The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 17 Review

Victims of Carnamagos

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 17 made me reflect on the whole Carnamagos incident. Was I, and most of the characters, wrong in thinking that someone at the college is evil? Is there actually a culprit? Or, is there a first victim of the Testament, instead?

Elias brought up an interesting point when he commented on Carnamagos’s actions. He said they seemed inefficient and rushed. And as proof, he pointed out that Carnamagos could have sapped all of Chise’s magical energy, but didn’t. That hints at something being wrong.

Either the person using the Testament doesn’t have full control over it. Or, Carnamagos was rushed for some reason. And one reason I can think of is if it’s fighting someone for control. What if the Testament wasn’t stolen by someone? What if the Testament itself manipulated someone into taking it?

This would explain a lot. For starters, it would explain why Carnamagos’s attacks are inefficient. It would also explain why the Testament was “stolen.” And, it explains why none of those attacked so far have died. Whoever Carnamagos is controlling is fighting back against its effects in some way.

This person doesn’t want to kill the students and teachers at the college. But, who is this person? There have been a lot of suspects throughout the season. Philomela, Lizbeth, the werewolves, Zaccheroni, and Violet are some who come to mind. And, it’s possible that some of these are involved in some way.

I’ll explain my current theory about the Carnamagos incident later on in this review. But, for now, it appears that Philomela, Lizbeth, and potentially Veronica are behind it. And, of course, if anyone’s actually to blame, it would be Lizbeth. Philomela and Veronica may themselves be victims.

Magic Tomatoes

Let’s go in a different direction for a bit. What was up with the tomato harvesting scene? Why was it there? Why are those tomatoes growing on trees? Are they even tomatoes at all? And, will whatever these fruits are be relevant later on?

The easiest question to answer is, “Why are the tomatoes growing on trees?” As we’re told, it’s probably the result of magic. That’s all there is to it. And, this leads into the question, “Are they even tomatoes at all?” Well, nobody comments on them not tasting like tomatoes. So, I guess they are.

Will the tomatoes come up again in the series? My assumption is that they will. We know these are magic tomatoes of some kind. So, I could see them ending up being the solution to the Carnamagos problem. Maybe those who eat these tomatoes regain their magical energy.

With that said, I don’t think the main reason for including this scene was to set up the tomatoes being important. If that ends up happening, fine. But, there’s a bigger reason to include this otherwise out-of-place scene. It’s in character for both Chise and Elias.

Think of all the other times we saw them in their garden at home. And, remember when the college first went into lockdown? Chise was worried about getting back home in time for the harvest. So, the biggest thing this scene did was reinforce what’s important to Chise and Elias.

It’s easy to overlook details like that, both as an author and as a viewer. Could the scene have been skipped? Sure. But, including it makes the characters feel more real. Real people have likes and interests unrelated to the “main plot.” And as viewers, we should take the time to appreciate that.

Philomela and Veronica

It’s time to get back on track. Who’s responsible for the Carnamagos incident? My number one answer is Lizbeth, Philomela’s grandmother. It’s not confirmed that she’s to blame. But, she certainly has the motive, history, and personality. Though, “responsible” might be a bit too strong of a word to use here.

She could be responsible if she got Philomela to do something. Remember, she tried to pull Philomela out of the college right after the incident began. So, was this her trying to get Philomela and the Testament out before the lockdown? It seems likely.

However, she may not be responsible for the incident starting. Instead, it could be that Carnamagos itself started the incident. And if that’s the case, Lizbeth could simply be capitalizing on it. If she heard about the Testament being stolen, she’d want in on it.

How does removing Philomela from the college help Lizbeth, though? Well, if Carnamagos infected Philomela, someone can probably extract it. If Lizbeth does that, she’d be able to use Carnamagos for her own gain. And, we know she has a history of doing things like that.

In case you forgot, she seems to be the one who hired the werewolves to carry out the Webster Tragedy. And, what’s the assumed reason for the Webster Tragedy happening? Someone wanted to get their hands on the spiders so they could reproduce banned books.

It all points back to Lizbeth, regardless of whether she initiated the incident.

Where does Veronica come in? Well, at the end of Episode 17, we saw Philomela’s fear of Veronica. It was sheer terror. Why would she be so afraid of Veronica? Well, it might be that Veronica is currently the vessel of Carnamagos. And Philomela might be able to feel that somehow.

Final Thoughts

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 17? Do you think the Testament of Carnamagos is behind its own theft? Did you appreciate the tomato harvesting scene? And, why do you think Philomela was so scared of Veronica at the end? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 18 is available now.