Second Citadel - The World to Come (Part 3) is an episode of the Penumbra Podcast in the Second Citadel series. It is the 14th Second Citadel episode of season 5 and the 26th overall episode. It is the final Second Citadel episode.
Overview[]
Given but one short and precious life, what world will you bring to bear?
Trigger Warnings[]
- Military action
- Gunfire and weaponry
- Sudden loud noises
- Death and injury
- Violence and threats of violence
- Violence and significant harm towards children
- Deception
- Abuse of authority
- Body horror
- Self-harm/self-destruction
- Fire
- Sexism and xenophobia
Episode Summary[]
The episode begins with Olala grieving Sir Lamorak. She is in denial of his death, and compares it to losing Sister Tiilei and the rest of her family. Caroline comforts her, but Olala just snaps at her. She knows that Lam and Caroline kept something from her. Caroline relents and tells her what Sylvie of Hiberna said at the Hibernan Witches Camp, that either Caroline kills Olala and saves the Universe, or she dooms the Universe by sparing her. Olala is disturbed by this, and feels the need to sacrificing herself, which Caroline speaks against strongly. She says that she would rather let a hundred Universes die than live in one that would accept killing Olala.
The two head further into the body of the Universe itself. The walls turn from stone to a more flesh-like material, and they see colourful crystals lining the walls. The crystals give off faint light, and have shadows moving inside of them. Caroline compares it to the Mirrored Plains, and believes them to be illusions. One of the crystals becomes loose and pops out of the wall and smashes, injuring Caroline. It contains a vision of Sister Tiilei, which speaks to Olala and comments on how much she's grown up. This version of Tiilei grew old without Galahad having killed her. Caroline proposes that if the Mirrored Plains is where the Universe kept its trauma, then this must be where it keeps its hopes and wonderings.
Caroline accidentally smashes another crystal, which contains a vision of Lamorak in Silvershore, watching a parade with Olala. In this vision, they had stopped Sir Tristan before he destroyed the barrier around Silvershore, and him and Olala are thieves together. Another crystal is smashed, this time with a vision of Angelo. The shadows that escape from the crystal begin to coalesce and attack Caroline. Lots of crystals are destroyed, each with a vision of Olala's friends in a world where humans and monsters can live together.
The shadows once again attack Caroline, and Quanyii's magic protects her. The shadows become the vision of the hunter Caroline saw in the Mirrored Plains, a version of herself that does not care for Olala. Caroline defeats the hunter with the help of Olala. Caroline smiles down at Olala and says she feels at peace, before getting shot from behind.
The Hand shows up and threatens Olala with a gun against Carolines head. He demands she hand over the Saints' weapons. Caroline insists she doesn't. The Hand tries to shoot Caroline but Quanyii makes him miss. Quanyii attempts to restrain him, but his anti-magical weapon makes that difficult. Caroline repeats the mantra, "the work can only be done if you live to do it", and attacks the Hand. She takes him down, but he wasn't quite dead. He shoots Quanyii and Caroline before Caroline can finally kill him.
Quanyii and Caroline talk, with Caroline easily forgiving her for everything. Olala is distraught. Caroline tells her that travelling with her, Angelo and Ale was the best time of her life, but apologizes, because she knows it's not what Olala wanted. Olala says it was the best time of her life as well. As Olala continues on without them, Quanyii and Caroline cry and laugh in each others arms.
Brief fade to black.
Olala finds herself in a dark chamber that looks like the fish princess' palace again. There she finds the spirit of Saint Ferdinand, who speaks to her. He tells her that he's a fan of hers, and back when he was alive there were stories of a half-human half-monster changeling. Olala is honoured by this and tells him that The Second Citadel has many stories of him, as well. Ferdinand knows this, but is regretful of him and his brothers actions. He tells her that the palace became destroyed before he ever returned to it, and theorises that the Universe's guilt about him and his brother's actions may have caused the disaster. He tells her that the crevasse in the room leads to the heart of the Universe, and that she can find his slingshot in the shadows of the room. Olala investigates, and finds a child's bones with a broken leg next to the slingshot. When she turns around, Ferdinand is gone.
Olala throws the three Saints' weapons into the crevasse, but she hears that it wasn't enough, and The Off-Worlders are still bombing the battlefield above. She cries as she realizes she must sacrifice herself in order to save the Universe. She nearly makes a running start at the crevasse but can't quite follow through. She doesn't want to die alone. Then, she hears tail purr to comfort her. She remarks that she hasn't spoken to tail in a long time, and that perhaps the last time she did she was a child. Olala begs the Universe that she won't forget her friends this time, and steels herself to jump into the heart of the Universe.
Caroline, still with Quanyii, senses Olala die. She is utterly distraught, and curses Sylvie for her choice in not killing Olala not mattering in the end. Quanyii comforts her, saying that her choice did matter, because without her the Universe would have given up hope on humans and monsters living together in peace again. Quanyii gives Caroline some of her magic, to allow her to sense Olala's magic, and let her know she will be reborn again. They kiss, and die in each others arms.
Back on the battlefield, the Off-Worlders are repelled with magic and completely disappear. Damien exclaims that the battle has been won. Angelo worries about Lamorak, Caroline and Olala still being underground, before the fish princess' palace crumbles to the ground.
Brief fade to black.
Angelo is clearing away rubble around the palace. It has been a month, and he is in denial about Caroline, Lam and Olala passing, having convinced himself they're still under the rubble. Ale approaches him, and asks him to take a break. Angelo hesitantly agrees. Ale talks to him about how the monarchy has been abolished and the people of the Second Citadel have moved out to the surrounding villages. He says that losing people is hard, but you still have to move on. He points out that Caroline would be furious with Angelo for wasting his time like this. Angelo cries on Ale's shoulder, and laments that he has no use in a world of peace, but Ale disagrees. Just because Angelo's strength is less useful, doesn't mean people don't need him as a leader and an optimist. Ale then goes on to say that he needs Angelo, and asks if he wants to try again with him, even though he kept him waiting. Angelo kisses him, and happily agrees to be with him. They head north together.
Lord Arum, Rilla and Damien are preparing for another Petrichorus. Rilla remarks that there have been so many new and interesting magical phenomena since their battle a month ago that she's barely had time to go over her old research notes. As the Petrichorus begins, they each make a sacrifice on the altar. Damien gives up a poem he wrote for his loves, Rilla gives up some of her research notes from her first days in The Keep, and Arum gives up one of the first flower species he created with The Keep. They perform the same ritual they intended to in The Demonic Dance, but successfully this time, and ask for a child to represent their love together. When they finish, they see a seed-like egg has appeared on the altar, which hatches into a baby with flower petals and emerald eyes. Arum holds her, and they are all overwhelmed with their love for the child. They name her Hyacinth, and Rilla sings Meet Me By the River for her.
Marc and Talfryn meet up in the woods a month and a half after their battle. Things are still awkward between them. Marc realises he asked them to meet in the place where they first met Caroline when battling The Janus Beast. Marc tells Tal that he feels completely without purpose now that he knows he doesn't want to be a knight, and he wants to go on a journey to figure out what to do with his life. Talfryn says that he never really wanted to be a knight in the first place, and he was just interested in monsters and how they worked. Marc begins to apologize to Tal, but Tal had already forgiven him for everything, much to both of their relief. Tal asks Marc if he can join him on his journey, so that he can explore the world and meet new people, and decide what to do with his life. Marc points out that he could just make that his life's purpose. He asks Tal to decide where they go first, and they decide on The Western Wastes. As the two banter as they travel west, the Second Citadel theme fades out.
Cast and Crew[]
Cast[]
- Marge Dunn as Olala and Saint Ferdinand
- Leslie Drescher as Caroline
- Melissa DeJesus as Quanyii
- Benny W. Farr IV as The Hand
- M Stuherland as Angelo
- Anjimile as Ale
- Melissa Ennulat as Rilla
- Matthew Zahnzinger as Damien
- Noah Simes as Lord Arum
- Stefano Perti as Marc
- Jason Mellin as Talfryn
- Stewart Evan Smith as Sir Lamorak (uncredited)
- Kat Buckingham as Queen Mira and The Keep (uncredited)
- Kate Jones as The Keep (uncredited)
- Harley Takagi Kaner as Sister Tiilei (uncredited)
Crew[]
- Ginny D'Angelo as Head of Merchandise and Outreach
- Melissa DeJesus as Script editing team
- Harley Takagi Kaner as Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director and Sound designer
- Joelle Kross as Transcriptionist
- Noah Simes as Production manager
- Grahame Turner as Script editing team
- Kevin Vibert as Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer
- Ryan Vibert as Composer and performer of original music
- Jeff Wright as Graphic designer
Quotes[]
OLALA: Are you all right, Caroline? CAROLINE: More than “all right.” I feel... at peace.
I am so proud of you, O--SOUND: GUNSHOT
OLALA: These aren’t for you. You have enough weapons already. EMISSARY: “Enough?” That word has no place among the civilized. Energy, technology, weaponry — if we can use it, we should have it. Now. SOUND: GUN COCKING EMISSARY: Bring me those weapons, little girl... or my next bullet goes through this woman’s head.
CAROLINE: Superiors!
(LAUGHS)
No. Your technology may outclass our own. You may have aero-planes and armored wagons and explosions and cannons you hold in your hands. You may outnumber us a thousand to one. And once upon a time, you could, perhaps, have stopped me, as you stopped Galahad and Absolon. But against me now? Against a woman with a purpose and the will to see it through?EMISSARY: (SHOCKED, PAINED CHOKING) CAROLINE: You are hopelessly unarmed.
QUANYII: (SOBBING)
I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. If I came here faster... if I hadn’t driven you away... if I hadn’t burned you...CAROLINE: Shhh, my love. Shhh. All is forgiven. Anyone would buckle under that madness.
CAROLINE: When you find your home, however long it takes... promise me that you will not settle for anything less than you deserve. OLALA: I do, Caroline. I promise. CAROLINE: That’s my good girl. Now go.
OLALA: What happened here? The fish-princess’s palace... from the story I heard, I expected it to be beautiful. But it seems... abandoned. FERDINAND: Truthfully, I do not know. It was quite beautiful, once, when my brothers and I first set eyes upon it. But by the time I returned to right my third of our terrible wrong... it was in the state you see before you.
The Universe... I think it feels more than it thinks. Its trauma created the Eastern desert. I think its... disappointment may have caused this catastrophe. But perhaps that’s self-centered of me. To think my brothers and I could have disappointed the Universe enough to cause a natural disaster... I suppose I don’t know very much at all, no matter how many hundreds of years I’ve been down here. Some mysteries don’t like when you try to answer them.OLALA: I must ask you a question, Saint Ferdinand. I’m here because I need your slingshot. Something terrible is happening up above, and we need to— FERDINAND: Destroy it, yes. Along with my brothers’ hammer and harpoon. OLALA: You... knew? I don’t understand. You came all this way to return the slingshot, but you’re still here, and there’s— FERDINAND: And over these many years it has become clear to me that there remains no one to return it to. I was too late. And... alone. All alone. Sometimes... we must do what we can when the moment demands it, because a moment, like every one of us, dies far too soon.
OLALA: Just take a running start, Olala. Just run, and jump, and... the rest will happen on its own.
No! No, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!
(CRYING)
I can’t do it. I don’t want to die. I shouldn’t have to die. I don’t want to die down here all alone.TAIL: (PURRING) OLALA: ... Tail? Is that you? TAIL: (SOOTHING BURBLES) OLALA: It’s been so long. I didn’t even notice. Or... maybe it hasn’t been very long at all. I can’t tell. But I feel like the last time I spoke to you I was a child, and now... Silvershore happened, and then everything became so... so...
QUANYII: Your choice mattered, my Caroline. It made all the difference in the world. If you, the human who Olala trusted more than any other, had killed her... the Universe would have given up hope. It would never have tried our half-human-half-monster girl again. CAROLINE: Tried her again... then you think she’ll come back to life again someday? As she did before? QUANYII: The Universe thinks so. Only because you protected her, and loved her, and brought her here. If you had taken the easy way out, like I wanted to... there wouldn’t have been a future for her to come back to. Not one she could find a home in.
ANGELO: (SOBS) ALE: Let it out, Angelo. You don’t have to smile for me. Just let it out. ANGELO: It isn’t right. It isn’t just. I was prepared to die. This body, this strength... it has always been a weapon of war. I have no use in a world of peace. I could be discarded. But Olala... Caroline...
(SOBS)ALE: That’s not true. People still need you. I just came from a place where a lot of people need someone like you really badly. It’s just... not for your strength anymore. ANGELO: I am Angelo the Strong. There is nothing else. And still, it was not enough. ALE: Nah. ANGELO: ... What? ALE: Just... nah. That’s not true. And I’m not gonna pretend like it is. So.
DAMIEN: O, singing skies! O, rain that drums the very ground! Mark us, simple audience to your music, we small creatures who beg you unto encore and encore again! We stand in awe of your creative force, that which we call Petrichorus, and ask only for a drop of that creative force for a creation of our own...
... a child, formed from what each of us finds most precious! A living testament to our love, free of the burdens of tradition, that will survive even when two of us have passed!RILLA: Look! It’s growing! Something’s growing on the Altar! ARUM: The Shaping-Words are working, honeysuckle! Keep going! DAMIEN: From Rilla’s notes, may this child know curiosity about the world around her; from my poetry, may this child know beauty in all things; from Lord Arum’s bloom, may this child know life! Grant us this gift of creation, O Universe, that our love might take a physical form for us to further share our love with! After an age of darkness and death, let us usher in a new era with the birth of new life!
MARC: (SIGHS) Look, Tal, the other thing I wanted to say to you is... TALFRYN: You’re sorry? MARC: Uh... yeah. Uh, yeah, actually. But specifically for— TALFRYN: Killing all those monsters? MARC: Sure, right. And also—- TALFRYN: Listening to Tristan? MARC: Yeah, and— and-- TALFRYN: And Absolon? And Galahad? And not listening to me when I told you to stop? MARC: Yeah, wow, that’s... a lot, and also true. So. I just wanted to say— TALFRYN: You’re sorry, right, you said that. MARC: Uh, thanks. So. Think you can forgive me? TALFRYN: What? You’re my brother. And you’ve done a lot of good things since then. And you apologized. So of course I’ve forgiven you.
Trivia[]
- This episode is the first finale of The Penumbra Podcast.
- The final scene with Marc and Talfryn at the place where they met Caroline mirrors the very first episode of the Second Citadel, Head of the Janus Beast.