necessarian | magicians 4x10 thoughts

since apparently i'm journalling regularly now. under the cut for spoilers, theories, and me being a bit of a negative nancy - sorry

okay, so, i got myself really hyped up for this episode. janet's desert arc is my unequivocal favourite part of the books and, idk, i guess i set my own bar too high? i love summer's acting, god, what a legend. i think she was the real highlight of it for me. but the pacing felt... off, somehow? idk. i might need to reread the chapter. if i can bring myself. i loved margo and i loved lizard eliot and - even though i usually can't get past the cringe factor - i really enjoyed the musical numbers. like, eliot singing don't get me wrong? pure indulgence. i ate that right up. (though, four octaves? really?? once you hit four octaves that's not singing anymore, that's just making noises with your throat. i loved her low solo at the start, being an alto rights advocate myself, but... four octaves???)
but the whole thing. as an overall. landed kind of flat.
i think there were too many arcs going on in this episode and they couldn't devote enough time to any of them, really. like zelda? B plot. fine. zelda's storyline worked with the time it had. but then there were these two competing A plots which, idk, i just wanted more flesh out of both of them. after a series of really good episodes, and so much positive hype about this one, i didn't love it. i liked it! but that's all i can really say.
speaking of the other A plot, i loved the insanity of it, the leprechaun escape room, that was a nuts concept that, again, i wanted more out of. i wanted more ~~renly~~ angus!! i hope they bring him back!!!!
looking forward to margo being back with the main gang, because that means we'll just have two plots to juggle: monster stuff, and library stuff. and honestly i think the pacing will improve for it.
funnily enough - look okay before this season i thought hale was a little bit of a one-note actor but this season has proved me so spectacularly wrong and i love it. idk if he's getting better or he's just been hiding his range? the monster has been a real treat, and the monster's scene in the hospital bar was the best scene of the episode for me. like it was dark and fucked up in the way that the magicians does best, but he managed to put so much heart into it? and knowing that i do from interviews that most of the monster's characterisation is down to him, he basically went off the book and crafted his own character in the role... jesus. legends only. i take back every negative thought i've ever had about him.
i just want quentin to talk about his feelings. honey. please please please find a therapist and stop opening your mouth like you think your friends are about to ask if you're okay and then closing it again when they don't. it tears me apart to see quentin essentially going on a different quest to everyone else. i only want happiness for him. i won't hear a word of the death theories. quentin has suffered so much this season - i mean, he's just found out that all his collusion with the big bad was useless because it's not even going to get eliot back, like holy shit, dude is having a bad time - and the only true catharsis will be for him to get a big fucking hug from post-possession eliot. okay. thanks.
i won't comment on the preview for next week's episode except to say that i need them to fire whichever hysteria-mongering editor is chopping those things together.
my working theory so far: some sort of memory spell goes down at brakebills south. quentin and his ex team up to save the love of his life. it is bittersweet and... wait. that was a fic i read. well can we just... make the fic canon? please?
i have no predictions about how the monster+sister stuff is going to pan out. i just don't! i'm willing to let them surprise me on this one. but if any harm comes to eliot, we're going to have words.