Episode Recap: Acting Dean

Eliot and Margo head back to Fillory -- where apparently the other Apocalypse looms?

After intel from Todd — yes, Todd — Julia thinks that Fillory is at risk. She tells Margo and Eliot, who head there to check in on the Dark King thing. Eliot is trying to suss out if he is an evil Dark King or an OK Dark King.

In Whitespire, Eliot and Margo learn that Bick Pickwick, the Dark King’s Chief Advisor, hates talking animals and creatures that are non-human. Soon after, the Dark King says the Takers are gathering and the kingdom needs gold. Evil Pickwick says he can get gold from the Fairies, who hoard it. Eliot suggests diplomacy. The Dark King asks Eliot to accompany Pickwick to the Fairy encampment.

Margo heads to the forest and finds Fen with the Fairies, where she fills her in. This generation of Fairies has a different version of High King Margo’s legacy. They don’t believe that Margo is an ally. Fen convinces Margo to build trust with them, so Margo washes their feet as an act of apology. It doesn’t go well, and quickly turns into an argument. As it escalates, a bunny arrives: “They’re coming! Run! Hide!”

Margo hides with the Fairies and then stealths into her Centurion wardrobe and blends in with the soldiers. Bic Pickwick “finds” gold that he planted in one of their tents and brings it back to the Dark King. Eliot remarks that the gold smells like shit. Pickwick goes back to his room and opens a secret compartment. Shady Pickwick! Inside there are beetles with gold. Gold shitting beetles! Not so extinct, after all.

Eliot fills in the Dark King and Pickwick is taken away. The Dark King thanks Eliot for helping him. Charlton and Eliot walk away — Charlton is sure the Dark King is bad news.

In the end one of the Fairies shows Margo, Fen, Eliot and Charlton what’s going on. They see the Dark King throw gold down a ravine. He casts a magic spell and the gold disappears, then Takers emerge from the Earth. The Dark King isn’t scared, but rather appears to be conjuring them. Oh, man!

Penny, Alice and Julia have trouble at Brakebills

Penny goes to Brakebills where, in his absence, he has been voted in as Acting  Dean. The security system that Fogg set up has gone haywire and is hurting people. They give him the bad news and a key. Good luck, Penny!

Dean Adiyodi is faced with a bunch of student problems. There are a lot of grievances and he is NOT into it. Alice shows up and they discuss how it’s impossible to do magic because the circumstances have changed. Penny spots a “For Emergencies Only” button in Fogg’s desk and he, Alice and Julia decide to use it. They press it and … nothing happens?

Then Fogg shows up in the Dean’s office and says he wants a drink. Guess he’s not sober anymore. He asks Penny for an update. Alice alters circumstances so they can cast, and Fogg can deactivate his security system with the master key.

Julia tells Penny she’s planning to go to Fillory. She wants to save the world again. Penny asks when it will be enough. In the library, Alice realizes the circumstances have changed again and Fogg should not disable the security system. As Penny and Julia argue, the school goes into lockdown. They are trapped.

Fogg gets to the Cottage and tells Penny and Julia that Alice’s circumstances didn’t work and they should stay put. Fogg and Todd grab materials and leave. Julia thinks they are acting suspiciously. Penny doesn’t want to follow them. Julia does, so she dashes off and he follows.

Alice is in a library with a professor candidate named Hamish Bats (spelling?), who is interviewing for a Botany job. They are also trapped. He dismantles wards on the door so they can leave and is injured. They head to the greenhouse to look for healing plants.

Julia and Penny wander through a blood-spattered Brakebills and spot Todd. He acts evasive and when he goes to leave he explodes. Oops. Landmine. Then another Todd appears.

Alice and Hamish make it to the greenhouse and she works to heal the wound on his arm. He spots a special box that can set specific circumstances. Alice thinks this might be a good fix for magic. She casts a spell onto a piece of paper and makes it fly, sending Fogg a note.

Todd tells Julia and Penny that Other Todd tied him up and locked him in a closet. It’s a Todd from another timeline. Julia asks if Fogg is also from another timeline. Todd describes Foggs; Turns out, they’re dealing with “Psycho Fogg” from Timeline 17.

Fogg is with Alice and Hamish in the greenhouse. Penny and Julia show up and warn them about Psycho Fogg. He starts to battle. Fogg wants Cinnabar — a magical ingredient Penny has — in order to take all of Brakebills back to Timeline 17. Penny pretends to go for Fogg’s bribes and defeats him.

Penny puts Fogg in the clean room. He’s imprisoned on campus. Alice thinks magic is off — maybe because the moon is mad at them? She’s going to hit the library and look into it. Julia is still heading to Fillory and she says goodbye to Penny.