#tma rambles

[shadow-the-crow]

The Distortion didn’t like Michael as a who.

I mean, it says itself that it doesn’t want to be Michael. But the who and what thing actually brings us farther than that. It shows us his whole arc.

We all know the quote "i am not a who, archivist, i am a what." When i first heard it, i thought: Makes sense, it’s an inhuman creature, not a person, it just can’t have enough identity to be a who. Like it says itself.

But in Michael’s statement, it talks about having your who torn from your what, and replaced with another who. So it actually did have a who before becoming Michael. And it even admits that Michael also was a who, a who that became part of its being.

I think… it could just never accept being Michael. As it said, Michael Shelley was a constant reminder of its failure – the embodiment of it. The Distortion was forced to become the embodiment of its failure. To think with its mind. Of course it could never accept that. Imagine how horrible that must be – despising your own mind. (I think some people can relate to that, actually. I’m sorry if you can. I can.)

So it tried to disassociate itself completely from being Michael. To pretend it was only a what. I mean, we see that it’s comfortable with it/its pronouns as Michael, but not as Helen. As Michael, it embraced its inhumanity – not because it wasn’t comfortable with being a person in general, but with being that specific person it was forced to become. A person whose mind wasn’t made for the Spiral. Its failure incarnate.

But just before the Distortion in its Michael form dies, he ends his statement with "that is who i am". WHO. (thanks @totheidiot for pointing that out to me ^^) Michael finally got to talk about everything he had to endure. For the first time, he said the cruel truths out loud: How much it always hated being Michael Shelley. He told Jon everything, which also forced him to face the truth himself. And i think facing it finally allowed him to accept it. Accepting how shitty something is is the first step towards learning to live with it and maybe even learning not to hate it.

He could finally accept his mind. His who. Every part of himself.

And not even two minutes later, he died.

(Of course, the Distortion itself didn’t die. But its current state of existence died. It finally accepted its who, only to get it painfully torn from its what again.)

Because he got too lost in his who. Talking to Jon allowed him to be more human. But the cruel world he lived in doesn't reward humanity. It exploits the weakness that comes with it.

#yes i'm using it/its for michael while it resented its who and he/him for his last moments #because i think that's what he would have preferred lol #also i'm not linking my previous posts because i'm pretentious - it's just that all these thoughts are connected #sorry to my followers who don't like michael lmao #tma #michael distortion #the magnus archives #tma podcast #tma spoilers #tma thoughts #mag 101 #another twist #tma rambles #tma the distortion

[thehermitavatar]

I love the idea that Robert Smirke had fourteen friends to represent the Fears. That would make him the fifteenth, the extinction, and honestly, that makes a lot of sense regarding who he was as a character.

Trying to control and balance everything to the point that it becomes destructive and makes everything worse.

Also, based on the timeline, that means that Hezekiah Wakely could have been part of his group.

#robert smirke #hezekiah wakely #the extinction #tma regency era #tma #the magnus archives #the magnus pod #magpod #tma podcast #tma rambles

[fancy-fangs]

I just had a thought and I've never seen this talked about before.

In TMA there's the funny moment haha martin wasn't the one getting Jon out of his coma but what if he did. Hear me out:

We know Jon fed off of fear in that coma, it was the one thing keeping him "alive" in that moment. Fear was the one thing that gave him enough strength to keep fighting. And yes from his past experience and connection to the eye he has enough fear to feed from

BUT

you cannot tell me that martin coming every day for weeks, scared that he lost all of them now, scared that he'll never talk to Jon again, scared that he'll have to watch another funeral so soon, didn't do anything there. You cannot tell me that wasn't a good amount of fear there that Jon got to feed on.

#tma #tma rambles #martin blackwood #jonathan sims #jmart #jonmartin #tma season 4 #tma season 3 #jon sims #martin k blackwood #the magnus archives

[rowanraven08]

Unsolicited tma rant no one asked for:

I’ve been thinking a bit about exactly what makes me like the Magnus archives so much, cause I’m not really into horror anthology. Yeah, it’s a good aspect of the genre, but it’s never really caught my interest that much. And I consider myself a fan of horror, but I don’t actually like that many horror movies that much. I like it as a genre, and watching video essays about it, about how different horror affects us, that sort of thing. Horror doesn’t even make me scared usually. I’ll flinch at jump scares of course, but it’s pretty rare that I’m watching a horror movie and be genuinely afraid of the murderer or demon or whatever’s on screen.

Tma even took me a while to get into. I started it maybe in October or November? And it took me until January to get even a dozen episodes in. It was good, but I was really just waiting until it got to the good bits that made everyone love it so much. I knew there was some sort of meta plot, and had a cannon gay ship, that was all I knew when I started, and the reason I kept on with it. I hate to say it, but if I didn’t know even that, I don’t think I would have listened to more than a couple episodes, because short self contained stories isn’t what I’m interested in. Especially when there’s a magic Latin book and a coffin with knocking (I thought it would be a vampire or something) or some weird thing luring people into alleys to kill them. I took those early episodes to be generic devil worship sort of horror, that the weird details were added in just to add to the spook. That’s something that tends to bother me with horror movies, when there’s all this dark magic just for the sake of dark magic, and ends with this big question or realization that can’t be solved. And I do understand ending movies with something the audience can’t understand, because the mystery and strangeness can add to the horror. But I really dislike this, I’m all cool with hard or impossible to understand endings, don’t get me wrong, but when there’s no way to theorize, no dots to start connecting, I find that really frustrating. A good example (I can’t find what movie it is, so if someone know lmk) is a movie with the classic family moves into large old house, creepy basement, with satanic sort of imagery. I did actually like most of it, the stairs to the basement were normal, until there was a ball knocked down them when the light was off, and you could hear it keep going far longer than the actual staircase was. That these stairs kept going for who knows how long when the light is off. What I didn’t like was the end, where we got to see what was at the bottom of these endless stairs, and there’s long lines of people in this void, just standing there. But there was no explanation for this, no way to start theorizing as to what this could be, why it happens.

This is what I thought TMA was gonna be. Each episode never really ended with an explanation, or a way to theorize (early on) and I thought it would stay that way. I remember in January I was finally listening to more on a plane ride, and got to ep22, Martin’s statement about Jane Prentiss. It wasn’t even this specific episode that got me interested, not fully. I did like the worms, description of Jane prentiss, all that but it was when I kinda realized there was something to theorize about, that there was actually something going on behind the scenes. And it kept me listening. It was a bit frustrating how slow the season seemed to go, because I wanted to know what the worms were about, and I admit I rushed through a few episodes, again, thinking they were just filler short stories to break apart the real meat of it. The episode I think that really sealed the deal was strange music, specifically the bit between Sasha and Jon, I wasn’t too interested in creepy clown dolls, but that silly little debate over how to pronounce calliope was honestly charming. Like “oh, these characters aren’t gonna be overdramatized horror movies characters, at least not too much.” Once I got to the season 1 finale I was obsessed and basically finished the rest in two or three weeks (I listened to the last 120 episode in a single week).

And good lord Jonny I am SO SORRY I DOUBTED YOU. Because none of it was creepy books or creepy dolls or weird coffins for the hell of it, you weren’t actually left with no idea of what the ending meant. You just had to listen to Jon as he because paranoid and pulled out the red string, pulling all the pieces together for you until we finally got the big picture. I never once expected the fears, or avatars, or that Robert smirk was anything but a weird architecture, that Jonah Magnus was anything but a stuffy old man who founded the institute. And that’s why I think I love TMA so much, is there really is a big satisfying pay out as a listener, I didn’t even put the dots together myself and it’s still gratifying. The slow realization that these episodes aren’t just horror for the sake of horror, they have a reason, an explanation, and it still manages to keep a level of mystery and unknowability that makes you just always want to know more. Re-listening has been genuinely so fun, because especially with later episodes I’m able to connect those dots, and see the full picture as it unravels. The thing in the dark alley wasn’t targeting smokers to be spooky, it was a monster collecting victims to use in a ritual, and that addiction is part of the web.

So yeah, that was probably really redundant, but I just really love that slow reveal, all the little bits you can connect, and theories you can make. Jonathan Sims forgive me for ever doubting your writing, I see now you’re a genius, please give me your brain, I need it for my own creativity. Thanks for coming to my ted talk

#the magnus archives #tma #jonathan sims #rambles #rant #rant post #tma rambles

[1000fingers]

Thinking about in mag 159, martin talking about peter wanting to die alone (with implications about martin himself) and jon saying “tough”, refusing to leave martin in his lowest moment, at risk to his own life

Thinking about in mag 200, jon telling martin to leave him, that he couldnt bear to lose him like this, just to leave him alone, and martin saying “tough”, refusing to leave jon in his lowest moment, with no guarantee of either of their survival.

Where you go, i go.

#tma rambles #tma spoilers #mag 159 #mag 200 #tma analysis #jmart #tma

[the-forsaken-void]

i often think about jon and how he never had the time to mourn, how starting with prentiss it was just constantly “fleeing from the latest thing that wants to kill [him].” there was never a chance to stop and process any of it because it was never over, it was always a new monster or threat or situation.

but i also think of martin and how he did get to mourn. and he was the only one left. there were 4 months between the unknowing and the flesh attack and martin’s mum died 2 months after the unknowing. of course, 2 months to mourn what were almost certainly his only friends and 2 more with the additional loss of his mother isn’t a lot. and, yes, he did start to get involved with peter in that time, which means it wasn’t necessarily a long period to take a breath, but it certainly was enough to start processing, to let it sink in, to actually mourn. and even that was cut off. martin had the chance to start to process but not to move past it all, and god, i just can’t imagine how that must have been.

#tma #the magnus archives #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #tma season 4 #tma s4 spoilers #tma rambles

[theglowingeyeballz]

TMA S1 SPOILERS

Maybe I’m a bit slow but I just realized Oliver Banks likely worked in the same shop with Jane Prentiss at one point (sorry if someone already talked about this)

(Jane’s statement)

(Oliver’s statement)

If it was our grim-reaper man he probably saw Jane in his dreams

#jane prentiss #oliver banks #tma #the magnus archives #tma rambles #tma s1 #tma spoilers

[venleaf]

Imagine Mike and the lichtenberg figure simply merged into one and so spiral mike was born

#spiral mike #tma #the magnus archives #mike crew #tma mike crew #fear entitiy swap #lichtenberg figure #tma lichtenberg figure #text post #tma rambles #i am thinking #venleaf posts

[banananagoose]

I am horrendously in love with Tim Stoker

#like I get jonmartin is our collective end game and we love them and treasure them but god #I love me a good timjon fic #especially time travel aus where Jon like #wakes up back in his office after Martin does the 🔪🔪🔪 but it’s like pre everything so Tim #and Martin and Sasha are all still fresh! now worms have happened or not Sasha #and Jon and Tim are still friends and it’s just #Jon Knowing all that he knows suddenly back at the beginning and it’s so much and he just loves them all so much and he loves Tim so much #I love me a good angst + fluff #lemons and peaches #sorry about my #tma rambles #jontim #tma

[soupedepates]

Gertrude's voice is legit the most disturbing thing to me.

More disturbing that the worms, the teeth, Sasha and whatever she is up to, Michael, the Montauk or Salesa.

There is something so haunting in her voice...

#tma characters #tma rambles #tma gertrude #the magnus archives #tma spoilers

[birdsareflocking]

TMA SPOILERS

As a writer, listening to TMA is just constantly being impressed with the quality of writing. The amount of times I’ve been in awe with the amount of subtle foreshadowing that I only noticed on my third relisten. I’m so impressed with how the characters are so full of life when only being in a couple episodes. It makes so much sense that people would get obsessed with minor characters because the amount of care that’s put into them it’s hard not to love a statement giver. Take Agnes Montague who doesn’t even speak and has three episodes out of 200 dedicated to her and I feel like I know so much about her and she’s a fully fleshed out character. As well as Sasha whose in 6 episodes barely and yet I still feel like I miss her when not!sasha appears. It’s so impressive and I’ll never stop talking about it

#tma #the magnus archives #tma rambles #idek if this makes sense

[thehermitavatar]

I'm just thinking about like...when did Jonah fall for the Eye?

We know he must of had some form of power around 1924 when Barnabas got banished because he decided to watch him, he wanted to see what would happen.

Did he gain his powers around the time he established the institute? Maybe he was already an avatar before he met Smirke, and he used Smirkes research to feed himself and the Eye. I got no clue.

Maybe we'll get more backstory to Jonah in the magnus protocol. Perhaps a statement from himself, instead of his story being told from an outside perspective. I think that's why, out of all of the TMA villains, people hate him the most. His story is the one we don't hear. His side of things, what happened.

TMA is a story about choices and the lengths people will go to achieve some ounce of power. Why does he want power and immortality. There must be a deeper reason. All avatars struggled and felt so deeply that they became the thing that both haunted them and they relished in. So why did Jonah become an avatar. Just because he was an obsessive academic? Because he was an elitist snob? There has to be a deeper reason, people!

...Anyway, this won't be my final ramble about Jonah. There's so much more I can say about him

#I live for characters who are horrible people #like daisy #i love her as well #i need more jonah centric fics...long ones #jonah magnus #the eye #the beholding #the ceaseless watcher #tma #the magnus archives #the magnus pod #magpod #tma podcast #tma rambles #tma regency era

[nerdiqueen]

seventeen hundred and seventy four words

in my magnus archives voice/tone c(l)ue rant.

eight thousand fifty three characters excluding spaces.

and I didn't even scratch the surface of what I want to talk about.

brb, I suppose, gonna go write an essay.

#nerdipost #magnusposting #magnus archives #magnus pod #magnuspod #magnus podcast #the magnus archives #tma #tma podcast #tma rants #tma rambles #i'm perfectly normal about the magnus archives #rusty quill #magnus universe #the magnus universe #the magnus pod #the magnus podcast #help my dad offered to help me find academic conferences to present at if I do this #oh god #I'm so normal #normal #I'm normal.

[rowanraven08]

Unsolicited TMA rant no one asked for part two:

One of my favorite things about TMA is how the characters treat the story. I’ve seen people joke about how Jon treats this like a horror movie, and Elias treats it like an office comedy, and yeah, that is really funny, but I feel like that’s actually a really interesting way of looking at things. There’s lots of horror movies that all the characters either treat it like a horror movie, or more often than not, that they all don’t. It ends up with stories about people making all the same dumb mistakes over and over, that just makes you frustrated that no one will make smart decisions in a clearly bad situation.

There are bad decisions made in the Magnus archives of course, but none of them are from just pure ignorance. Even the dumb decisions you’re able to understand, and don’t seem like a cheap cop out to just move the story forward. Like Jon breaking the table. That was pretty clear to see coming that would be a bad decision, but it’s a likable choice because, you can actually understand it. He treats this like a horror movie, he’s paranoid, trying to connect the dots, not just waiting for the monster to come kill him. He’s being proactive, even if he’s so freaked out and sleep deprived to do it well.

And I think that’s such an interesting way to write characters. It makes sense for not every character to fit into the genre the story is. It makes for such a dynamic and interesting cast when one character is paranoid convinced someone is out to get him, while most everyone else is pretty calm about the whole thing. Because of course, it’s just a normal day at the Magnus Institute. And Martin, he actually tried to protect himself against the horrors after his apartment is attacked by worms, realizing that yes this is indeed horror. Elias treats it like an office comedy because that’s what this is to him, genuinely amused watching everyone run around confused and afraid because he knows what’s going on, and is convinced he’s untouchable by it.

And I think when writing your own characters, that’s a good thing to think about. What type of story is this? And how well do the characters understand what sort of story they’re in. Are they convinced they’re in a tragedy? Horror? Comedy? Romance? How right are they? I think it could be really useful in nailing down a character’s voice, and figuring out the sort of decisions they might make. A single character may make one choice in comedy, and a very different one in horror, even if it’s the same scenario. So I just think that’s really interesting to think about

#the magnus archives #tma #jonathan sims #the archivist #tma rambles #rant post #rant #tma podcast

[poeticsandaliens]

Been reading a lot of books about the history of mountaineering in order to understand why climbing gave me a god complex when I was sixteen, and I see a lot of discussion of the Sublime, the compulsion to see/seek/explore, the risks one takes in order to behold the world from a great height or witness the depth of a massive wilderness. The great aggrandizing accomplishment of a View at the expense of so much of your safety and comfort.

Like I know I've said this before in my TMA rambling but no matter how tightly we associate heights with the Vast I could write a whole nightmarish essay about the power that beholding wields over our choices to climb.

#anyway #the magnus archives #tma podcast #tma rambles #the magnus protocol

[sylvermidnight]

Currently thinking about JonGerry

It’s probably my favorite TMA ship for the fact that it’s just the most tragic “what if” to ever exist. And I have plenty of “Gerry lives” aus. But at the moment I’m just thinking of the alternative while listening to Dead of Night by Orville Peck.

Just imagining younger Jon meeting a younger Gerard Keay, who’s a little older, a whole lot cooler. They only have one summer together but it’s good. It’s soft and they’re in love. Gerry owns a motorcycle and Jon thinks that’s the most attractive thing he’s ever seen. He teaches Gerry to smoke and in turn Gerry buys him his first leather jacket. Maybe they hunt Leitners together maybe they don’t. Either way it’s doomed to go wrong and when summer ends Gerry will be gone and Jon will be back at uni. But it’s real, and as Jon blows smoke off into the hot night air, resting against Gerry’s back as he drives, he thinks life is good for the first time ever.

#tma rambles #TMA #the magnus archives #jonathan sims #gerard keay #jongerry