The Magicians

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a_skeleton_03

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I just reread the first 300 pages of book 1 last night. I didn't realize how much I had forgotten and that they changed.

The following are ways that the show has departed from the books that aren't major spoilers. They are all about things that have already happened in the show.

1.) Alice and Quentin skip a year, Penny is supposed to but does not.
2.) The Beast doesn't show up until year 3.
3.) Penny is pretty much nonexistent until after they graduate and never travels during school (in the books).
4.) Jane doesn't die as we have already established.
5.) The Beast doesn't injure the dean, kills a student though.
6.) The Antarctic trip is a full semester and involves a test at the end that only Quentin and Alice do.
7.) There is a third physical kid that is a big part of the group.

Tonight according to the synopsis there is a major departure from the book and it will be interesting to see where they go with it and why they chose to do so.
 
khalid

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Started watching this, finished episode 2. Quentin's constant whining is driving me crazy but I'm enjoying it so far. Really makes you hate the school though, with the memory wipes and shit. Rooting for the girl that didn't get in.
 
Azrayne

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a_skeleton_03_sl said:
I just reread the first 300 pages of book 1 last night. I didn't realize how much I had forgotten and that they changed.

The following are ways that the show has departed from the books that aren't major spoilers. They are all about things that have already happened in the show.

1.) Alice and Quentin skip a year, Penny is supposed to but does not.
2.) The Beast doesn't show up until year 3.
3.) Penny is pretty much nonexistent until after they graduate and never travels during school (in the books).
4.) Jane doesn't die as we have already established.
5.) The Beast doesn't injure the dean, kills a student though.
6.) The Antarctic trip is a full semester and involves a test at the end that only Quentin and Alice do.
7.) There is a third physical kid that is a big part of the group.

Tonight according to the synopsis there is a major departure from the book and it will be interesting to see where they go with it and why they chose to do so.
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They also age the characters up substantially yeah?


Rime_sl said:
Just finished reading the series, did not even know it had been made into a show. But yeah, Jane Chatwin plays a part at the end of the first book. She is the Clocklady/woman. Who was a villain in the Fillory books. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK FOLLOWS.
Jane Chatwin has a magic watch that the dwarfs made for her. She had reset time again and again and again and that was the only time that their group (or any group) had been able to kill Martin, so Jane felt that losing Alice to stop him from continuing his evil was a reasonable loss. When Q wants to use her time travel ability to go back and save Alice from sacrificing herself to kill Martin, Jane smashes the magic watch that lets her time travel, leaving him to suffer the loss and prevent it from being changed.
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Yeah I remembered it being something along those lines - that she was kinda the White Witch of the Fillory books, but with clocks. But given how much the show has changed things (for the better, definitely), I don't find it hard to imagine they'll find some way to bring her back in.
 
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Azrayne_sl said:
They also age the characters up substantially yeah?
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Yeah I think so, I can't tell what they are trying to do in that aspect. They are 17 in the book.

Penny in the first book is actually quite shy, yeah he gets in peoples faces here and there but as a defense mechanism and not as a general rule.
 
Azrayne

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Yeah from what I remember I pictured Penny as more of a skinny street punk type kid in my head.

As for aging them - probably makes it easier to get a decent cast since they have a much wider age bracket to work with when they're playing 20-somethings instead of teenagers, it also gives them much more leeway with the pacing since they don't have to worry about the cast aging. I think it makes the mature tone of the series fit a little more as well - and personally I'm kind of sick of shows about teenage drama tbh.
 
Malkav

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Azrayne_sl said:
Yeah from what I remember I pictured Penny as more of a skinny street punk type kid in my head.

As for aging them - probably makes it easier to get a decent cast since they have a much wider age bracket to work with when they're playing 20-somethings instead of teenagers, it also gives them much more leeway with the pacing since they don't have to worry about the cast aging. I think it makes the mature tone of the series fit a little more as well - and personally I'm kind of sick of shows about teenage drama tbh.
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Not having read the books, but yeah having them be college students is way better than having them be high-school teenagers. At least that cut some of the drama.
 
Caliane

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Azrayne_sl said:
Yeah from what I remember I pictured Penny as more of a skinny street punk type kid in my head.

As for aging them - probably makes it easier to get a decent cast since they have a much wider age bracket to work with when they're playing 20-somethings instead of teenagers, it also gives them much more leeway with the pacing since they don't have to worry about the cast aging. I think it makes the mature tone of the series fit a little more as well - and personally I'm kind of sick of shows about teenage drama tbh.
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yeah. changes the acting ability, etc as well.
Like the comparisons between this Shannara, and Shadowhunters.
Olivia Dudley in this, Alice is 31. Jason ralph, Quentin is 30. Stella, Julia is 27.

Shannara:]Poppy Drayton, Amberle is 25. So is Austin butler, Wil. Ivana Baquero, Ertria is 22.

Shadow hunters: Katherine McNamara, Clary is 21. Dominic Sherwood is 26. Alberto Rosende, Simon is 23.

For some reason, older actors for more mature, vs 20 somethings year olds for teen bullshit. 30yr olds play 20yr olds, 20yr olds play teenagers. hollywood.
 
Cantatus

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a_skeleton_03_sl said:
Yeah I think so, I can't tell what they are trying to do in that aspect. They are 17 in the book.
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I read before the show aired that they were going for this being more like magic grad school than how it was more magic undergrad in the novels. Judging by every other show with teenagers on television, they would've been casting 20-somethings anyways, might as well make them fit the part instead of casting a bunch of baby-faced actors.

a_skeleton_03_sl said:
7.) There is a third physical kid that is a big part of the group.
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Sort of seems like they took Janet and split her into Kady and Margo. Margo seems to be the obvious stand-in for her, but Kady seems more likely to follow her character's trajectory. Not really sure why they made such a drastic change with her character. To give Penny a love interest? To offset Elliot's cynicism some? It's still a change I'm trying to wrap my head around, because I'm still not seeing a reason for doing away with one of the more important characters in the novels.
 
uncognito

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I like this show for the most part, and i am definitely looking forward to some episodes in fillary.

Only thing I don't like so far is Julia's story. Making her addicted to finding new magic, going to rehab etc is just stupid shit to me. such a crybaby bitch. I like the idea of hedgewitch society but i still fastforward through all her scenes.
 
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Cantatus_sl said:
I read before the show aired that they were going for this being more like magic grad school than how it was more magic undergrad in the novels. Judging by every other show with teenagers on television, they would've been casting 20-somethings anyways, might as well make them fit the part instead of casting a bunch of baby-faced actors.



Sort of seems like they took Janet and split her into Kady and Margo. Margo seems to be the obvious stand-in for her, but Kady seems more likely to follow her character's trajectory. Not really sure why they made such a drastic change with her character. To give Penny a love interest? To offset Elliot's cynicism some? It's still a change I'm trying to wrap my head around, because I'm still not seeing a reason for doing away with one of the more important characters in the novels.
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I was talking about Josh who doesn't have a comparable character at all. Margo is definitely Janet. I think Kady is out, who knows.
 
Cantatus

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Forgot about Josh. I can sort of understand his character being cut. He was more comic relief in the novel, whereas Elliot and Margo fit that role in the show. From what I recall, Elliot and Janet were amusing characters in the book, but more due to their sarcasm and cynicism and not as cartoon-y as Elliot and Margo are in the show. Come to think of it, Margo might be more a combination of Josh and Janet than just a stand-in for Janet.
 
Rogosh

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Cantatus_sl said:
Forgot about Josh. I can sort of understand his character being cut. He was more comic relief in the novel, whereas Elliot and Margo fit that role in the show. From what I recall, Elliot and Janet were amusing characters in the book, but more due to their sarcasm and cynicism and not as cartoon-y as Elliot and Margo are in the show. Come to think of it, Margo might be more a combination of Josh and Janet than just a stand-in for Janet.
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They did say that Josh is now Kady in one interview or another. I really enjoy the show, even with the changes they are staying true to the story. Julia's story being told right along with the rest had to be done, other than getting booted from school she was non existent in book 1. Source on the Kady thing:'The Magicians': The 10 biggest changes from page to screen
 
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a_skeleton_03

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Oh I forgot about Josh also, completely. The reason i remember is like I said last night I read the first 300 pages or so. Such a forgettable character.

I really like some of the creative changes they are making. It makes the show run smooth and gives it hope that they can get close to finishing it without being canceled first.
 
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a_skeleton_03

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Rogosh_sl said:
They did say that Josh is now Kady in one interview or another. I really enjoy the show, even with the changes they are staying true to the story. Julia's story being told right along with the rest had to be done, other than getting booted from school she was non existent in book 1. Source on the Kady thing:'The Magicians': The 10 biggest changes from page to screen
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They also use Julia for the Richard character and the "tools of the maker" speech.
 
Cybsled

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Looks like the books are forever ruined for Quentin now lol. The house of pedos and child murder wtf??
 
uncognito

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yeah that was some dark shit that I did not see coming.. dafuq did i just watch.

Still a good episode tho.
 
Nidhogg

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Fucky beyond all doubt, but I don't think Q has it right on who the beast is, why would he want to kill Jane if it was Old Geezerguy. Martin seems to be the budding "why does fillory hate me, let's find a way in no matter what." I'm assuming the 2 guardian yin/yang things saw this too which is why they denied him entry.
 
Caliane

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did you read the wiki or read the books, nidhogg?


that said, show is taking massive liberties as others noted. wiki/books probably should not be taken for granted for future events.
 
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