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The Magnus Archives
Presentation
Hosted byJonathan Sims
Genre
Directed byAlexander J. Newall
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Production
Audio formatPodcast (via streaming or downloadable MP3)
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes200
Publication
Original release24 March 2016 –
25 March 2021
ProviderRusty Quill
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution – NonCommercial – ShareAlike 4.0 International
Related
WebsiteOfficial website

The Magnus Archives is a horror fiction podcast written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall, and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrated the podcast in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly appointed Head Archivist of the fictional Magnus Institute—an institution based in London centered on research into the paranormal.[1] In 2018, BBC Sounds listed the show as one of the largest British dramatic podcasts, with an extensive fanbase on Tumblr having driven much of its success.[2] As of April 2020, The Magnus Archives had reached a download rate of over 2.5 million downloads a month,[3] growing to over 4 million downloads a month by July 2020.[4]

Production

The podcast is structured as a series of statements recorded, or written and then recorded, for internal research use within the Magnus Institute. At the beginning of each statement, the statement-taker—typically Jon, the head archivist—provides a brief description of the statement and the name of the statement-maker. Those who give or record statements in the Magnus Institute tend to lapse into a trance-like state, not unlike reliving the event as they narrate it.

Cast and characters

Main cast

  • Jonathan Sims as Jonathan "Jon" Sims, the Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, a title with which he announces himself at the beginning of each statement he records, eventually shortened to "the Archivist" following the events of episode 120, "Eye Contact". Jon begins the series as often rude, short-tempered, and commonly skeptical of the supernatural subject material of the statements themselves; however, as the seasons progress, Jon accepts the stories relayed by statement-makers as real, and becomes kinder and more sympathetic. As of "Dwelling" and perhaps before, he is in a romantic relationship with Martin Blackwood. He is asexual.[5]
  • Alexander J. Newall as Martin Blackwood, an archival assistant at the Magnus Institute, who obtained his job by lying about holding a degree in parapsychology. He is soft-spoken and generally gravitates away from social gatherings. As of "Dwelling" and perhaps before, he is in a romantic relationship with Jonathan Sims.
  • Lottie Broomhall as Sasha James, an archival assistant at the Magnus Institute, mainly locating records that could set the standard of proof for statements. In episode 40, "Human Remains", she is replaced by an entity known as 'Not-Sasha' (voiced by Evelyn Hewitt), which wears her identity with a different body, a change only obvious to Melanie King, with the rest of the Institute staff oblivious.
  • Mike LeBeau as Timothy "Tim" Stoker, an archival assistant at the Magnus Institute, who assumed the role when Jon was promoted to head archivist, having worked with him previously in the research department. He has been in relationships with men and women, as revealed in episode 3, "Across the Street", when he courts two file clerks. Tim begins the series as kind and cocksure, but comes to resent his position within the institute, which he is unable to leave, and becomes increasingly more cynical and angry in his interactions with his co-workers, mainly Jon.
  • Ben Meredith as Elias Bouchard/Jonah Magnus, the Head of the Magnus Institute. He is initially dismissive of the concerns surrounding active paranormal activity within the institute, but is quick to reveal some degree of knowledge, and as having intentionally withheld information when confronted.
  • Evelyn Hewitt as Not-Sasha, a paranormal entity that wears Sasha James' identity. It lives in the tunnels under the Institute when not performing the administrative tasks previously assigned to the real Sasha James, and has a significant role in drawing Jon's attention to the paranormal happenings within and below the institute. It has known issues with using technology, especially when compared to the original Sasha.
  • Sue Sims as Gertrude Robinson, the previous Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute. She was replaced by Jonathan Sims after going missing in March 2015. She appears in some episodes in past recordings of statements, as Jon and the other assistants work to understand her previous role at the institute. Her demeanor is brusque, and she is very serious about her work. The true motive of her work and motives is slowly revealed throughout the series, especially seasons 3 and 4.
  • Frank Voss as Basira Hussain, an officer sectioned to work on 'weird' cases. After responding to a police case tied to a supernatural event, she signs a 'Section 31' form, and becomes more and more involved in cases that eventually tie back to The Magnus Institute. She becomes involved in an investigation surrounding a death in the Institute in episode 43, aptly named "Section 31", and is quickly entangled in the institute's mysterious happenings.
  • Fay Roberts as Alice "Daisy" Tonner, a detective also sectioned to work on 'weird' cases through Section 31. She is known to use force, as well as her own judgements, to resolve cases.
  • Lydia Nicholas as Melanie King, the former host of the YouTube series Ghost Hunt UK. After some strange supernatural incidents, she comes to be employed by the Magnus Institute. As of "Rotten Core" and perhaps before, she is in a romantic relationship with Georgie Barker.
  • Sasha Sienna as Georgie Barker, the fearless host of the What The Ghost? podcast. She lives with her cat, The Admiral, and dated Jonathan Sims back when they both attended University. As of "Rotten Core" and perhaps before, she is in a romantic relationship with Melanie King.
  • Alasdair Stuart as Peter Lukas, Captain of the Tundra and member of the Lukas Family. He acts as the antagonist, and temporary Institute Head, in Season 4.

Recurring cast

  • John Gracey as Gerard "Gerry" Keay, the son of Mary Keay, who worked alongside Gertrude Robinson after she freed him from his mother. He is described as having "poorly dyed" black hair as well as tattoos of eyes on all of his joints and over his heart.
  • Paul Sims as Jurgen Leitner, a collector of books affected by the paranormal forces the Institute researches. He went into hiding in 1994 after his library was burned down, and resided in the tunnels underneath of the Institute until his death, via "brutal pipe" murder, in episode 80, "The Librarian".
  • Luke Booys as Michael, also known as The Distortion, a manifestation of a paranormal power. Its appearance is flexible, but its base appearance is that of Gertrude Robinson's former assistant, Michael Shelley, a tall man with straw blonde hair and a round face. The Distortion was bound to Michael as part of a ritual disrupted by Gertrude, thereafter took on the appearance of her former assistant, distorting his features and appearing as thin and limp, with hands the size of its torso, an appearance only visible in mirrors. It both resides in and is a realm accessible only by a door of its own conjuring. It preys on people by luring them into its door and trapping them within an inescapable labyrinth. It was killed by and became Helen in episode 101, "Another Twist".
  • Hannah Brankin as Jane Prentiss, a previously ordinary woman working as a New Age shop assistant, now turned into a living hive for wasp larvae after finding a wasps nest in her attic. Prentiss infected others by having the worms bury into their flesh, either killing them or turning them into hives. She was killed in the archives and cremated soon after.
  • Imogen Harris as Helen Richardson, a manifestation of paranormal power replacing Michael, who occasionally assists and disrupts the Archive's activities.
  • Guy Kelly as Michael Crew, an avatar of a paranormal force who meets Jonathan Sims in episode 91, "The Coming Storm". He has a large, branching scar in the shape of a Lichtenberg figure as the result of being struck by lightning as a child.
  • Jessica Law as Nikola Orsinov, a plastic mannequin who was originally Joseph Grimaldi. Orsinov serves a paranormal power which she attempts, and fails, to summon in episode 119, "Stranger and Stranger".
  • Hannah Walker as Jude Perry, a member of The Cult of the Lightless Flame, a group dedicated to destruction and suffering, who encounters Jonathan Sims in episode 89, "Twice as Bright".
  • Russell Smith as Oliver Banks, an entity of death able to see people's life force in the form of red veins.

Plot

The podcast is initially presented as a horror anthology, following the efforts of Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, to record on tape a number of statements of paranormal events that have proven impossible to record through conventional, digital means. Over the course of 5 seasons, a more complex metaplot develops, revealing the nature of the Magnus Institute, its head, Elias Bouchard, and the nature of the paranormal events recorded in the statements.[6]

Season 1

Season 1 of the Magnus Archives ran from 24 March 2016 to 13 October 2016.

The eponymous Jonathan Sims is installed as the new Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute's Archives, his predecessor Gertrude Robinson having gone missing and is presumed dead. As he attempts to digitize statements about supernatural incidents, he finds that statements can only be recorded on a tape recorder, as opposed to the preferred digital recordings.[7] Among these statements are mentions of paranormal books referred to as "Leitners," many of them having originated from a library previously belonging to a man named Jurgen Leitner.[8][9] The final conflict of the season involves a woman named Jane Prentiss, who has become the host for a mass of parasitic worms that attacks the archival staff.[10] In the chaos of Prentiss' attack, Sasha dies and a supernatural assumes her identity. During the attack, the body of Gertrude Robinson is found in one of the tunnels beneath the institute.[11]

Season 2

Season 2 of the Magnus Archives ran from 1 December 2016, to 31 August 2017.

Jon becomes convinced that there is a conspiracy behind the murder of Gertrude Robinson and his paranoia continues to increase.[12] He begins working alongside Constable Basira Hussain and the police to investigate the attack on the institute.[13] Jon also begins to explore the tunnels beneath the Archives, and discovers evidence of both Sasha and an unknown old man entering the tunnels..[12][14] As Jon continues to distrust and investigate his coworkers to the point of stalking, his archival assistants become worried about Jon and begin expressing increasing annoyance. Jon is confronted by a supernatural being called Michael, who claims that Sasha is "lying to him."[15]

Melanie returns to the institute and insists that the Sasha currently on staff is not the same person she met on previous visits to the institute.[16] This raises Jon's suspicions, particularly after finding more statements connecting a strange being that can replace people with a table being stored at the institute.[17] Jon decides to destroy the table, inadvertently freeing the creature impersonating Sasha, before being chased through the Institute tunnels by it, eventually saved by the unknown old man seen entering the tunnels, who reveals himself as Jurgen Leitner, the previous owner of the library of paranormal books in various statements.[18] The two return to Jon's office, where Leitner explains that he has been hiding in the tunnels since the destruction of his library in 1994, evading various monsters and people who sought to do him harm. He then explains his understanding of the entities behind the books (and creatures such as "Michael" and the "NotThem"): that they are manifestations of vast, powerful entities based on primal fears that exist just outside of human perception. He also relates that he believes that the institute's Head, Elias, is the one who killed Gertrude, who Leitner had been working with to destroy the institute, itself a place of power for one of the entities known as The Eye.

Jon steps out of the office, overwhelmed with these revelations, at which point Elias enters, surprised but pleased to discover the person with whom Gertrude had been working. Elias then brutally murders Leitner with a metal pipe and leaves, not wanting to leave any loose ends. When Jon returns, he immediately flees from the scene. The body is then discovered by Tim and Martin.[19]

Season 3

Season 3 of the Magnus Archives ran from 23 November 2017, to 27 September 2018.

Jon, now a wanted man in the murder of his predecessor and the murder of Leitner, flees the institute and hides at the house of Georgie Barker, whom he had known while attending University. Meanwhile, Basira's partner, who is known as "Daisy", investigates the institute in an attempt to find Jon, but is blackmailed by Elias into stopping her investigation, who demonstrates powers of limited omniscience and the ability to read the minds of others.[20] Tim and Martin struggle to hold themselves together following the disappearance of their friend Sasha, while the newly-hired Melanie begins to act in an increasingly erratic fashion. Despite being in hiding, Jon finds that statements are continually being mailed to Georgie's house, and follows their trails to two individuals known as Jude Perry and Michael Crew, who serve the fear entities known as "The Desolation" and "The Vast" respectively. Jude severely burns Jon's hand,[21] and after Jon's discussion with Michael Crew, Daisy arrives, as she had continued to pursue Jon despite Elias' threats. Daisy then drives Jon and Micheal Crew to an unknown location, before killing the latter. Before Daisy can kill Jon, she is stopped by Basira, and the two come to the realization that Jon now has the power to compel individuals to answer his questions. They decide to take Jon to the institute to use his powers to force Elias to confess to the murders of Gertrude Robinson and Leitner.[22]

When Daisy, Basira, Jon, Martin, Tim, and Melanie confront Elias in his office, Jon attempts to compel Elias to confess to the murders. His powers do not affect Elias, but he willingly admits that he murdered Gertrude and Leitner before forcing Basira to sign an employment form for the institute. He then reveals that those employed by the institute are unable to leave without his permission and that if he were to die, anyone employed by him would die as well. In addition, those who attempt to leave the institute or refuse to work there while employed will gradually grow weak and eventually die. Forced to do Elias' bidding, they are tasked with stopping a ritual known as the "Unknowing", wherein manifestations and servants of the fear entity known as "The Stranger" will attempt to reshape reality to allow the entity to come into existence, which, if successful, would cause the entire world to suffer under eternal torment to feed the entity.[23]

Shortly after beginning to investigate the Unknowing and how to stop it, he is threatened by a living mannequin known as Nikola Orsinov, who asks him to give them an ancient taxidermized gorilla skin, which was stolen by Gertrude Robinson several years ago.[24] However, when Jon fails to produce said item, he is kidnapped[25] and held at a secret location, where Nikola reveals that without the gorilla skin, she will need the skin of an Archivist to complete the Unknowing. When Jon is left alone, Michael (not to be confused with Michael Crew) appears, and reveals his origin: he is a being known as "The Distortion", itself a manifestation of the fear entity known as "The Spiral". The Distortion had been crucial to the success of a ritual similar to the Unknowing that had been undertaken by the Spiral. However, before it could succeed, Gertrude Robinson gave one of her assistants, named Michael Shelley, a map of the Distortion before having him devoured by it. Utilizing the map, Michael Shelley found the core of the Distortion, and the two became merged together, which caused the Spiral's ritual to fail. Michael has decided to kill Jon so that the Unknowing can not succeed, but before he can do so, Helen (who had been taken by the Distortion in Season 2) is merged with the Distortion. She then transports him back to the institute.[26]

Upon returning, Jon finds that he has begun to learn random information through supernatural means, and he even reads an entire statement in French, a language he does not know.[27] He then follows an itinerary that Gertrude had followed, which takes him to New Zealand, China, and America. While in America, he is approached by two Hunters named Julia Montauk and Trevor Herbert, who have him use a book that summons the ghost of a man named Gerard Keay, who had traveled with Gertrude before he succumbed to a brain tumor. [28][29][30]

Gerard then describes the 14 fear entities to Jon: the Eye, the patron entity of the Magnus Institute, and the fear of being watched or having one's secrets exposed; the Spiral, the fear of madness/lies; the End, the fear of death; the Stranger, the fear of the uncanny or things that are not quite human; the Lonely, the fear of being alone; the Desolation, the fear of fire, pain, and destruction; the Slaughter, the fear of violence; the Vast, the fear of the infinite or of being insignificant; the Buried, the fear of being trapped without enough space, whether physical or not; the Dark, the fear of the darkness and what might be in it; the Corruption, the fear of rot, decay, filth; the Web, the fear of spiders and of being manipulated; the Flesh, the fear that one is nothing more than meat; the Hunt, the fear of being hunted. Gerard then directs Jon to a storage unit, where Gertrude had stored an something that could stop the Unknowing.[31]

When he returns to London, Jon finds that the storage unit is filled with plastic explosives.[32] He, Basira, Daisy, and Tim then travel to the location of the Unknowing to stop it. Meanwhile, Martin and Melanie execute a plan to distract Elias and collect evidence of Elias' crimes, which is sufficient to have the police arrest him. However, Nikola begins the Unknowing using the skin of Gertrude Robinson, and its effects cause the group to become incapable of semiosis. Basira is able to escape the ritual, while Daisy is trapped within a coffin-like manifestation of the Buried. Jon uses his powers of compulsion to make Tim immune to the ritual's effect, and Tim detonates the plastic explosives at the ritual site, which stops the Unknowing at the cost of his life, while Jon is left in a coma-like state. Due to his imprisonment, Elias sends a man named Peter Lukas, a servant of the Lonely, to watch over the Magnus Institute in his stead.[33][34][35]

Season 4

Season 4 of the Magnus Archives ran from 10 January 2019, to 31 October 2019.

Jon awakens from the coma he has remained in for the past 6 months following a visit from a servant of the End, who encourages him to make an unspecified choice. Jon then begins to refer to himself simply as "the Archivist", and reading statements has now grown into a physical need for him.[36][37] Upon returning to the Magnus Institute, he is attacked by Melanie after they meet, as she does not believe he is human anymore. Basira explains that 4 months after the Unknowing was stopped, the institute was attacked by a servant of the Flesh named Jared, whom Melanie had fought off with a knife before being trapped by Helen.[38]

After recording a statement in which a Slaughter-aligned book had led to an outbreak of violence in a small town, Jon realizes that Melanie has been an unwitting servant of the Slaughter due to an invisible bullet lodged in her leg from when she journeyed to India in season 2,[39] which had been how she was able to defeat Jared. Jon and Basira extract the bullet while she is asleep, but immediately after they do so, she awakes and stabs Jon in the shoulder with a scalpel.[40]

Shortly afterward, one of the manifestations of the Stranger that had survived the Unknowing delivers a coffin, itself a manifestation of the Buried, and states that Daisy is still inside of it before he is driven away by Jon. Basira, following leads from the imprisoned Elias, then immediately departs, leaving Jon alone.[41] Now seeking a way to enter the coffin, retrieve Daisy, and return, Jon attempts to slice off one of his fingers to use as an "anchor", but finds that his self-inflicted injuries heal immediately. Melanie leads him to Helen, who is still holds Jared as a captive, and Jon allows Jared to remove one of his ribs to use as an anchor in return for the latter's freedom.[42] Jon then willingly enters the coffin, and returns with Daisy.[43]

Meanwhile, Martin has been working with Peter Lukas, the latter of whom believes that a fifteenth fear entity, known as "the Extinction", is emerging due to the growing fear that humans are destroying the world. Peter and Martin have agreed to work together in an attempt to prevent its emergence, or at least diminish its influence.[44]

After reading a statement that helps Jon and Basira piece together that the leader of a cult that served the Dark was originally Edmond Halley, the two travel to Ny-Ålesund based on information revealed by Elias.[45] They find the cult's headquarters abandoned, save for a single member, whom Jon compels. The cultist reveals that in 2015, the cult had attempted a ritual to manifest the Dark, but it had failed despite having seemingly gone unopposed. Jon then stares at the "Dark star", which had been the focal point of the cult's ritual attempt, which destroys it. When the cultist attempts to flee, she is consumed by Helen, who then transports Jon and Basira back to the institute.[46]

When Martin leaves a tape describing Jon deliberately seeking out an individual and compelling a statement from them,[47][48] Jon, Basira, Melanie, and Daisy travel to a known stronghold of the Web known as Hill Top Road in an attempt to discover if Jon is being manipulated. There, they find a statement left by Annabelle Cain, a servant of the Web, who reveals that she is watching the Magnus Institute and manipulating events, but not actively controlling Jon's actions.[49]

After listening to several more statements that confirm that the Extinction is causing supernatural occurrences,[50][51] Peter Lukas explains to Martin that he will soon have a map of the tunnels beneath the institute, and will therefore soon be able to execute their plan.[52]

Once Peter acquires his map, he and Martin immediately venture into the tunnels, where Peter releases not Sasha as a distraction. Basira and Daisy then reveal that Elias has escaped from prison, and they find a tape of the moment Elias killed Gertrude Robinson. The tape reveals that Elias is actually Jonah Magnus, the founder of the institute, who has been able to transfer his consciousness to other bodies to extend his life. Martin and Peter then arrive at the Panopticon of Millbank Prison, in which is a chair where Jonah Magnus' eyeless original body rests, at which point Jonah himself also arrives. Peter then encourages Martin to destroy Magnus' original body and take its place, which will enable him to use the Eye's power to learn vital information about the Extinction. However, Martin refuses, and Peter Lukas casts him into a manifestation of the Lonely in anger. Meanwhile, Julia Montauk and Trevor Herbert, who had returned to London, attack the institute at the same time that notSasha emerges from the tunnels, and Daisy willingly succumbs to the influence of the Hunt to gain the power needed to stop them. Jon makes his way to the Panopticon, and enters the Lonely to retrieve Martin.[53] Jon uses his powers to find Peter Lukas within the Lonely, and compels a statement from him. He reveals that he had attempted a ritual for the Lonely, in which he created a hotel that intentionally isolated its inhabitants from each other, before Gertrude Robinson sabotaged the ritual by revealing the hotel's existence to The Guardian. From there, he reveals that his attempts to stop the Extinction result from a belief that its existence would directly harm the influence of the Lonely. He then states that his plan with Martin was all part of an attempt to win a bet with "Elias", which he had lost when Martin refused to destroy Jonah Magnus' original body. When Jon compels Peter to tell him what Jonah won from the bet, he refuses, as is ultimately killed when he continually resists Jon's compulsions. He then retrieves Martin, and they exit the Lonely.[54]

As the Magnus Institute is now a crime scene, and Daisy, Julia, Trevor, and notSasha are nowhere to be found, Jon and Martin travel to a wooden cabin in Scotland. Basira sends a box of statements to the cabin for Jon, and Jon begins to read one of them, which had been written by Jonah Magnus. Jon's powers prevent him from not reading the statement, and so he is forced to read the rest of the statement. The statement reveals that Jonah, who had become fearful of being a victim of a successful ritual, sought to complete a ritual to manifest the Eye utilizing Millbank prison, the design of which he had influenced. However, when he attempted the ritual in the 1800's, the ritual failed and destroyed the prison, but gifted him his powers of limited omniscience. He then founded the Magnus Institute to enable him to protect the now underground Millbank prison, as well as plan for the execution of another ritual for the Eye in the future. However, when he had witnessed the brutal efficiency in which Gertrude Robinson had derailed the rituals of the Flesh, the Buried, the Desolation, the Lonely, and the Spiral, he began to wonder why no ritual had ever succeeded. As he could not answer this question, he began to wonder if rituals were unable to succeed due to their focus on only a single fear entity. Gertrude Robinson also suspected this to be the case, and had allowed the ritual of the Dark to go unopposed, though Jonah killed her before the ritual was completed. However, the unopposed ritual failed, and Jonah understood what he needed to do: devise a ritual that would manifest all 14 entities, a goal he hoped to accomplish before the complete emergence of the Extinction.

Upon Gertrude's death, Jonah threw his plan into motion, which would require an Archivist that had been exposed to supernatural occurences from all 14 entities. As a result, he appointed Jon to the role of Archivist due to him having already encountered the Web during his childhood.[55] He was then marked by the Corruption when Jane Prentiss attacked the institute, the Spiral when he had been stabbed by the Distortion,[56] and by the Stranger when he encountered notSasha. Jonah was forced to kill Jurgen Lietner before he could explain too much to Jon, which also led to Jon's ecounters with Michael Crew and Jude Perry, who had marked him for the Vast and the Desolation respectively. He was then marked by the Hunt when Daisy nearly killed him after killing Michael Crew. Jonah was aware that the Unknowing would fail whether it was interrupted or not, but sought to use it to test Jon's powers. However, when he nearly died following the ritual's destruction, he had been marked by the End. He was then marked by the Slaughter when Melanie had stabbed him with a scalpel, and by the Flesh when Jared extracted one of his ribs. When Jon had ventured into the coffin to rescue Daisy, he had been marked by the Buried, and was marked by the Dark when he looked at the Dark star. Finally, Jon's journey into the Lonely to rescue Martin marked him for the final power, at which point Jonah had sent Jon the statement to complete the ritual.

Jon, unable to stop reading, chants a ritual that brings through all 15 entities. When Martin wakes Jon, all he can say is "Look at the sky, it's looking back".[57]

Season 5

Season 5 of the Magnus Archives ran from 1 April 2020, to 25 March 2021.

The season was split into three acts due to production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[58]

Due to the ritual unwillingly performed by Jon, the world has now been transformed by the fear entities, and is believed to be irreversible. Jon and Martin venture from the cabin, which has now become a hostile creature,[59] and travel towards what used to be London, in which the Magnus Institute and the Panopticon have been merged into a massive tower that can be seen anywhere on Earth.

Due to the change, humans can no longer be killed nor reproduce, and no longer need to eat, drink or sleep. However, the world and its people are now divided among many "Domains", where humans are tortured endlessly in a manner that depends on the dominant fear entity within each domain. Due to Jon's power, he and Martin are able to travel through the Domains without being affected by them, though he is almost always compelled to make a statement that describes them. Among the Domains they travel through is a Slaughter-aligned trench in which a never-ending war is fought,[60] and a Corruption-aligned village in which its inhabitants are perpetually tormented by an unknown disease.[61]

Jon and Martin find notSasha in a Stranger Domain in which its victims are made to ride a massive Merry-Go-Round, wherein they must tear others' faces from their skulls and wear them in order to have an identity. When notSasha attempts to intimidate Jon and Martin, Jon calls upon the Eye and uses its power to destroy her.[62]

Upon further discussion, Jon discovers he is almost completely omniscient and is able to know almost anything. While he is able to know where Basira and Daisy are, with the former hunting the latter, who is now a servant of the Hunt that is also able to travel through Domains and permanently kill humans, he is unable to locate Melanie and Georgie due to Georgie having lost the ability to feel fear and Melanie having blinded herself in the previous season. While Jon makes a statement about a Buried Domain where its victims are made to forever crawl up tight holes, before being forced back down by the rain, Martin finds a ringing phone, which he answers and discovers that the caller is Annabelle Cain, who claims to want to help.[63]

The next Domain they travel through is aligned with the End, which is discovered to permanently kill humans. Due to the fact that humans are no longer born or created, it is believed that End-aligned Domains will eventually render humanity extinct, and with nothing to fear them, the fear entities themselves would also die out.[64]

Jon, seeking revenge on Jude Perry for burning his hand and marking him with the Desolation, takes him and Martin to a Domain that consists of a massive apartment complex, which is almost always on fire to torment its victims. There, he uses his power to destroy Jude Perry.[65] Next, they travel to a Flesh Domain in which Jared cuts and molds people into flower-like shapes, and Jon destroys him after making a statement about the Domain.[66]

Jon and Martin then travel through several Domains such as a Web-aligned theater where victims are puppeteered by a massive spider,[67] a Dark Domain where children are told that there are monsters in the darkness,[68] a Vast Domain where a massive monster made entirely out of humans continually chases those that manage to escape,[69] and even a Domain of the Extinction.[70]

Afterwards, the duo arrives at a Domain of the Hunt, one of the victims of which is Trevor Herbert. Trevor reveals that Daisy had killed Julia Montauk when they attacked the institute before he is killed by Basira. Though Basira remains distrustful of Jon, she agrees to accompany him and Martin to stop Daisy.[71] They eventually catch up to her at a Desolation Domain where its victims are forced to burn objects they love. Though Daisy injures Jon and threatens Martin, Basira kills her, and decides to separate from them to deal with the trauma.[72]

After crossing through a Domain in which sufferers are forced to sing the praises of their abusers, Jon and Martin arrive in an area that has seemingly been untouched by the change. Inside, they find a house populated by a former seller of paranormal artifacts named Mikaele Salesa, as well as Annabelle Cain.[73] Mikaele reveals that he is utilizing a paranormal camera to create a small part of the world that is not affected by the entities so that he does not suffer. Though Martin is rejuvenated by the return to normalcy, Jon grows weaker and weaker, and so they leave the unaffected area to continue their journey, with Jon forgetting about his time in the area shortly after leaving.[74]

After traveling through a constantly-shifting and inconsistent Domain,[75] and an Eye-aligned prison that incarcerates the innocent,[76] Martin travels through his own Domain, which is aligned to both the Eye and the Lonely and feeds on the fear that one will suffer alone while mourned by no one.[77] Jon, meanwhile, reaches the Distortion, which is itself now a Spiral Domain that takes the form of a constantly-shifting hotel, though it can still traverse said hotel in Helen's form. When Jon realizes that Helen will seek to obstruct their goal to free the world from the entities, he destroys her.[78]

Critical reception

The Magnus Archives has been praised by critics and reviewers, with the development of the lengthy metaplot and the voice acting by Jonathan Sims in his role as the Archivist receiving particular praise. The Magnus Archives has appeared on numerous Top Horror Podcast and Top Fiction lists, from publications such as The A.V. Club,[79] GamesRadar,[80] Cosmopolitan,[81] and The Verge[82] since 2016.

Awards

Award Date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Discover Pod Awards 2019 Best Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast The Magnus Archives Won [83]
This Is Horror Awards Fiction Podcast of The Year Runner-up [84]
Audio Verse Awards Audio Play Production Won [85]
Writing of an Audio Play Production Jonathan Sims Won
Performance of a Leading Role in an Audio Play Production Won
Vocal Direction of a Production Alexander J. Newall Won
Performance of a Supporting Role in an Audio Play Production Won
2020 Vocal Direction of a Production Won [86]
Performance of a Supporting Role in an Audio Play Production Won
Environment Sound Design in a Production Elizabeth Moffatt Won
Action Sound Design in a Production Won
Writing of an Audio Play Production Jonathan Sims Won
Performance of a Leading Role in an Audio Play Production Won
Performance of a Supporting Role in an Audio Play Production Alasdair Stuart Won
Cover Art for a Production Anika Khan Won
Audio Play Production The Magnus Archives Won
2021 Existing Audio Play Production Won [87]
Music Direction for an Existing Production Brock Winstead Won
Action Sound Design in an Existing Production Elizabeth Moffatt and Alexander J Newall Won
Environment Sound Design in an Existing Production Elizabeth Moffatt and Alexander J Newall Won
Writing for an Existing Production Jonathan Sims Won
Vocal Direction of an Existing Production Alexander J Newall Won
Performance of a Supporting Role in an Existing Production Sasha Sienna Won
Performance of a Supporting Role in an Existing Production Lydia Nicholas Won
Performance of a Leading Role in an Audio Play Production Jonathan Sims Won
Performance of a Leading Role in an Audio Play Production Alexander J Newell Won
Cover Art for a Production Anika Khan Won
British Fantasy Awards Best Audio The Magnus Archives Won [88]
British Podcast Awards 2022 Best Fiction TBA [89]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Magnus Archives | Rusty Quill". rustyquill.com. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
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  60. ^ MAG 163 In the Trenches, retrieved 30 May 2022
  61. ^ MAG 164 The Sick Village, retrieved 30 May 2022
  62. ^ MAG 165 Revolutions, retrieved 30 May 2022
  63. ^ MAG 166 The Worms, retrieved 30 May 2022
  64. ^ MAG 168 Roots, retrieved 30 May 2022
  65. ^ MAG 169 Fire Escape, retrieved 30 May 2022
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  67. ^ MAG 172 Strung Out, retrieved 30 May 2022
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  69. ^ MAG 174 The Great Beast, retrieved 30 May 2022
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  72. ^ MAG 179 Accomplice, retrieved 30 May 2022
  73. ^ MAG 180 Moving On, retrieved 30 May 2022
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  78. ^ MAG 187 Checking Out, retrieved 30 May 2022
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  86. ^ 2020 Winners, Audio Verse, 2021, retrieved 29 March 2021
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  89. ^ "Nominations 2022". www.britishfantasysociety.org. British Podcast Awards. 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
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