After being recruited to a secretive academy, a group of students discovers that the magic they read about as children is very real--and more dangerous than they ever imagined.After being recruited to a secretive academy, a group of students discovers that the magic they read about as children is very real--and more dangerous than they ever imagined.After being recruited to a secretive academy, a group of students discovers that the magic they read about as children is very real--and more dangerous than they ever imagined.
- Awards
- 1 win & 11 nominations total
Browse episodes
Featured reviews
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.
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 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.
If you've read Lev Grossman's wonderful Magicians trilogy you may find watching this series rather disorienting. The characters are all there and quite recognizable, and it's still about magic students and mysterious otherworlds, but it often feels like the series' writers cut the books into pieces, stirred those pieces in a bowl, then pulled them out and stitched the pieces together in random order, making up new stuff to fill in gaps.
That's not bad, and the world they have created works quite well, but it increasingly diverges from the books' mythology. This approach means I often find the show full of weird left turns where it shows me something familiar and then wanders off somewhere else with it, but the show is very entertaining, and it's prickly characters (awkward guy geek, ridiculously hot, short-skirted girl geek, snarky macho guy, snarky gay guy, angsty magic reject) are, if not quite likable, still fairly relatable.
The first changes from the book were relatively small. We follow Julia's story throughout the series, whereas her later reappearance in the book represented a plot twist. And while the books' Quentin did not have a Harry Potter-ish Destiny - he was just a smart guy so desperate for grand adventure that he would pursue all sorts of crazy things - comments made by supporting characters suggest that in the series, Quentin is in some way inherently Important. I feel that's a bit too obvious - the lack of destiny was one of those nice contrasts with Harry Potter - but it's fine.
Some story elements in the series are from the books, but they can come from any book in any order and are often mixed with things that aren't from the books at all. But while I'm often discombobulated by these changes, I'm rarely displeased.
Addendum: Just saw the last episode, so came back to say that this series held up throughout. Sometimes overly confusing, but overall very solid with an excellent finale.
That's not bad, and the world they have created works quite well, but it increasingly diverges from the books' mythology. This approach means I often find the show full of weird left turns where it shows me something familiar and then wanders off somewhere else with it, but the show is very entertaining, and it's prickly characters (awkward guy geek, ridiculously hot, short-skirted girl geek, snarky macho guy, snarky gay guy, angsty magic reject) are, if not quite likable, still fairly relatable.
The first changes from the book were relatively small. We follow Julia's story throughout the series, whereas her later reappearance in the book represented a plot twist. And while the books' Quentin did not have a Harry Potter-ish Destiny - he was just a smart guy so desperate for grand adventure that he would pursue all sorts of crazy things - comments made by supporting characters suggest that in the series, Quentin is in some way inherently Important. I feel that's a bit too obvious - the lack of destiny was one of those nice contrasts with Harry Potter - but it's fine.
Some story elements in the series are from the books, but they can come from any book in any order and are often mixed with things that aren't from the books at all. But while I'm often discombobulated by these changes, I'm rarely displeased.
Addendum: Just saw the last episode, so came back to say that this series held up throughout. Sometimes overly confusing, but overall very solid with an excellent finale.
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.
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!
Did you know
- TriviaWhen the group falls into the library in the Neitherlands, the librarian calls Margo "Janet" before she corrects her. This is a reference to her character's real name in the books (that was changed to reduce confusion between her, Julia and Jane).
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 20 Best Syfy Channel Shows Ever (2020)
Details
- Runtime
- 1h(60 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content