The Magicians 2015

[Note: This review is being written prior to the release of Season 4, for anyone who comes across it in the future. I don't know how the series will go from here, but this is my thoughts as of the end of Season 3.]

Until recently, Buffy had always topped my list of favourite shows. It was clever, fun, and maintained its plot well from episode to episode. I'm glad, though, that TV and movies seem to be growing as time goes on, able to talk about dark themes and being even more serial in nature.

So, when I came across The Magicians (and also American Gods, which I really hope pays off its potential), it quickly found its way into being my favourite show (well, maybe next to Kamen Rider but that's extremely niche). Not afraid to broach some truly dark subject matter (child molestation, rape, intense violence), while still maintaining the whimsy and charm that is common with the genre (a la Buffy). I was, and am, thoroughly impressed by the series.

As the series has gone on, the characters have become more likeable (particularly given that most of them start out as self-centered douchebags, but with enough character that it can be seen that there's really more to them than that). Even minor characters like Fen and Josh have thoughtful character arcs.

(Spoilers ahead, but kept mostly vague, for a more detailed exploration of why I love the series.)

The series can be a bit juvenile at time (plenty of sexualized jokes, such as the need to... imbibe a God's "bestowal", aka semen, to gain power), but I find it's handled reaasonably, though not necessarily tastefully. Still, I've never been one to mind a joke made in bad taste. On the flip side, it wholly delves into truly dark subject matter, not shying away from depicting a graphic rape (with literally all everything it can manage to do without nudity or actual depictions of sex), or making the audience sit through a truly uncomfortable build up to a boy being molested.

And the audience should be uncomfortable, these are uncomfortable topics, and the audience should be forced to feel even a fraction of the pain that the people in these sorts of situations have to feel, so that we can begin to empathize with how horrible they are.

Also, a later storyline sees a character rewarded and praised for accepting bestiality, due to the consideration that the animals involved are capable of speech, and thus intelligence and consent. I love this because the show doesn't just write off something complicated as 'taboo' and call it gross, it genuinely considers why something should be considered wrong, and doesn't demonize something just for being 'distasteful' by social standards. I wholly agree that while I'd never go "horse riding" myself, it's not really my place to decide it's wrong if the horse can give consent.

(Spoilers ended.)

The show has its flaws and cracks, but ultimately, nothing is flawless, but I say perfection is subjective; and this is as close to perfect, for me, as I've ever seen a show get.

The Magicians is the nerdiest, geekiest show I've seen in a very long time - which is appropriate for a show whose primary audience are nerds and geeks. The show is in essence a spiritual successor to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and not like some people want you to believe, to Harry Potter) and it has the same atmosphere of fun and quirkyness paired with soul-crushing drama.

Admittedly the plotlines take a few liberties here and there, which I guess can be explained away with "It's magic!", but that is not really what makes the show worth watching. It's the characters that grow so close to your heart that every re-watch of this show is like getting back together to hang out with your best friends. The characters and their developments in this show are truly phenomenal and each one is unique in their own way. It's truly rewarding every time to watch these people go through their lives.

Altogether all five seasons of this show are absolutely worth watching. They all tell more or less self-contained storylines (with some overarching plots here and there, especially between S1+2), and the show has a very nice, satisfying conclusion. The absolute highlight of the show is S3 though, which has one of the best segments I've ever seen in a TV show (Harriet's story... you'll know it when you see it).

This is a show I've watched 4 and 1/3 episodes of. I stopped 20 minutes into the 5th episodes because I realized I just didn't really care. I often think about shows that seem to be hindered by their network. It's what makes the CW all but unwatchable to me. With Syfy, I feel like you can feel the "nerdgasm" someone has in getting to create their "Harry Potter BUT FOR ADULTS!" show, that seems like a shallow nerd conception of the word "adult." Maybe it will help to describe in context with other Syfy shows. You can watch "Dark Matter" and think, "it's not Firefly, but the creators clearly loved Firefly and even tried to recycle an outfit." You can look at "The Expanse" and feel like it's a less epic "Battlestar Galactica" with a story line feeling complicated and hurried more than necessarily progressing. Maybe the term I'm looking for is "overwrought."

When a show starts to feel gimmicky, even fairly adequate actors start to feel hokey. The drama is supposed to come from your investment in them, not the "fantastic magical scenario!" meant to invigorate you like it might a child. Different cliches take over instead of someone's portrayal naturally playing into a mystique. "The wise old crazy-looking mentor" or course comes in to train the pupil who doesn't want his help but can't control his powers. A story told a million times, but with better dialogue and camerawork. The brainiac who shoots too high and gets burned. The aloof sort of overseer/guide. The seemingly authoritarian and know-how principal, yet this one never seems to find his teeth.

It could develop into something cool. The hedge witches with this outlaw style and shitty behavior could do more than pop in and out stealing things and being a marginal nuisance, but I don't think the show will think that deeply about them. Relationships could exist for more than two 3 minutes shots of intimacy before blowing up as if we're really that invested already or understand some complex array of discussions had off screen. The main character who never seems to have a personality unless it's being directed or fucked with by someone else around him gets exhausting looking for opportunities to really root for him.

This feels like another attempt at "capitalize on the fervor." Adults are loud and proud about how they grew up with Harry Potter, so make a magic show! And if you're particularly or easily entertained by magic-looking effects and immerse yourself in superficial lore, you'll probably love this show. If you watch too much tv and are thinking about how to spend another 45 minutes of your time, all the biting, cringy, increasingly loud tv-esc problems that come with a 6-7/10 type show start to wear on you when you don't really care about magic-stuff in particular. If there's Harry vs Voldemort on one end and vampires vs wolves on the other, this lies somewhere between in how much you're going to care when one of the characters "get caught up in something SUPER DANGEROUS."

To its credit, it does try to layer in different character's problems on top of a general threat and it doesn't leave anyone too far behind. It's just...not all there for me.

we all suffer from what is known as morbid curiosity. while you find yourself disgusted by the bulk of the shows content, we can't help but stare. the show is awkward, chaotic, aversive, guilty, and pleasurable. i think the lack of morality and chaos mirrors what society experiences and reflects this sense of, awkward, lack of empathy. it enjoys poking at it which makes it hard to just say, I'm done with this show.

it displays how people can become easily absorbed by their own problems. it shows how we easily blame each other instead of taking responsibility for own actions. there's a deeper context, which, in a way, makes it admirably brilliant. they don't allow the crass aspects of life that cause us to feel jaded in the real world to get completely lost in this happy, go lucky, fantasy. it says this is what i am, take it or leave it. you're free to retain your opinion; just keep in mind, this story, like every other, is just another cliche.

i'm tired of the happy, predictable story lines. life isn't like that at all. life is dark, cruel, and random. we all do the best we can and often fail at attempting to do so. i feel the magicians isn't afraid to express that, which is why i enjoy it.

happiness is nothing but a fractional moment. while we should recognize and enjoy those moments, i think ignoring the darker aspects of life is a tragic mistake. it's what creates character. plus it's syfy, never expect too much from syfy.

if you want congruency and improved acting, go watch GoT and even that's iffy. it still manages to diverge from the original story line.

for all you book lovers out there, hollywood will never do a literate series justice. ever. it's impossible to translate text into an encapsulated visual environment where different people have different interpretations of works in every medium. the directors and writers will always push the content towards their personal bias. which is why i always go in with an open mind and fresh slate.

the book is its own thing. the show is its own thing. they are two separate mediums of entertainment within the fantasy genre. after witnessing this over and over again, you think people would have realized this by now.

i would love to see the books translated as is, however, visual representation has more contextual meaning than words do. in your mind, as you read a good book, you create your own personal vision of what you interpreted that story to be. no one can project what you have envisioned aside from yourself. that's why fans will always bicker about details; it's called personal interpretation. you're more than allowed to have it. its an unspoken, universal, right. you're allowed to feel disappointed.