The Magicians (Spoilers)

I started reading The Magician King a few days ago and, in a rare show of enthusiasm I usually reserve for comic books and binge-watching Netflix shows, I feverishly devoured it. I am also about halfway through the first season of the Syfy, for which I've been pacing myself as I read through the series.

Some thoughts (with spoilers):

The Magicians (Book 1)

This book gets away with certain things that I doubt it could have gotten away with in a sequel. The characters, fresh off the high of learning magic, are sarcastic know-it-alls who get in too deep. Quentin especially makes some very bad choices and pays a heavy price.

I'm not sure why Quentin decided to become a king of Fillory at the end. Fillory wasn't even the land he'd thought it was. I guess he just had nothing else to do with his life, and at least he'd be with friends.

The Magician King (Book 2)

This felt like a more self-aware installment of the Narnia series. After refusing the call to action once or twice, Quentin finally fulfills his role and achieves some real heroism. He felt more like a main character in this book than in the previous one. After all, in the previous installment, he'd had everything handed to him--his education and his ticket to Fillory. He doesn't even get to kill the Beast. That's not to say he wasn't faced with challenges, but the two major story beats were presented to him, not necessarily his own achievements.

In the first book, Quentin and company were drunk on power (sometimes literally). In this book, they are somewhat wiser and hoping to live out their days as quasi-retired royalty in Fillory. However, this time Fillory has a quest for Quentin and it is very insistent about it. Why Quentin would trust Fillory after having been betrayed by it in the past is a question whose answer could fill another book. I guess Fillory reverted back to its more innocent state after the evil was vanquished in the previous book. At any rate, Quentin steps up.

But it seems even when Quentin wins, even when he does everything he's supposed to, he loses. But unlike the pessimism and defeatism that permeated the previous book even as it showed us wonder and marvels, Quentin actually feels like he gained something from this experience. He is stronger and better for his losses than he is for his rewards. Without this growth, I would consider this series a failure. Now I'm excited to read book 3.

The Magicians (Syfy)

It's pretty good.

SMed #8: Happy

Amber is playing video games. Cole walks in.

Cole: I’m gonna be home late tonight. My office is doing happy hour.

Amber: You go to those?

Cole: Yeah. My therapist says I need to embrace opportunities to engage.

LATER

Cole is at happy hour, sitting alone, sipping a beer, and playing Candy Crush.

SMed #7: Followers

Amber is in the kitchen cooking. Cole comes running in.

Cole: Amber, Amber! You’re not gonna believe this!

Amber is nonplussed. You might even say she’s minussed.

Amber: Hm?

Cole: A comedian just followed me on Twitter! A famous comedian! I mean, I’d never heard of her before, but she’s been on television and she has some of her bits on YouTube, but she’s a real comedian who is now following me on Twitter!

Amber leaves her cooking for a moment.

Amber: Let me see.

Cole hands her the phone. Amber swipes a bit.

Amber: Okay, you want the good news or the bad news?

Cole: Uh. The good news.

Amber: It turns out, yes, this is a real comedian who is following you on Twitter. The bad news is that she’s also following 500,000 other people. So… you’re not special.

Cole: But I chose the good news…

Amber: Sorry, I thought it was implicit that I’d be telling you both.

SMed #6: Discourse

Cole is at her desk, droning away at work. Bryan leans in from the adjacent cubicle.

Bryan: Can’t believe you waited so long to see Star Wars.

Cole: My life hasn’t been the same since.

Bryan: Now I can get you caught up on what the Internet’s been saying.

Cole: Hey now, that’s not necess—

Bryan: Sending the first batch of articles… now!

Cole: Ugh.

SMed #5: Awakening

Cole and Amber are on the couch, watching a movie. Amber turns off the TV.

Amber: Okay. So that was the latest Star Wars.

Cole: Hrrn. What did you think?

Amber: I liked it. It felt like the first Star Wars movie. You?

Cole: I didn’t like it. It felt like the first Star Wars movie.

Amber: Okay. So, how about that representation?

Cole: You mean the chick and the black dude?

Amber: Yeah, they kicked ass, right?

Cole: Sure, they were representing all over the place.

Amber: All in all, I think this was one of the better ones. Top three, easily.

Cole: Oh, yes. Easily in the top three—of Star Wars fanfic.

Amber: We’re not best friends anymore.

SMed #4: Spectators

Cole finds Amber watching wrestling.

Cole: I’ll never understand why you’re into this stuff.

Amber: It’s not that hard to understand. Good guys versus bad guys, simple characterizations, cheesy costumes, ridiculous plot twists… It’s basically your comic book collection brought to life.

Cole: Intriguing.

Amber: Though I bet your comics don’t have an obnoxious audience ruining the flow of the matches with their chanting, expressing their displeasure at a perfectly fine show, and acting like they could do a better job if they were running the place.

Cole: Uh—

Amber: You know, the moment I said that, I remembered that the Internet is a thing that exists.

SMed #3: Film v Quality: Dawn of Discussion

Cole and Amber come out of the movie theater. They have just seen Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Amber: So that happened. What did you think?

Cole: Amber, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t know how I feel about what I just saw. And I am very disturbed that I don’t know how I feel about what I just saw. I… I’m afraid I’m not ready to discuss this movie just yet. I’m not sure I ever will be.

Amber: I… guess I can respect that?

They continue on their way.

Amber: But Wonder Woman was cool, right?

Cole: Oh, she kicked ass.

ONE MONTH LATER

Cole: Amber?

Amber: Yeah, Cole?

Cole: I’m ready.

SMed #2: Politics

Cole is at her desk, droning away at her work. Coworker Bryan leans over from the cubicle next to her.

Bryan: Hey, did you hear what Bernie said earlier today?

Cole: Um, I don’t care?

Bryan: But he was really rude to Hillary. I couldn’t believe it. You’ve got to see this. I’ll send you the link.

Cole: Ugh.

She reads the article.

Bryan: Well?

Cole: Well what?

Bryan: Wasn’t he rude? The way he interrupted her?

Cole: I guess so. No ruder than she’s—

Bryan: But, but he was rude to Hillary.

Cole blinks.

Bryan: And she’s a woman.

Cole stares patiently.

Bryan: And he’s a man. Being rude. To a woman.

Cole: I see the dots you’re trying to connect and—

Bryan: He’s sexist.

Cole: Ugh.

SMed #1: Gladiator

Cole is sitting on the couch with her roommate Amber. They are watching Gladiator.

Cole: Amber?

Amber: Yes, Cole?

Cole: I’m trying to remember... do we like this movie?

Amber: I don’t think we hate it.

Cole: Is that what we’ve come to? We can stream pretty much whatever we want, but we wind up settling for something we don’t hate?

Amber: So change it.

Cole: Can’t. Too tired.

Amber: There you have it.

They continue watching.

Cole: It just really bothers me that the network thinks we’re watching this because we like it. I don’t want to give them the wrong idea. Like, what if all they want to do now is put on movies like this one?

Amber: I understand where you’re coming from, and I’m trying really hard to care, but I just don’t have the energy.

They continue watching.

Cole: Amber?

Amber: Yes, Cole?

Cole: How do we feel about Russell Crowe?

Amber: You mean do I think he’s hot?

Cole: I mean do you think he’s a good actor.

Amber: I don’t know. Maybe? I guess he gets the job done.

Cole: He can’t sing, though.

Amber: Yeah, there’s that. But, you know, that part wasn’t right for him. People fuck up sometimes. That doesn’t mean they’re bad at what they do. Like Affleck.

They continue watching.

Cole: I really wish I could change the channel.

Amber: Me too, Cole.