her complete something unless she’s asked to.

For the most part, Julia can work alone and be alright, but everyone can see the power and drive that she has; she’s a natural-born leader.

After four seasons of having Zelda pop up to help the magicians out, I’m glad that since the past season we’ve begun to see more of a backstory to her as a character because she’s interesting as all get. I would have never pegged her to be someone to willingly stay in the eternal bliss realm where Fogg stayed behind, but if she hadn’t then Kady wouldn’t have been able to get the advice she needs.

Kady blames herself for leaving Fogg behind when she knows that he was trying to get clean, but she’s also trying to get clean herself. It’s good that Kady has Zelda there to help her realize that she wasn’t offered a permanent position in the realm because the leader could sense that Kady had plans for good and didn’t belong there. Kady has true goals to quit and stay clean.

Fogg has a flaw in him that he has to fix himself before he can make it in the outside world, it’s what Zelda had to do and it’s what he’ll get through as well.

After all the work to make sure that Earth doesn’t blow up, we see the revelation that pigman chose Todd to go on the quest to save the world, only because he’s a man. The most important fact of the whole quest is that the world in trouble is Fillory, not earth.

Even if Fillory is the world that was originally in need of help saving it doesn’t mean that all of their work to save the earth is in vain because it was going to happen either way with the harmonic convergence. Right? The moon being destroyed was only the thing to put the end in motion, but with the surge, it was going to happen no matter what.

Additional Thoughts:

• Josh spiking all of them with meth is absolutely insane. Julia called it from the get and he kept denying it anyway. What’s even crazier is either he didn’t eat the muffins he made, or he made muffins without the meth just for him because he falls asleep when Marina does her spell.
• It hurts to see Margo treat Eliot like he’s insane after he finally opens up and tells her what’s happening to him.
• Josh and Eliot’s conversation and dinner are touching because Eliot may not believe in himself but he needs to know that there are others out there who do believe in him. Even people he would never have thought of.
• Fen is going to be a big part of how Fillory is saved, I can just feel it. Fen doesn’t even have to search for a fairy to talk to because they already have their eyes on her for help.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Uh uh, don’t you dare give up.” – Julia
• “You’ve evolved, Margo Hanson. You’ve become more of your true self, you’ve earned it.” – Eliot
• “We’re stealing from NASA, hell yeah! Mama’s checking one more off her bucket list.” – Margo
• “Josh, put some fresh meth muffins in the oven.” – Julia

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

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The Magicians airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Syfy.

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