Martin is not kind to people he doesn't know. Or more specifically, to people whose suffering isn't in his immediate vicinity.
I've honestly been debating whether or not to post this, but I think it might be useful to hear. I think, as a fandom, we've gotten better at seeing Martin's cunning side, rather than seeing him as an innocent person who must be protected at all costs. But from what I've observed, most fans tend to characterize Martin as far kinder than he actually is, overlooking a lot of his flaws.
Let me be clear. Martin is absolutely kind to the people he cares about. Most of the actions Martin takes in the story are for Jon's sake, rather than his own. Granted, he can get possessive at times, he has horrible self-worth, and he blames himself for practically everything, but those are different topics.
Martin's whole thing is that he's nice. He's polite and helpful, awkward in a way that's meant to endear himself to you. This is a survival strategy he's developed due to trauma. Ultimately, when interacting with people Martin doesn't know, he's nice, but not kind. He doesn't actually care about these people, even if he pretends that he does out of some sort of moral obligation. And he especially doesn't care about theoretical suffering. I have several examples of this. Spoilers for seasons 4 and 5 of the podcast.
In MAG 158, during the scene between Martin and Jonah in the Panopticon, Jonah remarks that Martin doesn't care about what happens to the rest of the Institute staff. This could be Jonah trying to mess with Martin, but Jonah has always preferred awful truths to lies. And The Lonely only amplifies Martin's sense of indifference. It doesn't manufacture it.
In MAG 187, Jon says that if Martin saw Helen's victims up close, he might try to get Jon to smite her. The key here is that Martin's already aware of Helen's victims. He knows that Helen is evil, but she's helpful and nice, so Martin likes her. Thus, Martin is able to wave away the idea of theoretical people suffering, purposefully ignoring it so it doesn't interfere with his sense of justice. Martin is like Basira in this way.
In MAG 196, we see Martin taking book breaks while walking with Annabelle to Hilltop Road. This is partly to allow Jon to catch up and partly to let the suffering people around him have a break. But when the topic turns to Salesa and his death, we get this conversation.
And that's the crux of the matter. Martin didn't know them, so he's able to wave away the suffering caused by someone he has a positive opinion of. If Martin had simply heard of Jon hunting rather than directly hearing a statement from one of Jon's victims, I doubt he would've interfered.
This all comes to a head in MAG 199. Martin is a firm supporter for spreading the Fears to other realities. However, he only brings up saving the world as an afterthought. His primary concern is and has always been Jon and his well-being. He doesn't want Jon to sacrifice himself, even if thousands of other universes are sacrificed in the process.
Essentially, Martin tries simplifying things into black and white. If something doesn't fit into this framework, he ignores it until it's right in front of him. Martin tries to operate by society's sense of morality, but ends up abandoning it to protect the people he cares about. He's a hypocrite and he knows it. But even if it means dooming everyone else, he'll do whatever it takes to save Jon.
Apologies for the late reply, I keep forgetting to check!
I've enjoyed reading/watching numerous analyses on him, but I'm afraid I personally only really offer a thumbs up. There's just too many incredible characters in the Magnus Archives to give them all equal attention.
Still, my favorite moment is when The Distortion goes "He trusted her and she fed him to me". A classic, but the raw anger, the lingering hurt... hits me in the feels every time.
So yeah, I quite like him. I'm a bit of a sucker for Person Was Betrayed and goes on a vengence streak, pain and fury pouring out, tainting everything along the way.
I especially liked him after we learned what specifically the Distortion was: an entity where you cannot tell if they are your friend or your foe, purposely keeping you wondering, doubting, and afraid. I love that that is a specific entity.
God I love Daisy so much, I think she's probably my favorite character. Why does a straight (?), white, British man know how to write female characters so well?
Anyway, I relistened to MAG 132, Entombed, again recently and OH MY GOD THE VOICE ACTING IS SO PEAK DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED. Daisy sounds to uncharacteristically small in this episode IT KILLS ME
AND HER LITTLE "Hi :)" AT THE END WHEN SHE SEES BASIRA?? OMFG
I've included my favorite little excerpt from that episode at the top, she breaks my heart. Season 5 just isn't the same without her 💔💔
When I listened to the first few seasons, I was clearing through anywhere from 5-8 episodes a day, so a lot of them blended together. It's been nice to go listen through them again as I put off actually finishing the damn thing. I relistened to MAG 091, The Coming Storm, and realized I totally forgot that Daisy kidnapped Jon and killed Michael Crew. I mean I knew she DID it, but I never actually processed the scene, I guess. Still doesn't change my opinion of her. She could murder a bunch of innocent people and I would still love her.. oh wait.
Also the silhouette in the door is supposed to be Basira, I don't know if that's clear or not lmao.
Anyways, I've started to draw on my ipad a lot more and my wrists have been hurting like CRAZY, is this normal?? should I be worried?? Not to mention my shoulders sound like a cement mixer 😭😭
I could keep going for a while yet, but I don't think anyone's actually going to read this, so byeeee :3c
HI HI I SAW YOUR NAME AND STARTER HAPPY STIMMING I mean something normal. Hello fellow Magnus archives fan. Alice daisy tonner matters to me a normal amount :)
THANK YOU YES YES HELLO THERE!
Alice "Daisy" Tonner also matters to me a normal amount and she is absolutely not my all time favorite TMA character and I have spent a normal amount of time thinking about her :D
My friend is listening to the Magnus Archives for the first time (cause of course I'm spreading the brainrot), and she just commented on how expressive Jon is reading the statements, saying "he wants to be a voice actor so bad".
The EVIL laughter that burst from my chest like worms. You have no idea what is coming, my darling friend. You have no idea.
Warning: The Magnus Archives spoilers for end of season 3 and after.
I often think about the fact none of the rituals that Gertrude dedicated her whole life to stopping would have ever worked anyway.
Her whole life, her existence, was for keeping the world safe from those rituals. And it was all for nothing. She never needed to do any of it.
All the blood she spilled, all the trust she broke, all of the humanity she sacrificed, didn't need to be done.
Gertrude didn't need to live her life that way. I can't imagine what sort of devastation that would cause, if she allowed herself to think about it.
This is also part of why Tim's end hurts so much. He didn't actually do anything, did he? The Unknowing wouldn't have happened. He didn't stop anything.
He did not get the control, the big "fuck you" towards the entity he hated that he thought he did. He did not save the world. His actions did not matter. He died for nothing.
The Magnus Archives is such a painful lesson in Existentialism. The whole series is run through with the idea that, on a cosmic scale, we are nothing. Nothing we do can really change things against the horrors of living.
If I was part of the Magnus Archives crew, and I found out I couldn't be fired, I'd become the most insufferable person ever to Elias Bouchard.
Your spreadsheets? Fucked with. Your fancy clothes? Glittered. The horrors? Been spreading rumors to. I told Jude Perry you said it's her fault that Agnes Montague died and you think she's pathetic, so she's on her way here.
Of course, I know he's gonna Know everything I am doing, but he's gonna have to catch me first.
i love when ppl draw elias bouchard wearing like anachronistic ass emerald green waistcoats and a monocle in their fanart bc it makes s1 so much funnier to think about. like you know what? yeah actually if i was jonathan sims and my fucking freak of a boss dressed like that and did an evil monologue voice at all times and paid me to read ghost stories in his basement all day, i would also probably be like "yeah this is a deeply unserious job and i am the only normal person here. sick paycheck tho" and then clock the fuck out without ever thinking about those fuckass statements again!! like what are we dunking on him for!! who would chalk that up to anything other than "my weirdass boss has clearly taken his eccentric edwardian magician LARP too far but goddamn if that check doesn't come in every month"
So I'm back, new name new me and all that jazz, except TUMBLR has decided I'm not actually a new me and keeps showing me things from a fandom I used to like years ago, but no longer do for many reasons.
It's like seeing that person-you-used-to-be-super-close-with-but-now-hate's posts. Like sure, we used to be close, but I actually wanna punch em in the throat now, thanks for the reminder.
