The Magicians (TV Series) No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry (2019) User Reviews

Something to Love .. Something to Hate

[ice ruby red · 8/10 · 17 May 2019]

First, I have to wonder if most of the reviews here were written by the same person or group of people. Their points are the same, their perception is echoed in each review, and even the terminology is repeated over and over again.

For example, the use of the word "queer" and the outrage over the "suicide" are oddly repetitive throughout.

Here's my viewpoint:

Quentin didn't start out bisexual. It developed as a result of Q and Eliot being alone together for many years in an alternate reality. And that's fine. It was a beautiful love. But he started out in love with, and in a relationship with Alice. I don't find it outrageous, and don't see how it can be such an insult to the gay community that he and Alice got back together again at the end. Not that it was satisfying. His bond with Eliot was more believable. So in that sense it was a disappointment, but it wasn't out of character and it shouldn't have been considered an affront to any group.

Most of the reviews depict anger over Quentin's "suicide". Frankly, I feel the writers shouldn't even have called it a suicide or touched on that subject. Quentin wasn't like "You know, this would be a good day to die"! The entire season was based on how much power and control The Monster had, and how humanity (and even gods!) was not safe as long as this monster lived. It had to go! But then along comes Everett who wants to stop Q from eliminating this most dangerous monster. What else was Quentin to do? He died in order that the creature would not live. How is that comparable to an actual suicide? If you see someone pointing a gun at a child, and you jump in front of the gun and die, saving the life of the child... is that the same as hanging yourself because you are depressed? (Of course not!).

I thought that the memorial scene was the most beautiful memorial I have ever seen! The group singing that soulful rendition of Take On Me, around a campfire, tossing in objects that bore memories and the energy of Quentin, was just magnificent! Like Quentin, I was in tears. I also thought the slo-mo death scene was beautifully done as well. As I watched it I thought how much more powerful it was, in its silence, than if it had been loud and chaotic, in real time.

I do agree that it sucked for Julia to have had her choice taken away.. however.. if she had been a goddess that would have separated her from the group and been more difficult to maintain, storyline wise.

The one thing that really does make me angry, and for which I may not return as a viewer, is finding out that the writers do not plan to bring back Quentin. Up until that point I was so sure they would bring him "back to life". Q was my favorite, by far. They could have killed off Josh or the Librarian. I would have been okay with that. But I am NOT okay about Quentin! What were the writers thinking?! He was the heart of the show for me. I am so furious about losing him that I will likely boycott the show. Imagine if Rachel or Monica had been killed off on Friends! Or Hawkeye on MASH.. or Seinfeld on Seinfeld.. Sure, The Magicians is an ensemble cast, and we love all of our main characters.. but Quentin was the most important one, and if this show was a body, then the writers just ripped out it's heart!

One-legged reviews of another awesome finale

[IzzyMaeDoorite · 9/10 · 27 April 2019]

Wow, there's so many misguided people who seriously think that LGBTQ+ character cannot die on any show because... because they are LGBT? Really? As a bi guy myself, I geniunely believe that this is a ridiculous point of view. Quentin's development through the season was great and literally no one noticed that. The episode is good written and actors did a brilliant work. Creators did their best to give Q a decent farewell as Jason Ralph is leaving the show and not about to come back as a main character. The whole episode is touching and powerful although it could be at least ten minutes longer because it definitely felt like a lot of things had to get cut or shortened so it could fit a regulat 45 minunes TV slot.

This isn't about "idealizing depression and suicidal thought". Someday people will realize that gay characters aren't some kind of privileged untouchable holy cows but a usual human beings who are capable of feeling bad or getting killed for whatever reasons just like anybody else.

The reviews are all so odd ...

[demetheus · 9/10 · 21 October 2019]

And similarly toned. About a bi suicidal man. It's so odd. I just think of him as Q. Not a bi. I don't like that he's dead but i think it's a good episode. And almost all of these voted it as bad just because they kill Q.

I enjoyed myself. And i hope maybe Q isn't totally gone next season

An episode that made me cry - real tears

[sofiacyan · 10/10 · 26 April 2020]

I can understand why there are so many reviews low scoring, hate reviews. One can see the positive side other side of that. A character dies that everyone loves. Of course it's going to generate hate. Because it actually hurt!

I can honestly say I did not see it coming. The build-up, the emotion. I thought it was leading us elsewhere. So - when it finally happened. I just cried, like it was my dear friend who went through so much with me. Pure showstopper. I can't wait to see what next season brings.

Jumping the shark for the sake of jumping the shark and nothing else

[sumtim3s00n · 19 April 2019]

I loved this show, its original, dares to do things a bit different, its a bit out there. But man...If this writer that seems to be taking the reins is in charge and keeps mistaking his cheap and dumb ideas for some novelty in television, then we are doomed. If you are not aware of what I am talking about, its the interview the main writer or whatever he is, gave post-airing statement about how killing Quentin. How it is "like a big no no thing to do", so THATS WHY he did it. Because we all felt he was safe so he killed him off. Not good story, not interesting plot twist, not original ideas or long coming tragic destiny hanging over him for a long time . No. Just an incompetent, unimaginative writer who thought it would be clever. I mean seriously,can one imagine a more lame jump the shark plot twist that this. The main gang in the show is the core. Each character brought something unique and they worked great off of each other. If you lack imagination to weave and create events and stories around them to naturally progress their story and pace and your only choice for keeping it fresh is to be killing them off, then you dont deserve to be a writer. Quentin was also the sort of the main leading guy, whether anyone admits it or not. Though not by much, true,especially this season. But to kill him off, youre possibly killing the show. I have no issues really with removing characters but to so blatantly do it and admit you did it just for the sake of questioning the belief of the audience that "everyone is safe". That is plain dumb. Especially without a good meaningful storyline. Like I said, I loved this show, was very pleased it got renewed. Now Im not sure anymore, maybe it should just crash and burn,just to teach this "writer" a lesson in writing and using IMAGINATiON. Yeah, im angry... It seems also Im maybe not the only one, this is the worst rated episode of all episodes of all the seasons. No wonder the main showrunner left....

It's great

[rehgmatthew · 10/10 · 2 February 2020]

The Magicians has always been portrayed as how life would be if magic was real. In real life people actually die so everyone complaining about someone dying is kinda insane. This episode shows how all of these characters are connected and willing to give their life for the greater good. You see how much Q has changed over the 4 seasons when he talks to Penny.

Shattered

[ganymedes1985 · 10/10 · 30 June 2019]

Things have been building towards this season finale and it'll hit you right in the feels towards the end. It does feel a bit rushed to tie up some ends (but not all), and you'll struggle to accept the results of certain actions (I know I did) but if you think about it this outcome has been an option lurking since the show started.

Nailed it

[bfurst27 · 10/10 · 18 January 2020]

This was a beautifully crafted episode and farewell to a character. They did it justice

Amazing season finale.

[patrickandrade-36371 · 10/10 · 23 April 2019]

First of all what a incredible emotional episode, a real roller coaster. Now, I just need to say a thing about these bad reviews: I'm impressed of how dense some people can be, this episode doesn't glorify suicide at all. That being covered, now let's get to the real review: You need to understand that "Q" always had a hero complex, for him magic was everything and he believed he would be playing a major role in the world since the beginning of season 1, and he did. This last chapter was built a brick by brick during the season, revealing the Q's talent to fix small things was a big hint. Julia's options that were both good and bad. Alice slowly becoming more human again. "23" growing at each episode as a part of the group and the list goes on. This season was amazing well written from start to finish, EVERY single one of the characters grew during the episodes, even the Monster was starting to see the beautiful things on this world. And just to be clear one more time, Q didn't suicide, it becomes VERY clear that he did that out of bravery, to save everyone because he cared for them more than he cared for his own life, this isn't about glorifying suicide, this is about loving and being loved, during the seasons we saw Q grow beyond his depression and suicidal thoughts, he only did what he did because of that. Ps. If you didn't noticed how magnificent was this season finale please don't put the blame on the writers, you are just too illiterate to comprehend how everything was being built.

Small -yet fundamental objects

[stella_81 · 9/10 · 27 May 2019]

Hear me out: I think Quentin's story is poetic and cathartic.

His gift goes way beyond the mending of small objects, by the end of this season he managed to mend his broken relationship with Fillory and Alice and most importantly, with himself. He didn't die a broken man, filled with disillusionment and dispair, alone and unloved. And the good thing is that he didn't do it with magic, instead he faced his problems one by one starting with his complicated relationship with his parents; with Alice's help he understood that the uneasiness and frustration he felt as an adult having to put away childish things was self imposed, you can grow up and appreciate things and life through a different, kinder, softer lens and in the process learning to do the most important thing of all: loving and forgiving yourself. I think it's a good message with anyone struggling with mental health. He didn't die because he wanted to, he died loving his friends and life and deciding to sacrifice himself for the people he loved. When we first met Quentin he was alone in his room, nose yet again in a Fillory book, avoiding to feel completely alone with a party outside his door. By the end of his journey he left a (literal) circle of close friends who love him and understand him and whose lives are forever changed by his presence. I'm sad to see him gone but I think I'm also good with that.



Ps:/ - For all we know Quentin came back to Alice knowing that Eliot had refused him, still it's undeniable they love each other very much and they know it. I can appreciate the sentimental honesty to recognise love when it stares you in the face, no matter what gender it has.

• the Julia/Eliot conundrum: she was somewhere in the god/human spectrum, her body was immortal and constantly trying to heal itself, the magic weapon gave her a wound that wanted to stay open, I guess you could argue it's better to be human like Eliot and walk with a open wound. For other small imperfections, see: nothing is perfect, yet it deserves to be loved. I loved this season and I can't wait for season 5.

The Magicians shot themselves in the foot

[rhiannon-d-cole · 1/10 · 20 April 2019]

The magicians has had some great twists, and while some of them have been heartbreaking I've never questioned the writers choices. This finale managed to butcher every single side story, and then followed it up with a 'twist' that fell just as flat. The female characters had their arcs backtracked. Julia once again had no choice over what happens to her body and Kady, currently leading a hedge witch revolution, reverts back to her season 1 self saying "she only wanted to be his girlfriend". The season had been a slow build to removing the monster from Eliot. All its pacing was towards that. In that time the monster developed and expressed a genuine interest in humanity. And in the finale it felt like we were going to get some development on that. There was a beautiful scene where the monster expressed his wonder at humanity and its greatness, and it is immediately followed by his quick and easy death. The fact he was so easy to beat makes you question why we waited 13 episodes for that. The take down of the sister was just as anticlimactic. Then the most controversial moment happens, where Quentin Coldwater makes the choice to kill himself to stop a side villain from getting power. The problem with this is the fact that this villain 'Everet' had minimal if any development, we don't know what his goal is or if he is truly a villain. So, it reads as Quentin a suicidal and depressed man choosing to kill himself to stop a maybe villain. Then the writers decide to have him question if it was him finally committing suicide after all while in the underworld. And instead of answering that question we are given a montage that idealizes his sacrifice or suicide. The writer's have said they killed Quentin to show that the "white male protagonist" isn't safe. Except there are fundamental issues with that. Quentin was barely a main character in this last season, and the magicians would have left a way better message if they let Quentin live and showed that fighting through your mental illness is possible. The magicians has always been about hope and they left that behind for a cheap twist. I doubt after this disappointing season that they'll make it past season 5.

perfect conclusion to an unusual hero arc

[hello-50036 · 9/10 · 25 November 2020]

Let's be clear on something: sexuality, race, gender, etc, do not matter when it comes to being ready to make sacrifice for your beloved, for the world. The 1 star reviews are made by one dimensional amoebas, please ignore them.

This is a decent, clear end for a certain arc, for a person who lived a complete life, grew old, had a child, married, loved. And in the end, that person, who started completely alone in the beginning, saves their friends, people they love.

If this is not a rewarding, catharctic storyline, nothing is.

I am a bit devastated

[stathisspanos-20730 · 7/10 · 4 May 2019]

I am not gonna that rate low because I don't think it deserves that bad of a rating but I wanna say one thing.Quentin for me has been a character that I could identify with at all levels.I saw myself in his mental health,in his choices and beliefs,and they way he went,not knowing if what he did was suicide or not made me fear of what I and people like this are capable of.I know he went a hero and that has some closure in it,especially when he saw how much people cared for him,but seeing yourself in character that dies in the way you most fear of is something devastating.. at least from my prospective

This episode ruined everything

[katie_campbell7 · 1/10 · 22 April 2019]

Pain for the sake of pain isn't innovative. They did the fans a complete disservice. Q's story wasn't over.

I don't understand the hate

[louiseisenberger · 18 May 2019]

While it did feel a forgivable amount rushed, I truly don't understand the negative reaction. SPOILERS

The fact that the Eliot monster didn't show up earlier, the fact that the seam was found so easily (unless i missed something), the fact that all the hedges came together so fast and inexplicably (although that would have been boring to watch), and the fact that Eliot healed from his injury without magic while Julia had complications with magic.

These are the rushed aspects of this episode in my opinion, but the show for me has always been about more than the actual plot. If you just go by the story, it's overly complicated and things kind of pop out of no where anyway. Where the show shines is very similar to how sense8 shines. It's about relationships and emotion and i felt this episode did incredible in that sense.

The ending with Q was a little rushed but they had already gone into his mental illness before, and as someone who truly struggled with suicide for a good chuck of his life as well, i felt they did a good job portraying it in this episode. Even though I'm happy and am doing much better, as Q was, I still have a strong sense of things not being good enough. To have true doubt about yourself and your motivations after going through something that must have put him into shock can only be natural. Plus they were going off the idea of a life review when you die concept, which can only truly be an emotional experience as moral judgments as to what you did right or wrong in life will always be unfulfilling and ambiguous.

Don't Listen to Self-Absorbed Bashers that got Firefly Cancelled.

[bkhazelett · 10/10 · 25 May 2019]

It's hilarious. We come to cable because cable does not check boxes. It's inventive, unpredictable, and visionary. But the second you don't keep their favorite story line going their favorite character alive they cry the little babies. It's people like these that force Networks to keep free tv bland dry and completely predictable. These are the same babies that got 'Firefly' cancelled.

It's these crybabies that Networks cater too. A part of the decision is based how were scared execs were to keep funding Firefly because of the show runners five year plan that would ended the way it did years later with release of the rap-up for the fans, 'Serenity'. Can you imagine the self-absorbed babies reaction if Serenity was the finale of the first season.

I will not spoil the ending, but is the best you could hope for, unless you expecting a box to be checked. In that case, go watch Blue Bloods on Friday, there won't be anything to upset the fragile and consistently-offended nature of Generation 'ME'.

loved it

[altroyer · 8/10 · 17 May 2019]

I thought this was a fitting ending and loved the writing and culmination of all that had come before.

Most Courageous Finale in Long Time

[bkhazelett · 10/10 · 25 May 2019]

Bravo. It took guts to give us the ending we need, instead of the sugar-coated one "Generation ME" cry's for. Go watch Blue Bloods.

Don't listen to the SJWs

[danj-87920 · 9/10 · 14 January 2020]

This show is replete with social justice millennial candy, yet the reviews on this episode should be proof to everyone that no matter what happens, it's never enough.

Don't be fooled, it was a very satisfying ending and a great send-off for a very compelling main character who went through a long and hard journey to finally find peace at the end. Despite the fact that the writers claim to have killed him off to prove that "white-male main characters don't get to live", which is patently stupid to begin with, they managed to make it work well.

Good ending to a good season, I just wonder where they'll go next.

Amazing, beautify made and moving episode

[jonathonaross · 10/10 · 11 September 2020]

I have seen this episode many times at this point and it moves me every time I watch it. Was it the ending people wanted? no. But did it move you? Did you feel something? absolutely. This is one of the most emotion evoking episodes in a series I personally have ever been able to enjoy. Something I really appreciated in the books were the endings, they never resolved how you would hope they would. Instead they ended realistically and for better of for worse showed the consequences of their actions. It feels like in the show, they maintained that real world gritty feel in every season finale, and this episode was no exception. This episode is well filmed with some fantastic cinematography, especially in the last quarter of the episode which was passionately acted, beautifully shot and amazingly edited with the music. No matter what your opinions may be of what happened in the show, I am sure we can all agree that this episode will make you feel some emotions.

A conclusion and a goodbye in this epic season finale

[jackDee-56565 · 10/10 · 10 July 2021]

Fantastic conclusion to the monster arc and to my favourite season of the show, we also had a main character die and actor leave the series, I think it was a great send off and it worked well and fitted the character, the end scene around the campfire was a great stand out moment when you look backand see how far each character has changed and matured over the last four seasons.

frustrating, confusing, and poorly-written

[avalonmicky · 1/10 · 20 April 2019]

I want to preface this by saying I'm usually very generous with giving stars on IMDb. I think first and foremost, a show should be entertaining and enjoyable to watch, even if it may not be "peak" television.

The Magicians was such a consistently funny, interesting, and emotional rollercoaster ride of a show throughout it's first three seasons (and even well into the fourth), however, they really missed the mark with this finale. After such a phenomenal third season, I had high hopes for season four. And I was sure they'd deliver, up until about 4x12. They threw away so many plot threads (e.g. Julia's choice between becoming a human or a goddess, Quentin's entire arc being about saving Eliot, the huge build-up of the Monster and his sister) that had lots of potential, leaving viewers feeling confused and more than just a little betrayed. And of course, there's the elephant in the room: Quentin's seemingly permanent death.

Killing off a main character in itself isn't an unforgivable thing, but if it's played off as a "subversive" idea when said character is part of two marginalized groups (Quentin is depicted as being queer and having depression), then it definitely misses the mark in so many ways. Especially on a show like this that has claimed to be a staunch supporter of queer and mentally ill characters, and has already established numerous times that it doesn't like to kill off its main characters permanently (Alice? Penny?). You can't have your cake and eat it too; when you constantly bring characters back from the dead, you can't expect for anyone to take an actual character death seriously or with grace when there are so many perfectly reasonable ways for said character to have come back to life! This is a show with magic and time travel and dragons and people who lick said dragons' eggs for crying out loud!

The way Quentin's death was handled, from the glorification of suicide to the tired trope of burying your gays to even the way Ralph's departure from the show was kept from his fellow actors under the guise of keeping the "big twist" a secret (which I seriously doubt is the truth given how contradictory all the interviews and reactions from the cast have been), was terrible. Not to mention how a queer story line was explicitly set up by the writers, who received tons of praise for it and promoted the relationship on the show's social media, when they clearly had no intention of following through is both tired and frustrating for fans and actors alike.

Unless the writers and showrunners acknowledge how much they've betrayed their fans (AND their own actors) and brought Quentin back, which I doubt will happen, I don't think I'll be sticking around for season five. I'm sick of watching queer characters suffer, I'm tired of being told that the best outcome from my depression is a "heroic" death, and I'm done with putting faith in writers that care more about stroking their own ego than providing quality entertainment for their viewers. While the acting and effects were incredible as always, I doubt we'll see it renewed for season six, and if it is, definitely not with the same level of fan love and critical praise as before. The writers really shot The Magicians in the foot and are watching it bleed out while they pat themselves on the back.

Oh, the tears

[vkfreter63 · 10/10 · 18 April 2019]

I didn't see these feels coming. I already feel so lost without Quinton, but seeing his friends grieve just killed me. It wasn't a huge climatic ending, but it ended making me feel resolved and wanting so much more.

F

[Raptor_08_07 · 6/10 · 24 April 2022]

The most important reason i watched this series is gone... Not worth to watch it anymore, haven't watched season 5 yet,but i have no interest in watching it.

Killing off your queer mentally ill character? Groundbreaking!

[natashastarkrogers · 1/10 · 21 April 2019]

I feel like shows like Game of Thrones have done a huge disservice to tv shows everywhere, cause mediocre writers in charge of current television took from them the wrong lesson and thought it gold, and have been trying to apply it everyday with questionable results. Killing off characters for shock value doesn't make you a great writer. It doesn't keep your viewers on their toes and it most definitely doesn't elevate your stories. Each story has different journeys and what makes a story great is not the fact that no character is safe, it's that those characters are alive as in well written and relatable and get you invested in what happens to them. It's why people stick around even when some seasons you have no idea where some plots are coming from or heading. We trust and love the characters even when we don't trust the show runners. The Magicians' strength so far lay with those characters and how different and relatable they were to many people, EXACTLY for those reasons. It came from sensitively addressing depression and anxiety and how they affect your life even when you think you've found happiness. It came from how diverse and yet believable all the women on the show were, and how refreshing it was to see so many of their storylines not revolve around men. And yet this past season they took so many of the points and twists they painstakingly built up and simply dropped them in the last two episodes for no apparent reason, to prioritize the shock value of offing a character unexpectedly and thinking themselves subversive in doing so. Where is the subversion in killing off a character that is, yes, male and white, but also happens to be queer and mentally ill? What is subversive in creating hype toward the possibility of a queer relationship, build an entire season over Quentin's obsession to get Eliot back and have them share not one single scene when that happens? Where is the subversion in the glorified suicide of a suicidal character and not so subtly implying that only through it Quentin found that his life had meaning? Bury your gays is not revolutionary, it's just more of what the queer fanbase has had to endure over and over and it's telling that these writers are patting themselves in the back for it, after spending an entire season lying not only to their fanbase but to their cast as well. Realism?! In a show with talking bunnies? We don't come to shows like the Magicians for realism, we come for the hope they give us in our darkest times. I can't see any subversion in seeing a victim of rape being once again denied agency over her own body, for the sake of.... some version romance? Are we supposed to conveniently forget that Penny is a psychic who could have actually asked her what she wanted to have done to her own body? The answer, of course, is pain. Added pain. Cause magic comes from pain and clearly someone who's gone through what Julia has gone through, must have simply forgot about it cause it happened too many seasons ago. Is it subversive seeing a strong, assertive woman like Kady, who worked all season towards becoming a leader and start a revolution, inexplicably drop all that to claim that all she ever wanted in life was to be someone's girlfriend? Too much insensitivity, too many dropped storylines (the hedgewitches, the library, the monster, his unstoppable sister, the old gods), too many unreasonable scenes (Alice and Quentin getting back together) who only existed to fuel the future pain of the remaining characters. What the Magicians told us in the past couple of episodes is that they don't care about queer fans, they don't care about mentally ill fans, they don't care about women and most of all, they don't care about their own characters, since their solution is to kill them off when they don't know what to do with them anymore. They don't care about their cast either, having left them to make fools of themselves all year long, promoting a story that didn't exist. And that tells me that despite my loving these characters and this cast, I won't be coming back to watch season 5. Going with the backlash, I won't be alone.