have u watched the magic ians?
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CheruthCutestoryII — 9 years ago(January 13, 2017 02:59 PM)
I read the first book for a book club I was in and I hated it so much. Like it would sometimes make me physically angry while reading I hated the main character so much. I'm told it gets better as the books go on. But I just couldn't. And I couldn't watch the show.
Most people thought I was a hero for killing Lydia's parrot. -
Unshaken_Unstirred — 9 years ago(January 14, 2017 02:41 AM)
It wasn't awful, it wasn't amazing. I'd put it on par with stranger things. The premise that magic come from pain is creepy in all the wrong ways, especially when they introduce the bi sex magician and the pedo magician. The blond was hot and had a really nice ass, especially during the sex scene. The biggest problem the show has is the main character isn't particularly likable. You want to empathize with the guy because he's the nerdy and awkward, but passionate. You just can't because he never really gives you a reason to like him. He's never really funny or kind, or even emotionally vulnerable despite his severe failings. He just comes off as the handsome guy who should be popular but is too much of a creep to achieve it.
You don't have to be faster than the shark -
SunnyWays — 9 years ago(January 14, 2017 04:06 AM)
The biggest problem the show has is the main character isn't particularly likable. You want to empathize with the guy because he's the nerdy and awkward, but passionate. You just can't because he never really gives you a reason to like him. He's never really funny or kind, or even emotionally vulnerable despite his severe failings. He just comes off as the handsome guy who should be popular but is too much of a creep to achieve it
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^ I think that's very true. -
cat_fitz — 9 years ago(January 14, 2017 04:38 AM)
The biggest problem the show has is the main character isn't particularly likable.
I didn't find any of the characters all that likable, especially the ones we're supposed to like. I liked Eliot, Alice and Margo okay (until they ruined them) but Quentin and Julia were downright awful. The concept was interesting, though executed poorly, but the characters were garbage. I like flawed characters but this was just overly simple ****ty people. They should have made them teenagers as perhaps all that self-absorption would be more understandable.
"She hasn't even read the books" - Elliot_Alderson -
Unshaken_Unstirred — 9 years ago(January 14, 2017 04:52 AM)
They should have made them teenagers as perhaps all that self-absorption would be more understandable.
I wonder if this is part of the problem. It feels like they are supposed to be teenagers, and they just upped their ages to make the sex and drinking acceptable. If they were teenagers instead of 22-26 year old adults, their behavior wouldn't be okay, but it would be more excusable.
I feel like the show either didn't go dark enough to justify such abhorrent behavior, and/or just didn't try enough to develop multidimensional characters we can bond with. Look at Dexter, audiences can bond with horrible protagonists if only given the chance to find some redeeming quality. All we get from Quentin is obsession. There is never really any indication that he does any of it out empathy, morality, or a sense of honor.
And you're right about Quentin and Julia being the worst. If they were decent people it might play off as the others being jaded by their experiences with magic.
You don't have to be faster than the shark -
cat_fitz — 9 years ago(January 14, 2017 05:31 AM)
If they were teenagers instead of 22-26 year old adults, their behavior wouldn't be okay, but it would be more excusable.
Agree. I could swallow this as teenagers but these are supposed to be highly intelligent post undergrad "adults."
I feel like the show either didn't go dark enough to justify such abhorrent behavior, and/or just didn't try enough to develop multidimensional characters we can bond with.
I definitely agree they didn't go dark enough. Even the sex and violence felt very CW to me. Actually, even sillier than CW channel level sex & violence. I also agree that flawed characters, or antiheroes, can make great protagonists. Those are actually my favorite main characters. Just give them some depth and some meat to make me care about them accomplishing their goals. I didn't with any of these characters. I just wanted them to die, and didn't even care if it was a fun death. Maybe the books gave more backstory to Julia and Quentin but they both just seemed like entitled brats. And Julia becoming a junkie for magic was just cringey. I was waiting for some Jessie Spano, "I'm so excited" meltdown.
"She hasn't even read the books" - Elliot_Alderson