# The Magicians - SyFy - full season



## KDeFlane (Jan 29, 2014)

SyFy is launching "The Magicians" on January 25th, but last week aired the pilot episode (without commercial interruption, very nice). 

I was skeptical at first, feeling like the set-up was too much like a Harry Potter / Hogwarts clone, just with older students. (Putting them in college and grad school age range keeps the actors from morphing mid-season from puberty.) Then by the end they hooked me with a very dark turn of events and some excellent creepy special effects.

I caught the name of Sera Gamble on the opening credits - she was at the helm of at least one season of Supernatural for theCW.

I'm on board now. Anyone with me?


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## celluloidlout (Jul 26, 2004)

I'm a big fan of the trilogy of books the series is based on and despite my skepticism I very much enjoyed the pilot. They toned-down the series' nihilism a good deal, but in truth, I think it was a wise move in attempting to gain a wide audience. 

I hope this finds an audience. Quinten and the gang have some incredible adventures in front of them!


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I thought the first and third books were great, and the middle one kind of, well, middle-bookish. The pilot looked very impressive. I hope it lasts!

Lev Grossman's (he wrote the books) twin brother, by the way, is Austin Grossman, who wrote the very cool novels _Soon I Will Be Invincible_ (superheroes) and _You_ (gaming). Quite the womb there!


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

I thought the first book was interesting until he went into the Narnia-clone world. Totally lost me there, and it just looked like the rest of the story was rooted there too. So I just never finished the trilogy.

The pilot looked interesting though. I probably will continue with it until it loses me like the book did.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

I definitely got the feel that this was like Harry Potter, but with a more modern and college-age cast. At least they're not all flying around on broomsticks and waving magic wands so I plan on sticking around to see how it develops.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

mr.unnatural said:


> I definitely got the feel that this was like Harry Potter, but with a more modern and college-age cast. At least they're not all flying around on broomsticks and waving magic wands so I plan on sticking around to see how it develops.


A school for magicians is an old theme of fantasy, done many times before Rowling. More blatant is Grossman's send-up of Narnia, which is either an _homage_ to Lewis or a satire; I couldn't decide which. Either way, I loved the three books, and after seeing the first episode I have cautious hopes for this program.


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## KDeFlane (Jan 29, 2014)

A new review of the first two episodes of the series, by someone who loves the books. 
http://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/magicians-tv-review-1201675978/


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## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I thought the first and third books were great, and the middle one kind of, well, middle-bookish. The pilot looked very impressive. I hope it lasts!


That's pretty much my take on the books as well. Although I recently re-read books 1 and 2 right before book 3 came out, and I liked it book 2 much better the 2nd time around... when it had something immediately afterward. 

Haven't watched the pilot yet, but looking forward to it.


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

I know nothing about the books, but my wife and I watched the first 3 episodes last night. We really enjoyed it. Though we did keep making comparisons to Harry Potter, like when



Spoiler



The Dean lost his eyes and then got them back, I said "Oh, is he their version of Mad Eye Moony now?"

Or when the main girl (who lost her brother) was telling the main guy what they needed, I included the line "a red headed friend"



I have no idea which series of books came first though. I haven't taken time to check.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Looks like The Magicians was published in 2009.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Yes, it is very much informed by Harry Potter (and Narnia, and virtually every major fantasy series ever published, but especially HP and Narnia).


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## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

I enjoyed it. In one of the first 2 episodes they made a Harry Potter reference joke, so they at least acknowledge it's similar. I'm ok with it, as long as it keeps being unique like it is.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

There were also people that didn't like the Magicians Series books; I was aghast when I discovered that, but eventually I came to accept that there are just some people who like their entertainment simple and unchallenging. If SyFy can continue to keep putting out series like "The Magicians" and "The Expanse", I will forgive it for those stupid wrestling and reality shows.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

ej42137 said:


> There were also people that didn't like the Magicians Series books; I was aghast when I discovered that, but eventually I came to accept that there are just some people who like their entertainment simple and unchallenging.


Pretentious much?


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## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

Peter000 said:


> Pretentious much?


I think it's a fair point, and pretty accurate. Not that there's anything wrong with that.


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## brettatk (Oct 11, 2002)

After seeing this thread I watched the first three episodes. I found it pretty entertaining and will continue to watch.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Peter000 said:


> Pretentious much?


I take it you didn't like the books?


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

ej42137 said:


> I take it you didn't like the books?





Spoiler



I liked them up to the Fillory stuff (when they actually travelled to Fillory).


The books lost me completely there. Usually I can force myself through a book or series even when I find it mediocre. But the combination of unlikable characters and boring plot drove me away from finishing the series.

It's also insulting when a person blames the reader for not liking a book, when it's the book's "fault" (or by extension the writer). There are a thousand reasons a book may alienate a reader besides being "too complicated."


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## wtherrell (Dec 23, 2004)

I quit. Canceled my One-Pass. 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## wtherrell (Dec 23, 2004)

wtherrell said:


> I quit. Canceled my One-Pass.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


How does that stupid signature keep coming back? It's like a cockroach.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

wtherrell said:


> How does that stupid signature keep coming back? It's like a cockroach.


You need stronger magic. Better stick with the show for a while...


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## awsnyde (May 11, 2007)

This show started out very good, and has gotten progressively better with each episode, to the point where I'll probably "have to" rearrange my top 5 or top 10 list. (There are so many good shows on now that my top 5 list may soon have lots of ties and encompass 10-15 actual shows. ;-) )

I've read elsewhere that some don't like one or other of the parallel Brakebills and Julia plotlines, but I like them both. Of particular note, the most recent episode had exquisite plotting and characterization in both plotlines. That episode, "The Writing Room," episode 9, joins Buffy's "The Body" and "Once More With Feeling," Agents of Shield's "4,722 Hours," and BSG's "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" (the mutiny episodes) as among the best hours of TV I've ever seen. It really was that good.


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## KDeFlane (Jan 29, 2014)

awsnyde said:


> This show started out very good, and has gotten progressively better with each episode, ...


With the last two episodes, I've gone back to rewatch them. I'd love to rewatch "The Writing Room" a third time, so good. I'm setting my pass to go back and catch the earlier episodes when they reair. (I don't have the patience for on-demand and its lack of fast-forward.)

I've _tried to change*_ the title, since we've gone beyond the "early pilot" which began the thread. I had hoped for more discussion to justify individual episodes, but I'll settle for a full-season thread.

_(changed the title on my first post, but it didn't change the thread title -- i'll contact a moderator for that)_


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

KDeFlane said:


> I've changed the title, since we've gone beyond the "early pilot" which began the thread. I had hoped for more discussion to justify individual episodes, but I'll settle for a full-season thread.


If you want to change the title (after the first couple minutes), you'll need to have the mods do it (just report the OP).


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## Mike Lang (Nov 17, 1999)

Title updated.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

I thought the episode inside the haunted house was the best one yet


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I've kind of gotten bored with this (admittedly, I'm not a HUGE SciFi/Fantasy fan), but I'm still watching mostly because of Olivia Taylor Dudley (Alice). The last couple of episodes have gotten better.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I still watch every episode within a day or two but I'm not sure why. The only likable people are Quentin, Alice and the headmaster. Just about everybody else is an unlikable jerk and I can't tell any of the dark haired women apart. I'll watch until the season's over for completion's sake but I'll probably kill the season's pass afterwards. I hope this isn't a 22 episode show.


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## Tivortex (Feb 29, 2004)

cheesesteak said:


> I still watch every episode within a day or two but I'm not sure why. The only likable people are Quentin, Alice and the headmaster. Just about everybody else is an unlikable jerk and I can't tell any of the dark haired women apart. I'll watch until the season's over for completion's sake but I'll probably kill the season's pass afterwards. I hope this isn't a 22 episode show.


I agree except I don't think Quentin and Alice are that likable either.

Can Alice speak a single sentence without a phony angst ridden quaver in her voice?

I understand Quentin is damaged but wow is his low self esteem ever annoying.

Penny is a dick but at least the character feels somewhat authentic.

And what is with the whole Julia storyline? It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the main plot lines.

Despite all the shortcomings I still sort of like it. Kind of. I think.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I have come to the conclusion that I love this show.

It is deranged.

Yet substantial. But deranged.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

I chuckled when the librarian called Margo "Janet" in the latest episode. I'm going to have to reread the books after the season ends; I think the changes have mostly been an improvement but it's hard to keep them straight.

I worry how well next season in Fillory is going to be done; it's going to take a significantly larger art and special effects budget to do it right. On the other hand I think they've done a terrific job with the steam-punk style magic this season, so I remain hopeful.

I think those of you who find the characters as portrayed in the video play unlikable should avoid the books, there it gets turned up to eleven.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Well, THAT certainly didn't go well!

Now I have to re-read the book, so I can check if it's as different as I remember...


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Well, THAT certainly didn't go well!


Well that's an understatement.

The violent content warning was justified, and I can see why they ended the episode with an advertisement for a sexual assault hotline...



Rob Helmerichs said:


> Now I have to re-read the book, so I can check if it's as different as I remember...


I haven't read the book series, but I think I'm going to put it on my short list of future reads.

One criticism I have is that the season finale felt rushed to me. I had no appreciation of who "Ember" was, for example. The narration style of Quentin giving out chapter summaries felt like they were trying to jam a lot of material into one episode.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

A lot of this series was confusing and convoluted, and made little sense to me, but, I wonder if I read the books if it will. I'll put this on my summer reading list.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Reading the books probably will not help to understand the show. The show is way off the reservation now. About the only thing the books and the show have in common with the last episode is that Penny loses his hands in both.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

smbaker said:


> The violent content warning was justified, and I can see why they ended the episode with an advertisement for a sexual assault hotline...


The take-home message seems to be that people who are sexually assaulted -- be it by a writer of children's books or a trickster god -- turn evil.

Julia really screwed over Quentin and his friends. Stealing the knife was bad enough, but then why the heck did she wait until they were all killed or maimed before she used the knife? Julia is EEEEVIIIIIIL.


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

john4200 said:


> Julia really screwed over Quentin and his friends.


Yeah, that seems to be a recurring Julia thing. I'm not sure why people keep trusting Julia.


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## brettatk (Oct 11, 2002)

So where do they go with this? Do they use the time loop to bring everyone back or is there a new cast next season? Although I guess the time loop is broken now. The show is about magic though, anything can happen.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

brettatk said:


> So where do they go with this? Do they use the time loop to bring everyone back or is there a new cast next season? Although I guess the time loop is broken now. The show is about magic though, anything can happen.


Technically, none of them are definitively dead yet. The worst was Alice who appeared to be bleeding out quickly, but might have a short time left. Penny lost his hands but if he does not die from blood loss he may survive. The others looked dead but did not receive any obviously fatal wounds, though it is hard to tell with magic.


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## brettatk (Oct 11, 2002)

That's true. I expect them to take off right where they left off. Quentin or someone else will intervene, waive their hands around, and miraculously all will be well.


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

When I watched the scene, I came away thinking that our heroes were not dead, just incapacitated. Contrast that to Julia's scene with Reynard where it was clear to me that Reynard had insta-killed several people. 

I think most everyone will recover, though perhaps it's going to take some time to figure out what to do about Penny's hands. 

How the hell does Alice not realize that Julia took the knife? Was it magically taken somehow? I mean, Alice had one job. Just one job. And she doesn't even have the knife when it's time.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

smbaker said:


> When I watched the scene, I came away thinking that our heroes were not dead, just incapacitated. Contrast that to Julia's scene with Reynard where it was clear to me that Reynard had insta-killed several people.


Alice looked like she had her throat cut and was bleeding out. Not just "incapacitated".

And it had happened before, in their magical visions. Alice died. All of them died. So it is hardly a stretch to think that they all died here.

The only reason to think that they are still alive is because the show must go on.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

I was amused at how cleverly Quentin talked Alice into drinking the cup of ram semen so that he did not have to.

Of course, not so clever in the end, since she totally failed at her job of stabbing Martin with the knife.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

john4200 said:


> Reading the books probably will not help to understand the show. The show is way off the reservation now. About the only thing the books and the show have in common with the last episode is that Penny loses his hands in both.


I don't think the book will help me understand what happened in the TV series, but it SHOULD help me understand the characters, which outside of Q, I think the TV show did a horrible job at. I STILL don't know why most of them are there. Or, why anyone would WANT to be, based on all the crap that went on.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Steveknj said:


> I STILL don't know why most of them are there. Or, why anyone would WANT to be, based on all the crap that went on.


I don't understand the question. Where do you mean "there"?

In Fillory? They went there to get the knife and kill the beast, since it seemed the least bad of all their choices (in all their other viewings of probable futures, they all died within a week).

By the way, the book will not explain that since their motivations for going to Fillory were different in the books.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

john4200 said:


> I don't understand the question. Where do you mean "there"?
> 
> In Fillory? They went there to get the knife and kill the beast, since it seemed the least bad of all their choices (in all their other viewings of probable futures, they all died within a week).
> 
> By the way, the book will not explain that since their motivations for going to Fillory were different in the books.


In Breakbills, or why Julia isn't with them


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

brettatk said:


> That's true. I expect them to take off right where they left off. Quentin or someone else will intervene, waive their hands around, and miraculously all will be well.


Not miraculously... _magically _


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Steveknj said:


> In Breakbills, or why Julia isn't with them


Why do they want to be at Brakebills? To learn magic, of course. Who wouldn't want to learn magic?

Julia is not with them because she did not pass the entrance exam (but it seems Jane Chatwin rigged it on the latest time loop).


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> In Breakbills,


This seems kind of obvious. If you're a practitioner of magic, or want to be a practitioner of magic, then it seems like the place to go. Those trying to learn magic on the outside seem at a disadvantage. The people Julia is hooking up with are either downright nasty or downright incompetent.



Stevekng said:


> or why Julia isn't with them


This one was told to us outright. Jane changes one thing per iteration of the time loop, and this was it. There isn't necessarily even a good reason for it -- Jane is just perturbing the conditions to try to find a set of conditions that yields a different outcome.

The biggest question I have is why more people aren't involved in the fight to take down the beast. Surely Brakebills has more resources than a handful of first year students. It ought to be all hands on deck for this one.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

smbaker said:


> The biggest question I have is why more people aren't involved in the fight to take down the beast. Surely Brakebills has more resources than a handful of first year students. It ought to be all hands on deck for this one.


Elliot and Margo are not first year. But otherwise, that is a good point.


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## BRiT wtfdotcom (Dec 17, 2015)

smbaker said:


> This seems kind of obvious. If you're a practitioner of magic, or want to be a practitioner of magic, then it seems like the place to go. Those trying to learn magic on the outside seem at a disadvantage. The people Julia is hooking up with are either downright nasty or downright incompetent.
> 
> This one was told to us outright. Jane changes one thing per iteration of the time loop, and this was it. There isn't necessarily even a good reason for it -- Jane is just perturbing the conditions to try to find a set of conditions that yields a different outcome.
> 
> The biggest question I have is why more people aren't involved in the fight to take down the beast. Surely Brakebills has more resources than a handful of first year students. It ought to be all hands on deck for this one.


Maybe there were more people involved in earlier time loops. They did do this 39 times before. Perhaps each time they removed more people.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

smbaker said:


> The biggest question I have is why more people aren't involved in the fight to take down the beast. Surely Brakebills has more resources than a handful of first year students. It ought to be all hands on deck for this one.


I imagine one thing is all Jane could change in each iteration. In the first loop our protagonists got to Fillory and failed to kill the beast; Jane iterated the loop and would have enough power to make one small change each time. The fabric of time would resist any larger changes such as eliminating the Beast outright or raising a magic army of Brakebillians.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

john4200 said:


> Why do they want to be at Brakebills? To learn magic, of course. Who wouldn't want to learn magic?
> 
> Julia is not with them because she did not pass the entrance exam (but it seems Jane Chatwin rigged it on the latest time loop).


I get that, but after all the crap that's happened, why stick around? I admit to not always paying attention to what is going on, so perhaps I lost a lot about this show, but the reason I don't always pay attention, is because I lose interest. I still might read at least the first book during the summer and then decide if I'm back for another season.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Steveknj said:


> I get that, but after all the crap that's happened, why stick around? I admit to not always paying attention to what is going on, so perhaps I lost a lot about this show, but the reason I don't always pay attention, is because I lose interest. I still might read at least the first book during the summer and then decide if I'm back for another season.


It sounds like there have only been two incidents...the group that disappeared a few years ago, and the attack by The Beast this season. So until The Beast's attack, there was only one bad event that we know of in the school's history.

Imagine getting a full scholarship to Yale. Now imagine that Yale is the only university in the US. That's what going to Brakebills is like.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

ej42137 said:


> I worry how well next season in Fillory is going to be done; it's going to take a significantly larger art and special effects budget to do it right. On the other hand I think they've done a terrific job with the steam-punk style magic this season, so I remain hopeful.


Shouldn't be a problem if they build more invisible castles. (I loved the line about how the royals spent all their seasonal money and so didn't have enough left to build a castle with proper materials. Great fourth wall moment, even if the wall was invisible...)


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

danterner said:


> Shouldn't be a problem if they build more invisible castles. (I loved the line about how the royals spent all their seasonal money and so didn't have enough left to build a castle with proper materials. Great fourth wall moment, even if the wall was invisible...)


Ha! I missed the word "seasonal", that was cute.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

Other than when she shot the hooded bad guy, I hated every second Margo was on screen. What a nasty character.


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## Tivortex (Feb 29, 2004)

Steveknj said:


> I get that, but after all the crap that's happened, why stick around? I admit to not always paying attention to what is going on, so perhaps I lost a lot about this show, but the reason I don't always pay attention, is because I lose interest.


Due to circumstances I binged the first 6 episodes and that was plenty to pull me in.

I was more than a little shocked at how dark and bloody the last episode suddenly turned. Referencing an anti-rape organization at the end seemed very disingenuous since they obviously did what they did for it's shock value, and not for some greater social good.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

Tivortex said:


> Due to circumstances I binged the first 6 episodes and that was plenty to pull me in.
> 
> I was more than a little shocked at how dark and bloody the last episode suddenly turned. Referencing an anti-rape organization at the end seemed very disingenuous since they obviously did what they did for it's shock value, and not for some greater social good.


I have to disagree, they simply went with a very integral part of the book and treated in a way that I thought was well done at expressing the violence and horror of the event that Julia had worked hard to have hidden from her memories (for IMO good reason)

I also respect them for properly putting up disclaimers and then support information after the show, they never advertised "and you'll never believe what happens next!" in any of their advertising.


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## KDeFlane (Jan 29, 2014)

holy balls! what a cliffhanger ending!

It took me a week to get caught up, and I resisted the temptation to peak at this thread. I'm glad I did. 

I refuse to read the books, not for any anti-book reasons, but because I am enjoying this interpretation so very much. I've rewatched the entire season once on reruns, and I'll certainly be buying the DVD and rewatching it all over again this summer. (OK, maybe I'll eventually read the book(s), but not until season two launches, at least.)

My spec on Alice losing the knife is that she couldn't go in already holding it because The Beast (we called him Swarmy) would be alerted by its activation somehow. Of course, that's a stupid theory because he didn't sense Julia holding it until it was at his throat. Whatever. It's a classic storytelling move, and it probably sets up Alice for future self-doubt (assuming she lives).

The final episode worked its magic of deception along the same arc as the whole season. It lulled us in with the light fantasy of travel to a happy land, which then grew dark with the reality of evil.

I did briefly wonder why Victoria and Josh made such a hasty exit. Then I remembered that they were in the same class together, that they went to Fillory on a lark and it had already beaten them down. They'll return to Brakebills, regain their strength, and maybe return out of guilt to help the others. Right? At least they'll tell Dean Fogg, maybe? It's all the hope I can cling to now.

Nothing else in my queue right now compares.


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

DirecTV currently has the entire first season (thirteen episodes) of The Magicians available for download on demand, uncut and uncensored. The only commercials are two very short self promotion spots per episode for season two coming soon on Syfy.


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## KDeFlane (Jan 29, 2014)

SyFy is showing a marathon of the entire first season of The Magicians, today, Sat.Nov.12, all day, starting at 9:30AM

Season 2 begins January 25 at 9pm (Wednesdays is the new night). A trailer is online.

The Magicians: Season 2 Trailer


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## TriBruin (Dec 10, 2003)

New season starts on Jan. 25th. My wife and I only discovered this show last month on Netflix. We are debating if we want to watch on SyFy or wait until S2 shows up on Netflix. My understand is that SyFy is muting the use of the F-Bomb. After watching it uncensored on Netflix, I am not sure I could stand the censored version.


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## randian (Jan 15, 2014)

Anybody else notice that their TiVos have no second episode on February 1 2017? Odd that Syfy would schedule a 2-week gap immediately after the first episode so I'm betting more Rovi shenanigans.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

randian said:


> Anybody else notice that their TiVos have no second episode on February 1 2017? Odd that Syfy would schedule a 2-week gap immediately after the first episode so I'm betting more Rovi shenanigans.


Yes. Under the Rovi regime we all need to subscribe to as well as contribute to the Season Pass forum. If we all work together we can get through this trying time.


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## DancnDude (Feb 7, 2001)

Looking forward to this show. Just as The Librarians finished up their season, another magical show to replace it.


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## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> I've kind of gotten bored with this (admittedly, I'm not a HUGE SciFi/Fantasy fan), but I'm still watching mostly because of Olivia Taylor Dudley (Alice). The last couple of episodes have gotten better.


I'm strangely attracted to Alice. Why is that?


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

uncdrew said:


> I'm strangely attracted to Alice. Why is that?


I'm sure you aren't alone


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

uncdrew said:


> I'm strangely attracted to Alice. Why is that?


I can think of at least two reasons.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

ej42137 said:


> I can think of at least two reasons.


Her magical skills and uh, her personality?


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

john4200 said:


> Her magical skills and uh, her personality?


Something like that


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## Howie (May 3, 2004)

ej42137 said:


> I can think of at least two reasons.


I didn't know which one Alice was until I read your post.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I've gotten into the habit of watching a lot of dramas with closed captioning on. Quentin's constant stammering is annoying audibly and visually.

I still hate Margo.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

cheesesteak said:


> I've gotten into the habit of watching a lot of dramas with closed captioning on. Quentin's constant stammering is annoying audibly and visually.


Same here. Probably first started with... Sons of Anarchy?
I like Margo. She's a total *****. And totally hot.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I just noticed that one of the tags for this show is "performing arts." I guess somebody at Rovi thinks it's about guys in Vegas wearing top hats and saying "Pick a card, any card"?


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I think one of the few reasons I kept watching this show was because I hoped Alice's clothes would magically fall off.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

cheesesteak said:


> I think one of the few reasons I kept watching this show was because I hoped Alice's clothes would magically fall off.


Yep.

I'm putting this in spoilers because I'm just not sure what the rules are for full season threads but:



Spoiler



with Alice being dead, not sure there's a reason to watch anymore. Although being a show about magic, I'll bet she's brought back to be Jon Snow 2.0


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Oh, she's not dead.

I mean, she's dead. But she's not DEAD dead.

(In season threads, spoilers are allowed for all aired episodes.)


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## ct1 (Jun 27, 2003)

Spoiler: Full version has language


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## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

Josh's self-referential recap to alternate-timeline Penny at the beginning of S3E12 was superb. "Previously on _us..."_


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

trainman said:


> Josh's self-referential recap to alternate-timeline Penny at the beginning of S3E12 was superb. "Previously on _us..."_


Considering this is one of those shows that I watch while doing something else quite often and have lost some of the plotlines, that was really helpful


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

Whoever is in charge of original ideas for this show has a very fertile mind. But I still hate Margo.


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## tim1724 (Jul 3, 2007)

cheesesteak said:


> But I still hate Margo.


Margo and Eliot are my favorites. Oh, you mean the name change from Janet? That did set up an awesome "not in this timeline" joke though.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

My main issue with this show (and having not read the book(s)) is that watching it, I get the feeling that they make things up as they go along. A lot of the "rules" of the show just seem so arbitrary that they just seem to come out of thin air. And you can get away with that on this sort of show, but sometimes it's just hard to take. I still watch because they don't take themselves too seriously (i.e. they seem to have a lot of fun with it all), and there's a lot of great eye candy


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

cheesesteak said:


> I still hate Margo.


She's my favorite. I love her. Where do you live? Not that I'm contemplating violence towards your pathetic excuse for hum... stop... err... ok, I'd just eat you! Wher....... err. st


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## OlicityTiva (Jan 8, 2018)

I love this show. I binge watched all 3 seasons last week and can't wait until next January for season 4.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Sweet!! SyFy renewed The Magicians for season 5. And season 4 doesn't even premiere until tomorrow.

'The Magicians' Renewed For Season 5 By Syfy


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> Sweet!! SyFy renewed The Magicians for season 5. And season 4 doesn't even premiere until tomorrow.
> 
> 'The Magicians' Renewed For Season 5 By Syfy


I'm so torn whether I want to watch another season. I got really bored with it toward the end of last season. I might watch the first and see if it holds my interest.


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## tigercat74 (Aug 7, 2004)

I just started watching this on Netflix. I’m really enjoying it. I was just wondering if Syfy censors it when they air it. Thanks in advance.


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## Allanon (Nov 2, 2005)

tigercat74 said:


> I just started watching this on Netflix. I'm really enjoying it. I was just wondering if Syfy censors it when they air it. Thanks in advance.


The late night airings are uncensored.


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## tigercat74 (Aug 7, 2004)

Allanon said:


> The late night airings are uncensored.


Thanks


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

I don't remember them censoring 1st run either.


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## Allanon (Nov 2, 2005)

Tony_T said:


> I don't remember them censoring 1st run either.


You're right, season 3 went uncensored.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I ended up just purchasing Season 4 from Amazon. Since FiOS quality is so bad now. So under $2 an episode with the 13 episode season. I guess I just need to wait until the day after it airs on Syfy for it to show up on Amazon?

Although I wish it would be available on Hulu like most NBC content is. Then I could have just watched it form Hulu with my commercial free subscription.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

aaronwt said:


> I ended up just purchasing Season 4 from Amazon. Since FiOS quality is so bad now. So under $2 an episode with the 13 episode season. I guess I just need to wait until the day after it airs on Syfy for it to show up on Amazon?
> 
> Although I wish it would be available on Hulu like most NBC content is. Then I could have just watched it form Hulu with my commercial free subscription.


I feel your pain. SyFy shows are available on Hulu if you go to the Live TV tier, but you still get forced commercials albeit without trash in the lower third and a higher quality picture. I bought a seasons of "The Expanse" and "The Magicians" from Amazon one season and it was perfect. Hard to justify though since I've already paid for it through SyFy on Spectrum cable, and it will be on Netflix, no commercials, no lower thirds plus swearing when the next season starts.


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## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

Allanon said:


> You're right, season 3 went uncensored.


SyFy did mute the audio whenever the F-word was spoken (at least on the first showing, in prime-time), but that was it.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

trainman said:


> SyFy did mute the audio whenever the F-word was spoken (at least on the first showing, in prime-time), but that was it.


Not always...it was annoyingly uneven. E.g., last night they didn't.

I wish they would do either one thing or the other (preferably one thing, but...). It's more distracting when sometimes they mute it out and others they don't.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

No censoring last night.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

Another season and I have the same thought that I always have with this show. Whoever the casting director is has a type. All of the dark haired women look almost exactly alike, at least to me. I have a hard time telling them apart. Thank God for Margo's eye patch.


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## ct1 (Jun 27, 2003)

cheesesteak said:


> Whoever the casting director is has a type. All of the dark haired women look almost exactly alike, at least to me.


Astonishingly beautiful?


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

cheesesteak said:


> All of the dark haired women look almost exactly alike, at least to me. I have a hard time telling them apart. Thank God for Margo's eye patch.


Really? I haven't had any issues telling Margo, Julia and Kady apart.

Scott


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> Really? I haven't had any issues telling Margo, Julia and Kady apart.


I don't usually but certainly had a hard time this week with the quick glances and different looks.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

dianebrat said:


> I don't usually but certainly had a hard time this week with the quick glances and different looks.


I will say that Kady at first with the Sam hairstyle was a doubletake but I didn't mistake her for Julia or Margo. And the initial glance through the cracked glass which showed Julia's real self wasn't enough for me to catch that was her until she was in the dean's office.

Scott


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

dianebrat said:


> I don't usually but certainly had a hard time this week with the quick glances and different looks.


The other thing was that they were all under a glamor; the disguise images were much more differentiated than their true personas.

I thought it was amusing how they made a point of using Janet's name, calling back to the books.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

cheesesteak said:


> Another season and I have the same thought that I always have with this show. Whoever the casting director is has a type. All of the dark haired women look almost exactly alike, at least to me. I have a hard time telling them apart. Thank God for Margo's eye patch.


I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. Outside of Alice, all the other's look similar.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

There is now a graphic novel called _The Magicians: Alice's Story_, which is basically an adaptation of the first novel n the series (NOT the TV show, which is very different, especially as it gets further along), only told from the point of view of Alice (who is not as major a character in the book as she is in the show, and in fact is a much better developed character in the show).

It's very interesting, to see the events of the book from such a different perspective (although they cheat a little bit, because there are some pretty important developments that Alice isn't there to witness...but they hang a nifty lantern on it!). And the character of Alice is better-drawn (no pun intended) than in the books, although not as well-developed as on the TV show (oops, I guess no pun intended there either).

It's a little disconcerting that the characters are drawn as they are described in the book, not resembling the actors of the TV show who have very much taken over in my mind (especially in the case of Alice, who is a mousy little brunette in the book, and wait until you see Penny!). But I got used to it fairly quickly.

Recommended for fans of the show, and highly recommended for fans of the book.


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## KDeFlane (Jan 29, 2014)

I'd buy the graphic novel they used in the TV show to tell the stories of the false identities at the beginning of the season, if they ever wanted to publish that (and unblur the naughty bits).


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## boywaja (Sep 30, 2001)

I had the show in my favorites on netflix, so when season 4 was released on netflix I was notified.
I thought it as a different tv show about college aged magicians.

turns out this one I'd watched the first episode of some time back and was turned off by the cursing, the sex, and the fake college angst. 

For whatever reason, I didn't feel that way this time. Maybe it just was the right period over christmas break when I had nothing else to watch. 

I binged all four seasons. Part of me wishes I'd had another show to alternate with, so watch this one a bit slower. Cause I really enjoyed it. 

Oh well. I see I have another season coming on scifi in 2 weeks. season pass added to tivo.


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