the reason The Magicians is so good is because it has legitimately relatable characters

From the root of the whole story being a very young millennial (allllllllllmost Gen Z) obsessed with the Fillory books, and having a hard time growing up and dealing with the real world as well as very real mental illness and feelings of isolation because he doesn’t fit in, it’s relatable.

Us young millennial and older gen z young adults have that same experience with the Narnia books, books that continue to have lasting similarities to the Fillory story.

But even more then that, The Magicians is about found families (specifically at college), people with good and bad parents, those who are affluent and poor, straight gay and everything in between, people who have nothing to connect them outside of their field of study coming together and forming a group that spans worlds, timelines, and species.

From the level of dumbassery, to the way they speak, so the half nihilist, half optimist outlook they all seem to have on life, they are all wholly relatable.

I would argue it’s one of the best shows on television, if not the best representation I’ve ever seen.

kurpco:

Honestly, I kind of love what a giant nerd Eliot is, and how it’s a bit of an understated part of his character.  He’s not a more self-identified nerd (i.e., Quentin or Julia), but it’s definitely there.  In the Neitherlands, he starts quoting Tennyson.  He starts comparing the guy who tried to assassinate him to Han Solo.  These are not at all un-nerdy things to do.

And like, it makes complete sense.  To get into Brakebills, you have to be a fair amount of genius, and he’s obviously no exception, and he must have been doingsomething to entertain himself in his awful Oregon hometown. 

But at the same time, it still makes me grin that the High King of Fillory, who’s always flawlessly cool and social, is a giant literature-quoting, Star Wars-liking dork. But still also super suave and awesome.

Eliot is 10/10 in everything tbh

Friends, myfavoritethings and I planned to release more of Entirely Too Much Blood (Episode 5.1),our TV-script sequel to You Better Be Alive, immediately after American Thanksgiving. This will be delayed until after the start of 2022. We’re sorry!

Butmyfavoritethings is a genius, and she had a sudden revelation, so she messaged me about it at 10:00PM on a Thursday because:

myfavoritethings: QUENTIN COLDWATER IS A MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL.

EarnestDesire: What?

myfavoritethings: MPD BOY! MPD GAY?

myfavoritethings: Think about it.

EarnestDesire: I’m thinking. But explain anyway.

myfavoritethings: He’s a complex version of the trope, for sure. He’s not Sam from “Garden State,” but he’s definitely Jack from “Titanic.”

myfavoritethings: Almost every character in The Magicians is broken, hopeless, disillusioned. After season one, every character except Quentin has become the worst version of themself. Q’s clinically depressed, but he isn’t defeatist. That’s his greatest strength, right? And who orchestrates most of the least selfish, most plot-moving plans?

EarnestDesire: Q.

myfavoritethings: Who convinces everyone around him to keep trying to better themselves? To believe in magic?

EarnestDesire: Jesus.

myfavoritethings: Who saves Alice, even when she doesn’t want him to do it? He’s OBSESSED with saving her. And later with saving Eliot. Even Margo gives up on saving El, but Quentin is very willing to kill and die for him.

EarnestDesire: You cannot fuck me up like this after 9pm.

myfavoritethings: He gives Eliot a wonderful, happy life (which El does not think he’ll ever have) and then Eliot rejects him, after everything, and Q doesn’t even argue! He just lets Eliot walk away from their 50 years together!

EarnestDesire: Because a Manic Pixie can’t make real demands on the hero. He exists just to facilitate their journeys.

myfavoritethings: You get me.

EarnestDesire: That’s fucked up.

myfavoritethings: Quentin changed very little throughout the series. He’s really the same guy at the end of S4 as he was at the start of S2.

myfavoritethings: But El is braver. Alice is trying to make amends. Julia is questioning her “magic at any cost” mentality. Then, once he’s saved Alice and Julia and Eliot and helped them into better versions of themselves?

EarnestDesire: He dies.

myfavoritethings: He dies.

myfavoritethings: “If I ever get out of here, Q, know that when I’m braver it’s because I learned it from you.”

EarnestDesire: He’s fulfilled his narrative function.

myfavoritethings: Ding ding ding! Bingo!

EarnestDesire: Wow. Okay.

(Edited for grammar and such, as requested.)

We need some time to figure out how this revelation changes our fanfic for season five, plus we have family obligations at the end of the year.

You can read our script-style rewrite of the season 4 finale right here:

You Better Be Alive (Episode 4.13)

And the first scene of season five right here:

Entirely Too Much Blood (Episode 5.1)

Thanks for your patience!

XOXO, Earnest

Episode 4.13 is complete! We’ve also posted the teaser for episode 5.1 (Entirely Too Much Blood). Thank so much to everyone who checked it out so far. Please drop us a comment if you have the time/energy/inclination. Thanks guys!

You Better Be Alive(4.13)

bymyfavoritethingsandearnestdesire

Now complete!!!

“Always got to be a fucking twist…”

With the Monster’s Sister on the loose, inhabiting Julia’s body, Quentin Coldwater is more determined than ever to trap and destroy these evil forces. His plan? A pair of demon bottles, a pair of mythical axes, and a group of friends finally working as a team. But not every variable can be accounted for, and Quentin knows their chances of success are slim.

In the Mirror World, where everything is backwards and lifeless, Quentin makes a sacrifice play.

That’s where the games really begin.

This time, death doesn’t have to be the end.

******

Teaser in chapter 3. Story begins in chapter 4.

A complete reimagining of the last episode of season four, written as a TV script.

******

If you’re interested, the scripts have a Spotify playlist:

The Magicians Spotify Playlist

XOXO, Earnest

Acts three and four are GOOOOOO!

(Actual footage of myfavoritethings, fixing those plot holes.)

We are entering seriously new territory, friends.

Check it out…

You Better Be Alive(4.13)

bymyfavoritethingsandearnestdesire

“Always got to be a fucking twist…”

With the Monster’s Sister on the loose, inhabiting Julia’s body, Quentin Coldwater is more determined than ever to trap and destroy these evil forces. His plan? A pair of demon bottles, a pair of mythical axes, and a group of friends finally working as a team. But not every variable can be accounted for, and Quentin knows their chances of success are slim.

In the Mirror World, where everything is backwards and lifeless, Quentin makes a sacrifice play.

That’s where the games really begin.

This time, death doesn’t have to be the end.

******

Teaser in chapter 3.
Story begins in chapter 4.

A complete reimagining of the last episode of season four, written as a TV script. To be posted in three parts, with a new release every Saturday. Episode 5.1 will follow in this series, also in script format.

******

If you’re interested, the scripts have a Spotify playlist:

The Magicians Spotify Playlist

Comments are beloved.

XOXO, Earnest

Hello friends.

My Tumblr hiatus has been healing. I’m popping back in to share my excitement/trepidation over a project that I’m soooo thrilled to share with you all. Eeeek!

A friend of mine started a unique fanfic project six months ago. She began writing alternative TV scripts for The Magicians episodes 4.13 (Better to Be Safe Than Sorry) and 5.1 (Do Something Crazy).

Scripts. Not a novelization.

I’m sure somebody, somewhere, in some fandom has tried this concept before, but neither of us have ever read one. I think it’s a really cool idea.

(And, of course, her version has Quentin/Eliot endgame.)

SPOILER ALERT for the following paragraph:

The first script is a reimagining of the original, with a few of the scenes left virtually in tact. Everything after that is complete canon-divergence, focused on the rescue/rebirth of Quentin.

My friend had some trouble keeping track of roughly four million individual plotlines, as well as the wealth of research necessary for a project like this. She asked if I wanted to help. You all know how I feel about The Magicians, particularly the end of season 4. You know I love my research. I was really intrigued to learn how storytelling differs in film versus prose. Plus, she’s an IRL friend who has never shared her fanfic before. Obviously, I said yes!

We’ve been plugging away at these scripts for such a long time that I kind of forgot that we might, you know, publish them to AO3 at some point.

But we did! Today, in fact!

My friend and I are sharing authorship of the fic, but I honestly think that’s overly generous. She’s the author. I’m the editor and research assistant, and I’ve been blown away by her plotting and dialogue throughout this process. It’s next-level.

If you LOVE filling plot holes…

This series is for you!

She’s using the handle myfavoritethings on AO3, and doesn’t have a Tumblr connected to her fic yet.

We’ll be posting each script in three parts, with each part released on Saturday. This gives us time to moderate comments (a necessity for any project with my name on it), and to clean up any last-minute errors.

Check it out right here:

******

You Better Be Alive (Episode 4.13)

bymyfavoritethingsandearnestdesire

******

I hope you guys check it out. I have a deep loveforThe Magicians fandom. We can’t wait to share this with you.

XOXO, Earnest

HALE APPLEMAN GIF PACK

—✦ in this pack you’ll find #185 gifs of Hale Appleman in his role as Eliot Waugh from the Magicians (season 3). all of these gifs were made by me from scratch. may be edited for personaluse as gif icons, but please do not edit or repost beyond that. (this includes crackships.) tw may include: alcohol, drinking, kissing.

—✦GIF PAGE