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d-lissa · 1 year

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Liveblogging TMA - Season 1 - MAG 7-8

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin, If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, Bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,– My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.

Dolce et Decorum est, Wilfred Owen

THE PIPER :

... Jesus fucking Christ, this one gave me shivers.

And also a new poet who's writing I went on to read just after finishing the episode, as the quote just above shows. There were definitely some that were more fitted for the episode, but I needed something that could be short and still feel self contained (so no snippet from "Strange Meeting", unfortunately, nor of "Insensibility",) but also impactful on its own.

And impactful, it is. Yes, I understand why this poem is Owen's most famous.

I have a soft spot for poetry, as you may or may have not noticed. I am certainly no expert in the subject, and even less of a writer, but the melody speaks to me.

Still, I have to wonder what the reception of the public was at this episode. I wasn't quite expecting TMA to introduce real life people in the story, or to touch on war and the effects it had on its people. I found the topic handdled delicately enough (tho an eyebrow does quirk a little at the implications of some of this), but I am obviously no veteran, nor do I wish to ever entertain the idea of becoming a soldier, as the earlier snippet may have informed you.

I don't really fancy putting my life on the line, only to be thrown away by my country afterward, if there even is any, thank you very much.

I do posses however a certain admiration for people who did, and so one Sgt. Clarence Berry was probably the first, of the many narrators introduced thus far, to which I have felt emotionally attached to. And, by proxy, to Wilfred Owen.

He has painted such a stark vision of war, one that I could almost feel, despite the minimal amount of details on the situation itself.

The narration of the text only amplified the effect, with Jonathan's voice resonating, as usual with a sombre timbre that felt quite fitting to the tone of the story. Should being the Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute not work out, he should look for work in the audio book industry. I am sure that he would make a killing there.

The Piper was a delight from start to finish. Not much of a mystery here, as much as the personification of war in all its gory glory, though I do wonder about the music the souls soon to be reaped heard before their final moment.

Still, if War is a thing, does that mean there are multiple concepts taken form as well ? Of course, the four of the apocalypse, obviously, but maybe more primal fears too ? Did they always exist and influenced humanity as we know it, or did they take form from humans' beliefs and terror ? What came first, and what impacted the other the most ?

If that is the case, then I have to say that I am quite thrilled at the possibilities of it all.

Onto our favourite sulky Head Archivist, the man is sulking again about the lack of order in the archive. I have to say, the contrast between the harrowing tale he was reading and his pettiness and disatisfaction toward his predecessor made my head spin for a bit. Just another way to show how good of a narrator he is, I almost forgot that he was the one talking, as well as why he was.

I am curious as to whom this Joseph Rayner will be. Since Wilfred Owen, in the story at least, spent 2 weeks in the guts of the man, but also with The Piper, I can only think that the two are connected.

With all of that out of the way, Wilfred Owen's end was quite the beautiful one. Sergeant Berry ponders on what luck is, and who of the two of them had more to spare, but between one haunted by his past, and the other not having any future to look forward to, the question quickly shifts to which one I find the most heartbreaking.

In the end, Clarence Berry built himself a futre despite the scars of his past, but will live to survive even more, while Wilfred Owen made his mark into the world before disappearing off of it for good. And he did it after having accomplished his goal, to a being higher than himself that he believed in and for his country.

Yes, I am sure the Wilfred Owen of this story was satisfied, not living his last instants for himself.

After all, just think of how sweet and fitting it is, to die for one's country.

BURNED OUT :

"I retrieved what turned out to be a a small wooden box, about six inches square, with an intricate pattern carved along the outside. Engraved lines covered it, warping and weaving together, making it hard to look away."

... Mh ?

Well, doesn't this sound familiar.

I must say, I started the whole fixation on the table from "Across The Street" thinking it wouldn't lead to anything, but somehow, they are very eager to make me think about it. There was a hole in that table, was there not ? Square shaped.

Still, somehow I don't think this was what was missing. There sure weren't spiders the first time around anyway, were there ?

TMA is on a streak right now, this episode hit me as much as the mast, tho in very different ways. The mystery presentd here is so complex, I genuinely cannot wait to get the Priest's statement and get the side of the story of someone who will, probably, be more understanding of the events and oddities of that night, and of this house in general.

Agnes has very much gotten my attention anyway. I somehow doubt this will be the last we hear of her or of her "father". They sound too much like trouble not to come back, and we still have a case of a disappearing child connected to them. I could see him appear, surprisingly ? As a character or as a statement.

Truth be told, if this continues I will have to make a list of all the names presented. I fear of forgetting context and stories and characters of relevance. I feel like I am reading a new wuxia level, I am not good with names, damn it.

For example, the narrator of this story. Obviously his father was involved with something ghastly, and I am thinking that his uncle was too, tho they have both been brushed aside as crazy. I somehow doubt that schyzophrenia really was a factor here. Patterns, fractals, and probably something to do with the leitner that made bones appear out of nowhere, if this guy wasn't aware of the Keays, maybe even against them, then I will eat my gloves. I am expecting to hear about them again, in anoher statement, but I have already fogotten the name of the man who did this statement.

But anyway, I guess the so called spiders have made an apparition. Crawling out of a rotten apple that has spent probably decades buried in a box, under a bleeding tree.

Now, I am someone very curious, but that is one form of knowledge I wouldn't mind not possessing. Ignorance is bliss, as many statements would confirm, and though I am of the type to contradict that saying, the kind of enlightenment given by this apple surely would not be good for me.

Awareness has been a theme all throughout. Living things that don't make sense and knowing that they do not, and suffering for it. Forces that try to keep you from learning the truth and eliminate you when you do. Should this garden be Eden and this apple the forbidden fruit giving you knowledge beyond your understanding, would this make of the spiders God or the Devil ?

Is there even a difference ?

OVERALL :

The deeper I get in this story, the more confused I am. It is a pretty nice feeling, knowing that I will get answers if I just keep going.

Those two statements have definitely been my favourite of the bunch, I tell you that, and I am more and more curious about who Jonathan Sims really is.

Again, he presents himself as a skeptic, scoffing at the idea that those statements could be real, and not deeming them so because there's SOME stuff of value, he guesses, but he still does work for an institute that research the supernatural.

Something I find fascinating is the way he presents the statements, you always hear his voice shift just a little, and he acts the words so well too. He is reading this, he is feeling the emotions the people who did these statements felt, but is denying ever being affected.

I can't help myself reading too much into it, and wondering how much of his life is affected by this tendency to deny feeling things.

Something that has me curious is the sound design. The context has been that he is journaling the statements in audio form through cassettes, at least the ones that can't get into a computer, but then, where does the sounds come from ? I understand that they may not actually exist, but I cannot imagine that they don't have a reason to exist in universe.

Until we get an idea, I will simply think that the horrors are giving us some entertainment, that they love the archivist's storytelling just as much as I do, so they decide to give it a little ambience to make it even better.

That, or Martin added a soundtrack post-production, when Jon isn't there. I haven't met him yet, but he sounds like the kind of guy that would do this. Him or that Tim guy.

Can't wait to meet them for good, with Sasha and Ellias. It would also be nice to find statements by Gertrude, or something, I wonder about the kind of person she was.

I am curious about the people working in this institute.

All of them.

And of the kind of corpses that must be buried under it. Somehow, I don't think they would be skeletons.

#tma #the magnus archive #liveblogging #tma-liveblog #i should find a closing statement #like a catch phrase or something #mh

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rainedroptalks · 2 years

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No wonder The Web wanted Martin, Melanie is literally being affected by The Slaughter and all Martin had to do was go "Melanie please 🥺" and she immediately chilled out

#ramblings #tma #the magnus archives #liveblogging #mag 118 #Martin Blackwood #Melanie king

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lunali-moon · 4 months

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.jmj error it's just Martin and Jon beating the shit out of Jonah

#insert icon [technical difficulties]#the magnus protocol #tmagp #tmp #tmp spoilers #tmp liveblog #tma #shitpost #jonmartin #the magnus protocol spoilers

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its-your-mind · 2 years

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damn imagine being jonathan sims. some woman shows up in like combat boots or whatever, and what the fuck you recognize her. that’s melanie king. she does that stupid ghost hunting show that everyone here makes fun of. and then she immediately starts insulting you and your workplace and the statements, when she literally came here to make a statement. but you recently promised your boss that you would “be more lovely,” so you’re trying So Hard not to lose your temper. you limit yourself to some light sass, and tbh think that’s pretty impressive on your part. she finally starts actually giving the statement, and not two minutes into it she mentions, off-hand, your ex-girlfriend, who you have not talked to in years. you have to pretend to be normal about this. then the youtube lady finishes, and you tell her you’ll look into it, but not to expect much, and she starts screaming at you again about how this whole place is bullshit and then she storms out and slams the door. you had told her before she started that you probably wouldn’t believe her. and now you just have this statement that you have to send your team to look into. what is the job of an archive again? are we sure it’s taking in new statements and doing research? you don’t know, you didn’t go to archive school, you’re flying by the seat of your pants. oh and also those evil worms from the evil worm lady are increasing in number outside your work. and all you want is an organized archive and maybe a nap.

#tma #the magnus archives #tma liveblog #tma spoilers #jonathan sims #mag 28 #melanie king #georgie barker

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ineffable-gallimaufry · 6 days

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never normal about elias. he really did straight up tell melanie the worst thing she ever could have heard and then went "but aside from that i think we're all good" in the most cheerful tone possible. she was still crying and he's just like "well, anyways, you can take the rest of the day off if you like :) thanks for coming"

#elias bouchard #tma #tma liveblog #he's so silly but also so fucking awful

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malevolantliveblog · 21 days

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Eyes? On a boat? in the middle of a foggy sea? is that a magnu-

#malevolent liveblog #malevolent #arthur lester #john doe #the magnus archives #elias bouchard #peter lukas #lonelyeyes #tma

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artfulacrostic · 2 years

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gerry in mag 12 😭 he's literally 80% covered in second degree burns, drugged to hell and back on painkillers, just woke up from being unconscious, and he's still like "okay here we go another day on the job guess i have to go kill this lightless flame bitch who's trying to boil us all alive!! behold my sterile scalpel bitch" and then when the guy finishes cremating himself he sits back down on his bed and goes to sleep bc he has had a very long day

#r relistens to tma #tma liveblog #the magnus archives #gerard keay #mag 12 #mag 12 first aid #gerry keay

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pusangkambing · 3 months

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Tma season 3 liveblog thread: following wolfy's example and keeping all reactions in the same thread lol

#paimon!liveblogs!#tma

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r0semultiverse · 3 months

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Mr. 6 made you do a good show to be released?? 👀 um....

This is already giving serious eye vibes.

A whole show dedicated to public humiliation?

The Mr. Bonzo suit started moving??? 👀 Serious stranger vibes. 🤡

"It actually became a sort of ritual"

I've seen people being like "don't cross tag" but buddy... the writing cross tags itself here I mean c'mon! 😂 Something something ritual of the stranger- okay, I'll keep listening!

Hey, what's with the music?? Hey, who is Terrance Menki???👀

"The police said there were eleven bodies in total and his wardrobe was full of all sorts of homemade costumes." BRO IS ACTUALLY MAGNUSPOD WILLIAM AFTON-

"It certainly had a profound effect on the Mr. Bonzo brand." Oh I'm sure it did, holy fucking shit. 👀

Oh, me using this image is rather ironic now.

"In a lot of ways I’m more his prisoner now than I ever was on my show." WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? 👀

"The witness statements from three murders over the last five years that claim a person in a Mr. Bonzo costume was at the scene? Do you think there could be a copycat?" Has the fear of clowns manifested as an actual clown-guything?

"Don’t contact us again." "Us?" "Why am I still trapped dealing with all this this- Why won’t he let me go?! Why-" So Mr. Bonzo is absolutely a clown cryptid of sorts with some sort of hold over Nigel.

Oh no, Gwen's about to fuck around & find out, isn't she? 👀

Hey, is Colin still himself & is he supposed to be back?

Hmm, okay, I guess that's him (hopefully).

"Maybe don’t tell them I’ve been on their terminals. They’ll only get the wrong idea." "If Lena asks, I wasn’t here." Seems like everyone's got their own little secret investigations going on, fun! This can only go well! 🙃

One of the episodes absolutely no one shows up to work except Lena is there & is like "where the fuck did everyone go?"

"Time to get some new hires again I guess."

Let's go!! Ruin exploration gang!!

"Like, it’s Saturday night and I’m choosing to hang out in a hole with you. A wet hole. And not the good kind either."

Alice with the absolute best quotes. lmao

That sounds like something with giant wings like a bat or some sort of cloth flapping in the wind. Let's hope it's the latter!

Oh a rusty old filing cabinet! Wait tetanus- 😭

"That carved floor in the big atrium – I don’t know what’s going on with that." Ah so we're just gonna breeze past that then. 😶

These are probably the remnants of old avatar creation test areas like mentioned in the Gerry & Gertrude episode. I'm just assuming here.

A key? Big find! Let's go!

AS I WAS SAYING-

Gwen, it was nice knowing you. 🫡

"Now get out of his house."

Archivist! 👁👄👁

"symbols of ancient otherworldly power"

Wait could this be a timeline where this universe's Jane Prentiss actually did manage to invade the building & succeed? I'm thinking out loud.

21:10 that sounds like critters, insects specifically 👀

"I have memories of weird stuff I saw here, but no context. I want to know what was happening, why they chose us… why they didn’t choose me. Maybe find the bit where everything started to go wrong." I am so captivated & intrigued please recount said memories to us- I mean Alice so we can learn more. Please. 👀

EXCUSE ME, WHO THE FUCK WAS THAT?!? WHO IS "[ERROR]?"

WHY DO THEY SOUND DISTORTED AS FUCK?? ARE THEY FROM THE PRIME TIMELINE OR IS THIS A NEW THING?

ARE WE GAZING OUR EYES UPON A WRETCHED THING FROM THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES?!

edit:

Is Lucia Wright an avatar of The Flesh now (in this universe or from the original timeline somehow)? Because it sure fucking sounds like it! 👀 Well, at least that key was put to good use! 😂

Also, supposedly Mr. Bonzo is a reference to Mr. Blobby.

Gwen, I'd be quaking in my boots too. That thing is terrifying!

Late observation but this universe & story seems to focus a lot on the cryptids & I like the direction it's going in! Loving this plot of cryptid hunters, childhood avatar experiments, a strange institute where our main character has past trauma, & just all of it is so good! 💜

Amazing episode, 10/10, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! 💜 That Bonzo scene & the sound design were absolutely horrifying, thank you! The ending too! 🔥

#nigel dickerson if you need help from mr. bonzo or mr. six please blink twice omg #what if bonzo & six are actually the same creature or entity of sorts?#someone keep an eye on Colin; I'm worried about him #that carved floor in the big atrium is gonna come back into importance I just know it #so Lena uses mr. bonzo as a hitman crytpid of sorts... & now Gwen is exposed to the occult #this episode is a lot... holy crap #these episode do not miss; oh my gods; hit after hit; every time!#worm tracks made me think of jane prentiss; I just made the connection #did lucia wright become an avatar of the flesh & invade this world or is she a left over experiment of the magnus institute #I can only hope Gwen Bouchard will tell the others about wtf she saw (likely against Lena's wishes)#tmagp liveblog #mine #op #tmagp 10 #tmagp #tmagp spoilers #tma spoilers #tma #the magnus protocol #the magnus archives

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shadow-the-crow · 2 months

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NOOO MIKE :'(

Not only did she kill him she also buried him

How dare you do this to my poor sky boi :(

#i really liked him...#*cries*#and yes the detail of daisy saying “grab a spade” made me sadder than it should #he was a vast avatar he wouldn't want to be buried :( :(#tma #tma podcast #the magnus archives #tma shitpost #mike crew #michael crew #tma spoilers #mag 91 #the coming storm #tma liveblog #tma liveposting

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d-lissa · 1 year

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Liveblog TMA - Season 1 - MAG 4-6

"Grant us the sight that we may not know. Grant us the scent that we may not catch. Grant us the sound that we may not call."

PAGE TURNER :

... Goddamn, that episode was fucking awesome. Oh, the tension, I love it. And I do have a weakness for magical books, especially of the horrific kind, so the oddity of this episode was an absolute delight to me.

I have no idea what the story of the Leitners is, nor of their creator, but I can barely wait to find out. I wonder what the book that was burned this time around could do. The whole elecriticity thing sounded quite dangerous, much more than being able to make bones appear out of nowhere, tho for different reasons.

Could this be part of a plot ? I expect so, anyway.

I have to say, the eye painting makes me think of the table that we have encountered in the previous episode. The description of the motifs and pattern inside seems to match, and the effect on the one looking at it also looks to be the same, enthrancing them.

In addition, the words below it seems to confirm my current theory, of how the woman in "Across the Street" managed to remember the Graham of before. Not because she has seen the fhist happen before her eyes, but because the table has had an influence on her. Without it, it is totally plausible that she wouldn't have remembered the truth of what happened.

Something she, probably, would have been the most thankful for.

I still think she isn't to survive, and the she will fall victim to the shifter who took Graham's place. For posterity, I will have to add our dear theater technician to the list, just for having seen the painting.

Gerard Keay and his mother's existence will probably be the mystery I will follow the most closely, after the table and the leitners. If Gerard made the painting, maybe he saw the table ? It was said to be an antique, so unless the man has been around for longer than we are led to believe, then he must not be the one to have made the table.

Still, the man was doing groceries for what appears to be the ghost of his deceased mother, surely he must be involved into whatever fuckery is going on. I wonder if he is still himself, actually. If he isn't another one of those shifters who replaced the original, maybe after after he made the painting.

I must say, the more I read descriptions of these patterns, the more I am curious as to what they might look like. I will have to look for fanart, without spoiling myself if possible. Would be a shame.

Onto the next episode we go !

THROWN AWAY :

"Time generally makes people inclined to forget what they would rather not believe"

... Well, doesn't that sound ominous. Got some first hand experience with that, Mr.Head Archivist ?

Definitely the one I disliked most. Still entertaining, but it lacked some of that impact the others had. It didn't quite hit me, nor did it make me curious enough to ask actual questions outside of the "why" and "who" variety, let alone theorize about it.

Shame, but still a fun time.

However, I have to say that the setting is intriguing. It is true, that so few consider the people picking up what you are throwing away. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing this kind of narratir again, the kind that is just ignored as part of the background due to their vocation.

They must have seen so many harrowing things.

SQUIRM :

Actually, scratch what I said, this one was very much the one I disliked the most. It was still good, but so ... Basic ? Mh.

At least this one is pretty cut and dry, and the biggest mystery remains of whomst the fuck is Jane Prentiss ?

This one blindsided me, for a moment I thought this was someone we already met and I went to reread the transcripts of all previous episodes, but nope ! Nothing !

I guess that if she is such a renowned figure, we will have more statements about her. Kind of like the leitners situation, right ? It must have been a current investigation.

OVERALL :

Not much to say, really, other than the fact that I am very much enjoying Jonathan's narration. The dry sarcasm speaks to me.

Although, I am not really buying the flippant attitude he's got about death and tragedies.

Doesn't it feel kind of forced ?

#tma #the magnus archive #liveblogging #tma-liveblog

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