The Magicians

OK I must be the only person who has read the book! Now the book is a hard read. I felt you are NOT meant to like the main character Quentin. He is a very self absorbed introvert, who in the book just walks away from his friends and leaves everything behind for his pursuit of magic.

To me he is the awful modern version of Holden Caulfield.

So this is NO Harry Potter - do not even compare. The books characters are flawed but deliberately. I felt the author wanted you not to like them.

I am not going into any detail. But the Show has taken the premise of the characters and re-written the entire thing and made something more, from shallow characters. I am really enjoying it. Don't waste your time on the book - this is one where the show outshines the pages.

I just finished season 5 and I'm so sad there is not another season or at least a spinoff. A new network like Netflix or Hulu or YouTube need to pick it up! I need more magician's to get through quarantine!

First off I'll say I haven't read the books which I think makes me more qualified to give an impartial review of the TV SHOW without all the BS references to how this wasn't like the book or that isn't like that book or whatever. This is a fun show. It has all the elements of fantasy and adventure that anyone who enjoys those types of shows will enjoy. The characters are (for the most part) well developed and the actors are doing a great job with the material. A very good entertaining watch for anyone who enjoys adventure themed shows/movies or magic.

At the beginning of Season 1 everything in this show is really weird and artificial. The characters felt gimmicky and that got more pronounced when you'd realize they're suppose to be playing teenagers. The plot also feels rushed, you feel there is more content between the lines that you can't really read. Things get more interesting when the main antagonist shows up and from there things start to look a bit better. What really kept me with this show are the characters (despite the acting) because there are no good/bad guys. I mean, there are villans and heroes but even while they're doing good all the characters seem a bit bored, like they're doing it because they think it's proper, not because they feel it's right. In that way they seem more inline with modern culture that always wants excitement but can never get satisfaction out of anything. As this series is progressing through seasons it's getting better and better. The plots are craaaaazy, Alice in Wonderland level crazy, and characters keep growing with the story and changing which is surprising because I never would have guessed it from season 1. Highly recommend watching it if you like something different and out there

I've seen reviews online that rate this show badly solely because it's not Harry Potter. I am a fan of HP too but this is not that kind of magician story, so keep an open mind.

I am surprised by how much I enjoy this series. The wit and intelligence in the writing, the character development, the acting... all of it is terrific. Season 1 is so-so, and at the very end of that season it feels like the writers were told to kick it into high gear because the final episodes build story line after story line to set up the next seasons. In Season 3 there is an episode that is so heartfelt that I weeped both times I watched it and just thinking about the story that was told in that episode (episode 5!) gives me chills. I was very surprised to find this fun/witty show could evoke so much emotion out of me in one episode. That episode stayed with me for a few days after watching it, which to me that is my mark of brilliant storytelling - I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I'm hooked. If you watch and get bored in season 1, stick with it! You will be very glad you did.