The Fairies Invade
The Magicians (2017)
YouTube captions are often inaccurate. The transcript below is verified for accuracy.
Characters
Eliot
Fen
Margo a.k.a. Caligula
Transcript
[Margo]
Democracy has to take a back seat. Without magic, the people are terrified. And that is just one step from an angry mob.
[Eliot]
And that's how royal heads end up in baskets. I get it. I get it.
[Margo]
This is an undereducated, pre-industrial populace, Eliot. They need to be ruled.
[Eliot]
They need to be inspired.
[Margo]
They need to think they're being inspired as they're being ruled. I'm talking curfew, martial law, conscription, and severe and public punishment.
[Eliot]
Okay. Can we maybe make our way to king and queen Caligula, please? Maybe uh—
[Fen]
How did you not recognize me? I'm the king's wife! Tell them!
[Eliot]
Oh my god.
Are you okay?
[Fen]
Yes.
[Eliot]
How did you get here?
[Fen]
Simple. I just gave them my toes.
[Eliot]
Gave who your toes?
[Margo]
The fairies.
[Fen]
I wanted to stay. To be close to our daughter, but I had to warn you. They're coming.
[Margo]
They're here.
Clip Context
While Margo and Eliot argue over the best way to rule the kingdom, Fen arrives after escaping inprisonment and warns them that the fairies are going to invade the kingdom.
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Vocabulary
Read each word out loud.
martial law
/ˌmɑːrʃəl ˈlɔː/
noun
a situation in which the military takes control of the government and normal laws are replaced or suspended, usually during an emergency or crisis
Example:
After the unrest spread across the capital, the government declared martial law.
curfew
/ˈkɜːrfjuː/
noun
a rule that says people must stay indoors after a certain time, usually for safety or security reasons
Example:
Because of the storm, the town set a 10 p.m. curfew for all residents.
populace
/ˈpɒpjələs/
noun
all the people who live in a particular country or area; the general public
Example:
The new policy was widely welcomed by the populace.
pre-industrial
/ˌpriː ɪnˈdʌstriəl/
adjective
relating to the time before a country or society developed large-scale industries or machines
Example:
In pre-industrial societies, most people worked in agriculture.
democracy
/dɪˈmɒkrəsi/
noun
a system of government in which people choose their leaders by voting, and everyone has the right to take part in decisions about how the country is run
Example:
Many citizens believe that voting is an important way to protect their democracy.
take a back seat
/teɪk ə ˈbæk ˌsiːt/
idiom
to become less important or less of a priority; to be given a lower level of attention so that something else can be dealt with first
Example:
Our long-term plans will have to take a back seat while we deal with this urgent crisis.
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Lesson updated:
January 1, 2026
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