Current Obsession Wednesday: The Magicians (TV show)
A few months ago when The Magicians season one was released on Netflix I binged it. At first I connected with the main character’s awkwardness and his compulsion to escape in his favorite book series (a Narnia/Harry Potter –esque fantasy series for children)—seriously, I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve read or listened to the Harry Potter books.
After the first episode I fell in love with all the characters in this secret magical in-crowd that exists in our world. For the first couple episodes one interesting character after another is added to the mix. Until finally you are left with a beautiful mess of 20-somthings at a magical grad-school in upstate New York. They attempt to hone their magical abilities at Brakebills University, while balancing a demanding party schedule and fighting a mysterious and deadly villain that the teachers would prefer to avoid. Season one is pretty much just character driven stories all the way through. Of course there is a larger plot—or two—but the world building and incredible characters are what keep you bingeing.
Now…no spoilers, I promise.
My current obsession, however, is season two of The Magicians. Watching week to week has proven to be too difficult, so my friends and I are hording episodes—like Ron Weasley with Leprechaun gold—and doing mini-binges every two or three weeks. Season two is even better than season one! (The fan-service alone is reason to watch) There are new writers, new sets, new plots, an amazing new makeup artist, and whatever costume designer made the periwinkle velvet damask suit is my new favorite person. There is one character in particular that continues to surprise me. Her story arch in each season is full of twist and turns. I love that at the beginning of the show I didn’t like her, thought she was annoying and needed to get over herself, and now she has grown to be one of my favorite characters. She is truly a strong independent woman who just keeps fighting even when no one is on her side.
SyFy has put a ridiculous amount of money into marketing season two. So if you are a fan, or become a fan, of The Magicians you should check out these interactive Pottermore-esque sites: http://www.brakebillsu.com/ & http://www.welcometofillory.com/
To sum it up, here's my pitch: This show is The Chronicles of Narnia crossed with Harry Potter in grad school, plus lots of sex, drugs, and teachers who swear a lot and of course, let students fight the big bad. It has the darkness of Harry Potter book 7 and the magic addiction of evil Willow (from BTVS). It has the whimsy of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and the snark, romance, and general badassery of Lost Girl (another SyFy show you should check out on Netflix).
Peaches and Plums
