The Magicians (2016) s01e02 Episode Script

1 Mr.
Coldwater? Quentin.
Quentin? Quentin! Describe The Beast that attacked you.
Uh.
How did it get in here? Mr.
Coldwater, what did The Beast say to you? How did it know your name? So what is this place exactly, besides a health hazard? Time was, the finest meat packing plant in town.
Yeah, it's a winner.
- Hey, that star on your arm-- - I earned it.
You will too with effort, whole sleeve of 'em.
So what does it mean? Does it mean that-- You ask a lot of questions.
Yeah, I sure do.
Oh, my God, these are real? Every one of them? Guys, this is Julia.
Julia, my associates.
Holy shit, it's-- And that is-- I'm sorry, what's your name, sweetie? I'm Marina.
I'm new.
Yeah, no kidding.
Everything up and running? Yeah.
Julia, Marina.
Grand tour.
Wait, so who were those people exactly? You seriously don't know? - What are you even doing here? - I don't know.
I'm waiting for something interesting to happen.
- You? - Magic is what I'm doing here.
They're hedge witches.
We're hedge witches.
Jesus, how are you even-- Girls, play nice.
So here is where we keep all our ingredients and such.
Keeps them safe.
- It's a-- - Meat locker, or it was anyway.
Now it is so well stocked, it's like the end of the rainbow.
After you.
Hey! Come on, open the door.
Hey-- Hey! Hey, don't be an asshole.
Open the door! Dude! We were frozen.
Some kind of paralysis spell took over the whole room.
[wings fluttering.]
Let's just nip this all in the bud.
I already told you, the Dean had something in his hand.
I don't know where it went after that.
[wings fluttering.]
You can materialize objects? I've been doing card tricks half my life.
I guess some of them were disappearing.
[raspy breathing.]
Quentin take this.
[clicks.]
[wind rushing.]
Is he dead? The--the Dean? - Kady! - How did you know that spell? Look, I know we're not supposed to fire off battle magic, butI mean, come on.
[wings fluttering.]
[grunts.]
Can we just get out of this room soon? Please? [groans.]
I know you want to understand what happened.
Here's what I can say.
We live in a world that is one world among many.
The Beast you saw was from one such place.
We do not know the exact nature of this entity, only that it was powerful and malevolent.
[groans.]
Stop it! And we know that it is gone now.
Wards and shields protect Brakebills.
They are encoded to each authorized person on campus and no one else.
We are investigating how this beast got through and resetting everyone.
If someone is responsible for this attack, rest assured, they will be expelled.
Classes are cancelled tomorrow.
They will resume Wednesday.
There will be a quiz.
Alice.
Okay, um-- Don't.
Hey, we did that spell.
You don't get to say don't, okay? If they find out-- There they are.
Glad to see you, kid.
Oh, you poor thing.
- Are you okay? - Nurse? No, it's okay, we're just gonna get you a nice drink.
Jesus, you didn't tell me you were dangerous.
[shaky breathing.]
Damn it.
[shivers.]
Damn it.
And damn it.
Pretty sure my boyfriend's starting to get curious where I am.
Oh, Jesus Christ, it's cold.
We're stuck, and they're trying to kill us, so-- They're not trying to kill us, okay? These people are not murderers.
Trust me.
How do you know that? Because, they don't have the balls for it.
It's like some sort of hazing ritual, a test.
I'm sick of flunking tests right now.
I'm gonna figure it out.
[screams.]
[screams.]
[whimpers.]
[rock music.]
Nothing to see, you louche little degenerates.
Avada Kedavra.
Whatever, Eliot.
[clears throat.]
Welcome to the Physical Kids' Cottage.
It's the single best place on campus for a number of reasons that will become clear as soon as you taste our signature cocktail.
I-I've got to-- Try on this dress I have.
It's perfect.
It's made exactly for those assets you're hiding underneath that pilgrim tent.
Yes, you must.
Trust me.
Après moi.
On purpose? Like, you guys cast it, thinking, "Oh, monster from another world.
By all means, come on in.
" So you messed up.
It's a little bit bigger than messing up.
Than what? Than whatever blew up the entire third year class? There's a bad story every few years around here.
I'm not sure that's avoidable.
Okay.
And if you confess-- - Then I'm done.
- Yeah.
Uh-- [scoffs.]
Bef-- [inhales deeply, exhales.]
Before I got here, I was in the hospital.
I have--or I had-- I don't know, this thing that I couldn't shake where I felt like because nothing was ever not gonna be pointless and empty, then, uh, why go on? And then I got here, and it's amazing I survived as long as I did not knowing that I was a Magician.
I can't go back.
So, okay.
There's a spell if they question you so they can't read your minds.
I'll write it down.
It's bulletproof.
Thank you.
[sniffs.]
Now, can you just help me live with myself? Okay, I'm gonna tell you something deep and dark and personal now.
Ready? Good.
I killed someone.
What? I was 14.
He was this-- He beat me up.
So I'm walking on the street eating a candy bar, 'cause by then I already ate my feelings at a professional level, and I saw him crossing over.
[chuckles.]
And there was this bus coming.
I barely thought the thought.
Bam.
I knew immediately what I'd done, that it was me.
My nose literally started bleeding.
Logan Kinear died instantly and I ruined my favorite button-down.
And that is the story of how I discovered I was telekinetic.
If you're trying to tell me that it gets better-- Oh, God, no.
No, it doesn't.
I'm trying to tell you, you are not alone here.
Funny little irony they don't tell you, magic doesn't come from talent.
It comes from pain.
So, do you know what it was, the thing that attacked you? - No, I have no idea.
- Oh.
I thought you might be familiar with some pretty crazy shit since you're family.
Yeah, no, my family's not-- - Right.
- Yeah.
I get it.
Mine too.
Pointless and toxic.
[both chuckle.]
[sniffles.]
I didn't really learn magic formally as a kid.
I heard you never got invited to take the Brakebills entrance exam.
How'd you even find it? You walked right in.
- It's not that hard.
- [chuckles.]
We're in the Bermuda Triangle of Upstate New York.
How'd you get through though? The wards around the school are fingerprinted.
You're a stranger.
My parents have alumni keys.
Which are supposed to be charmed with McNaughton's Unstealable.
I stole one.
Hmm.
Um, I just wanted to go to school.
Why do you care? Curious.
Just 'cause-- I don't know.
I want to be your friend, I guess.
I don't feel like you do.
[scoffs.]
I'm sorry, I should go.
Thank you.
There has to be something here.
Maybe the phone numbers are, like, a code or-- That's too easy.
Come on.
Chop chop.
[ominous music.]
There has to be something.
I mean-- Oh! [screams.]
[whimpers.]
[laughs.]
[groans.]
[panting.]
[panting.]
Is it-- is it-- Dead? Mm-hmm, yeah, but it was already dead, so I don't know.
Oh, my God.
Jesus Christ, they're gonna kill us.
Why did I sign up for this? This is-- Shh, shh.
Stop it, stop, okay? - Okay, okay.
- It's dead dead now, I think.
I don't know.
[screams.]
[pants.]
Calm down.
Jesus, guys, it's me.
Pete, is that you? - Howdy.
- Wow.
Pete, that's definitely a good look for you-- an improvement.
Why don't you join us in here? I think Marina misses you.
Just let us out.
Don't be stupid.
You have to find your way out.
So this is a test, another test.
Look, if you can't get through this, you definitely can't deal with what it takes to do what we do.
Do you want magic or not, Julia? Did you look everywhere? Fast, frostbite's gonna set in.
Asshole.
Shit.
What did that mean? Where didn't we look? Where didn't we look? Wait.
Huh.
"Une chaleur temporaire.
" Temporary warmth.
[pop music playing.]
[sighs.]
I was just researching.
Reading a kids' book? What do you want from me? I-- Jesus, we could not have screwed up that spell worse, and we can't take it back, and-- - you don't even like me.
- I don't know you.
I don't know you either, except that we summoned some kind of killer mothman from another world.
Yeah, there is that.
You should hate me right now.
I dragged you into this.
It's just you showed up with that sigil on your hand, and it was the same one that was on the book that I needed, and my brother-- his spirit, I mean, sent you to help me contact him.
So, I'm not really sure that that's what happened.
The thing on my hand, this--the sigil, it appeared when I was dreaming, of "Fillory.
" Okay.
In my dream, the sigil on my hand, it--it came from Jane.
Chatwin.
From "Fillory.
" Look, honestly, Quentin, growing up, the last thing I wanted to do was read fantasy.
[sighs.]
Okay.
What if, um what if "Fillory" is real? And I know that you think that this is just about Charlie, but I think-- I think maybe it's bigger, because what came through that mirror instead of Charlie, it didn't exactly grow up in the neighborhood.
Okay.
So what if it came from, like, actual "Fillory"? That's a leap, Quentin.
I mean, there are other worlds out there, but "Fillory" is just fiction.
Oh, no, the Chatwins, they're real.
They lived next door to the author.
He based the characters on them.
Jesus, how do you not know any of this? Is there someplace on campus we can to go to watch a video? - Yeah.
- Good.
Narrator: After living next door to the Chatwins for years and writing stories for young Jane and Martin, when Martin Chatwin disappeared, Christopher Plover was devastated.
This was just one of a series of painful events that haunted Christopher Plover.
It suffused his work with a sense of melancholy and loss, And the mystery of Martin Chatwin's disappearance was never solved.
Narrator: Even more mysterious, Martin's sister Jane disappeared the following year.
That's a lot of disappearing.
Yeah, I mean, that's kind of why people are obsessed with the books, 'cause you have these kids walking into clocks, into other worlds, and they're based on real kids, and the real kids, uh, vanished.
You're saying that Charlie vanished too-- No, no, no, no, no.
I don't--I don't know-- I don't know what happened to Charlie or anyone.
I just-- I don't know.
I mean look, we called something from another world.
I don't know, can that really be a coincidence? So what do we do? Don't get caught.
I can't get kicked out.
I mean, I have to find out what happened to him.
Yeah, I know, but what if "Fillory" is real? Ah, Jesus, you don't understand how mind-blowing that is.
It's just like-- Do you want to stay at Brakebills? - Yes.
- Okay, so do I.
So let's just hide the evidence and get our story straight.
Okay? [mysterious music.]
What, you're leaving? - I'm gone.
- Come on.
Look, I know I don't know you that well, but I know you're not the type to scare easy.
You want the truth? No sweat.
Hearing people's thoughts is the least of my problems.
Couple lines, right mix of meds.
But you hurt Quentin and Alice in the lab.
No, I didn't.
There's this voice.
Everyone else comes with a lot of static, but him, he's clear as a fucking bell.
Says he's a Magician.
That's-- That's all that I know about him.
That and everything that he taught me is real and it works.
Holy shit.
Let's just say life wasn't exactly nonstop fun growing up.
That's why I love that voice.
Saved my ass so many times, he's basically my only friend.
Yeah, right up until he sent me to a lab to help, and then that thing walked in through the mirror.
You were hearing The Beast? I was getting duped.
But, do they know? I mean, Sunderland, anyone? No, there's no point now.
But don't-- Penny, don't go.
Come on.
It's not your fault.
He tricked you.
Come on, don't be stupid.
Why would you leave the only place with experts that might actually be able to help you with this? Why do you care? Look, I did the spell too, Penny.
If you're guilty, I'm guilty.
You're guilty.
Okay, great, let's jump off a bridge.
Kady.
I can't stand it.
Okay.
Go.
But hey, since you're out anyway, come do something stupid with me before you go.
Come on.
Yeah cuz uh crushed rocks you see that in spells a concentrated area of effect.
[shudders.]
I'm sorry, you knew this and you didn't want to say anything? Okay, well, I don't know what I know.
Years reading Internet crap and accidentally poisoning myself twice, and now I'm stuck in a freezer with some bitch.
Well, you are.
What, did you figure you wanted magic at your blow dry last week? This is serious for some of us.
Okay, you know what? I'm not interested in your personal issues.
[chuckles.]
Hey.
Wait, there was sand in that paint can.
Yeah, and I'm gonna need a knife and a bowl.
Okay.
And "Graisse de l'animal-- de préférence de mouton.
" Animal fat.
Mutton.
Maybe there's meat? Come on, let's go before we freeze our tits off.
Whew.
This isn't just some lark to me, so you know.
No offense, okay, you just smell a little Ivy League to me.
Yeah, well, it's 'cause I am.
I was.
Have you ever-- have you ever heard of Brakebills? No.
[sighs.]
Well, it's like-- it's like this secret Yale, but for magic.
What? And you have to be able to do magic to even get in.
Well, I can do magic.
Yeah, so can I.
And yet, somehow, I flunked the entrance exam.
That doesn't seem right.
Either you can or you can't.
No, it's not right, and yet they just left me behind.
I mean, seriously, what do they expect, you know? Magic is real and that's the thing, and once you know that, you can't-- Nothing else matters.
Exactly.
It's like I know it's there.
It's everywhere, all around me, a whole world of power and beauty.
[chuckles.]
You can't unsee it.
You wake up for the first time.
Yeah.
Who are we kidding? There's no meat in here.
We've checked everything.
[breathes deeply.]
No, no way, I cannot do that.
Mm-mmm.
No, please do that.
[Generationals' "Black Lemon" playing.]
I let my old life tie me to the tracks I heard my best friend tell me You can never go back I spent my long years Learning to get out of the way I have been taught to turn the other cheek I get my back stabbed, buddy, to the end of the week I only try to make it to the end of the day I've seen it break so many before I don't wanna stick around here and watch anymore - Mmm.
- Oh.
Yo, this one looks bunk.
Well, it's not.
It's Emerson's Alloy.
Uh, alloy's rusting.
How do you know? 'Cause I know things.
Like this place-- What? It's a gold mine.
Look, you can't run away from you.
And, well, I'm here, and I'm amazing, so I mean-- [laughs.]
I'll take it under advisement, okay? Hey.
No, leave us alone.
Gladly, we just-- we've got to discuss, um-- There you are, Quentin and Alice, and Penny and Kady.
You're exactly who I was looking for.
I found the most interesting thing buried in our woods.
Follow me.
We never got near the mirror, I swear.
We were studying, that's all.
What language even is this? Yes, I mean, sure, I touched it.
We all touched it.
I mean, I touched-- [stuttering.]
We were studying, so-- Look, I'm just trying to make sense of this.
There's residue all over this book, including a summoning we believe opened the door to The Beast.
What did you say? Nothing, I-- Don't look at me.
[sighs.]
Look, I know they're your friends.
[scoffs.]
Okay, at this point, I just have to assume it was all of you.
Yeah, well, it wasn't.
Shut up and I'll tell you, happily.
It's fine, let's go.
You're welcome, by the way.
What does that mean? Quentin, can I see you, please? Alice, you're free to go.
There's nothing I can do in this moment to stop the comet from crashing into the earth, is there? Hold on.
Uh, what is this? My books.
I'm headed to return them.
You've heard, I assume.
Word travels fast when your life's over.
Don't say that.
They're bringing in a Specialist.
Yeah, thanks.
Ominous.
I'm sorry.
I don't know, I keep trying to tell myself this is somehow better, you know, not to know.
'Cause who would want to know that--that magic exists if there's nothing you can do about it, you know, if there's no one to teach you or help you.
Idon't know what to say.
Of course you don't, because nobody would rather not know.
You don't see color and want to go black and white.
[sighs.]
You do not have to make me feel better, we-- really, we basically just met each other.
Well, I bond fast.
Time is an illusion.
Look, don't go out there and be the old you.
How, Eliot? I go back there, and I'm I'm a depressed super nerd.
How about I find you, and I don't say magic is real, but I do seduce you, and so lift your spirits that life retains its sparkle for decades.
Yeah, that sounds nice.
Thank you.
Okay.
Is there any way not to get wiped? I don't know.
I've heard of the Specialist, and all I can say is, I hear they're very good.
[depositing coins.]
[dialing numbers.]
[line trills.]
This is Julia, little busy.
Leave a message.
[beeps.]
Hey, it's Q.
Look, I know when we last met that-- I'm sorry, Jules.
I am.
I didn't know it, what it must be like for you, and I-I, um, I hope that you are doing better.
[grunts.]
Oh, my God, you're just going for it.
- Ugh.
- [grunting.]
Um, so I got expelled and they are sending in a Specialist because the local brain wipe guy is dead and--long story.
Um-- So if you remember or you figured out why it didn't work on you, I'd like to know that about now because I need you to remind me that magic is real.
Oh, yeah.
[laughing.]
Yeah.
You know, without Brakebills, it's just, I'm lost and you're not.
Magic, oh ho.
Okay.
Let's find a way out of this shit hole.
You can't help and I can't help you, and it's just-- [beeps.]
To send your message, press one.
To erase, press two.
[long tone.]
Deleted.
Hey! Ho, ho, ho, you little piece of shit.
- You ratted me out.
- I told the truth.
- Not all of it.
- Oh, am I a fool? - [groans.]
- Apparently not.
- Get off! - Yeah, that's what I thought.
[groans.]
What the hell was that, you maniac? Hey! Step back, both of you! Who shot off that spell? - He did! - I did.
Infirmary, both of you, now.
Figured it out.
The spell, or, you know, the whole point, that there isn't one-- not to get out of the room, not to keep the door locked, nada.
Cute, Pete.
Oh, and scissors make a shitty screw driver, by the way.
Good for you.
Now you get why it was so important.
To almost die for no reason? To figure out that not everything gets solved by magic.
Key fact if you want to last the month.
You're not still debating letting me into your club, are you? Hey, I invited you.
No, you attacked me in a bar, in the bathroom, on my birthday.
I'm done trying to prove myself to you.
You weren't.
You were trying to prove yourself to me.
That means level 50.
Um Uh, wait, s-so you were-- Top bitch in New York, for starters.
Um, and this was-- Me discovering how much I like you.
You are smart.
You're passionate.
You question things.
You messed with my head! Think about how much you learned about how to do that for when you're level 50.
[scoffs.]
- Hey, don't be mad.
- Don't be mad.
How am I supposed to trust you? Why would you ever trust anyone? I am willing to teach the right people everything I know, and I know a lot, because I have certain connections in certain places, just like, for instance, Brakebills.
Brakebills.
You want a drink? Let's get a drink.
Might burn a little.
This is why you're not supposed to throw this kind of magic around.
If you're lucky I can fix this.
You're lucky you're not expelled.
Yeah, so lucky.
Ooh.
That's actually-- [sucks in air.]
[screams.]
Hold still, please.
[groaning.]
[whimpering.]
- Pussy.
- Nobody asked you.
Me, the guy you threw battle magic at? Hey, have you heard of karma? Well, sometimes it's instant.
You're welcome.
What is that? How--how did you-- Real Magicians protect themselves.
Would somebody please sign him out of here? [laughs.]
[sighs.]
She's late.
She's coming.
Or she's just done with your shit.
She doesn't have the option.
Finally.
Hey, look, that thing you wanted, that charm or crystal or whatever? The Emerson's Alloy Repellant? Yeah, this guy I was with, he grabbed it.
Look, I'll find you another one, okay? And more.
Here.
There's a ton of good shit in there.
Hmm, listen to all that backpedaling.
I'll get it, okay? Whatever you want.
I'll find you another one.
Great.
You're a sweet girl, Kady.
You're a heartless bitch.
I'm generous with you, considering.
Get me everything on this list, this week.
Thanks so much.
You better get back to bed, hon.
I'm sure you got class in the morning.
- Hi.
- Oh.
Caught me where I'm not meant to be, a terminal snooper.
How are you, Quentin? I heard about the attack.
You--you were--you were there the day of the alumni interview.
I-- You were a paramedic.
Call me Eliza.
I was there that day to make sure that you got here.
Oh.
Well, uh, thank you, but I kind of screwed that up.
Um They're calling in a Specialist.
He's supposed to wipe it all away like it never happened.
That sounds-- Hmm.
You know, I'm the Specialist? Sorry.
Shall we sit? Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Um, just before, um, can I-- Why did you give me that book? "Fillory and Further," book six.
I thought you'd appreciate it.
I lost it.
Guess I was wrong.
No, you're not, I-- I need to read it.
I just, I can't find it.
Things with "Fillory" are funny that way.
Is "Fillory" real? Why even ask if you'll just forget it again? The books, they're just-- They always felt realer than anything.
Then it's real.
That's not a real answer.
Shall we begin? - Okay, do it.
- [chuckles.]
Oh, Quentin, I am pleased! What? Why? You're a much better liar than I expected you to be.
Can I level with you? I wish you would.
You're not very remarkable.
You're smart, but no genius.
You do magic, but nothing special.
And the worst is, you're so eager to belong, you even forget why you're here.
Why am I here? You dreamed of it, didn't you, "Fillory," before the attack, like a warning? Yeah, did you-- how did you? Because I've dreamed of it too.
And I've looked into that Beast's eyes.
What? Do you think you have a destiny? Um, yes.
Yeah.
I used to believe that crap too when I was young.
There is no destiny, no born heroes.
I can't tell you why-- why The Beast came sniffing for you.
There's no reason it should be you.
You can either step up to it or not, it's up to you.
We'll just hope for the best.
Who are you? Just another inadequate Magician who's lost people.
So will you if you don't get strong.
Learn fast, any means necessary.
Which is why I'm so pleased to see you sitting there like you don't have an Emerson's in your pocket to repel any spell to wipe your mind.
You stole that.
Who stole it? Relax, nobody's taking your mind today.
We'll make something of you yet.
I'll tell the school one more chance, probation.
They'll respect my call.
Don't make me regret it.
Don't hop back on the garden path like some little lemming, or I'll erase everything and start you over entirely, for your own good.
The garden path? Everything's connected.
Don't over-think it.
[buzzer.]
[indie rock music playing.]
[tattoo machine buzzing.]
Congratulations, Julia.
Big day.
First star.
First of many.
Yeah.
This is just the beginning.
[tattoo machine buzzing.]
And, and you said they wouldn't Have to drive too far [music fades out.]
Hope your bits are covered.
Coming in.
How are you, Henry? I'm sorry.
I knew he'd come, but I swear I didn't know so soon.
No one is ready.
We need more time, and a teacher with full use of his hands.
There's that new wrinkle.
I'll find a way to help you.
We'll heal your hands and your eyes.
It wouldn't help us.
It wouldn't help them, would it? This is all my fault.
This is your problem, that you should solve! [grunts.]
Quentin, Penny, they're not built for this.
I know, and I've tried.
Go back there.
You say that like I could hop a bus.
Find a way back.
Find The Beast.
Kill him.
[scoffs.]
If I could manage that, we'd be sharing a drink right now, not a care in the world and four good eyes between us.
I'm sorry.
Just tell me what else I can do.
All we can do is make them Magicians.
- That's not enough.
- I know.
[upbeat music.]
Gonna just keep this BBQ poppin', my love.
[both laughing.]
Oh, man.
[indistinct chattering.]
- Ha ha! - [laughs.]
Quentin! [laughs.]
- Get over here.
- Quentin.
- Come on! - Come on! Join the party, sad sack.
Hurry up.
- Mm.
- Oh, my God, it's not like we have all day.
We're so drunk.
Okay, we have all day.
[both laughing.]