#harriet hodges

[murderandcoffee]

"practice safe sex" okay but what about the worms. enough about condoms enough about birth control WHAT ABOUT THE WORMS

[kald-dal-art]

Part 2 of TMA Episode posters, been procrastinating a bit on this series, but hey got the perfect excuse to work on it again so why not.

Hope you like these ones as well :^)

[historicallyaccuratecheese]

Well, I guess I’m continuing to make these now! Here’s the next part of my thoughts on every Magnus Archives episode! Now, last time I said that I was planning to write about episodes 21-40 in the next post, but as it turns out, the hyperfixation has set in and my thoughts are a LOT longer (so buckle up if you want to read this), and I also reached the tag limit. So, I’m only going to be covering episodes 21-30 here, and then I’ll write about episodes 31-40, and this 10 episode trend will probably continue for the rest of the posts, but that just means I’ll be able to put them out faster.

Also, unlike my first post, where I wrote all of my thoughts after finishing episode 20, all of these ones were written right after I finished the specific episode I talked about, so my thoughts are a lot more clearly documented. Finally, there’s a link to my masterpost, which will contain all the post’s detailing my thoughts on every episode before and after these ones.

Once again, no spoilers for future episodes please, and for anyone who hasn’t watched up to episode 30, spoilers are under the cut, so I recommend turning away until you’ve caught up. :)

- Episode 21, Freefall 🪂

Statement of Moira Kelly, regarding the disappearance of her son Robert.

WHAT THE FUCK??!! MARTIN??!! DAMN, I guess the horrors did get to him! Well, it’s nice to finally meet him, even if his first line was dropping shit on the ground. Either way, I get the vibe I’m in for a wild ride for this second half. ….What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the actual statement. Anyways this one upset me. Not only did it bring out my fear of heights pretty well, but the portrayal of a grieving mother who can’t comprehend what happened to her son was really heartbreaking. The line “The sky ate him” was kind of comedic at first, especially with Jon’s following reaction (love this guy btw, he’s such a loser), but then it became really horrific when I realized how it was just Moira desperately trying to make sense of the impossible horrors she just witnessed. The plot thread set up with Simon and Harriet Fairchild is also very interesting, and the whole sky thing kind of reminded me of Dominic’s visions in Ep. 4. Overall another one of many fantastic episodes, but HOLY SHIT I’M SCARED.

- Episode 22, Colony 🔦

Statement of Martin Blackwood, archival assistant at the Magnus Institute, London, regarding a close encounter with something he believes to have once been Jane Prentiss. Statement taken direct from subject.

….aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Ok let’s start from the top. Firstly, I’m really happy we finally got to meet Martin in this episode, and he’s great! Honestly he comes off as more dorky than stupid, and just comes off as a real sweetheart, so Jon’s distaste for him (outside of very different personalities), gets more mysterious. Though all things considered, after what he experienced, I don’t think that the bullying is his biggest worry anymore… Alexander J. Newall does a fantastic delivery, as much as I love Jon’s readings, you can really feel how terrified Martin is here (also “Blackwood” is a sick as fuck last name, and I related to him trailing off about spiders…) Outside of Martin himself, we have Jane Prentiss (or what remains of her) and…well, let’s just say that I don’t find the sex worms nearly as funny anymore. Jane and the worms inside her are absolutely terrifying, and while I would say I’m excited to learn more about her, I wouldn’t be complaining if the institute staff never had to deal with her again. Also the text episode made me, if you’ll excuse my language…squirm. Honestly, this might just be my favorite episode so far. The way that the plot threads from previous episodes connected here was extremely satisfying, and needless to say, I’m very excited and horrified to see where the show goes from here.

- Episode 23, Schwartzwald 🇩🇪

Statement of Albrecht von Closen, regarding a discovered tomb near his estate in the Black Forest.

Worst episode ever because Jon didn’t do a German accent, smh. Ok but in all seriousness, I really liked this one! It wasn’t the strongest in terms of complex themes in my opinion, but it had a great vibe, and was still very interesting, entertaining, and decently creepy. Having a “statement” written before the archives was founded is a really cool idea that’s executed perfectly here, and while we didn’t learn that much about Jonah Magnus, I still found it cool to get a first glimpse of the archives’ history. (Also, given the eye imagery that appears both in here and in other episodes, I can’t help but feel like Albrecht’s wording of Jonah having “good eyes” or something like that is a little weird…) And…now that we have the instance of something that isn’t a statement, but is important being in the archives, I absolutely agree with the idea that Gertrude Robinson organized these poorly on purpose, so that Jon would get the knowledge he needed to have. Regardless, this whole episode had the vibes of a classic ghost story, which while not as weird and off-putting as some of the other horror here, was still a nice change of pace overall. The descriptions of The Schwartzwald were really well done and added to the atmosphere, and I just like the fact that we have another historical episode, that’s also set outside of The UK. Also, the way that they played with the time period at the end was amazing, I already had my suspicions due to the eye imagery, but the reveal of Mary Keay (and therefore Gerard Wa- I mean Keay) being a descendant of Albrecht was still really cool. I also do wonder if the Arabic book was eventually found by Jurgen Leitner in the future…eh, food for thought. Lastly, I loved Martin jumping in out of nowhere, it was both funny, and a grim reminder about how fucked the archives supposedly are, yippee!

Wow, these are a lot longer than my previous thoughts. This, my sweet children, is a phenomenon called “brain rot”.

- Episode 24, Strange Music 🪆

Statement of Leanne Denikin, regarding an antique calliope organ she possessed briefly in August 2004.

Jon, honey, are we not going to elaborate on the fact that one of ✨the horrors✨is literally inside the institute? Like, HELLO? That’s not terrifying at all! Anwyays, this episode continues the trend of making me scared of things I’m not initially scared of, yippee! It had great vibes as well, the weird shit in the attic was made to be as creepy as possible. Initially, I didn’t find this one to be too scary, and figured it was going to go in the direction of “music makes people feel kind of weird”. AND THEN JOSHUA GETS KILLED AND TURNED INTO A DOLL HELLO??!!! Like, I know he was kind of a toxic boyfriend, but DAMN, whatever was behind the calliope and the dolls did NOT have to go that far. (Also until the end I thought he might be Joshua Gillepsie, and like, I don’t care how toxic he is, but you do not dump a guy who bested an evil coffin with his freezer.) Outside of that, It was really cool to meet Sasha! I like her voice, and the introduction was quite funny. (Also, even as someone who has lived in England for over two years, and has a family that is 90% British, nothing hurt more that Jon’s “Americans”.) Lastly, I have a theory, which I like to call “Ringmaster? More like cult leader.” Because I’M SORRY, but you cannot convince me that a CIRCUS, called THE CIRCUS OF THE OTHER, which possessed a HAUNTED CALLIOPE ORGAN, is anything but a cult. (Watch me when I’m inevitably wrong lmao.)

I guess now is a better time than any to say that I’m kind of wondering if there’s an in-universe reason for the music in the background? I mean, considering that the whole framing device is Jon recording these statements, I have to wonder if there’s a reason for the noise we hear, especially with the worms in Ep. 22 and the music in Ep. 24.

- Episode 25, Growing Dark ⛪️

Statement of Mark Bilham, regarding events culminating in his visit to Hither Green Chapel.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I LOVE BEING RIGHT!!! I saw the episode title and immediately assumed this would continue the lore of Episode 9, and I WAS SO RIGHT!!! (Also, I now just noticed that the PCOTDH’s symbol is a closed eye, while The Keay Family’s symbol is an open eye…my cult theory thickens…) Anyways, this was another very enjoyable episode! Firstly, even though it’s far from the first piece of media to do so, I though the way they portrayed a cult brainwashing someone when they’re most vulnerable was very well handled and pretty depressing. I also really enjoyed how the episode isn’t the most weird and paranormal on it’s own, but the knowledge of the connections to Ep. 9 makes us know that it DEFINITELY is, even when the characters in the story don’t. The episode was certainly very spooky, the description of the spinach and the dark church definitely got me. (Also my mom came into my room briefly and when she left she accidentally turned off the light and I nearly screamed.) There were also some really interesting plot threads set up here, like the chanting of the northern most human settlement in the world, the mention of “three hundred years waiting”, and I also wonder if “Mr. Pitch” is an alias for “Detective Rayner.” then…the ending. Holy shit. You know, maybe I DON’T need to know what happened to Gertrude….

Episode 26, A Distortion ☕️

Statement of Sasha James, assistant archivist at the Magnus Institute, London, regarding a series of paranormal sightings. Statement taken direct from subject.

I…what…I don’t even…we are so fucked. Ok, there’s a LOT going on here, but I’ll try my best to formulate my thoughts as clearly as possible. Firstly, this episode easily scared me the most so far, I agree with Jon when he says that the horrors being somewhat friendly is scarier than them being antagonistic, like HOLY SHIT this one was unnerving. But with that out of the way…uh…let’s talk about Sasha! She’s really cool, I like how her character gives us a lot more insight into what working in the archives is like for a fairly regular person (i say this because Jon is weird as fuck and Martin is too nice to be normal, and I mean that as kindly as possible). But…while I don’t necessarily doubt her status as the most level-headed person in the archives, I don’t think that’s saying much. Like, she saw a creepy guy with weird-ass hands who spoke in riddles and knew too much about her and her coworkers, and followed him into a dilapidated building, also she works at the council of ghost stories despite not liking horror. Like, no offense, I’m sure she’s overall an intelligent person, as are most people in the archives, but none of them are beating Joshua Gillepsie anytime soon (yes I’m still thinking about him.) But mentioning the guy with fucked up hands, WHO OR WHAT EVEN WAS THAT??!! I have very little ideas as to how this “Micheal” even connects to the greater picture. I know some people connected him to the mentions of the man with bones in his hands in Episode 8, but that honestly reminds me more of the Leitner in Episode 17. Outside of that, his name is quite interesting, I initially thought that he might be Micheal Crew, but given that Sasha doubts it being his real name, I have my suspicions (although it would give us a connection between this, the words in Episode 8, and The Boneturner’s Tale….hm….) However, I could absolutely see him being Micheal Keay, as he gives off enough ghost vibes to pass as him (and I’m assuming that if Gerard’s dead, Micheal is as well.) Also he is not described as having a Lichtenburg figure on him so…yeah. Lastly, we have the return of THE SEX WORMS. And as happy(?) as I am to see that The Magnus Archives, a podcast developed by RustyQuill.com, that is also licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, is continuing it’s message of staying abstinent, all things considered, that was absolutely terrifying. I just LOVE the knowledge that the worms are a hive-mind and that Jane might not be the source, I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. In conclusion, I am probably going to sleep with a fire extinguisher tonight, and I am very scared for what the next 14 episodes have in store for me.

Also I guess I’ll mention Tim (the archival assistant, not the dead guy) here because why not. So far I’m getting major bastard energy from people’s descriptions of him, which means I will either love or hate him. Also I found it very funny but also kind of sad that Jon said he only trusts Tim to not prank him in Episode 11, and then he pulled a prank shortly before this statement took place.

- Episode 27, A Sturdy Lock 🔑

Statement of Paul McKenzie, regarding repeated nocturnal intrusions into his home.

Ok, after everything that happened in the last episode, it was nice to get a short and sweet one here. Well, as sweet as an episode of a horror podcast can be. Overall, this one isn’t my favorite, I thought it was a little bit under the standards of creativity for the show as a whole, but that’s obviously not saying much, as it was still pretty damn good in its own right. I think it was definitely very effective with its storytelling, and credit where credit is due, it certainly brought out my fear of weird noises in the middle of the night. And even if I can’t personally resonate with this aspect of it, I do really appreciate how it tackled the idea of mental illness at old age, and while I’d be surprised if the statement wasn’t real, considering where the show seems to be going, it did a very good job at planting seeds of doubt in my mind. But still, it was genuinely pretty crushing how Paul had no proof throughout the entire thing, along with how the cops treated him. It really did make me thing about what would have happened if he hadn’t washed the blood off his hands. It still had a creepy atmosphere, and the reveals at the end were pretty interesting, I hope they show us Marcus’ statement soon enough. Also, the aspect of loneliness in this one did remind me a lot of what happened in Episode 13, so I wonder if there’s some connection there. (Also, I love how I’m 27 episodes in and Jon is STILL roasting Gertrude’s organizational skills.) So while this one isn’t the most interesting for me, I still enjoyed it, and it was nice to have a slightly lighter one after Episode 26. I hope Sasha had a good few days off, she deserves it.

- Episode 28, Skintight 📷

Statement of Melanie King, regarding events at the abandoned Cambridge Military Hospital during filming in January 2015. Statement taken direct from subject.

WHOA THAT WAS SO GOOD!!! Ok, I feel like I should start off with my thoughts on the basic premise, as while those episode is certainly…not the most humorous in its execution, the premise itself kind of is. I don’t know why, but I just thought the idea of there being an in-universe competitor was a really fun concept that was executed perfectly here. It kind of reminds me of something like Hatchetfield and Clivesdale (I don’t know how many people reading this will understand that, but there seems to be overlap between TMA fans and Hatchetfield fans, and also like, shut up, let me indulge in my hyperfixations.) The bickering between Melanie and Jon was great, as was Melanie herself, I’d love to see her again as I think she oddly brought a lot to the world of the series. Although I will say that, while it doesn’t make me like him any less, Jon’s reluctance to buy into statements is a lot more frustrating when there’s another person in the room. I also absolutely love the fact that there’s an in-universe spooky podcast mentioned by name, like, come one, that’s genuinely hilarious. But comedic value aside, this one was definitely pretty creepy. In a similar vain to what Episode 23 was doing, the whole “young people enter creepy abandoned building to film stuff and then get genuinely scared” concept felt evocative of other classic horror stories, and the way they spun it into the context of the show was great. The atmosphere was definitely very creepy as well, as I have mentioned, hospitals creep me the fuck out. And lastly…oh my god, THE CONNECTIONS. So, I’ll start off by saying that all of the skin shit reminded me of what happened in Episode 18 (which I hope is true because I think some connections to other things would make me like that episode more). But that pales in comparison to the fact that we have stuff on THE ANGLERFISH, HOLY FUCK THE ANGLERFISH. I’m SO glad that they didn’t throw it away just because it was in the pilot episode. In retrospect, I think that the story of Episode 1 isn’t quite my favorite. It doesn’t really have to be, as I think the main draw of the episode is getting a first look at the framing device and general vibe of the entire podcast, but the stories didn’t really grab me until Episode 2, which is still one of my favorites. But MAN, this episode really made me appreciate the setup at the beginning so much more, and the knowledge that the people who walked into the alley didn’t necessarily die, meaning that all of those names could potentially come back, is SO exciting to me. In fact, when you consider that Sarah was kind of going through what looked like a possession, I wonder if The Anglerfish is a figure of worship in a cult, if that theory is to be true. (Also I have relatives that live in the same area as Sarah so…maybe I should tell them to watch out for their neighbor lmao.) So yeah, this…this show is just really freaking good.

Note: I have discovered the Leitner rant, and therefore I have achieved true enlightenment.

- Episode 29, Cheating Death ♟️

Statement of Nathaniel Thorp, regarding his own mortality.

I should start off by saying that I love the episode title for this, like, it’s not even metaphorical, the guy literally cheated in a game against death. Well, anyways, the main thing that caught me about the episode was how it absolutely blindsided me. While I was right about the soldier being the same as the statement giver, which I think was supposed to be obvious, everything else in those last six or so minutes left me with a wide-open jaw. (Also, can I just say that I love how poetic this guy just…decided to be? Like, I just love it when the statements really show of personalities with the way they’re written, and it comes with a cool framing device.) Regardless, I initially assumed that it was going in a very traditional line. Nathaniel cheats death, becomes immortal, and regrets it in modern day because he’s lived longer that he really should have. That, combined with the fact that “Death” didn’t seem like the one of the more creative horror monsters in the show so far, had me so prepared to just write this one off as one of my least favorites (once again, not like that’s saying much.) And then the twist comes and HOLY SHIT I WAS WRONG. The idea of there basically being multiple grim reapers at the hands of some unknowable power, who have to gain successors to finally die themselves is absolutely terrifying and extremely clever. I tip my hat to you Rusty Quill, you did a great job at fooling me. Kind of funny considering how this is a story about being punished for your hubris (which seems to be a recurring theme???) I have a few other small thoughts as well. Firstly, I can’t help but shake the feeling that Nathaniel Thorp was an actual revolutionary war soldier, but I can’t find anything online other than the character from this episode. Also, the fact that his fate remains unknown makes me think he’ll show up again, as it seems weird to NOT end the story with confirmation of his death, given the themes. Secondly, a lot of the…less than pleasant imagery here definitely reminded me of Piecemeal and The Boneturner’s Tale. I don’t remember the story inside that Leitner very well, but I might check just in case there’s any parallels between it and this statement. (Update: Not really.) And finally, I was just a little bit intrigued by the fact that we learn no one who was working at the institute in 1972 works there anymore. It’s probably nothing, but given the mysteries surrounding Gertrude’s death, I’m just a little suspicious, both in general, and of Elias because he’s still around. Overall this episode went hard, I’m still kind of stunned by what it pulled off.

Jane Prentiss statement…save me…save me Jane Prentiss statement…

- Episode 30, Killing Floor 🍖

Statement of David Laylow, regarding his time working at an industrial abattoir near Dalton.

You know what, Jon is right, there’s a lot of meat in this show. Not that I’m complaining, I mean, it does fuel my obsession with connecting the dots between statements. Regardless, while this isn’t among my favorite episodes so far, I still had a good time with it. The reason it’s not one of my favorites is purely personal, as I don’t do too well with animal violence. Like, as much as I do really appreciate how viscerally Jonny Sims can describe the statements, I will admit that the opening minutes describing the slaughter house made me more uneasy than the actual horror, and not in a particularly fun way, but it was overall fine. Speaking of the actual horror, that was actually pretty good. The endless hallways lined with doors that lead to precarious situations also kind of tapped into a personal fear of mine, but in a more fun and digestible way. And while the idea of “imagine humans being slaughtered like animals” is something I’ve seen many a time before, it was still much more well executed than many other interpretations of the idea (*cough cough*, peta) and there were also plenty of other interesting themes and ideas, like how the episode touched on the inherent horror of working in a job as gruesome as the killing floor, being enslaved to said job, and the idea that maybe we’re all just walking sacks of meat in the end, and nothing more. As for some other thoughts, I was definitely creeped out by Tom Han, I’m not sure whether or not he’s someone who spreads ✨the horrors✨or someone affected by ✨the horrors✨, and his sudden disappearance was certainly…odd. On top of that, it’s admittedly haunting to know that there’s still creepy stuff going on at the slaughter house, and that this isn’t something that happened to David, and only David. Overall, a pretty good episode, I don’t have much to say about it, but it was a fun time overall.

Tim…save me…save me Tim…

Well, if you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading! Genuinely means the world to me when there are people willing to listen to me ramble about my horrible (affectionate) interests lmao. I should have my thoughts on the final episodes of Season 1 out in due time, and while I’m sure it’s obvious, I’m absolutely hooked on this podcast. It absolutely has the potential to become one of my favorite things ever if the overarching plot becomes more involved and this is coming from someone who up until now, wasn’t all that gripped by podcasts. While I’m a little sad that I’m as late to the party as I am, then I remembered “oh yeah, I was in elementary school when this horrifying series came out”, and I’m also hopeful that I’ll be able to be around for The Magnus Protocol while it’s airing (I know it premieres in like a week but still.) Anyways, thanks for reading and hopefully you’ll be around for my thoughts on the next batch :)

[marleneoftheopera]

Portraits from the original Toronto production! Photos by Laird Mackintosh.

Paul Stanley

Kim Stengel

Glenda Balkan

Melissa Dye

Brent Weber

Peter Barnes

Catherine Duff

Tania Parrish

Jill Filion

Donna Kelly

Harriet Chung

Philippa Hayball

Anita Bostok

Samantha Adamson

Mimi Pineau

Deanna Pidwerbeski

Lisa Gaasenbeek

Janet Coates

Gary Krawford

Gerald Isaac

Tim Stiff

Terry Hodges

Paul Mulloy

Brian Duyn

Bob Meilleur

David Playfair

Devin Dalton

Kirk Hansen

John Dodington

Kelly Robertson

[khronysus]

Colony

Item #: SCP-11230

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-11230 is to be kept in a 2m x 2m x 2m containment chamber in Site-██. Any vents in the chamber must be fitted with a 0.███mm mesh screen. A decontamination chamber is to separate the room containing SCP-11230 and the rest of the site. All staff must pass a psychological evaluation and be cleared for entry by the on-site psychologist before attempting to make contact with SCP-11230. 

Staff entering the chamber with SCP-11230 must wear a level ██ hazmat suit. When exiting the room with SCP-11230, staff are to be doused with carbon dioxide gas to kill any instance of SCP-11230 that may be present on them. In the event that a staff member’s hazmat suit is breached while in the chamber with SCP-11230, they are to be doused with carbon dioxide and immediately taken to quarantine, where they will be monitored for infection.

All instances of SCP-11230-01 are to be reported as soon as possible to MTF ████-██ (“Entomophobes”) and avoided at all costs. If physical contact is made with any instance of SCP-11230, immediately report to Dr. Kennedy for quarantine and monitoring.

Description: SCP-11230 is a colony of insectoid creatures resembling larvae of the Vespula genus. Their behaviour aligns with that of non-anomalous wasp larvae. Despite being in Foundation custody for █ years, the larvae do not appear to mature. They are able to reproduce by [DATA EXPUNGED].

SCP-11230 originally resided in an object resembling a wasp nest (SCP-11230-01-A) in the attic of an apartment building in Archway, London. SCP-11230-01-A was destroyed in 2014 after [REDACTED].

Foundation personnel were first notified of SCP-11230-01-B (formerly known as J███ P██████) after [DATA EXPUNGED] resulting in seven deaths. In 2016, SCP-11230-01-B was located once more by Researcher B███████ in Archway, London. It was successfully contained and sent to Site-14. According to reports sent to ███ ██████ ██████, at least two more instances of SCP-11230-01 exist.

SCP-11230-01-B is still capable of walking and speaking but otherwise does not display any signs of life. The body appears to be rotting, held together by material similar to that used to make wasp nests. Utterances by SCP-11230-01-B are solely focused on creating new instances of SCP-11230-01.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Invisible Man (2020)

I “saw” 2020’s The Invisible Man again and liked it even more the second time. Any disappointment you might have once you realize it is not an adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel - or a remake of the excellent 1933 film - will disappear after witnessing the magnificent performance by Elizabeth Moss, the overwhelming sense of paranoia generated by the camerawork, Leigh Whannell’s direction, or the smart way it incorporates themes of domestic abuse into its story.

Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) escapes her violent, controlling boyfriend with the help of her sister, Emily (Harriet Dyer), her friend James (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter (Sydney (Storm Reid). While hiding from Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia learns from his brother, Tom (Michael Dorman) that he committed suicide after she left. Despite this, she becomes convinced he is alive, that he's found a way to make himself invisible and that he's now stalking her.

The usual rule in movies is “show, don’t tell”, and it’s a testament to the script by Leigh Whannell that he breaks this rule in one important way but that the film still works. What sort of abuse was Cecilia subjected to? We don’t really know. The film begins on the night of her escape. We see her check the clock in the middle of the night, carefully move Adrian’s hand away from her waist, pull a duffel bag out of a ventilation shaft, move a camera away from her exit, go down into the basement to shut off the alarms and carefully make her out. On the outside, the home looks majestic but from our point of view looks like an endless maze of suffocating corridors. Her next move is to climb the wall surrounding the property and then run through the woods to the road where her sister is scheduled to meet her. Later on, Cecilia tells us how Adrian would punish her, how eventually, he didn’t need to because he could foresee her every move and practically read her thoughts. Your imagination fills the gaps, and we’re just getting started.

It doesn’t take us too long to figure out what’s really happening. Adrian has, indeed, made himself invisible. That’s an endlessly more frightening truth than if Cecilia was still trapped inside the house with him. When she and James discuss her fears, the camera always seems a little bit too far away, like a third person needed to be squeezed into the frame. The negative space all around them becomes Adrian. It no longer matters whether he is hiding in that corner or not because he could be and the fact that he COULD be there means he’s there, slowly choking Cecilia just like before. No, not like before. Previously, she had hope. If she could make it off that property and onto the street, she would be free. Now, no one will come to her rescue because everyone believes she’s safe. Anything Cecilia says about Adrian stalking her just makes her seem unstable. Soon, she won’t have a choice. She’ll willingly decide to go back to him just so she can stop wondering if she’s being stalked or not.

Enough praise cannot be showered upon Moss for her performance as Cecilia. She plays this horribly broken person with pinpricks of who she must’ve been before Adrian showing up here and then. She’s so frightened of him that you can’t help feeling the same, particularly in those long shots at night when the camera simply stares at an empty door frame. We know there’s someone there. So does Cecilia. It’s like she’s been around the monster for so long that she can also read his thoughts. Rather than prove an advantage, it’s merely another reason to be terrified. He doesn’t need to even utter threats anymore. The threats are already there and whatever she can think of, he can counter with ease. She’s smart so there is hope but talk about an uphill battle and since this is a horror movie, you don’t know how it’s going to end. I’ll give you a hint: it’s a pitch-perfect conclusion.

 The Invisible Man is genuinely frightening and it creates terror without resorting to cheap tricks. The picture heaps suspense upon suspense, makes sure you’re invested by fashioning these great characters and gives the roles to actors who are up to the task. Masterfully directed, fresh, and relevant, it’s not merely a great horror film; it’s a great film period. (June 10, 2022)

[nerdypixel]

Joshua Gillespie and Hezekiah Wakely in this again, because I saw all of your complaints that you wanted to vote for them but chose Mike Crew instead, because you liked him most. I will do another poll with just side avatars so you have the pain of choosing again.

[themagnustournament]

Round Two Part Seven - Match 51

Melanie’s second statement may have gone to the Redemption Bracket, but how will her first statement fare? Skintight is against Squirm, which had 138 votes last round.

MAG 028 - Skintight | Spotify - Acast - YT | Wiki | Transcript

Statement of Melanie King, regarding events at the abandoned Cambridge Military Hospital during filming in January 2015.

MAG 006 - Squirm | Spotify - Acast - YT | Wiki | Transcript

Statement of Timothy Hodge, regarding his sexual encounter with Harriet Lee and her subsequent death.

[oh-shit-i-spilled-my-genderfluid]

Another tma character page! This one’s for Jane Prentiss and technically for the whole concept of the Flesh Hive.

Here’s the whole page:)

Here’s a closeup of the main drawing. I think Jane is so fun to draw, I love her

Here’s a drawing of a worm, as well as other victims of the Flesh Hive. It’s pretty hard to read their names, but the second drawing is of Harriet Lee and the last one is Timothy Hodge

At last are a few pictures of the drawing of Jane finding the wasp’s nest. Personally I love the drawing of the nest, it turned out very nice! And Jane’s expression turned out great:)

Requests are always open for more character pages!

[insidecroydon]

Good Lord? Starmer's gofer Evans is lined up for a peerage

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, delves through some silly season speculation to discover that one of Alison Butler’s exes could soon be heading for the red benches Nice drop of red: David Evans David Evans, the former Croydon business owner who was an aide to Tony Blair and is now the Labour Party’s General Secretary, is being lined for a peerage along with left-leaning celebs Gary Lineker…

[booksandwords]

Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology's Fiercest Females by Kate Hodges. Illustrated by Harriet Lee Merrion

Read time: 3 Days Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: To ten-year-old me, whose only female superhero was Wonder Woman, these mythological creatures resonated hard. They fought, took revenge, were wild — some of them were even worshipped for it. And it's their quirks, their power, their fallibility that makes them fascinatingly relevant to women today. — Kate Hodges

The way I'm going to review this is an overview statement and then comments on the individual women. Some I knew, some I didn't before coming in. Warriors, Witches, Women is divided up into five overarching sections; Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits, and Munificent Spirits, each section with its own tagline which is the core of that type. As far as I can tell each section starts with an archetypal woman to introduce some of the key points for example Warriors uses the Greek goddess Artemis. Unlike most books which feel like they are very Eurocentric this barely doubles up on the pantheon's included with the women (not just goddess they are all kinds) coming from all over that globe.

The entries are each four pages long, one page dedicated to Harriet Lee-Merrion's illustration, three pages of writing by Kate Hodges. Each introductory page the woman's best-known name, culture or pantheon, other names they are known as and a short paragraph in a different font which is sometimes justification for their inclusion, sometimes not. Also included somewhere in each entry is a quote that Hodges associated with the woman, some are about them directly, others are by modern people. I've read quite a few books on mythology and women in mythology over the years but this is one of the few that is clearly aimed at an adult audience. As such these entries are written slightly differently from some others it covers the way myths can blend and alter through time and as they move through cultures. The other thing the entries do well is show how they impact women in the modern era or at least could. This could be for empowerment, perspective or representation.

Breifly on Harriet Lee-Merrion's illustrations. There are some flaws in the art but most are well interpreted and not pg with boobs out as appropriate (as in the case of Ame-No-Uzume). These illustrations are using simple enough styles and palettes. Perfect for encouraging the focus to be on the text. The most problematic illustration is  Madam Brigitte, she is the exact opposite of whitewashed. She is a Voudou goddess and is illustrated as a black woman with curly black hair. But according to Hodges "Brigitte's copper-red hair, green eyes and pale skin mark her out as one of the very few white loas.". I would say it's a minor thing but I'm not sure it is. It certainly means the art was done at the same time as or without the text. But either way, it's frustrating. Ma'at piece is a fantastic choice for those who know the basics beyond what is included here. The pose used is how she is presented in tomb carvings, actually, the whole thing feels like a replica of that. One one the best aspects of the art for me was its ability to give me total grabby hands for the outfits for cultures across the spectrum.

I appreciated the diversity of the pantheons, the diversity of the associations, the art and the writing style. While there were things I already knew there was undoubtedly some things included that I had no idea about, like the histories of the women I did know. Hodges does a fantastic job of bringing their stories to life and showing how the ancient in some cases goddesses are still relevant to modern women. These smart entries are accompanied by lovely art by Lee-Merrion. These illustrations are using simple enough styles and palettes. Perfect for encouraging the focus to be on the text. It was a nice touch to add a playlist of songs used in and inspired by this book and a glossary for some of those common terms. For those with an interest in mythology, it really is worth reading and I would recommend it. I really enjoyed this. The rest of the review will basically be notes I made while reading, something for each of the 50 women.

Witches — Wise women,soothsayers and healers Hecate — Hecate is such a strong start. Some of her history I didn't know such as her ties to Lilith. I also hadn't seen the corruption of her myth from the strong woman to the darker magic we have now. Morgan Le Fay — Okay so while I was reading this entry I stumbled on this line "Cistercians were crusaders, dedicated to eradicating heretics. The despised women - some even argued against the existence of a female soul - and used the Arthurian tales as propaganda for the Christian religion."  🙄😩 Oh Christianity... why? I have a reply to this. "This is what gets to me about some branches of Christianity. They worship Mary as a deity, make a woman one of their key religious figures, but then don't see women as worthy of equality on earth?" (William Edgar, The Coffin Confessor) Cirice — Cirice is called independence personified with her love of cats and need for knowledge she really is a Mythical figure for the modern woman. Baba Yaga — The illustration for Baba Yaga is wonderful. The splash of colour is perfect. The choice of story is a good one. Cassandra — I am a bit surprised Cassandra is here. We all know her negative gift of prophecy but I didn't know it was originally a positive gift removed after she said no to a man (god whatever). The Pythia — I really like this entry, it's fascinating. I like the line "Apollo was the musician, the Pythia a lyre and the gas emissions the musical ability (originally by Plutarch). The gas emissions have been archaeologically proven, which I didn't know. Nor did I know that the Oracle of Delphi had a proper name. Berchta — I'd never heard of Berchta but until recently I'd never heard of Krampus they are somewhat related. White Buffalo Calf Woman — I'm wondering if there is a little bit of disrespect in this entry. But that is not my call to make. There is a fantastic Cheyenne proverb included "As long as the hearts of our women are high, the nation will live. But should the hearts of our women be on the ground, then all is lost." (p.41). Honestly, I found this entry interesting if only for gender politics involved. Rhiannon — I appreciate Rhiannon. Though the right up as a few too many GoT references for my liking.

Warriors — Fighters, strategists and bringers of justice Artemis — I'm so glad Artemis is in here. Though the angle pursued by Hodges is not what I would have thought. Of note is the concept of virginity. For Artemis virginity meant unmarried rather the modern connotations. There are some characters mentioned as Artemis archetype, not all are obvious Katniss Everdeen, Princess Merida, Daenerys Targaryen and Lisbeth Slander. Anath — 💖 How had I never heard of Anath? Northwest Semitic goddess of love and war. Worshipped across Egypt and Canaan (Isreal, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan) she is a badass bitch who flipped the script when it comes to gender roles. There is one line that defines her in a nutshell "she loves, feels hard and fights hard”. Yes her lover and her brother are the same god, Ba'al but this is mythology, incest is the norm. Divoká Šárka — Another woman I'd never heard of but she is my kind of woman, immensely brave and tactical. 😁 Also gotta love that the romantic additions have been rubbished because of course they have. Let us have nice things and by nice I mean extremely strong and capable warriors defending their home. Which happens to be an enclave of women. 🤩 Freyja — I adore the art for Freyja. Lee-Merrion has done a brilliant job of illustrating the Norwegian Forest Cats (often the breed ascribed to pulling her chariot). The colour palette used is lovely. What I didn't know is that she is considered to be the last Norse god to be worshipped. She was worshipped, her name called upon during the childbirth process. The Furies — I didn't know the individual Furies have names and specialisations. I guess it's logical. Alecto or ' unceasing anger' in charge of moral crimes, driving perpetrators to madness. Megaera or the 'jealous one' punished those who committed adultery. Tisiphone or 'the blood avenger' punished those who committed murder, patricide, homicide and fratricide. Cihuateteo — I wouldn't be at all surprised if more pantheons have goddesses like the Cihuateteo, goddesses honouring women who died in childbirth. Aztecs viewed labour (as in the act of childbirth) as war. I love that. These are stunning women put in an elevated position. Almost second to the men who died in war. Kālī — This is a goddess with so many faces, it can be hard to keep up but it is interesting.  Hodges closes this entry well "So, the next time you need a shot of courage, perhaps close your eyes and think, 'What would Kālī do?'" Yennenga — This is one of the real women included, her story passed through oral tradition. There is a line she reputedly said to her father... 'This field looks like how I feel. Here I am, my ovaries withering and dying, my soul crying out for someone, and you don't care.'. This said to try and get her father to let her have a balanced life, a life beyond her military prowess. She is a powerful woman, she weaponised every aspect of herself and history has taken notice. Jezebel — a good inclusion as an oft-misunderstood and slandered woman. She was so, so much more than is often shown.

Bringers of Misfortune — Destructors, havoc-wreakers, harbingers of doom Hel — Discussion of Hel as a triple goddess is new to me, as is the physical description. But like so many others her everything has been oversimplified for modern eyes. Morrígan — The idea of Morrígan as a template for Goth girls is appealing in some ways her truth doesn't change that. I'd never seen the name of her encompassing parts Badb, Macha and either Annan or Nemain. Annan is much softer than the battle furious Nemain. She has connections to Brigid through Tuatha Dé Danann. The Valkyries — This entry makes me want to read the Völsunga saga or at least Brynhildr's story. I never realised just how empowering Norse mythology is to women. Pontianak — A Malaysian ghost, I'd never heard of them. Like quite a few of the Asian women included they are still present in culture today, still powerful. Baobhan Sith — She is a great choice for the vampire. They are Scottish have a story to tell. I do appreciate the thought of trying to stretch this myth to Star Wars. Lilith — Judith Plaskow Goldenberg's idea of Lilith and Eve becoming friends in The Coming of Lilith sounds amazing. I kinda want to see it. They represent the two sides of womanhood it's not something I had ever considered. Loviatar — This Finnish goddess is the mother of 'all the plagues and ills in the Northland'. She's a dark goddess, dark almost to the point of irredeemable. She is a smart inclusion for her representation of humanity's resilience. Harpies — All I can say to this entry is... 🙌🏼 YES own the slur. 🙌🏼 Medusa — There was still something here I never knew. Such as her sisters also cursed by Athena, stood by her. Like the Harpies maybe this is a slur we need to own. Medusa is a strong female, she defeated many before Perseus got to her. La Llorona — This is a wonderful take on La Llorona. That idea of giving new Mothers a voice to their fears. Banshee — Banshee's are potentially another triple, I've never seen that take before. But in many ways, it works. That idea of Banshees as the origin of the British stiff upper lip is great and believable. utakuchi-Onna — This entry acts as an introduction to the Japanese yōkai, spirits. They are quite adaptable and quite modern feeling. FYI this is the supernatural creature on the back cover (the front is obvious).

Elemental Spirits — Lightning bolt-throwers, commanders of fire and ice, creators of the planet Tiamat — A goddess full of contradictions and relatable pieces. Her balancing act was well described, her ending brutal even if it is a creation myth, maybe, especially for a creation myth. Mami Wata — This entry felt a bit odd to me. But that could as much be because I have little interest in what she is relevant to in modern times... that money, money, Instagram-able lifestyle. Also, I've never been a huge fan of African mythos, I just get confused. Pele — Wait Pele appeared in Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Huh so she was. Oh I like Pele. I think she feels so human with her temperament. I kind of knew of Pele's worship was ongoing, but seeing that confirmed is nice to see. But we do love to see ongoing worship. Selkies — I did not know the Selkie myth supported male selkies. It may be logical be mythology is never logical. I like the idea of selkies as a cautionary tale for times gone by. And as a reminder in the modern era for self-care. Mari — I'd never heard of Basque as a region (south-west France and northern Spain). The art is fantastic, I really want that outfit. Mari is a goddess of the elements, her personality is in line with that and I like it. She is still around today, and not shy, she is happy to be seen in public though she is a chameleon. She feels unusual in the scope of things. For her life under Christianity hasn't been so bad. The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach — This is another myth I'd never heard. A Welsh fairy with links to the Lady of Lake (of Arthurian legend fame). She is a spectacularly interesting woman. She has a lesson to teach the modern woman (and man) about agency, ownership and communication. Her real name is Nelferch, the name she is better known as comes from the lake she called home, Llyn y Fan Fach. The Rainbow Serpent — How had it never clicked that the Rainbow Serpent is gender-fluid? I'm not sure how accurate the culture is written about but you know I'm not sure I'm going to fight. Because let's be honest no one outside Australia (or let's be honest even it really) talks about the Indigenous mythos. Most of the language is current and handled with poise. More than I would have expected. The inclusion of the concept of Dreamtime is vital. I had not realised that Aboriginal culture is accepting of genderqueer people, pity the Australian government isn't. I did like the quote (in relation to starting to menstruate) "this important time puts aboriginal women on the same footing as the serpent — they are now creators, they can bring life, and that is a cause for celebration.” Mazu — She is one of the most worshipped deities globally. Based on the real Taiwanese woman Lin Mo-Niang, as is seemingly the norm for many eastern religions. She's the patron goddess of the sea. Her tale is lovely with that necessary touch or trauma. Eglė the Queen of Serpents — Eglė is a Lithuanian woman. Eglė has an, as Hodges calls it, Romeo and Juliet type romance with a tree twist (look it gave me Gemma Doyle flashbacks). her story is a tragic one that will find an audience today with women who need it. But it doubles as a great origin myth.

Munificent Spirits — Bountiful deities, generous spirits, domestic goddesses Tārā — Tārā is varying across Buddism, presenting as a Buddha, bodhisattva and goddess. It explains why she has always been so hard to nail her down when looking her up, trying to figure her out. I never knew what the bodhisattva vow was before, useful information to have. This is possibly the best and most concise explanation I've read of Tārā. Lee-Merrion's art is fantastic with so many of Tārā's guises encircling what I guess is a play on Wisdom Moon. Madderakka — This entry is not just about the Sámi goddess Madderakka but her daughters as well Sarakka, Juksakka and Uksakka. A whole circle of women to support women during childbirth. The postnatal care aspect of the myth is possibly unusual for me. The Moirai — The iconic triple goddess, the gods that control birth, life and death using thread. I never knew their parentage before, Nyx and Erebus. Nor did I know when The Moirai appeared to a new child, 3 nights after the birth of a child. There is one line that appeals to my nerdy librarian self "They have been dressed in rags and dishevelled, but they were meticulous administrators." Brigid — Brigid has an interesting aka Mary of Gael, it's so different to others. Her story just takes a turn from slight normal to slight body horror then a swerve into queer. And in a lesbian relationship and still sainted well, played my lady, well played. I'd never heard of Kildare but it was a moment of equal opportunity and leaning at least until everyone's favourite reformist Henry VIII came along. The fire Henry fu**ed with has at been relit, and that is brilliant. "So, compassionate doctor, iconoclast, equal, equal right advocate, lesbian, bishop, resister of conventional lifestyles, it's this woman who is being reclaimed as an icon by modern women.". Yes, Brigid is an icon is only right. Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda — 🥰This entry asks readers to chose where they fall between strong (female) proctor of women or almost powerful uber-feminine. Dantor is the adopted patron saint of queer women. Protector of women and children, especially those facing domestic violence. She is steely and fearless a fighter and a single mother. She is still so relevant today given the prevalence of domestic violence and well obviously queer women. Freda is bi, super (super) girly, and fu**ing fantastic. She uses what could be used as her feminine wiles to get what she wants, lovers and the finer things in life. As odd as it may sound she has some aspects in common with the Virgin Mary. Freda has is the guardian spirit of gay men. Bona Dea — I'd never heard of the Roman Bona Dea. She was worshipped and served by only female initiates, virtually heard of. Her associations are not known for certain but at best guess they were fertility, virginity and healing. Her entirely female focus even at the festival level feels so unusual. Ame-No-Uzume — This story needs to be read to be believed. It just made me smile. 😃 Ame-No-Uzume is a motivator, someone we all need and all wish we could be. Inanna — Her best also known as Ishtar, that is how I've always known her. She was the Mesopotamian goddess of sexual love and war, and I mean I know what pantheon she is from but how very Norse of her. Inanna's priests were to say the least a lot... would you like some BDSM with your worship?  🤨 That said there is no denying it suits her. Ma'at — This is a wonderful entry, with a beautiful piece of art. I knew about the weighing of the heart but not so much that it was her laws they were measuring against. Like what changes the weight of the heart. Actually, I'm not sure I knew Ma'at was female. Liễu Hạnh — Princess Liễu Hạnh who has been elevated to godhood has another title, a title that I found kinda amusing Mã Hoàng Công Chúa (Golden Princess to Whom Sacrifices Are Made as to the God of War). If this doesn't say so, so much about her as a woman then nothing does. Maman Brigitte — As previous stated I love this illustration. I have total grabby hands over the outfit. Aside from just love of that style it (and Maman Brigitte) give me slight Aveline de Grandpré (Assassins Creed III) vibes. What can I say the lady has style and serves as a reminder that not all good girls wear white. 💜"These guardians of the dead have a strong look. They dress steampunk style — she favours, a low-cut Victorian-style, black-and-purple dress and veil, he sports a distinctive top hat frock coat and dark glasses, his neck is hung with heavy jewellery and crosses and his face painted like a skull." 💜The he of the quote is Baron Samedi, Brigette's lover and partner in all things. I knew Instantly the name but I wasn't entirely sure from where. I did some searching of my reading, Maman Brigitte and Baron Samedi make a cameo in Sherrilyn McQueen's novels. Their son is a main character and perfect use of him too. I digress. Maman Brigitte is a brilliant last entry. She is an evolution of a previous goddess, Brigid. A survivor, a fighter like the people but she still retains the ability to guide and heal in ways passed down through ancestral knowledge.

[annabelle--cane]

do you reckon that harriet lee was compelled by some kind of corruption urge to initiate sex before bursting into worms? timothy hodge makes note of how out of left field it felt but simultaneously how emphatically sure she was about wanting it.

[ashironie]

So magp 3 is obviously a corruption like statement right? Well the journal he’s writing in was “Issued by grief counselor Harriot Manning” and at first I thought it was the girl that Timothy Hodge had sex with in mag6 Squirm (I forgot Harriet Lee’s last name and didn’t know Harriet and Harriot were different, though I got that from the “Very Unofficial Transcripts Archive” so yk) but then I realized Jonny is just really shit with names (and that they had different last names, but that can be explained away by marriage).

I still think it’s cool that both of the first corruption statements for each podcast are related to a Harri(o/e)t in some way

[historicallyaccuratecheese]

I’m now halfway through The Magnus Archives’ 1st season, so I thought it would be cool to just post my thoughts on each episode so far :). (Spoilers, I like all of them, and this podcast is going to be all I care about for a while.) Also NO SPOILERS PLEASE!!!

Link to Masterpost (contains all of these thought posts)

- Episode 1, Anglerfish 🚬

Statement of Nathan Watts, regarding an encounter on Old Fishmarket Close, Edinburgh.

Really strong start, not the scariest episode so far but definitely unnerving, and it gives a good first impression and layer of intrigue. While the story is simple in comparison to the later ones, it was still enjoyable, and I was just appreciating the atmosphere and framing device of the episode as well.

- Episode 2, Do Not Open ⚰️

Statement of Joshua Gillespie, regarding his time in the possession of an apparently empty wooden casket.

This is still one of my favorites. The whole time I was on edge, and this was the first episode that really kept me up at night. I went from wanting to know what was inside the coffin desperately, to wanting to stay away from it as much as possible. Joshua’s insuring dread and creative solution to his problems was fantastic, and it ends with some intriguing plot threads being set up.

- Episode 3, Across The Street 📓

Statement of Amy Patel, regarding the alleged disappearance of her acquaintance Graham Folger.

I think I share a common sentiment when I say that Amy stalking Graham was almost as creepy as the actual horror lmao. Overall I don’t have that much to say about this one, but it was very enjoyable, and I feel really bad for Graham in retrospect :(.

- Episode 4, Pageturner 📕

Statement of Dominic Swain, regarding a book briefly in his possession in the winter of 2012.

I…feel like I should hold off on talking about this one for now. While it was definitely well written and creepy, it just seems to be so full of setup for future plot lines that I almost don’t feel like I can form a concise opinion on it until I really get what’s going on. Honestly, my only complaint with this episode is that maybe it’s setting up TOO much in one go, but I still had a good time with it overall.

- Episode 5, Thrown Away 🗑️

Statement of Kieran Woodward, regarding items recovered from the refuse of 93 Lancaster Road, Walthamstowe.

This one actually did a pretty good job at getting me to think about waste disposal workers lmao, I never really thought about them like that before. This one was just really creepy, but also kind of fun in a weird twisted way. It did a great job keeping me on edge as well.

- Episode 6, Squirm 🪱

Statement of Timothy Hodge, regarding his sexual encounter with Harriet Lee and her subsequent death.

I am simultaneously horrified, and unfortunately aroused by what happened here.

- Episode 7, The Piper 🔫

Statement of Staff Sgt. Clarence Berry, regarding his time serving with Wilfred Owen in the Great War.

Having an episode set nearly 100 years ago is a really fun idea, and it’s executed perfectly here. It was interesting how it also featured a real person, and I liked how the paranormal activity felt more metaphorical here, it really did feel like it was showcasing the horror of war.

- Episode 8, Burned Out 🌳

Statement of Ivo Lensik, regarding his experiences during the construction of a house on Hill Top Road, Oxford.

I found this one to be very nerve-wracking, since not only was the whole scenario with the tree just, like…three creepy things happening at once, but the fact that the statement was given by someone with schizophrenia did a good job making me question it’s validity, even though I’m certain it’s true after listening to a later statement. I also hope that I get to see how the history of the house is unveiled in the future.

- Episode 9, A Father’s Love 💡

Statement of Julia Montauk, regarding the actions and motivations of her father, the serial killer Robert Montauk.

This one made me feel really sad :(. I really felt Julia’s despair in this one (Jonathan Sims does such great voice acting for every statement btw, both the character and the actual person), and I was even more saddened by the implications of why Robert did what he did. If my assumptions are correct, then…SCREW THE MOTHER! It was also the first one that got me thinking about where exactly all of the paranormal stuff comes from, and later episodes only add to my theory that it’s all due to demons/cults/higher powers.

- Episode 10, Vampire Killer 🧛🏻

Statement of Trevor Herbert, regarding his life as a self-proclaimed vampire hunter.

Much like Episode 8, this one did a really good job at making me question the validity of the statement, although I became more sure of its truth a bit earlier. I also just love how nonchalant Trevor comes off as, compared to all of the other traumatized horror victims. (Also, I’m guessing that the name Trevor and the episode title are meant to be a Castlevania reference?) While vampires aren’t the most creative thing for an episode, at least in comparison to everything else, the beast-like execution here more than made up for it in my opinion.

- Episode 11, Dreamer 💭

Statement of Antonio Blake, regarding his recent dreams about Gertrude Robinson, previous Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute.

Yeah…Gertrude Robinson did not die a normal death. My guess is that she was caught by ✨the horrors✨, but I’ll wait and see. This was another very tense episode, with the prophetic dream world being really, REALLY creepy. I do hope we get to see more of “Antonio” in the future, as I think he could be quite important. (I also hope he gets punched for DUMPING GRAHAM IN HIS TIME OF NEED-)

- Episode 12, First Aid 🏥

Statement of Lesere Saraki, regarding a recent night-shift at St. Thomas Hospital, London.

OMG GERARD KEAY HI HI HI HI HOW ARE YOU!!! Yeah I audibly gasped when he showed up again, it was such a cool moment. Anyways, hospitals already creep me the fuck out so this was pretty effective. Definitely some great setup here, and it helped to make a bit more sense of Pageturner, now that I have a better idea of what Gerard’s whole deal is. It also added some good fuel to the whole cult idea, and my god this poor nurse. Having to deal with all of this in a single night sounds like hell.

- Episode 13, Alone 🌫️

Statement of Naomi Herne, regarding the events following the funeral of her fiancé, Evan Lukas. Statement taken direct from subject.

Having a new voice in this episode was really cool, and Katie Davison did an excellent job as Naomi! It was also cool to see how Jon interacts with other people, he was…nicer than expected. This episode honestly felt like it was calling me out, as I am also someone who’s confident in my independence, but if I was in Naomi’s place I would also probably be scared shitless. I really hope she’ll get a happy ending :(. Also, The Lukas family is quite intriguing, especially since we now know they have a connection to The Institute…

- Episode 14, Piecemeal 👆

Statement of Lee Rentoul, regarding the murder of his associate Paul Noriega.

Firstly, this is probably my favorite of Jon’s vocal deliveries. His performance of Lee Rentoul just feels perfect. (Once again, this applies to both the writer and the character, I’m genuinely convinced the latter is an ex-theatre kid.) Outside of that, THIS ONE CREEPED ME OUT. The body horror was very effective, with the only thing holding it back being the fact that Lee isn’t the most likable protagonist in the podcast, but if this happened to someone else I’d be even more upset. Still though, it was a very creative concept, and the whole vibe and execution of the episode made it great.

- Episode 15, Lost Johns’ Cave 🕯️

Statement of Laura Popham, regarding her experience exploring the Three Counties System of caves with her sister Alena Sanderson.

What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fu-

- Episode 16, Arachnophobia 🕷️

Statement of Carlos Vittery, regarding his arachnophobia and its manifestations.

The way they tackled the concept in the title was really well done. Arachnophobia is seen as an irrational fear by a lot of people, so having it portrayed as an effect of childhood trauma was a good call. And as someone who is not arachnophobic, this episode got me close to feeling that way. What ever force was making Carlos relive his trauma is a sick fuck. Also the cat was a real one, glad he survived the whole situation. (Also THE WORMS, HOLY SHIT IT’S THE SEX WORMS!!!)

- Episode 17, The Boneturner’s Tale 🦴

Statement of Sebastian Adekoya, regarding a new acquisition at Chiswick Library.

This episode really compelled me to get out the rubber bands connecting images lmao. I really liked all of the connections to past statements here, like the presence of another book from the library of Jurgen Leitner, to the mention of Micheal Crew. The body horror here was once again very creepy, (outside of the flat rat, that was morbidly funny), but my favorite part of the episode was the introduction of Elias, which was a humorous, but also very intriguing scene. Also, the themes of books containing power was great as well. Great stuff all around.

- Episode 18, The Man Upstairs 🥩

Statement of Christof Rudenko, regarding his interactions with a first floor resident of Welbeck House, Wandsworth.

…ew. Ok in all seriousness, this is probably my least favorite episode so far. Still very far from bad, but after all of the extremely interesting themes and plot threads, having an episode where the idea was just “What if a guy had a house covered in meat? Wouldn’t that be fucked up?”, felt just a little bit underwhelming. Which like, the fact that my least favorite episode’s biggest problem is that I find it slightly pales in comparison to previous ones is just a testament to how much I’ve been enjoying the podcast. Still though, there were definitely a few things I really liked. The reveal of the room was creepy (especially considering the meat that seemed…alive…), and as someone who has had to deal with upstairs neighbors making noise for hours during construction, this episode definitely scared me.

- Episode 19, Confession, and Episode 20, Desecrated Host ✝️

Statement of Father Edwin Burroughs, regarding his claimed demonic possession.

This, alongside Lost Johns’ Cave, was one (or I guess, two…) of those episodes that seriously fucked me up. While I am not religious, I have always had fears of how religion can negatively affect me and the people around me, despite the good that it seems to do for so many people. So seeing Edwin be charged for every “sin” he committed by a higher power that wishes to steal its faith, and then not get judged by it, but by the people around him for his one true sin, was absolutely haunting, and I hope he turns out ok in the end. Outside of the horror, the episodes were fantastic. Listening to the events of Episode 8 from Edwin’s perspective, and seeing how Ivo’s actions saved him, was really cool, and solidifies in my mind that Ivo’s experience was real. The connections to demonic magic and Latin script thickened, and it was overall just a great mid-season finale. In conclusion, I hope that Martin feels better soon, and if he isn’t actually sick and is being plagued by ✨the horrors✨, well then I hope he survives :).

Thank you for reading my silly little thoughts if you’ve made it this far, it really means a lot to me :). I’ll probably update this every time I finish half of a season, so hopefully my thoughts on episodes 21-40 will be here in the Reblogs soon. :)

[thatpodcastkid]

Magnus Archives Relisten 6, MAG 6 Squirm

Sorry this is late, but hey, Worm Sex Guy! You hate to see it.

Facts: Statement of Timothy Hodge, regarding his sexual encounter with Harriet Lee and her subsequent death. Statement given December 9, 2014.

Statement Notes: Really one of the most destroyed characters in the series. Man works from home, pretty isolated, gets a few days off. Decides to go to a club and hook up with a cute girl. Immediately contracts demon STD and has to burn his house down. Absolutely crushing loss for the weirdo community.

Substances are brought up again in this episode. Hodge states that he does drink and use drugs, but wasn't drunk that night. This was particularly note-worthy in this episode because, while Jon usually cites someone's substance use as a reason to dismiss their statement, he believes Hodge encountered one of Prentiss' victims even though he admits to drinking that night. This proves that Jon was just looking for excuses to dismiss statements, not actually doubting the existence of the supernatural.

"Writhe."

That verb, "writhe." That encompasses so much of the fear in this episode, so much of Jane Prentiss. That's what's always scared me about the worms: the way the crawl, and dig, and writhe. Jonny is such an incredible writer because he puts that image in your head well before you can even fathom Prentiss as a long-term threat. He makes you afraid before you know what to be afraid of.

Another motif that comes up in this episode is the sense of false security. When Lee enters Hodge's apartment, she calms down. Even though she doesn't have a real reason to, she thinks she's safer there. I think this is a really realistic element that Jonny Sims uses often. Real people know they're more likely to be killed by a friend than a stranger, that you're not safer just because the light's on, that the blanket doesn't do anything, but we let these things make us feel safe and secure anyway. It makes sense that a horror character would do the same thing.

Lee mentions that when she woke up after being "mugged" by Prentiss, there was no wound where she was "stabbed." Assuming this is where the worm pierced her, this means that they can burrow into people without scarring them. But they still scar Prentiss herself, as well as Tim and Jon. Is it because Prentiss has repeat exposure? Is it part of her identity as an Avatar? Were Jon and Tim scarred as a means to make them more afraid or just to cause them more pain? Was it because the worms were less developed? Could it have been part of the ritual?

Entity Alignment: Hmm. Hmm I wonder what entity this could be connected to. Such a difficult choice. Hmm.

In all seriousness, I love this episode as an introduction to the Rot. It not only sets up the rest of the season but also how Prentiss functions. Once again, you don't understand why you should be afraid yet, but you know you should be.

Shout out to the Desolation for Hodge burning down his house. Very interesting that most of the Fears can be destroyed through the Desolation. Although I'm sure their ritual was flawed, I do think they were second most likely to succeed, right after the Eye obviously.

Speaking of the Eye, Sims really effectively foreshadows the crux of things through the paranoia motif. While they're in the club, Hodge says that Harriett kept checking the doors and looking at the exits, and she kept nervously glancing around as they walked home. She knows something is coming for her, she knows she should be afraid. The knowledge of what is going to happen is what makes it all the worse. This is why I think it always had to be the Eye who would end the world; people need some level of awareness to be truly afraid of something. Even the horrifying lack of awareness that comes from the Stranger or the Spiral becomes simple confusion without a moment or two of clarity. The Eye makes everyone in the apocalypse keenly aware of what is attacking them, what will happen to them, and that is why they're all so deeply afraid.

Character Notes: Jon explicitly states that he knows Prentiss is an issue. He acknowledges that she has consistently attacked people and caused harm through supernatural means. Yet he still attempts to deny other statements. The fact that he keeps up this facade for so long really shows how it isn't just denial or pretending, but a defense mechanism. If he doesn't look to hard at things, they can't hurt him. But because he was Eye-aligned from the start, he has to keep looking at things. He can't help himself.

(He also established that Prentiss' worms are canonically an STD, do with this what you will)

Sasha's really collected evidence in these last couple of episodes. So much really could have been solved if they had her skills in later seasons. That's probably why the Stranger targeted her. I miss her.

[go-to-the-mirror]

PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE CORRUPTION AND METAPHORS TO ABUSIVE/TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS AND UNHEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS?

Oooooh boy, this is one of my favourite topics :D allow me to ramble (i mean, you can't stop me, all you can do is just not post this ask)

MAG 6 - Squirm: The Corruption keeps Harriet from getting help, is captivating to Timothy Hodge.

MAG 22 - Colony: A bit of a reach, but Martin's tendency to "set himself on fire to keep others warm" is why he ended up drawing the attention of Jane Prentiss, who in turn forced him to be alone for 13 days -- and we know self isolation is a common unhealthy tendency of Martin's

MAG 32 - Hive: Jane's knowledge that the hive is hurting her, yet feeling called by it; skin picking is a maladaptive coping mechanism and can also be a sign of ocd, etc; Jane being called "toxic" by her friends, isolation leading to unhealthy relationships/coping mechanisms/whatever the metaphor for the hive is today.

MAG 84 - Possessive: Maggie & Gordie as an unhealthy mother-son relationship? Becoming like those who hurt you, cycle of violence but rotting?

MAG 93 - Containment: Greg's cleaning compulsion is implied to be because of OCD and gets worse after his wife and daughter's death. Maladapitive coping mechanism?

MAG 102 - Nesting Instinct: The beetle took advantage of Benoit's loneliness and desperation for companionship, unhealthy relationships.

MAG 153 - Love Bombing: Cult manipulation tactics are portrayed in this episode, as far as I know, quite accurate to real life. Preying on the lonely and vulnerable, making them feel affection and connection, then yk. the bad stuff happens.

All this to say if you love The Corruption TMA and don't mind seeing gore and a sex scene, you should watch Midsommar. I did with my friend a bit ago and it was really good. The cinematography was phenomenal, so was the story, still in awe of it.

But on the tma topic, the Corruption TMA is really cool and I love talking about The Magnus Archives and the subtext and the analogies and it's like oooooh.

@a-mag-a-day