By Patrick Schmaltz

Hey look! They are not all dead. The season one finale left on a huge cliffhanger. Quinten, Penny, Margo, Eliot, Alice, and Julia all went guns blazing after the Beast and got rocked like a hurricane only to not be completely wiped out thanks to double crossing Julia who made a deal with the devil (aka the Beast, aka Martin Chatwin)

.

From the season two trailers we knew how they were not all dead. The explanations seemed pretty simple and a little weak, but I can move past that. This episode seems to be mostly about where season two is headed. Penny gets his hands fixed but they are cursed–or something–by “Crazy Healing River Man.” Julia gets offered a way to cover up her post-rape emotional damage, but is so far resisting. Q, Alice, Margo and Eliot have become the Kings and Queens of Fillory (which is revealed in an hilarious 90’s trivia scene) so, Eliot stays behind while the rest go back to Brakebills in search of the missing Fillory armory books.

It seems like a good start to the second season. They’ve set up some storylines and hinted at directions the characters will go this season. The show continues to be dark and humorous. Fillory continues to be crazy and unpredictable, and I am fully excited for more! Also, is that healer lady in the beginning of the episode going to come back and fuck everything up for Q?