As per usual, we need to start with the inevitable spoiler warning, as I’m no doubt going to reveal various new things in this review of Episode 8 of Season 2 – ‘Word as Bond’.

At this point of the season, all sorts of calamities have struck our intrepid band, and they are all in various broken states.  This casts a heavier shadow over this episode and it is generally darker and more downbeat that usual.

One of the main themes of this episode is the changing nature of the characters, especially seen in the fight between good and evil in Quentin and Julia.  In Quentin’s case, this is due to him holding onto the Niffin that is Alice, and in Julia’s, it’s because she lost her ‘shade’ in the exorcism that removed Reynard’s child.  Both of these situations have led to them to be more erratic and unpredictable morally, as without shade Julia is completely devoid of conscience, while during this episode, Q makes an agreement with the Niffin to share his body for a period of time each day; during those times, he has no idea what ‘Alice’ is up to, despite trying to limit what she can do with the aforementioned ‘Word as Bond’ spell.

THE MAGICIANS -- "Word As Bond"

THE MAGICIANS — “Word As Bond” Episode 208 — Pictured: (l-r) Stella Maeve as Julia, Summer Bishil as Margo — (Photo by: Eike Schroter/Syfy)

At the same time as the battles we see in Q and Julia, the duality of Eliot and his Golem, has left him in a magical coma after the Golem was killed in the bank heist.  This actually leads to another nice switch, with Margo becoming more caring and trying to take on the role of benevolent and sensible ruler, while they try to get Eliot’s consciousness back into his body from the wrecked Golem; she even has sympathy and becomes a support for Fen, who is distraught.

There is also interesting development in the Kady/Penny love story, with Kady fighting between her focus on completing the mission, and letting any feelings for Penny cloud that focus.  Penny on the other hand, initially protects himself from her blunt coldness, but later proclaims his love for her, unwilling to let his feelings be bottled up for too much longer; I guess we won’t get the Penny/Pearl romance we thought we might a few episodes ago!

Even the Alice Niffin is finding her situation a varying kind of duality, as normally she is very powerful, while also neutered by being trapped in Q, but in this episode is humbled by Friar Joseph.

THE MAGICIANS -- "Word As Bond"

THE MAGICIANS — “Word As Bond” Episode 208 — Pictured: Stella Maeve as Julia — (Photo by: Eike Schroter/Syfy)

Wherever you look the characters are fighting between elements of themselves, and this is also reflected in some of the bigger issues, including the impending war between Fillory and Loria, and after Julia’s burning of the ‘One Way Wood’, a potential civil war in Fillory.

Much of this episode involves things breaking down, or coming to a head, and is quite dark.  It’s not an entirely unusual feel for The Magicians, but it isn’t as irreverent or playful as it is quite often.  That isn’t to say this is a bad thing, as it was only a matter of time before things had to crumble and come to a head, before any solutions could emerge.

THE MAGICIANS -- "Word As Bond"

THE MAGICIANS — “Word As Bond” Episode 208 — Pictured: (l-r) Jade Tailor as Kady, Arjun Gupta as Penny, Jason Ralph as Quentin — (Photo by: Eike Schroter/Syfy)

What made it interesting too, was that as a mirror to the theme of duality, there is reconciliation, and not just in a ‘reset for the end of the episode’ kind of way that you can get with long running episodic television.  There is a real sense of issue resolution, or at least tentative truce, which occurs in most of the situations.  Q and the Alice Niffin make their agreement, Eliot returns, Penny makes his stand with Kady, Kady’s defences are momentarily punctured, and Julia is locked away in the dungeon.

Personally I really liked the fact that everything was all going a bit wrong, and we got to see the imperfections and conflict coming to the surface.  The only downside is that we didn’t get to see more of Eliot, but I can understand that if Margo was to have her time, he would have to be benched for at least a second.  The advantage of this is that we’re seeing a more interesting side of Margo.  We are also seeing a new more confident side of Julia, unhindered by conscience as she is, and one that may have been present in the previous 38 iterations of the ‘Time Loop’.

This greater depth in character and story only shows the Magicians getting better and better.