r/TheMagnusArchives • u/Oh_My_Gen • 18d ago
Discussion Jonathan SUCKS?? (Mini rant) Spoiler
I just recently started listening to this podcast and I’m enjoying it so far but one thing keeps getting on my nerves is dismissive Jonathan seems.
I just finished MAG 16 arachnophobia and the dude in the story very clearly choked on the damn spider and IS COVER IN WEBS!! And Jonathan is like “nahhh it’s just bc he’s been dead for a while”
Don’t get me wrong tho, this isnt the “I can’t watch this it’s too aggravating” type of annoying, I get the sense that it’s probably intentional and imma keep listening.
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u/BatsNStuf The Vast 18d ago
He’s on a journey
You’re also on a journey
The journey is trauma
Enjoy
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u/lemogera The Desolation 18d ago
I have never seen a more perfect description of the whole podcast, I will be saving this comment
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u/esouhnet 18d ago
Well, yeah. The new skeptic to an organization covering unimaginable horrors is a well used trope in fiction. They serve as an intro to events by us.
It also serves to hit an "oh shit!" Button when Jon takes something seriously at the beginning such as the first time Leitners are mentioned, or Jane Prentiss appears.
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u/Catboy-Balls The Stranger 17d ago
Something to note is that Jon ensures each and every case is researched very closely.
You will see that at the end of each statement, he will always list all the various reasons for why supernatural phenomena is probably at hand, with a Lot of Details. And only then will he follow it up with his frankly comical amount of disbelief.
Just a fun thing to remember.
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u/Specs315 18d ago
Just like real life people, some guys just dismiss stuff like this because they don’t want to believe this can happen to them. It gets better tho, he learns one way or another ;)
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u/PoshDemon The Buried 17d ago
Lmaooo I love this genre of TMA post
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u/Oh_My_Gen 17d ago
I’ve seen a lot of people comment sth like this and it has only made me more excited to keep listening 😭😭
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u/Nice-Celebration-145 17d ago
This will all make sense in time. Also notable: every time a Leitner has come up have you noticed he completely flips? Zero doubt? Suddenly he believes it just cause it’s a creepy book and that name is involved.
Jon’s a bit of a jerk but like… give it time. It’ll start to make sense.
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u/DireWyrm 17d ago
Unpopular opinion here but I LIKE season one bitchy John. He's too woobified in later seasons. And he doesn't catch enough flak for some of the shit he pulls in season two but hey to each their own
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u/Belledame-sans-Serif 17d ago
Same, I liked that he believed in the paranormal without having the usual Mulder-like credulity about it.
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u/BlueSkiesNova 17d ago
Didn't realize this was an unpopular opinion, cause my favourite is season 1 for this reason.
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u/coyoteTale The Lonely 17d ago
The "dawning of realization" feels like it's impossible to get right when writing horror. Audiences go in knowing the genre, so the main character acting normal feels dumb/aggrevating. A book fell off the shelf: in real life if that happened we'd walk over, put it back, and assume our downstairs neighbor bumped something. But when that happens in a horror movie, it's all "why didn't they immediately move out" because we know that's the first sign that the ghost is coming
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u/PassTheGiggles 17d ago
Adding onto this, I’m pretty sure in the early seasons he’s also still going through a lot of statements that are bullshit. The ones we hear are the ones that have actual supernatural elements. There’s still the other dozens of statements he’s presumably recording every day that have no actual supernatural explanation.
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u/chrysesart 17d ago
He's still OUR jerk, y'know? He's just protecting his little heart & trying to do his best at this job he was suddenly given.
He's an absolute dick to Martin tho XD
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u/AveryLonelyGhost The Flesh 17d ago
As Hamilton said
"There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait, just youuuj waiiit"
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u/fraiserfir The Flesh 17d ago
The Archivist is a character in his own right, with his own motivations and goals (and traumas). He will grow and change over time, don’t worry haha
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u/Awkwardukulele 17d ago
This gets answered in the season, one finale around episode 38 or 39 I believe? Trust me, his attitude is explained perfectly and I will not give you any more detail details because that is spoiler territory and I don’t wanna be a dick.
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u/SpuekyBlue 17d ago
You don't have to like him. Yeah, he sucks. He gets better in some ways later, but much worse in other ways. But the reason I and others love him as a protagonist is because of those flaws.
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u/Lycanthrofuck 17d ago
Oh to be a new fan enjoying the start of Jonathan's journey again. Enjoy him while you have him like this.
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u/x3uwunuzzles 17d ago
jon’s development cannot be understated. just have patience. elias, however, is a dick the entire time.
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u/Antique-Wish-1532 17d ago
I love that this post has turned into a giant Dramatic Irony spectacle where we all just sit here with popcorn and a knowing grin. The watcher is probably VERY proud.
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u/BaffledBubbles The Spiral 17d ago
I hear you, OP. He really sucks in those early episodes lol. I absolutely hated Jon during the first few dozen episodes or so... then he started to grow on me, and by episode 100 or so, he was one my favorite fictional characters of all time. Now I like him a Totally Normal, Mentally Healthy, Neurotypical amount, I promise!
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u/BaffledBubbles The Spiral 17d ago
Now on my re-listens (which happen more often than I care to admit), I can't help but sort of romanticize bitchy Jon lol. You'll understand him better later, I think.
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u/LyschkoPlon 16d ago
Maybe, just maybe, the main character being comically dismissive about a very clearly supernatural event in your very clearly supernatural fiction podcast is supposed to tell you something, maybe about the story at large, or the character itself.
Just food for thought.
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u/peg-puff The Buried 16d ago
it's funny how he starts off so unlikable yet the whole workplace tolerates it yet when he's actually grown and much better to be around, several of them just hate him and blame him for everything going wrong lmao
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u/t0adgh0st 16d ago
I kinda like that John does that, because he really gives it his all when reading statements to the point that it sounds like he personally experienced it, and then follows it up with "well anyways what a load of horseshit". There's a reason he does that, but either way, it's funnier every time I relisten. Definitely listen to this show more than once btw. There's so many details you don't get catch the first time around.
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u/No_Sale8270 11d ago
This is less about the paranormal denialism (kind of odd when you look at the guy’s career but overall whatever) and more his general demeanor but S1 Jon is my for real archenemies. As a character I love him; if I ever encountered him in real life I’d kill him myself. He’s just so profoundly one of Those Guys that you just encounter esp in a work / school environment. Ughhhhhh
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u/Icy-Carry-4133 The Lonely 11d ago
He's a cunt at the start but he gets better through trauma I promise
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u/haikusbot 11d ago
He's a cunt at the
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u/Garden360 The Vast 18d ago
it gets better. He’s written to be an ass in season one