The Magicians

 

FAQs 

How long?

Just finished Season 2 this morning in less than 2 weeks I think. There are 13 episodes per season and on my first time I actually finished 7 episodes in one go. Trailer was also dropped a few days earlier for Season 3 which was slated for March 2018.

Why would I watch this / Who should watch this?

If you are not yet tired of watching fantasy series, this is a go. But I have a disclaimer on the quick plot below. If it was me reading this I would not have taken a second look. The only reason I did was because I accidentally watched S01EP01 it piqued my curiosity. The villain there was solid. This is also best watched by adults. Don't let the fantasy genre fool you, some scenes/topics are not exactly for the kids.

Quick plot?

Quentin is a nerd who have loved a fictional series of books that revolve around a magical world named Fillory. One day he and his bestfriend Julia found themselves taking an exam to be accepted at a magical school called Brakebills and that magic is real. Sounds too cliche but you just have to get it out of your system. Everything after that is really good.

Although I have not finished reading Narnia, it is not hard to find similarities between the two. As I described it with my office mate, it's a mishmash of the fantasy genre: Harry Potter: school, spells, witches ; Narnia: portal to another world, talking animals, 4 earth children ruling a foreign land ;  Hobbit: where the author lives within the story, Naruto: those silly hand gestures. Don't worry, these would not distract you from enjoying it because they actually acknowledge it. At one point one of them, Margo, called non-magic people muggles and the school nurse referenced a Twilight similarity in Julia's situation. There was even a silly dance routine that Quentin done that was so ridiculous later on he said he's doing a Cirque de Soleil stint. It's rare for a TV Series to have so many pop references (that is not a sitcom) I would be disappointed not seeing those in case I ever get to read the books.

Is it worth it?

Yes. I honestly think so. I can't recall a boring episode that you just have to go through because there is so much going on. It's a good move for them to have made this in  a TV Series because seeing it as movie would not cut it. Just when you thought that you're already presented with all the possibilities you would be surprised they still have more tricks up their sleeve (I really wanted to use that pun). Their characters also evolve not only to their better selves, but sometimes to the worst.

I am not sure if it would be nicer to read the books but I may have the same issue as I did with How to Catch Your Dragon. I have loved the movie so much I could not bear the differences in both mediums. I only made it to a few pages until I decided to quit.

 

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