The Magicians

Watched all of 1st season on Netflix.

I enjoyed the story well enough to keep watching. It did improve as the season went a long which is a good thing. I was surprised at the subjects touched on but enjoyed the realism with how they were handled. It is nice not watching the Disney channel version of magic fairy tales or Harry Potter. This show gets as close as it can get to a R rating, though regretfully the only censored part was language on T.V.

The part I enjoy the most about the show is how they use their hands to cast the spells. It presents a tangible reason as to why magic is difficult to cast, besides just language or internal energy. It honestly would take a lot of practice to both formulate the spell and say the enchantments(or think them) at the correct times. The using of the body as a way to direct energy is nothing new but I enjoy how they add an appearance of complication with the hand gestures.

Unlike Game of Thrones where anybody can die, in this show people die around the main characters. I realize that it seems that one died at the end, but I am pretty sure she ends up living. This is not a bad thing as at least people die. Some episodes were very well done given that apparently magic has an emotional investment tied into how it works along with all the other factors. It adds to the idea that magic perhaps is just as alive as the character that uses it.

The best comparison could be Harry Potter. I think this show would be better if it had the budget those movies had. It is not as well written as Game of Thrones but certainly earns its own place as a show well worth watching.

To the board members who have not watched this show, I recommend giving it a try. The show will surprise you.

Great show, just binged through to episode 5.

I am glad I slogged through the first half of this otherwise I'd have quit on the show. It was straight up a college CW version of Harry Potter at the start.

I don't know about that. The first episode with the moth dude plucking the eyes out of their teacher was pretty intense. I think that scene set the tone for the series rather well.

Ya, the end of the first episode cemented the "lol this isn't Harry Potter" vibe...but I do agree the storyline didn't really begin to click until midway through.

They didn't exactly water it down in broadcast. They would just mute or beep any time they said fuck. I want to say muted.

Watched this based on everyone's recommendation here (thanks by the way!), it did not suck. Great after you get past episode 6 or 7 like everyone has said. Really picks up towards the end, but I could have dealt without the CW level interpersonal drama. Seemed unnecessary, but maybe the books were like that? After reading the synopsis, it sounds like they took a very different slant from the series, so not sure how that's going to work out over time but the ending was pretty interesting. Looking forward to season 2!

Also, I would have never watched this based on the commercials I had seen on Syfy, it really looked like a cheesed up Harry Potter rip off. Glad I was swayed by everyone's recommendation.

Finished it today, hate when they end with all the build up peaked but that is Syfi almost every time. That whole thing with Juila is really fucked up.
I can't put my finger on it but something about Stella Maeve (Julia on the show) is fucking hot.

Yes, the demi-god/god thing they summoned did. You needed the 'seed' of a God inside you to have the power to hold it. Blondie (err.. alice? been awhile now) drank the vial, other girl was raped was the implication.

Pretty sure that was made clear by her touching herself, seeing sticky fingers and her eyes going green like Alice's did. Would be interesting if she turns out to be pregnant...

I would impregnate both of them. But the Brunette would be my favorite. She looks more crazy/fun. So maybe she wouldn't be good to impregnate after all.

Julia being impregnated would probably result in her having sustained power boost, since it would result in a half-god residing within her.

Or, the half-god develops within a few days and tears it's way out of her, killing her in the process.. You never can tell with these things.

Oblio said:

I started watching this last week based on the recommendations here. It starts very slow & I could not decide if I liked it or not until episode 8. Now am all in, the funny thing is it disappeared from Dish on Demand on Saturday & I was super annoyed, been checking n demand every day assuming it was a glitch. Yesterday it was added to Netflix, so it all makes sense now.

Anyway, just wanted you all to know it is now on Netflix.

Click to expand...

What made you change your mind? Because I started it for the same reasons but gave up after 3 episodes. I cannot stand the dialogue in this show. It's like a high school outcast trying to imagine what cool college kids might say and do and making a TV show about it. And being really... really wrong.

Billions was earth shattering amazing. At least amazing, come on, heaps and bound better than Gotham and True Blood.

wamphyr said:

Billions was earth shattering amazing. At least amazing, come on, heaps and bound better than Gotham and True Blood.

Click to expand...

Hrmmm... Billions became almost unwatchable for me by the end of season 1 as well. Never saw Gotham but I did like True Blood for the first season and a half or so. I'll stick with Magicians to at least episode 8 I suppose.