#not to mention sams email from a 'jon' and the fact that colin seems to be in on what lena knows to a degree

[dolphinbeartracks]

excuse me celia?? hello celia?? WHY DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW CHESTER?? and why were 'buried alive' and 'meat' the first search terms you thought of?? hello???

[s1i9d]

I’m going to compile a quick list of things that I know from Archives in totality. Wanna make it clear what I do and don’t know so it could be interesting for perspective reads. [Spoilers up to Magnus Protocol E20]

Disclaimer: Aside from anything in this list, I do not know anything about Archives. I am listening to Protocol specifically devoid of Archives spoilers. So please no Archives spoilers. Also if I am wrong about something here, please do not correct me. I think it’ll be more fun that way if I’m not spoiled on these assumptions.

Celia is a character from Archives, and she’s aware of the Magnus Institute in her supposedly alternate timeline is definitely why she’s more genre savvy here. As for what the Magnus Institute did in Archives, or what role Celia had in Archives, I have no idea.

This one is more of a theory. I initially thought Celia was some kind of werewolf or creature transformation thing that was locked in the basement and that’s why she appeared on the side of the road in E11. I thought this because E10 ends with the thing in the Institute basement unlocking itself and freeing itself, and immediately at the start of E11, Celia wakes up so I thought there was a tie between them. [It’s still unclear if that’s what’s happening, but more likely it’s random teleportation.] I know the shapeshifter thing has a maybe(?) presidency of some kind in Archives. To what extent, to what’s happening, to what specifically, I have no clue.

I know Jon and Martin are the supposed main characters of Archives, and they’re in FR3-D1 as Chester and Norris respectively. They are gay for each other and Jon is ace(?) which I appreciate as a gay ace agender person.

Jon is also the person who sent Sam that email Sam showed Colin who freaked out back in E7. I suspect he/Martin are also the one who sent the email to Sam about the Protocol and Magnus Institute in E20. They seem to also be the ones in Fr3-D1 that are trying to get Sam to keep researching the institute every time he says he’s going to stop.

There’s a third character in FR3-D1 who voices Augustus named “Jonah”. I don’t know who the fuck he is, but my theory is that he is an evil villain of some kind who Jon and Martin are actively fighting against in the computer, since Alice mentioned Augustus is the rarest voice of the three, which I think is Jon and Martin trying to suppress Jonah by making out sloppy style with each other. I know that the three of them together form the .jmj error that Alice keeps getting.

Tea is some kind of metaphor in Archives, and the fact that Celia has tea consistently instead of coffee like the rest of our crew makes it clear that she’s from Archives.

Certain words are weird. I know they’re key words but I have no idea what they mean: Hunt, Compel, Avatar, The Eye. They’re just gibberish but they sound important. I do know Hunt refers to the statement about Lady Mowbray in E15, but I think there’s more context that was in Archives that isn’t in Protocol.

Georgie is voiced by the Magnus creator’s wife and is maybe in Archives? Unclear about that.

The alchemy stuff in E19 is NOT from Archives. That’s new stuff and plays an exclusive role in Protocol.

Worms?

The fire (at least in E7) can be interpreted as a ritual. Given that The Protocol™️ is anti-supernatural driven arson, I think there’s a chance it was not a ritual. But my friends reaction to E7 was that it was a ritual, so there’s a chance it could be.

Live music is apparently a big no no in the Magnus multiverse?

Influencer speak is not a thing in Archives?[I absolutely loved it, no lie. I satirically speak like an influencer sometimes but I died laughing first time I heard E15]

Protocol is far more digital, having use the audience listen through devices like phones, CCTV or computers via FR3-D1. The only exception is E10 and E15, where fucking tape recorders show up. Tape recorders are a main motif in Archives, and it’s very odd it’s here as an analog device compared to the digital listening devices.

Yeah, that’s all I got. I feel like I’ve scraped my brain clean of any details. If there’s more I’ll probably reblog this with more info. If anyone’s curious, feel free to send an ask and I’ll probably get to it. (No Archive spoilers in the asks obv.)

Kthxbyeeeeeeeee

[bubbl3s-dot-jpg]

My thoughts about TMAGP 7 before reading anyone else's:

Oh my god we got a lot of stuff today

Celia recognizes Chester's voice which could imply a few things: One, Jon is alive in this universe and she met/knew/heard of him. Two, Jonny Sims is playing an entirely different character with whom Celia has met/known/heard. OR three, Celia has previous experience with the fears. All three are equally likely in my opinion, IF it weren't for the next piece of information.

Sam got an email from someone named John. (I checked the spelling on the official transcript and that is how it is spelled). The email was internal. I'm not going to jump to conclusions about this because of how this is spelt and because Jonny is known to reuse names. (See Jared and Gerard, and Michael). However, if I were a writer, I wouldn't mind using common names for smaller characters that may or may not show up again, but would mind severely if a major character shared a name with a minor character. Jury's still out on this for me.

Colin doesn't allow external devices into his workspace. I didn't think about it much in earlier episodes, but I think it is notable that we only hear him occasionally and never from his own devices. Sam brings in external devices, or he's out and about, in a place where devices can hear him. He could be worried that they interfere with his work, but Sam had described him as otherwise paranoid and worrying about interference seems to be something not worth fighting about. This leads me to believe Colin knows something is going on.

The mention of hilltop road is interesting. I'm aware that Hilltop road is a road an therefore could have multiple addresses, but since it was such a significant part of MAG, I think it is worth noting what happened there. To me, it feels like a bunch of avatars, or a cult, similar to that of the Lifeless Flame attempted to bring a bunch of items that could possibly be fear-adjacent (like Leitner books) into a place of power. That's pure speculation, however.

Lena has attempted to murder at least two different people, and they both suggest "disappearing again". I have no idea what this could mean, but it feels relevant to me. I'm keeping this in mind for future refrence.

Lena makes mention of "real work" which leads me to wonder what everyone is doing there. People have speculated that the OIAR is feeding the eye in the same way the Magnus Institute was and I think I agree with that. However, Magnus' goal with the institute was to start the eyepocalypse. Is this what Lena is doing? If so, how? Is she doing it the same way Magnus was, by taking a already fear-touched person and using them as their avatar? If that's the case, what is the point of the files that they are reading?

Gwen's family is rich. I don't know if it was mentioned in MAG that the Bouchards had money, but I think it's more relevant here. It also explains her entitlement and the fact that she watched two attempted (and one successful?) murders and decided that this was the line of employment she wanted to continue. I'm biased because I have a history with the name, but we're only seven episodes in and I already don't like her.

Last and very least, Alice thinks Norris's voice (possibly aka Martin's voice) is whiny.

This was a way longer post than I meant to write, but I'm interested in seeing where the fan discussion goes. This was such a plot-heavy episode that I'm still taking time to digest it. I'm also really interested in seeing how my theories and thoughts evolve.

[zeeeero]

Just listened to the first couple episodes of The Magnus Protocol and I have stuff to think about

(Spoilers ahead ofc)

Okay so immediately I like the new format, I think it opens a lot of opportunities for really unique stuff. I find it interesting how despite the apparent lack of tape recorders, there’s still a canon reason they’re being recorded, albeit in a way that raises way more questions (Like wdym Sam’s phone dialed a number on it’s own to listen in on him and Alice??)

Second thing is, like, Gwen?? Girl you are following in the footsteps of the other Bouchard and I am so worried for you. I was incredibly worried for her during that performance review, but I’m really interested in what’s going to happen. Like it’s uncanny how she seems to literally have the exact same ideas about her place in the institute as Elias did.

That first incident is going to come up later I’ve learned from the original that they’re gonna do callbacks and it’s gonna be really important.

Evidently I’ve figured the entities that each incident were are End, Eye, and Flesh in order, but that first one is just so weird??

Also when Sam questioned what ‘DPHW’ meant I immediately thought that the DP part stands for Dread Power(s) but I have no idea what the rest could mean.

Touching on Alice’s brother for a second I think that he’ll be relevant later (I mean obviously) but also the mention of his band name including ��bullet’ immediately is setting off Slaughter flags in my head.

Also!! The second incident!! Erm!!

‘Canaries should stay above ground’ went so fucking hard and I’m curious about what actually happened in this case cause like it’s pretty obvious they didn’t write that themselves given the whole “Probably carved out their eyes” thing.

I started The Magnus Archives after it was already done and I unintentionally and intentionally spoiled myself before finishing it so I’m excited to actually listen along this time. I’m treating the second incident like everyone mentioned will be important because again internet usernames probably will be important.

(Can you tell I’m rambling as things come to mind)

I can’t tell if it was intentional or if it’s just a reoccurrence of the infinite name recycling thing again but the fact that the email from the first incident was to Daria while the person from the third was named Darla is interesting

Also haha hey Colin what are you up to you got cut off there

Also assuming that something terrible happened to Teddy because of course it did

They put Jon and Martin in Windows 95 truly tragic and also terrifying considering Binary

I’m curious who the third voice will be? Maybe Elias?

That’s all I’ll reblog this with more if I think about it

[marlequinncos]

I finally got caught up on The Magnus Protocol and I have some thoughts

Long post and spoilers ahoy!

Overall, I'm enjoying it, though I don't think it caught my attention the way the first eps of TMA did. I think that's due to the robotic voices giving the statements; I know they're meant to lack emotion as speech-to-text, but I do miss the more storytelling-type of way the statements were read in TMA.

Character-wise, I like all of the main crew. I think my favorite is Colin. And with Gwen's last name being Bouchard, I hope she's related to TMA OG!Elias, or the Elias of this universe who's hopefully also just a lil stoner dude.

The statements are interesting, though I find them less scary than TMA (probably due to the delivery). I think they'll get more involved and spooky though, especially due to all of the connections to TMA that are popping up.

Poor Sam has already committed the cardinal sin of curiosity/wanting to know more.

Celia has to be the Celia from TMA who was part of Georgie and Melanie's cult in season 5. The way she mentioned tape recorders, being buried alive, meat, etc. makes me think she's from the original universe. Plus she thought she recognized "Chester's" voice. And that same episode where she says that, Hilltop was mentioned, which is very sus.

I lost my shit when Gerry appeared (he's still goth and I will die on that hill), alongside GG/Grandma Gertrude. He sounded so happy, which on on hand made me happy (because that poor boy deserves it), but also makes me concerned that Jonny "I can't wait to kill again" Sims has something devious planned, like killing him off on-screen this time or something about the fact that he seemed almost too happy.

Georgie was mentioned so I hope we see her and Melanie and Basira! This also makes me wonder if we'll see Tim and Sasha in this universe too and I hope we do. Also if Michael Shelley (non-spaghetti boy version) appears, the writers will probably be able to hear me screaming all the way at the RQ offices in the UK.

(This is how Doorkeay/GerryMichael can still win.)

As for whether Jon and Martin are trapped in the computers, I'm not sure. I could see that being the case, but I do think it would be interesting if they weren't and there was some other reason why it has their voices (Web reasons?). That said, if it is them in the computers, then "Augustus" is definitely Jonah Magnus.

The email that Sam got from "John/Jon" is what led him to Gerry and Gertrude, right? Is it likely that that was from our beloved Archivist? Yes. But John/Jon is also one of the most common English names, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone else entirely. Perhaps even this universe's Jon Sims.

Last thought is that I don't think Smirke's Fourteen applies here. The statements we've gotten so far have all had some similarities (the violin being tied to The Slaughter, the movie being tied to The Eye, etc.) but there are enough differences that I don't think that original categorization will work. And besides, TMA established that the fourteen all overlap anyway, and trying to categorize them by human standards is futile. I saw that theory about the new entities being "desires" rather than "fears", but I'm not sure I buy that yet.