Lover of fiction podcasts and the comics publishers lowkey didn't want to make. Blogging for myself, but also for the validation English class gave me. Love to all <3
I'm new to blogging, but excited to start! This is something I've been thinking about for a long time because I A) Love media analysis and would love to talk to others about it, and B) Love writing and think blogging is a good exercise to build skill.
As I'm sure you could gather, I really like podcasts. While I don't want to make this exclusively a podcast blog, my main goal is to start a Magnus Archives relisten. I'm hoping to get through an episode a week, though it's possible for life to get in the way and change the plan.
I want to share any analysis I have of the episodes in general as well as make a rudimentary avatar and entity catalogue, plus document early foreshadowing.
I am also planning on using this blog to write about my other interests such as comic books, writing, exercise, sewing, literature, tv, and more! Follow if you're interested, excited to see what you all have to share!
K so not to be dramatic or anything, but there's a free vintage French pattern book available on antiquepatternlibrary so if you like to crochet/weave/make pixel art/tie epic friendship bracelets don't walk- RUN.
It has scenes from aesop's fables! Cherubs doing things! Beheadings! Greek muses! Little farm people! Intricate floral pattern! Goth stained-glass window like patterns! Fun little corner pieces! Eeeeeeeeeeeeee
There's something to me about Fall of the House of Usher where, when I started watching it, my first impression was "This is taking a lot from Poe aesthetics but not really Poe themes." So much of Poe is about guilt when you get down to it--the guilt of the partygoers in Masque, the killers in Black Cat and Telltale Heart, even the guilt of the crime in Rue Morgue. All those stories are basically about how guilt fundamentally alters your psyche and makes the world an unfathomable and unlivable place, because the only way to live with your own brutalized mind is to separate from it. And Fall of the House of Usher is sort of about people (Roderick and Madeline mainly) who are fundamentally incapable of real guilt, or the empathy that would produce guilt, due to their eagerness for power, their trauma, and their sense of entitlement.
How do you make a billionaire feel guilty? How can you, in any way, communicate the human cost of their actions, the impact on the environment, the far-reaching ripples of their greed and translate that into real human empathy necessary for guilt?
But then I thought... Oh, that's the point.
Usher is a reverse Christmas Carol. No matter how much Verna talks, kills, shows the bodies, it will never be enough to penetrate through the narcissism and power and trauma of cruelty and wealth to revive the long-dead hearts beneath. No matter how far she goes, how many children she kills, at the end, it's still all about living forever, legacy, for these people.
It didn't have to be this way.
I sort of like this as a sideways-swing at Poe. The horror isn't the guilt. The horror is the utter lack of it.
oh OOOOOOH their deaths mirror each other. Tamerlane and Leo are both driven to what looks like suicide chasing hallucinations around an apartment that architecturally represents their psyche (as they destroy it), shortly after leaving/planning to leave their loving partner. (Both of them invite her in, at first. Both of them want her there. But now she's in the mirrors. She's in the walls.)
Vic and Camille are both killed/driven to death by Vic's experiments, their rivalry leading to both their deaths (Camille to prove it doesn't work, Vic to prove it does), immediately after they get left by people they are using in professional/personal ways - Camille hires Toby and Tina to sleep with them, Vic dates Ali to get her to work with her on the heart mesh.
Perry and Frederick both die in the same warehouse, looking at the ceiling, waiting for death to come to them - Perry with a look of ecstasy, Frederick in terror. Both of them are in that warehouse because they've been humiliated by Roderick and are now determined to prove themselves. Both get led here by drugs. Both involve the mutilation of an innocent, Morrie. Both of them see Verna not as another character, but something like her true self. And there's the parallel between all the mercy that Verna offers Perry - the most she offers any of them, other than Lenore - and her glee in explaining to Roderick exactly why he deserves to die like this.
And then you get the final pairing/quartet of deaths - Eliza Usher + William Longfellow vs Madeline and Roderick which is obvious but oh my god. oh my god you guys. Eliza's wall of crucifixes and clinging to Christian faith and the sanctity of pain as a way of hoping for reward after death vs Roderick putting Madeline through the agony of vivisection to 'honour' her + grant her Egyptian immortality. Both William and Roderick eat their young. Fuck.
I know there's a small amount of Lucifer fans and even smaller amount who have also watched the show, but I think the most important difference between the two is not the cast or the story structure, but why Lucifer wants to be God. Comic!Lucifer wants to be God because he wants freedom, TV!Lucifer wants to be God because he wants love. Comic!Lucifer thinks that by creating his own universe and supporting his own clan of people that he will gain independence from his father. TV!Lucifer thinks that by becoming God he will gain love from humanity that his father never gave him. Even as Comic!Lucifer realizes that his father's influence will loom over his new world as it looms over him, he still struggles to break away. Even as TV!Lucifer realizes that the love of his friends and family is enough, he still seeks Godly power to protect them. It's not until much later that the characters realize that their father is a part of them. They cannot undo what he did by becoming him, but they still want to try.
"Hey dude, some weird shit happened, thought you might be in to that."
Albrecht Von Closen writes letters to his colleagues the same way my friends text me. MAG 23 analysis, spoilers ahead!
Facts: Statement of Albrecht Von Closen regarding a tomb near his estate in the Black Forest.
Statement Notes: While this episode doesn't necessarily have many of the classic TMA style horror, I do think this one of the more objectively scary episodes. The imagery of Closen's story as he wanders deeper into the forest, the dread that creeps in as he discovers the story of Johann's Steps, his surety that the man with no eyes saw him, all serves to create particularly frightening vision.
In spite of his excellent description, I didn't find Closen particularly compelling. The complexity of his backstory was interesting, but would possibly be more entertaining/captivating if presented through a visual medium. Through his description of his familial circumstances alone, it's more difficult to connect with him and his wife in spite of their apparently kind personalities. I was more intrigued by Wilheim. He was left alone in Schwarzwald without a proper caretaker. He was left mere miles from the temple. He was left to be haunted by the man with no eyes. What becomes of a young, sickly boy who can't escape something that cannot see but always watches?
Entity Alignment: The broadness of the forest indicates the Vast, the tomb holds elements of the Dark, the Buried, and the End. But of course, what Jonah really cares about is the living library. What Jonah cares about is a man who can continue watching even without eyes. Jonah cares about the Eye.
This episode is the first mention of Jonah in the series, and it explicitly mentions a man with no eyes being able to see all continuously. In spite of all rules of nature, he watches. He hoards knowledge in his hidden library until it becomes an organism in itself. Did Albrecht send this letter because the experience reminded him of Jonah, or did this letter give Jonah ideas?
Character Notes: "Good lord man!"- Actual Victorian librarian Jonathan Sims.
I love the no-trousers Martin scene. You love the no-trousers Martin scene. We all love the no-trousers Martin scene. But what stood out to me this listen, as opposed to the most ridiculous interaction to ever take place in a horror, was the fact that Jon is in the office before 7 am. He says that he wants to leave before dark to avoid Prentiss, but given how his work schedule lines up with other characters later in the season, it seems more likely that Jon's obsessive tendencies began to take over after Martin this was attacked, and he began working 12 or more hours a day. Whether this is because of fear for himself, fear for Martin, or just using work as a coping mechanism to avoid dealing with his emotions, Jon is pushing himself.
Because we don't know much about the Protocol yet, I hesitate to include many mentions in these analyses. However, I did notice that the only speaking-characters who ever have statements directly addressed to them are Jonah, Jon, and Martin. The three of them are the most deeply ingrained in the system of knowledge collection--they have the most tapes and wires wrapped around them. It stands to reason that, if shocked into another universe, they would be forced even further into that system.
The Mag 22 analysis that nearly killed me, spoilers ahead.
Facts: Statement of Martin Blackwood regarding an encounter with the being he believes to have once been Jane Prentiss. Statement given March 12, 2016.
Statement Notes: Oh no.
"Writhe."
I pointed that out in my analysis of the first Jane Prentiss statement. It's the perfect verb. It evokes the image of the worms crawling from Jane Prentiss, towards the victim, and into their skin. Prentiss doesn't just represent the fear of insects, but also trypophobia. The creatures dig into your skin, scar you, leaving the victim full of holes. Those holes are where they live, where they writhe.
The sfx begins when Martin says the worms writhe. The additional sound effects have been used sparingly in these early episodes. They're only used when key figures have been introduced, when particularly powerful horrors take action. The crawling effect doesn't begin until Martin says "writhe" because that is when he reveals the true essence of Jane Prentiss and what makes her so dangerous. It's not the worms, but the way they writhe.
It's important that Prentiss didn't break down the door. She could've at any time. She could have easily sent worms up through his pipes or the ventilation system. But she didn't. She didn't want to infect him or kill him. She wanted to keep him locked away for thirteen days becoming paranoid and sick and terrified. She wanted him afraid. She wanted him to tell the Institute how afraid he was.
Building on that, as mentioned in my MAG 6 post, Jane Prentiss seems selectively lucid. She's aware enough to lie to Jon through Martin's phone, to follow him through the underground to his flat, and to wait outside his door strategically making noises to keep him trapped. Yet, by MAG 40, her actions seem to be more controlled by the hive than her.
The only thing that was really confusing me about this episode on the first listen is why Prentiss would be in the basement of Vittery's home. The two statements seem unrelated. However, after developing my MAG 16 theory, I realized that this is why Cane placed the spiders in Vittery's first apartment. She manipulated the scenario so that Vittery would die in the new flat, meaning Martin would have to go investigate, where he would encounter Prentiss, and then be dragged into the ensuing violence.
The final text from Prentiss is what really go me. "Keep him. We have had our fun. He will want to see it when the Archivist's crimson fate arrives." Not only does she know what will happen to Jon, but she knows Martin will be forced to watch. She knows.
Entity Alignment: Prentiss and the worms are obviously affiliated with the Crawling Rot, and the manipulation I discussed earlier ties in the Web. But this episode also highlights the connections between the entities and the existence of the One Entity. Like I said, Prentiss could have simply killed or infected Martin, but she chose instead to isolate him. By making it so being alone is the only way he could be safe, Prentiss pushes Martin further into the Lonely. Martin is not predisposed to serve as a Corruption avatar, so the Entity would not force him towards it. Rather, it utilizes Prentiss and her abilities to push him towards his true destiny as a Lonely avatar.
Character Notes: The diction in this episode drives me nuts. Martin wants to do the investigation "for you," he's getting proof "for you." He's putting his life in danger and dedicating to the world's worst job all because of Jon. My little heart.
This further establishes my theory from the MAG 16 post that Martin and Jon's relationship was part of Cane's manipulation. This is the episode Jon starts ingraining Martin into his life (giving him a room in the archives, taking special note of his safety, believing his account of the supernatural, etc.), forming the roots of what would eventually become their relationship. But the events of this episode were prompted by an investigation into Carlos Vittery, found dead encased in webs.
Jon's dismissal technique is more prevalent in this episode than one may initially realize. In the first live statement, "Alone," Jon encourages the statement giver to speak and stresses the need to record what happened. Although he likely already believed that statement giver because they were using the tape recorder, he likely had some doubts or he would have dismissed the whole thing out of fear. Yet, by this episode, it's been established that Jon believes in Jane Prentiss' abilities, but he still tells Martin he doesn't have to give the statement. He discourages Martin from giving an account of what may be the most real and relevant encounter they've had. But Jon denies things he's afraid of. He knows Prentiss is real, and he's terrified, so he wants to act like nothing happened.
Tom Petty plays in the background as a man falls to his death
Is this too niche a joke? Not possible. MAG 21 analysis, spoilers ahead!
Facts: Statement of Moira Kelley, regarding the disappearance of her son Robert. Statement given October 20th, 2002.
Statement Notes: I have some friends with thrill seeking hobbies and I've really just been waiting for this to happen to one of them. RIP Robert Kelley but my bros are NOT built different and the sky will eat them.
The intensity of Robert's fear in this episode was so deep and profound. The way that he fell for so long that he actually wanted to hit the ground. The fact that he didn't open his parachute on time because he was so desperate to reach the ground faster. You were really able to experience and understand his emotions.
"The sky ate him" is usually the line that gets a lot of press in this episode, and for good reason. But the line that's always stuck with me is "Enjoy sky blue." It's only three words, but it says so much. The word "Enjoy" highlights the normalcy of life in the Magnus Archives universe. Rober is doing what he loves, he should be happy, he should enjoy the jump. But he won't. Fairchild won't let him. The horrors won't let him. The narrative won't let him.
But the second half of that sentence--"sky blue"--adds a whole other element. Syntactically speaking, Simon Fairchild presents it as a noun. It could be an activity or experience to Fairchild, like skydiving. It's something he does often, experiencing the thrill and horror of the fall by "sky bluing." It could be fun for him. Maybe if Robert had enjoyed the fall, Fairchild would have recruited him as an entity. It's not capitalized in the transcript, but because it is being spoken by Moira Kelley who lacks context, it's possible it is a proper noun. Could it be a place? An area the Fairchilds blip in out of and send hapless victims to, the same way the Lukases send people to the Lonely? Or is it a name? A living entity that got a taste of Robert on his first dive and decided to finish its meal on the hill?
The wind sfx in this episode is so great. I've been suspending my disbelief with the sound effects in the early episodes because I assumed they were mainly just to build ambiance for the listener, but they do have interesting implications for future episodes. If, in recording early statements, Jon begins experiencing/developing his Eye powers, then these effects (the wind in this ep, the heart beating with Julia Montauk, etc.) could be him "hearing" what the victims felt and experienced. He is looking through their eyes as he reads the statement.
Entity Alignment: Tom Petty continues playing quietly in the background
Really great Vast episode. I've never been particularly scared of heights, so I don't often find the vast episodes "scary," but I do find this one to be particularly unsettling and thrilling. The sky being presented as semi-sentient, with the ability to not only steal but eat a man makes the idea of falling through all the more terrifying.
When Moira Kelley began the statement, she explains that she "doesn't have the words" and doesn't know what to write. But of course, she explains everything in perfect detail anyway. By virtue of being in the Institute, she is compelled to tell her story. The Eye is urging her to relive the horror that she sold her home to escape. She says that "knowing won't bring him back," but the Institute doesn't care. It just wants more knowledge and fear to consume.
Character Notes: In MAG 111, Gerry explains that families are often just tools for avatars to ensure transfers of power and increase their own power. This vaguely seems to be what Fairchild is doing with Harriet, although less so. But I also wonder if the same can be said of the businesses that avatars and entities involve themselves in. According to Jon, Open Skydiving isn't a "real" company with any records, but it clearly has been operating for many years and people utilize its services. Similar circumstances seem to be true for the Magnus Institute, as well as Peter Lukas' real estate and shipping companies. They provide moderate services merely to provide funds and resources to avatars, while also functioning as mediums through which they can create more fear.
(Something something a company treating you like family means they want to use your success to increase their own status something something)
Slightly less relevant, but Robert says the jump was a charity event for Simon's deceased wife. I would love not only to know more about who Fairchild's wife was and how she died, but also what charity he could possibly be leaving any money to. "Defective parachutes for youth" "Old men against OSHA" "Wheelchair kitesurfing fund."
Slightly more relevant, but Martin!! He's back! Oh no!
The most important thing about Jon's reaction to Martin bursting in is when he shouts "What are these things?" Not only has he never seen the worms before, but he has no idea what they are. Even after reading Timothy Hodge's statement, he can't connect the worms he sees to Jane Prentiss. This is totally reasonable for any regular person, as he likely never expected to see the worms in person nor would expect Martin to burst in covered in them, but Jon isn't a regular person. At times, Elias has allowed Jon to make leaps in logic that lead him to the actual truth as a means of hiding his Eye powers. Elias wants Jon to know things he shouldn't, but only on his schedule. Jon needs to explore Prentiss more deeply so he will be marked for the ritual, so he's rationing information.
Magnus Archives Relisten 20, MAG 20 Desecrated Host
Father Pruitt from Midnight Mass but if he was still an old man. You agree, reblog.
My MAG 20 analysis, spoilers ahead!
Facts: Continuation of the statement of Father Edwin Burroughs regarding his claimed demonic possession. Statement given May 30, 2011.
Statement Notes: A hallucination sequence is one of the best modes of horror. The inability to distinguish between the real and unreal aspects of the vision combined with the symbolic imagery and attempts to determine the cause of the hallucination itself often means the audience experiences the same level of fear and confusion the character does. However, I very rarely see them done well in non-visual mediums. The best example I can think of is the dream of Percival Glyde in The Woman In White. But this episode is really effective in that. You don't understand anything that is happening, you're just stuck on the ride with no hope of getting off, and Father Burroughs is in the seat next to you. If you know of any other really good dream or hallucination sequences in horror narratives, tell me about it in the notes.
I also noted how whatever was possessing Burroughs really reveled in his guilt. I discussed this in the Part I analysis, but the conflation of guilt and fear as two sides of the same coin is an incredible choice, especially in a religious story. You are guilty because you are afraid of your own actions, you are afraid because you did something you should be guilty for. You are afraid of being found guilty, you are afraid of punishment, you are afraid you will never stop feeling guilty.
Entity Alignment: This is another mixed bag episode. This definitely seems like a lot of effort to make Burroughs afraid and/or just to kill two people. I briefly wondered if Burroughs could be involved in some kind of ritual, but the overall events of the episode don't feel directed or focused enough. If there was goal aside from torturing Burroughs and his victims, I couldn't determine it.
The line from Genesis "Behold, thou hast driven me out" obviously invokes some Eye imagery. I did note how much of religion, particularly Catholicism, centers around viewing and reveling in the majesty and horror of God/a god. Religion's ability to unwittingly turn people into voyeurs of their messiah connotes it with the Eye. Furthermore, the previously mentioned focus on guilt and the horror's apparent delight in Burroughs suffering associates with the Eye as well.
Burroughs isolation heightening his fear does tie in elements of the Lonely, while the smiling imagery is reminiscent of the Stranger. Of course, the hallucinations and loss of control of one's mind associates Burroughs with the Spiral, and the cannibalism associates him with the Flesh. But if I had to pick a true second to the Eye as the main entity associated with this episode, I would have to go with the Web. Burroughs is incapable of making any choices. The demon controls his actions, eliminating his independence and manipulating him. Even if it is not really a possession but some other manipulation of his psyche, it prevents Burroughs from acting independently.
Character Notes: Breekon & Hope mention! In spite of my earlier doubts, their involvement does signal some kind of ritual. Usually, they're only involved in deliveries associated with high level entity action, such as the coffin or Jon's lighter. I don't recall this stole being mentioned in any other episode, but if Breekon & Hope delivered it, it must be relevant somehow.
Another reason this episode might be affiliated with a ritual is that Gertrude was apparently the last person to read it. In her final days, she was primarily focused on stopping rituals, which indicated this case was particularly important.
The Magnus Archives reinforces my stance that religion-based horror is the genre's peak.
Yes I was raised Catholic why do you ask
Spoilers ahead!
Facts: Statement of Father Edwin Burroughs regarding his "possession." Statement given May 30th, 2011.
Statement Notes: My biggest question is how the institute got this statement. Burroughs says it was probably difficult to arrange and is grateful for the chance to give the statement, so it implies that he sought out the institute. If so, how did he find out about them? It's also possible that the institute sought out a statement from Burroughs, but why? Gertrude would likely understand his importance or at least would have attempted to follow up on the Hilltop Road Case, so it's likely if Burroughs did not actively seek out the institute, she found him.
The idea that Father Burroughs would reach out to give a statement is really great to me, though. He's coming from a culture that stresses the need to admit every transgression in order to remain perfectly morally pure. In giving his statement, Burroughs is seeking absolution. It's literally titled "Confession."
Though likely unintentional, Jon reading this statement furthers the idea that, at least in the world to come, he is the closest thing the TMA universe has to God. By Season 5, he is omniscient, all powerful, and simultaneously merciful and punishing. He takes Burroughs confession, judges it, and then moves on. Burroughs is haunted his entire life, but Jon--the absent God--hears hundreds of people's confessions and doesn't do anything. He just watches.
Continuing with the idea of religious horror as an extension or offshoot of eldritch horror, this episode utilizes fear of the sin inside oneself really well. In my experience, the fear of going to Hell or being punished for one's sins is lesser in Catholic circles than the fear of being a sinner. The idea that something inside of you is inherently wrong or evil is a common one across religions, so it makes sense that to destroy Burroughs mind and bring his worst fear to life, the entities would make him believe there is a demon inside of him. The evil isn't attacking him, but is a part of him. His worst fear is himself.
The demon attempting to "steal" Burroughs faith is really terrifying. The implication that something so immutable and intangible cannot only be taken away, but can be used by another being. The demon isn't destroying Burroughs faith, but keeping for itself.
What I find really interesting is how different the things Burroughs describes in this statement are from the second part of his statement. The pace really picks up between MAG 19 and MAG 20, in addition to the subject shifting. Burroughs changes from an observer of other people's torture to experiencing his own. This change really amped up my anxiety as I went from 19 to 20.
Entity Alignment: Anything Hill Top Road related is immediately a mixed bag of nightmares. Being a demonic possession episode and the "mentis" writing on the wall, the Spiral comes to mind. Bethany's degrading mental health after moving into her new home does align with the environmental triggers that usually accompany a Spiral episode. Additionally, Bethany and Burroughs both lose control of their minds and bodies, in line with the Spiral.
The eventual cannibalism does implicate the Flesh, however. I wonder how often the Flesh interacts with a religion that literally consumes the body and blood of its lord. (Side note, but "We'll get to the cannibalism," is now up there with "I feel like I should be upfront with this, I'm probably a cannibal," as my favorite lines a character says within the first 10 seconds of a statement.)
Hill Top Road does implicate at least some connection to the Desolation. But either way, in MAG 20, many more entities come into play as Burrough possession and hallucinations develop. Read my next blog for some thought on that if you would like.
Character Notes: Sarcastic Jon re-enters the arena with a steal chair!
"When it is found by myself, or given the state of the Archive's mismanagement, by my successor when I pass away from old age."
Oh sweetie, you think you're going to get an old age? That's adorable
