The Fight for Oz begins as the battle lines are drawn. On one side is the Wizard, on the other is the Witches, and Dorothy is caught in the middle.

Spoilers coming for you and your little dog too!

Executive Order

Under the guise of protecting his people from illness, the Wizard has his guards round up all the young women in Emerald City to find witches. Eamonn warns the Wizard his actions are frightening the people to which the Wizard responds “people don’t revolt when they’re scared, they revolt when they’re angry, or if they think I’ve lost control.”

Needing someone to help find witches, the Wizard goes to a strung-out West for help. The guilt of sending her sisters to death in the battle against The Beast Forever has taken its toll on the Cardinal Witch, but redemption is at hand. West sees the Wizard’s request as an opportunity to protect her new sisters from both Glinda and the Wizard. She has the ruler of Emerald City promise not to harm the girls and allow her to have them. Even through the poppy haze, West should have seen the Wizard’s promise was false.

In the second raid, two guards find a young witch. As they corner her, she makes a building explode. The Wizard assumes the girl died along with his men. West knows better as she walks through the flaming wreckage and comes out unharmed with the girl. The Wizard brings in a cage to cart the young witch away. Realizing he never intended to keep his promise, West creates a magical barrier in the ground in an attempt to protect the girl.

The next morning, the Wizard gathers his people in the square and returns the quarantined girls to their families, then spreads his propaganda. He tells the people his high council gave their lives to defeat the witch and the witches are the newest reincarnate of the Beast Forever. In flashbacks, we see the Wizard actually chained the high council together and pushed them into the pit West created, killing them and exhausting the young witch to the point of near death.

West takes the young witch and ends her suffering. Tip offers the dagger Jack stole from Mombi as a quick way to end the girl’s life, but West recognizes the weapon. It belonged to King Pastoria, the ruler of Oz, and was handed down to his daughter Ozma.

They Came First

Lucas, Sylvie, and Dorothy reach a farmhouse to stay the night in on their way North as Dorothy convinces Sylvie to remove her earplugs and helps her cope with the onslaught of noise. That night, Lucas tells Dorothy she is going to have to give up Sylvie as she “belongs to Glinda.” But she doesn’t want to send the young girl to a witch who would train her for a war. She confesses to Lucas the deal she made with the Wizard. She made the deal because she doesn’t want her and Lucas to not be on the same side. Lucas reassures her he will always fight for her.

The next morning, Dorothy decides she is going to Glinda alone and convince the witch to not go to war with the Wizard. If she can do that, then the Wizard will send her home. Lucas is not happy since both he and Sylvie have come to love Dorothy. She argues she needs to get back to her aunt and uncle, “they came first.” Hearing the argument, Sylvie starts to flip the farm house around on its side. The thought of Dorothy leaving her sent Sylvie into a trance and only comes out of it when Dorothy promises to take Sylvie with her to Kansas. Realizing she doesn’t have to leave them behind, Dorothy offers Lucas a chance to come with her too.

The possible happy ending doesn’t last long when the trio arrive at the Northern palace. Glinda is please Dorothy has returned her Lowen and the girl, then plants a kiss on a shocked Lucas. His memory is restored and he returns the witch’s kiss as a very confused Dorothy looks on. Lowen asks Glinda to forgive Dorothy even though she is working for the Wizard since she aided him in Nimbo and Emerald City. Lucas turns to Dorothy and echoes her words back to her, “they came first.”

Grief and Oil

The Queen Langwidere is still wrapping her head around her grief and new role as ruler when she lashes out at Jack and throws him out of her carriage in the middle of nowhere, then continues to Ev. Jack stumbles into a puddle of water and begins to rust. That evening, the Queen returns to the immobilized Jack with some oil and begins to inappropriately rub the lubricant on the young man’s body.

Back in Ev, the two converse in her room. Langwidere goes to remove her mask, she wants someone to see her for who she really is. Jack stops her and assures her he sees her. The two kiss and Langwidere begins to undress for him.

Thoughts and Questions

The romance between Langwidere and Jack really creeps me out. She may act like a spoiled brat, but she looks like she is in her 20’s, Jack looks 16 at best.

I knew from the beginning Tip was Ozma. In the books, she was sent to Mombi by the Wizard to keep her from taking the throne. Eventually she becomes a girl again with the help of Glinda and takes back Oz. With how much the story has changed in the series, what will the true ruler of Oz do with West at her side?

Only three episodes left in Emerald City and much of the conflict has been set, but what is Dorothy to do now she has lost her Lucas? Where will she fall in the Battle for Oz?

Till next week!

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About the author: The Nerdling has an unhealthy obsession with books, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Star Wars. She finds hockey to be the best sport in the world (Go Dallas Stars!) and is working on her first novel, but mostly glowers at a blank screen. You can find her on Twitter @nerdlingstale