5. "A Lost Sage" Episode Review (MIXED)
"Blah blah blee blah. "Old Magic is sacred." What's the sacred part, slab? Sweating into plants instead of going to lunch?" - Amaryllis, asking this question to Sage
"Yeah." - Thyme, agreeing with Amaryllis above
"Yeah?! Yeah?!" - Sage, wondering why Thyme is agreeing with her
"I didn't bully her." - Thyme, when the others confront her for making Sage cry
I am aware that the actual title of this episode is "A Lost Cause," but "A Lost Sage" sounds a lot better. Not only that, but I will also refer to "old magic" as "traditional," and "new magic" as "modern" to avoid repetition.
Either way, the episode best demonstrates how silly the show's writing is. It seems that, at worst, High Guardian Spice is just so clumsily written, it becomes funny and cute, which is why I like the episode. However, it is also infamous among the show's critics due to how Sage behaves, and I completely understand their criticisms.
Sage, who is caught between the two worlds of old magic and new magic, must use the latter for a "pruning" assignment that Professor Redbud gives. Students must light a plant and then cut the stem. While this is technically (and literally) the entire assignment, an old magic user like Sage cannot complete it.
At first, I thought there is no way she can't light it, until I realized that the plants are probably resistant to old magic. This is the only explanation for why it is difficult, if not impossible for Sage to do the assignment. This shows that old magic is obsolete against something as basic as plants.
That being said, Professor Redbud's assignment is bizarre and unconventional; and a class on botany is not sufficient to demonstrate the futility or weakness of old magic. She explains that new magic can summon and do anything more quickly and with more power. As a result, it streamlines magic; and because of its name, it is also a recent development in the show's universe.
However, those are all the differences between old and new; and the most her students need to do with new magic is, light a plant. The episode does not elaborate any further, and this would be more acceptable if magic wasn't a crucial element of High Guardian Spice.
If new magic is vastly superior, then it would be a much more pressing issue at the academy. It would, and should, shift the entire curriculum of the school. To an extent, it does, but barely. Carroway states that old magic is the foundation for new magic, but Redbud's class exclusively requires the latter.
It would also cause sweeping changes across Lyngarth and the world; but because this doesn't really happen, there is no difference at all. New magic could be an allegory for new technology; but even then, you will never really understand it.
The episode wanted to show Sage losing faith in old magic as the entire world begins adopting new magic. She, fighting for a lost cause, is exactly why the title is specifically named after her, especially when it's heavily implied that she is the only student that uses old magic.
In the previous episode, she claims that other students taunt her over using traditional magic; but this happens in the background. Because of this, it doesn't seem like Sage's frustration with modern magic, and her life at High Guardian reaches its boiling point.
In order to show the conflict she is facing, the hostility against her must be intensified and demonstrated on-screen, even if it might cause discomfort for some viewers. This involves other students stealing her hat, openly mocking her, and maybe yanking her ponytail. This way, she will have a better reason for crying when Amaryllis asks her why old magic is sacred.
While it is nice of Sage to honor old magic, she doesn't explain why it is worth honoring, let alone using. This is a major reason why High Guardian critics specifically dislike, if not hate her as a character, as well as what she does in the later episode "Crushing Obstacles."
The most likely explanation is that she would like to honor tradition, but this is pure speculation. You will never know why she believes old magic is sacred; and if the world is shifting to a new standard, then surely there would be other old magic users just like her that feel the same way as she does.
However, I weirdly like the episode because of Sage. What probably doesn't help is that she is the character I am most similar to, at least when I was younger. The irony is, she might be smart, but also naive. This is crucial because she and the girls are at a bizarre age where they are not necessarily children, but not necessarily adults.
The second part of "Festival of Fall" reveals that she grew up in the countryside of Witch Country. It is also a minor explanation for why her mother is conservative - people who live in rural areas tend to be conservative. I'm also assuming that Pebble, Sage's hometown, still uses old magic.
For these reasons, I'm under the impression that she was sheltered as a child, if not protected all her life. After all, her mother has done everything she could to prevent her from using new magic.
I also wouldn't be surprised if she is homesick and simply unable to cope with her new life at High Guardian Academy. Although this does trigger the question of why her mother would send her there to begin with.
But as a result, she is unable to articulate any defense for traditional magic when someone challenges it. While I am critical of safe spaces, Sage is not an adult; and I'm surprised that critics didn't point out that she runs into one. Although what doesn't help is that she doesn't actually cry when she storms off; she actually laughs, and I find it cute. The same applies for when she says the second "yeah" in the girliest tone possible.
At the end of the episode, Sage and Amaryllis do not fight each other; instead, it's frogs (or grogs) flooding the room while Parnelle and Slimeboy are trapped in bubbles; so it's a very silly way for Sage to confront her conflict. Beyond this, Rosemary and Parsley make Thyme, and not Amaryllis, apologize to her.
Sage is upset with Thyme because she agreed with her worst adversary, who had quickly antagonized with her in the second episode "Disorientation Day." However, Thyme is still rightfully confused over why she has to make an apology; because admittedly, it is unfair that she and Amaryllis were unable to go to lunch due to Sage's (rather childish) stubbornness.
But everything about this scene and its context is just so goofy, it's hard to take seriously. Adding to this is how Parsley successfully coerces Thyme just by saying her name. In the end, Sage succeeds in using new magic after Thyme believes in her. Afterwards, they reconcile.
I didn't mention the B plot because it's just Rosemary and Parsley having to write an essay with Snapdragon; and while it is nice to see a continuation of Rosemary's animosity with Snapdragon, it's not really important. But I do love her passionate energy in finding her best friend. Not only that, but the main plot somewhat ends the conflict between them. They do not antagonize again afterwards.
The writing for this episode so lost, I actually enjoy it. In another bizarre twist, this has been my absolute favorite episode to review, even though it was far more difficult to write about than any of the last few reviews. Maybe I like the episode for the wrong reasons, but I still understand what High Guardian critics are talking about, and it demonstrates how bad (or clumsy) the world-building is.
As much as Sage has a fair (or even ugly) amount of criticisms against her, she is more or less the symptom or bad writing, and not the cause.
When Sage loses it
previous episode review: Past Present
next episode review: Crushing Obstacles