Alexx Aplin April 22, 2019
Alexx Aplin April 22, 2019

The Magicians is a show about stories. It is an ensemble that has resonated with millions of people, because of the way each storyline represents real issues and real stories. I found myself praising the show for years because of the amazing storylines and great casting. However, after the Season 4 finale, I find myself (along with a large contingent of the fanbase) feeling conflicted about the writers, the show, and its future.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for multiple seasons of The Magicians, so if you aren’t caught up, you might not want to continue reading. Also, this article will contain mentions of suicide, self-harm, and mental illness, so please be mindful of that as well. If these subjects and issues bother you or upset you, use your best judgment on whether to continue reading or not.

Before I get too deep in this, let’s take a moment and discuss escapism. We live in a world where things are chaotic, horrific, and some might say insane, on a regular basis. Many of us turn to television, video games, and film as a way to escape the horrors of daily life. Many of us get exhausted by the constant politics and strife in the media and even in our own lives, so for many people, these stories are a way to break away from the chaos for a while.

By extension of that, many of us identify with characters we see in shows. This is why the phrase “representation matters” is so important, because we see ourselves in characters, and for some, it is a way to exorcize (or deal with) personal demons. The Magicians’ main character Quentin, was someone that suffered from depression, mental health issues, and yet fought against those things tooth and nail. He found himself in a world of magic, after spending his childhood identifying more with fantasy stories than in reality.

This is a relatable idea for a lot of people. People lost themselves in the world of Harry Potter, in the world of Narnia. So many worlds and so many stories are told that allow people to break away from the mundane and see themselves as heroes. Yet, the writers of The Magicians took a character that could have been a positive mirror for many people and used him to sell a tired, contrived ending, going back on their word in the process.

In order to understand why the ending of season 4 is so ill-received, let’s walk our way back through memory lane to Season 1 of the series. Quentin Coldwater is described as a typical “straight white male protagonist” at first, and many of us had no reason to question it until midway through the season. Midway through the season, Quentin has a threesome with Eliot Waugh (a canonically gay character) and Margo Hansen, Eliot’s best friend.

Now, I could go into very explicit detail on how the writers then proceeded to cover their tracks and backpedal this, but the seeds of Quentin’s true sexuality were planted. Then, as we progressed through the series, we saw Quentin get involved with Alice Quinn, and also saw that relationship burn out. This gave way to a very special episode in Season 3, called “A Life in the Day” which focuses on a lifetime where Quentin and Eliot raise a child together and even find love in each other.

At first, this episode is left as subtext, but during Season 4 it is revealed that Quentin (in the current timeline) suggested to Eliot that the other timeline was a “proof of concept” that they actually work as romantic partners. This further goes on to confirm that Quentin is bisexual, not straight, and not “sexually confused.” He has a deep romantic bond with Eliot and with Alice, different but just as intense.

After the episode aired (titled Escape from the Happy Place,) Social Media went berserk in the best way possible. Fans and LGBT viewers praised the show for diverting from common tropes and actually making a realistic development in their relationship. They praised the writers for actually doing something to celebrate a Bisexual lead, which is rare (especially for a male lead) these days.

The writers, including Sera Gamble (who was also a part of Supernatural for a stretch) soaked in the praise, and the good PR. They talked about how much they value the fans that resonated with Quentin and Eliot’s relationship. They talked about how they were attempting to be sensitive to those communities, and make the series something new and fresh.

They even got the cast involved. Hale Appleman (who plays Eliot) has spoken at length at how proud and privileged he felt to be a part of the show. He (like many of us) resonated with Eliot and Quentin’s story and was happy to see a positive relationship between two male leads. The series even doubles down by having Eliot’s love for Quentin allow him to temporarily regain control of his body (after being possessed) to tell Quentin that he is alive.

After all of this build-up, and all of this positive PR, fans and viewers expected to see their relationship play out across Season 5, and possibly beyond. Everyone involved with the show seemed to agree that “Queliot” (as the relationship is dubbed) was the endgame goal, a progressive idea in today’s television, which usually has a straight couple’s relationship take center stage.

Then the finale dropped on Wednesday, and fans everywhere saw the truth. Quentin Coldwater died by his own hand at the end of the episode, and it was revealed that the writers had written him out of the show entirely. There are a lot of things wrong with the way that this took place, and as a fan myself, I am quite surprised that The Magicians went this way.

For context, It would not be as surprising to see this twist in a show like Game of Thrones, where main characters die all the time. In fact, The Magicians itself has had no shortage of character deaths, and yet most of them were temporary. What is appalling by many standards (not just my own) is the fact that they had a character who struggled with suicidal ideation for a large portion of his life, end himself in a way where even he asks, “Did I sacrifice myself to save my friends, or did I finally find a way to kill myself?”

The fact that he has to even ask that question is horrifically insensitive to the people who struggle with these things on a regular basis; these fans who Identified with Quentin’s strength, and used The Magicians to escape from their own demons. Granted, the writers are not responsible for anyone’s mental health, however, the way they handle stories like these does have weight and meaning.

I wish I could say that this is the end of the story, but it actually seems to get worse. During an Entertainment Weekly interview with Jason Ralph (Quentin’s portrayer), the actor revealed that he was not allowed to let his castmates know what was going on. This is taken a step further by the fact that the writers required Jason to film a “dummy” scene after the fact, to undo Quentin’s death so that the cast would not know what was really happening.

Let’s give this a little bit of context though as to why this is strange. Game of Thrones is notorious for keeping character deaths under wraps. However, when Jon Snow “died” they gave Kit Harington a goodbye party, even though the writers knew that he would be returning the next season. It is an interesting reversal, because the rest of the cast got unnecessary closure, while The Magicians cast got no closure at all.

This is especially frustrating considering in the context of the show, neither Julia Wicker nor Eliot Waugh gets to say goodbye to Quentin before he dies. Eliot gets his body back after the fact, and Julia is in another area entirely during Quentin’s final moments. I personally think it is also increasingly cruel that they asked the cast to film a funeral scene for Quentin, and yet did not tell them that Quentin’s death was final.

In truth, the backlash from fans is far more than just the displeasure over queer-baiting and a bisexual character being killed off. The backlash stems from the fact that the trust between the viewers, the cast, and the writers has been broken. The writers were happy to soak in the praise for how they were treating Quentin and Eliot’s storyline, only to entirely invalidate it at the end of the season for no good reason.

Sera Gamble even went so far as to state that this ending was “groundbreaking” despite so many other shows doing this same idea before. Buffy Summers died saving her friends, and so many other protagonists and main characters have done the same. The difference here is that none of those characters died in a way that was blatantly insensitive to the character’s arc.

By saying that Quentin’s storyline is over, they send a message that is very dangerous. LGBT people are not here for the personal growth of others, or to die and be used as a torture device for our loved ones. Yet by killing Quentin, they set up an arc for Eliot (a character who has already seen his share of pain) that glorifies the “bury your gays” trope.

On top of that, whether they intended to or not, the showrunners finished Q’s arc in a way that could get the idea across that, “the only solace from mental illness is death.” The truly groundbreaking writing would have been giving Quentin the opportunity to find happiness in spite of his demons, not succumbing to them under the guise of self-sacrifice.

They have created an ending that reinforces the idea of suicide in the minds of impressionable people who have been using the show to stave off their own demons. They even did so at the expense of a character who could have represented breaking free of your demons. Quentin’s entire storyline was about making the best of the cards you are dealt, and to have it end this way is cruel.

The fan-base is angry because they (myself included) thought that the writers understood how much representation means to viewers. Captain Marvel shows that girls can be badass heroes, along with Wonder Woman, and so many other stories. There are not many stories out there that show people who struggle with depression that they can thrive and find some semblance of happiness.

After the finale, other professionals in the field have expressed their own frustration with this turn of events, namely due to the fact that the writers encouraged Hale Appleman to do interviews, and be honest about how proud he was to be a part of a show celebrating Queer, LGBT representation. Hale has said many times that he believes LGBT love stories need to be told and that so many shows could do better.

Yet they gave him no opportunity to protest how they were progressing the story. Decisions were made and none of the cast (except Jason Ralph,) was given any kind of warning or information on what was coming. Jason Ralph had to lie to his castmates on set, and basically hide the truth of his arc for the entirety of filming the season.

What kind of person doesn’t allow their cast to say goodbye on set? So many series (including Game of Thrones, and the Marvel Films) have had cast farewell parties and allowed exiting cast members to have closure. Where was this for The Magicians cast? In my mind they are not at fault, the blame entirely lays on the shoulders of the writers and showrunners.

No other show, that I know of, has encouraged a lead actor to lie to his castmates for an entire season. The fact that Jason Ralph was put in that position in the first place, is somewhat sickening in and of itself. I could see keeping a twist close to the vest, but with something like that, people need to have the time to process and talk about things.

Season 5 of The Magicians has been greenlit, but I find myself conflicted over whether or not I will watch it. I love the cast, and I will forever love the characters, but the writers have been unnecessarily cruel and seem to have no qualms with how they have handled things. Even now after dozens of publications have spoken out about this, they remain silent on social media, and seem to be resolute in the choices they have made.

For every step forward we make with LGBT representation, we’re hit in the face with things like this. Things that tell us “You are expendable. You are not fit to be the hero of your story. You exist to die.” I refuse to accept that, and shame on the showrunners for reinforcing these toxic ideas. LGBT people already have a high mortality rate and a suicide rate that is far too high. This isn’t revolutionary, and this is not groundbreaking.

I identified with Quentin Coldwater because I, like Quentin, sought solace in fantasy worlds. In a lot of ways, I felt that his character was the first real protagonist I could identify with because he wasn’t a macho hero. He was just a guy, who was dealing with things the only way he knew how. Because of the writers, I feel betrayed. I celebrated the progressiveness of the show, and I told everyone I knew how much I loved it.

Now all I can think about is the fact that Quentin, in a lot of ways, was the glue that held the other characters together. He was the heart of the series and was a mirror of the viewer in a lot of ways. Now without him, what would Season 5 look like? I’m honestly afraid to find out. I worry for the actors, who were just as blindsided by this as the rest of us. Fans of The Magicians deserved better, and so did the actors.

I have joked before that Game of Thrones was going to give me a complex one of these days, because my favorite characters kept dying. This is somehow worse than anything Westeros could throw at any of us, both on-screen and off. There are so many other characters that the writers did a disservice to, but expressing every problem would take all day.

The fanbase is upset, and rightfully so. The show gained the popularity it has because of those who rallied behind it, and it feels more and more like we were duped into doing so.

If you (or someone you know) have had suicidal thoughts or tendencies, please reach out to someone. Here are the Suicide Prevention resources for both the United States and the United Kingdom. Always keep fighting! There are resources out there to help you.

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Alexx Aplin

Alexx has been writing about video games for almost 10 years, and has seen most of the good, bad and ugly of the industry. After spending most of the past decade writing for other people, he decided to band together with a few others, to create a diverse place that will create content for gaming enthusiasts, by gaming enthusiasts.

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