The Magnus Protocol 23 - A New You

[@malmorose]

If that really was this universe's version of Jon then it totally tracks that an attempt at exercise would cause his brittle old man body to break instantly

[@malmorose]

"Cycling accident" He got on a bike, fell off, and his body immediately shattered like glass

[@elliesteele2027]

John's out there really living up to the moniker of scrawny little tit.

[@hatientacetlen4246]

He tried to put a the helmet in and his skull shattered into a thousand pieces.

[@CasuallyUndead]

He tried to pedal and his legs ripped off like wet tissue paper

[@eitakou]

He tried to carry the bike out but his arms just sagged* and melted into the pavement

[@boredchinchilla2519]

"Because I know how many eyes a regular human is supposed to have." !!!

[@gabriellabatel]

The Eye is back for Round 2

[@azanthal]

That's what he thinks

[@brits4940]

The way I GASPED OUT LOUD when she said that

[@Influfferious]

Or its the Spider. With Spider Eyes.

[@gilbertmolina8621]

Nah it's Jonny boi!!!!

[@KIDD-VIDEO]

i swear to god, if Sam accidentally kicks off a ritual by filling out these spooky buzzfeed quizzes... 😫

[@kumaruatlas9632]

OH GOD I didn’t even think off that, he probably is the reason why Jon has been slowly getting closer to them

[@jackeldridge4225]

That would be hysterical! Sign Here... Sam signs... The Distortion walks in looking like a Torie Bureaucrat... Hello.

[@kehlcassidy9562]

I am very curious about the phantom "Response Department." If they truly used to have one- what did it do?! What did they respond TO?!

[@jackeldridge4225]

@@kehlcassidy9562 potential world ending events? I mean we know now that the department government whatever uses externals like rogue agents

[@assuredpug]

Sam would definitely do that considering how he is right now

[@scuzmunkie]

“Just stood there, holding this old tape recorder” THE SCREAM I SCRUMPT!!!!!

[@mrmoonmilk6938]

THE GASP I GUMSPT!

[@ArgosSees]

BASIRA AND HELEN IM FOAMING AT THE MOUTH

[@caramel9154]

HELEEN??? BASIRA?? IM SSO HHAAPPPPYY

[@Yumeki-san]

"She has my eyes" ..like.. literally?.. or..

[@madamlefreak1781]

I read this in the same tone tha Jon tries to clarify if Martin means to ask if he saw a dog in general XD

[@Autistic_Menace00]

@@madamlefreak1781 OH GOD YOURE SO REAL FOR THAT

[@Autistic_Menace00]

you’ve got me eyeeees you’ve got my eyesss you’ll never be mine ahhhh but you’ve got my eyesssss /lyr

[@_DragonHero_]

The fact that thats a genuine quiestion one has to wonder when it comes to this podcast....

[@brcrdiosas5633]

I just want to be sure, those are 2 different categories, don't want to misfile it

[@moonlight_scribe]

Well... At least Gwen isn't Jon in that she actually told someone about the weird shit before the weird shit got weirder.

[@TheNitpickChick]

@@moonlight_scribe We love to see healthy communication and teamwork, rather than paranoia and infighting! ☺️❤️

[@Matheus-ql7mn]

Imo, TMP team is going on reverse of what TMA team was. At the beginning, John and the rest were kinda close and good with each other (John didn't like Martin a lot, but it was a minor thing, he was just a bit annoyed with him), and with each new event they became more and more apart. Like they decided to keep to themselves and suspect on others, never trying to talk things out. The TMP team started all low-key hating each other (Alice and Gwen, Sam and Alice being a bit uncomfortable with each other imo, Gwen and Sam one not really connecting or understanding the other, Sam and Colin rough start, Colin being antisocial, and Lena and EVERYONE), but little by little they're talking and finding common ground. They're relying on their colleagues just a bit, and I love how it seems like true connections.

[@Yumeki-san]

Transcript: LENA I see. (she doesn't)

[@ethanstine426]

Thats actually interesting cause the buzz didn't go off but she is definately lying here right? "I see", "I'm sure this is Alice". Is Lena immune to whatever is listening?

[@ethanstine426]

reply

[@GarethOfByzantium]

@@ethanstine426The buzz does go off when Lena DOES lie.

[@RosePosiepuddingpie]

​@@ethanstine426I don't think it was so much a lie as a figure of speech. Also she may not be lying with Alice, but guessing.

[@BoliVic96]

maybe she thinks she understands and that's why it doesn't count as a lie

[@hold_onto_anything]

"i haven't been arsey *glitch*" LMFAOOO YOU JUST GOT LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER'D

[@elliesteele2027]

21:21 Gwen: I've not been arsey. Freddie: *I smell bullshit*

[@lou9635]

It seems that the glitch only appears when the characters are consciously lying. If they think they say the truth, then no glitch. So Gwen literally knows she had been arsey

[@Worgak]

The passive aggression on that little detail! 😭 Freddie's got sass!

[@wafiyabdul2037]

Lady Mowbray can smell that too

[@Vickyeverythingelsewastaken]

Thigh pregnancy? We are going full Greek mythology tonight! And if it is the second coming of Dionysius, I hope she does have her parent's eyes.

[@Autistic_Menace00]

Grape god transition lets gooooo

[@hamburgerdog25]

​@@Autistic_Menace00 hard to tell if you're either talking about Dio or if you're censoring talking about Zeus

[@shipmcgree6367]

The last time I was this early, some odd folk delivered a coffin to my house..

[@gabriellabatel]

Couple of guys with cockney accents?

[@Krosbryd]

I was agonizing over what I could say as a joke of this sort. Glad to see someone made a good one 👍

[@moonlight_scribe]

Don't open it or you might be late.

[@alchemicpink2392]

They always look like you'd expect, don't they.

[@hamburgerdog25]

​@@alchemicpink2392 yet always sort of...missing. Like a puzzle without its final piece. Somethings just not there

[@Statical7700]

jon put all his archivussy into saying that intro "a new you"

[@aweirdlookingcat3707]

Why D:

[@Autistic_Menace00]

ARCHIVUSSY

[@Autistic_Menace00]

Also I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to Jonny… please do not comment on his archivussy he is a real man /lh

[@christopheraaron1255]

Please don't ever type anything, anywhere on the internet, ever again.

[@Autistic_Menace00]

It would be different if it were Jon bc he’s a fictional character but that’s definitely Jonny Sims aka Mr. Waistcoat so uh…. yeah…

[@myeyesdontbreathe3555]

if we get to see Basira again in literally any capacity, I will sew this podcast under my skin and let it grow out of me

[@thearuxa]

Let the roots run deep. And stay like this for a good long while.

[@ethanstine426]

Remember to have a source of water and nutrients you can reach with just your mouth. Your arms will give out a few days before the end :)

[@fruitygarlic3601]

Paralysis rental computer, everything important within reach, locked tf in, ready to binge.

[@hiboucle3.277]

Well about that...

[@InRealTime769]

I honestly can't tell if this is Basira hate or Basira love

[@TheNitpickChick]

LOTS of fun and _interesting_ computer glitches in this one, there at the end!!! 😃 17:28 Sam: “Where’d you say you found them?” Celia: “Couple of old documents.” **STRONG bzzt!** “Must have gotten the wrong end of the stick” **shorter, but still strong bzzt!** (FR3-D1 was quite indignant about that one! lol Where are you getting your information, Celia? _Hmmmm???_ 👀) 17:53 Gwen: “…I’m fine.” **small bzzt** 18:01 Gwen: “I said, I’m _fine!”_ **bzzt with a little chirpy squeal when she slams the coffee pot down on the counter** 18:34 Gwen: (tearily) “I’m fine.” **small rattling bzzt** 21:19 Alice: No wonder you’ve been so arsey.” Gwen: “I’ve not been arsey!” **rattling bzzt** (FR3-D1 is being cheeky lol)

[@assuredpug]

Huh… interesting how buzzy FR3-D1 got when Celia said she must’ve gotten the wrong end of the stick… *weird*

[@thelivingtrebuchet6180]

Lena trying to manipulate Sam and blame it on Alice. Pulling strings like spiders do

[@ziasteele9332]

Good point! Although it was Isaac Newton not Ben Franklin.

[@thedistinguished5255]

i love lena kelley she should be the only characger in tbe5 podcast so that i could listen to her for 20 minutes gay

[@RosePosiepuddingpie]

In this instance though, not really. Not once does she get buzzed. I think she was just guessing that Alice was messing with him, and believes it's a prank, brother is a lie. And she could genuinely believe there is no return department.

[@elliesteele2027]

Can't wait for the lobster in a hat case next week!

[@thelivingtrebuchet6180]

Alice and Gwen falling in love to their shared nightmare encounter

[@hamburgerdog25]

While I do think its too early to ship them I'm still pining for it. But I knew they'd end up becoming friends at some point and it looks like we're headed there at least

[@traumaeat3r]

God the fact it's mentioning jon and stuff more and more is scaring the shit outta meee

[@eitakou]

It's making me excited for when he and Martin comes back! If... if they do

[@a_grape_in_space1016]

Ugh i hope they do! ​@@eitakou

[@MikaNeow]

The statement giver killing their old body to create a new self and hoping it has their eyes is very Jonah Magnus. Also we've gotten two statements in a row now where someone split into two seperate beings and I'm wondering if this is foreshadowing something about the different voices inside Fredi.

[@Nikowo1610]

Three statements actually! Or at least the one before the one before this one has someone being,,, incorrectly duplicated is the best way to put it?

[@fruitygarlic3601]

Dyslexia'd that as, "different voices inside Freud." Could you imagine? I can actually understand him or Jung being significant to a statement because of the repeated concept of split selves, but also alchemy and TMAGP's greater license with historical figures.

[@RosePosiepuddingpie]

I think it's the fears. They are no longer one, and they want out.

[@marinterry3055]

Jonny Thousand Eyes Sims is back baybee

[@Boostro960]

Sinister happenings - check Joe Spooky - check

[@Studylorz]

This sounds like that dude in the garden. I don't know what is happening, but it's creepy, and I am here for it

[@raison_obscure]

That's exactly what I was thinking

[@belen.asteinle426]

I cannot believe my girls are going to work together! Let's go!!

[@Rietto]

Not the team-up I'dve expected when the show started, but I'm 100% for it now!

[@Shadowreaper5]

I was so ready for Alice to be sarcastically dismissive. In the history of this series, and TMAG, I've never been more happy to be wrong.

[@Wibble.0.]

Ive never felt so confused, disgusted, and sad for a statement giver before i’ve also never paid attention so well before I also have a theory that the eye ball thing is some form of Jonathan sims like him but without his Conscience

[@TheNitpickChick]

Y’ALL?!!! I thought the _last_ episode made me feel feral, but this one…!!!! _HOO-BOY!!!!_ 👀 _LOTS_ to analyze!!! 1. I was wondering when the Response Department paperwork would come back again! 😃 Holy shit, though! Sam is _still_ working on that?! It’s been about 2.5 months since he first got the paperwork! How many pages _are_ there?! How much progress has he made?! How close is he to finishing?! I need to know!!! This is going to be important, I can feel it!!! 2. Lena is… oddly insistent about Sam not working on the Response Department paperwork. She’s playing it off like she just thinks it’s a waste of time, but I’m getting vibes that it’s more than that… I still don’t have a proper reading on Lena’s character, though, so it’s hard to say if she seems concerned for Sam, or if she seems like she’s trying to cover up a secret or something like that. Either way, there’s something afoot… 🤔 (Although, there weren’t any glitches while she was talking, so who knows? She might have been being truthful. I don’t trust her, though.) 3. _OOF_ that statement was a rough one for me! 😅 Very well written, but Corruption/Flesh combination-esque stuff always makes me _shudder,_ and I shuddered a _lot_ during this one! 😖 4. That said, a very fascinating statement! This forum group almost seems like a new cult, like the Lightless Flame, but different, where its members have to be “reborn” or remade in some horrific way in order to ascend somehow. In this case, it’s closer to a sacrificial ritual of oneself in order to bring a separate, “better” entity into existence, but it has very similar vibes to the Lightless Flame members killing someone and then setting themselves on fire. 5. They… they never even met? 🥺 Don’t tell me that, Sam! I’m just going to believe that those were just two other random dudes, who just happened to share the same name as our boys, and weren’t the versions of Jon and Martin from this universe. 😭 6. I heard that glitch, Celia! 👀 You didn’t get the names from a “couple of old documents”. FR3-D1 is calling out your BS lol 7. WE GOT MORE NAME DROPS!!!! BASIRA AND HELEN!!!! 😃 (Considering Helen in the TMA universe tried to eat Celia at one point, I can’t imagine Celia has fond memories of her, but I imagine she’s just trying to find any/all TMP versions of the TMA characters, maybe trying to find help somehow) 8. I feel so bad for Gwen! I’m glad Alice read the room and actually worked to comfort her. 😢 9. YES! Gwen finally got to confide in someone and have them listen to her and believe her!!!! I’m so relieved!!! Thank you, Alice! 😭 10. Okay, yeah, [ERROR] is _definitely_ an Archivist of some sort. If the statement compulsion wasn’t a give-away, the excess eyes definitely confirmed it for me. It’s likely the Archivist from this universe, and not Jon (which is what I’m currently guessing). But, after the statement in the last episode, it’s also possible that the Archivist side of Jon and the “Jon” side of Jon were somehow separated, with the Jon consciousness getting trapped in FR3-D1, and the Archivist consciousness taking over their physical body, perhaps. Just a theory, though. 😅 11. The girls are working together, now! YES!!!! Sam and Celia can look into Magnus Institute stuff, and Alice and Gwen can look into the OIAR and the externals!!! 🤩 THINGS ARE IN MOTION AND I AM _HYPED!!!_

[@gabriellabatel]

YES, the name drops!!

[@toyotacamry-ho1jh]

as a response to point 1, has sam not just been getting more paperwork as he filed cases?

[@kumaruatlas9632]

7 I didn’t piece that together at all lol, she will probably look for Melanie and at some point have to comfort Gwen about Elias

[@TheNitpickChick]

@@toyotacamry-ho1jh I don’t think so, or at least they haven’t mentioned that being the case. Back in episode 5, Sam was just given a _thick_ stack of paperwork to fill out, because he checked the “Response Department 121” box on his intake paperwork form. Alice said that it just all automatically printed out. Alice told Sam to just toss it, since the Response Department doesn’t exist anymore, but Sam started working on it anyway, and he’s apparently been working on it here and there ever since. 😅

[@jacthing1]

​@@kumaruatlas9632 Hope she does it with a pipe lol.

[@GarethOfByzantium]

Anyone else think this universe had a completely different power system related to alchemy and NOT the Fears at all before they tumbled down the spider hole at the end of Archives?

[@TheNitpickChick]

I definitely feel like the Fears are presenting very differently in this universe, so it’s certainly possible they ended up fused with some other power that this universe had before, that’s more alchemy-focused, when they came through the rift.

[@FiendishAura438]

Almost definitely.

[@kehlcassidy9562]

Sounds about right

[@GarethOfByzantium]

@@TheNitpickChick Hungers, perhaps?

[@ChristinaPhillips-kc5my]

I thought that was obvious by now ..

[@morguenmorguen6862]

Magnus Archives: the divine alchemy of the self Magnus Protocol: the literal alchemy of the self

[@a_jae_doe]

Cue the "we're getting the band back together " meme

[@Rarina1672]

Did anyone else catch the date of the deleted post (#14)? It's more than 5 months prior to the post #1. But looks like it's describing something horrible after the 'transformation's' already happened, even though post #1 states the girl's only come round to going through with it. And her name is Alesis Newman. New man. A meaningful name in this case. A self-assigned name. I think what she's been going through is basically a cycle. She feels really depressed, decides to go through with this transformation, is really excited about 'the new' her - clean of all mistakes, free of the past - and hopes she will be better. But something goes wrong. She realises it during her last moments: the new version is not magically better as a superior being would be but ultimately the new person or consciousness prone to any and all flaws like any other being. The moderators delete her concerned last post of the previous transformation updates and the clean-slate-her gets to live as the 'better new'. But only for a little more than 5 months since that is when she too gets crushed by the same feelings as her predecessor and seeks the transformation anew, not aware of there having already been past versions of her and her being the result of their attempts at this 'better new'. The language seems to suggest this too - she sees herself, she's been with her desired new version all along, she hates there being people who want her to be better in spite of who she really is - the very wish her past self had for her, etc. The whole transformation is ultimately flawed. There is no 'better new you' (the nickname of the person who's locked the thread), there's only 'a new you' ( the actual title of the episode - the truth). Or maybe it has been her deleting her previous posts herself: post #14 was published at 2:27 and deleted almost immediately at 2:28, deleting a post a minute after it's been published is a feat no ordinary moderator is capable of, especially when said post was made in the middle of the night at 2:27. But it would make sense if she started writing the post, was unable to finish her thought, seized to exist as her past consciousness and immediately went to delete it as a new version. Although this part might be attributed to some omnipresent magical moderators that are part of the forum as in wired and existing there, which seems to be one of the themes in TMP. I admit I am a bit shake in my theory with this specific part. Anyway, what do you think? Edit: some obvious mistakes from typing too fast.

[@Rarina1672]

Also - and I just realised - the 'piece' being a piece of coral is crucial. I was asking myself why of all manner of things did it have to be a coral she needed to start the transformation. The answer is in the coral's nature - corals are clones of their previous selves, genetically identical, new polyps growing upon the exoskeletal remains of their predecessors. Thus she is identical to her previous self, she doesn't become a better version as she hopes, it's literally her but with a clean slate for a mind. She is doomed to go through the same cycle again and again much like a coral. Edit - addition: this would also explain her frequent mentions of the bright color of the new growing version of herself - dead or dying corals are white or 'bleached', it can actually indicate their response to the harsh and stressful environmental conditions. You know, the state of mind of Newman's previous version before the transformation. The fact that the doppelganger is all bright and full of vibrant color (=alive and thriving) comes from her own dying and 'bleached' state.

[@fruitygarlic3601]

I'm so glad to be part of this community kitchen; both of you cooked!

[@LycanDreams9159]

Shit you might be right.

[@iiiinkman]

EYES??? HELP WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED JON IS THAT YOU??? DID YOU REALLY DIE OF HEART PROBLEMS

[@cptwheelbarrow9026]

I think that was the Martins that were being talked about. I'm sure neither of them were our Martin tho

[@Autistic_Menace00]

[ERROR] is voiced by a woman fyi so (I have already made this joke in the comment section of an episode before but I NEED to do it again) unless estrogen saved her, I doubt that’s Jon.

[@cptwheelbarrow9026]

@@Autistic_Menace00 If Jonny voiced [ERROR] it would be way too obvious. It's so garbled that the VA's gender hardly matters honestly. Not to say I'm sure it's Jon, just playing devil's advocate.

[@Autistic_Menace00]

Fair enough. Fans have been checking the VAs so it would make sense to cover tracks (I am a case in point). That’s part of why Chester being so out in the open was so surprising

[@Autistic_Menace00]

@@cptwheelbarrow9026 YEAH THATS WHAT I THOUGHT TOO BECAUSE OF THE ORDER SO THAT MEANS THIS WORLDS JON MIGHTVE DIED OF A FUCKING BIKING ACCIDENT (emphasis on mightve)

[@jac0bs484]

The sound glitching when gwen says shes not been "arsy" was EVILLLL

[@FiendishAura438]

So much is happening currently. Sam is almost certainly getting pulled by some super natural force doing this paper work, and Lena almost certainly knows We got more information on this universes Jon and Martian and since they are dead, there is a good chance we will see TMAs Martian and Jon which would be amazing The name drops in this episode to! Good to see the whole office (minus Lena) working together on two different projects. Let’s hope they both end up talking to each other unlike another office we know. It’s also good they recognize they are in danger, should be interesting to see how that helps them. All in all a very interesting episode

[@JoTheJo93]

the surprise i felt at 24:20 when i heard the Malevolent guy start talking-

[@ariana7404]

His voice is so hard to recognize I was jumpscared to! He's too talented

[@jamesmortimer4016]

"Smileyface"...? That is one advanced TTS if it can interpret symbols like that...

[@ensick]

ikr! i caught that and was like wait that aint right

[@fruitygarlic3601]

Obviously muscle memory from Jon's sordid past as a frequent :/ and 0.o user.

[@harperhale-gibson1102]

I assumed it was an emoji, they have names encoded into them that TTS can read

[@Statical7700]

OH MY QUEENS ARE BACK the blame game queen and my purple tory door queen we are eating WELL

[@sarahwoods6317]

I love how focused the show has been on twisted ideas of what is "self" what makes you a you? And mad science, making yourself a god than fearing what you've made. Amazing stuff.

[@TroublingZeal]

21:36 PISSING MY FUCKING PANTS IM SCREAMING AND CRYING AND LOSING MY MIND, I NEED TO DRAW IT ***NOW***

[@lilithreusch2614]

I, too, want to be replaced by a coral version of myself

[@emilybarclay8831]

A cool-ral version of yourself?? 😎😎 I think I have heatstroke

[@elliesteele2027]

1:23 Pre-case 3:07 Case (Flesh) [Blog Posts: Chester] 16:32 Post-Case

[@lildoomkitty4570]

You could also argue some corruption I think

[@leolu1401]

I feel like there is a strong note of twisted love or love gone wrong in the case (Alesis with both her boyfriend and the coralwoman), which could indicate a dominant Corruption. Or in the new Hungers theory, the desire for perfection fits a lot as well

[@beepeopeepeo2645]

@@lildoomkitty4570I think the Stranger fits too

[@rvdb9573]

0 comments 0 comments 0 comments "Thanks for the suggestions" Who are giving you suggestions buddy, bloody ghosts?

[@ensick]

my favorite episode so far! really love harlan's writing. also all the talk of the archive gang is making my head explode

[@Yumeki-san]

Too many eyes? I guess now we can safely say that [ERROR] is related to the eye 👁

[@cassianobelniak5399]

Me during the entire Alice/Gwen segment: Alice, please don't make a joke, don't make a joke, don't make a joke....

[@sarahshock6805]

A.L. Newman is suspiciously similar to Alexander J. Newall, voice of Martin Blackwood. Furthermore, this is the first episode where Martin Blackwood was mentioned by name. We know FR3-d1 reads articles based on what the main characters are talking about. I don't know what this stuff means, but it must mean something.

[@brcrdiosas5633]

I know, I almost spit my drink with that, I had to listen to the name again like 3 times XD

[@tretizzle]

"They may be coming after UZZZ!!!" Getting real Lietner's Libraray vibes here😱😱😱

[@So_Iace]

The archivist has come to take your statement 👁

[@GarethOfByzantium]

Does anyone get the feeling Lena isn’t as bad as we were led to think? Like, she’s currently equivalent to Elias Bouchard at this point in Archives, but we didn’t know what Elias was then, while Lena is already kind of set up to be an unsympathetic villain, which makes me suspect she actually is NOT a villain at all. Plus she sometimes shows signs of actual concern for her underlings, for Gwen, for Sam this episode.

[@kehlcassidy9562]

Not in the least, but it would make an interesting twist! What gives you that impression?

[@TheNitpickChick]

I don’t currently trust her, but I also get the sense there’s more to her motivations. It’s possible she’s closer to Gertrude, working for the greater good by doing shady things, except Lena may actually want to protect her people, rather than sacrificing them for her own ends. I want to believe she’s not just another evil boss like Elias, so I’m keeping an open mind until I can actually get a proper read on her character. She’s still suspicious as hell, though. 😅

[@CheziahKatt]

As someone who's had complicated thoughts about childbirth, especially with fascism rising in the US and climate disasters (wanting kids, loving them, not wanting to bear them into this, etc etc)... this one has really unsettled me. Oooof

[@Fernfellow]

Ikr! I thought it sounded a bit too much like some kind of toxic, twisted parenthood - she grew this new being, giving literally all of herself to it in the hopes that it’ll be a better version of herself, having “her eyes”, and all… that’s the vibe I got from this story I guess

[@CheziahKatt]

​@Fernfellow she also had a partner, we don't know what happened but ended badly Hints she wanted kids with them but it's not working so she's going this alt method (so, creating life in an alternative way, also like a few other episodes)

[@milordelot4684]

i kinda want to point out that throughout this season there seems to be a lot of reoccuring imagery of an 'inner self' so to speak from the experiments of benjamin franklin to the 3rd episode with Samuel webber and his 'growth' even last episode talked about something trapped in the brain of the patient... if anyone else can think of any other connections let me know but in general things kind of seem a lot more universal than they seem.

[@Autistic_Menace00]

MAN I LOVE CLONE HORROR YIPPEE

[@thymeaquartzia6070]

rusty quill x harlan guthrie collab of the century

[@annaytofii1010]

both fandoms are being fed well rn

[@CheziahKatt]

A new you... by newman? A pun for a name?

[@Nikowo1610]

All new man lmao

[@Autistic_Menace00]

I think they have a themed username… or else we’re heading into Sparklecare style allotpun territory lol

[@gabriellabatel]

The tapes...ALICE KNOWS!! And Basira?? Helen??? We better get Daisy back, I am unwell Minor TMA spoilers: Also, Jon and Martin are DEAD??? They never met each other? That means OUR Jon and Martin from TMA are coming back, no doubles, I'm gonna flip

[@Rietto]

When she met the drowned talking lady in that alley, there was a tape recorder there, iirc.

[@Autistic_Menace00]

Yeah the tape recorder thing is only really legible in the transcripts imo so I think a lot of people didn’t notice lol

[@Rietto]

@@Autistic_Menace00 I think it's a little disappointing that the show fails to describe some details audibly that you need to go into transcripts to perceive. Ideally an audio play shouldn't need people to have to read those to know what's fully going on. :/

[@Autistic_Menace00]

@@Rietto Yeah in general I feel like the audio has been a lot less intelligible story wise in comparison to tma. It’s really sad.

[@dobyk5338]

@@Autistic_Menace00 Yup, fully agree. The audio is a lot worse than in TMA, or rather the sound mixing is. Which is a shame because the writing and voice acting are some of the best the Rusty Quill team has produced so far. All statements read by the computer are super clear, but other scenes where we listen through various devices suffer from the sounds being muffled and distant, and of course background noises. Great for immersion, terrible for understanding what people say though.

[@addisonbaskind6801]

I LOVE the little intricacies of this statement! The fact that the likes keep increasing on each post, but none of them have comments until something goes wrong. SUCH a great detail!

[@Leigheah]

HARLAN! You sick sick man that was an amazing episode! Truly one of the most grossest one yet. I love malevolent too

[@CamilleChauTempsDesCerises]

BASIRA AND HELENE? HOW LUCKY ARE WE

[@RubeeRoja]

Tape recorder? Too many eyes? Vanquished a rogue creature? ....Is it you?.....😢😢😢🙏

[@thecondescendinggoomba5552]

Is this the one piece the kids are takin bout

[@TheNitpickChick]

@@thecondescendinggoomba5552 🤣

[@Yumeki-san]

I totally got goosebumps at the end

[@azcdtixs]

Welcome back jane prentiss, we missed you. (edit) wait did i js heard the birth of ERROR?

[@azcdtixs]

GWEN SAW JON ALERT ALERT ALERT GWEN SAW JON

[@JamieAdventurer12]

Gwen had to had Near death experience to open up finally, lol!

[@kehlcassidy9562]

Not fair, she tried to tell the crew about Mr Bonzo almost immediately, and they laughed at her.

[@dragonicdoom3772]

Before I get into dissecting this episode I just want to try and convey how it felt to read that title and feel my heart drop as I could only think "NotSasha". Luckily it wasn't them (this time). Let's get to it then, first Lena clearly knows what that form Sam is filling out to the response department is and doesn't want him to complete it. Maybe it attracts unwanted attention from the Fears since a lot of the questions seem to revolve around scary experiences. The Case seems to be a mix of Flesh and Corruption this time, combining gore, body horror and transformation (Flesh) with trypophobia and infection (Corruption). Idk much about this subject but it seems to be about body dysmorphia, like not feeling comfortable in your own body, with your personal flaws or liking how others perceive you so you replace yourself with a "new you". Except instead of doing that in a healthy way this person just sewed a piece of coral into their leg like Zeus did to Dionysus and grew a clone. Some things that stand out to me is that the Case is being taken from an online forum that's apparently all about doing this weird stuff, which implies multiple people have done this to themselves, but despite the victim responding to people none but the penultimate post have any comments. And one user in particular "burntumberJ" gives the victim multiple suggestions so they might be an External who manipulated the victim into doing this. Umber is a dark yellow pigment which turns a reddish brown when burnt btw, no idea if that has any significance but thought I should mention it. Another weird detail is that the last post, the one which was deleted by moderators a minute after being posted, was apparently posted on January 3rd despite the previous post being posted on September 3rd of the same year. Could be a mistake (writing the date as 03/01/18 instead of 03/10/18) but you never know with MAG. As for the post-Case talks, hoooooooooo boy they fed us tonight! Celia isn't telling Sam where she got the names from, Sam found another Martin and Jon who died almost 20 years ago. Our Jon and Martin could've killed their counterparts, not too big a stretch to say Jon gave his counterpart a heart attack through sheer terror at least. As for Basira, that's concerning because it means they could run into Daisy who might also be a Hunter in this universe. Helen isn't as concerning (yet) since she's nothing without the Distortion (at least I hope so because the gang has enough problems, they don't need Distortion making it worse). Lastly, Gwen spilled some of the details onto Alice! "I know how many eyes a regular human is supposed to have" So if it wasn't already clear we're dealing with an Eye Avatar. I have a feeling Alice has met Jon (I'm calling ERROR Jon because unless Jonny pulls a fast one it's almost certainly Jon) before the incident with the drowning lady, maybe he got her to tell the story of her parents' deaths or something. And the "I think they might be after us. All of us." line made me put together what Jon said to Ink5oul: that there was more of them, meaning more people unknowingly feeding The Eye. For whatever reason, he wants to find our assessment team. Let's hope its to info dump on them and not slurp their brains out

[@dobyk5338]

Good summary, but honestly I'm very skeptical about [ERROR] being Jon. It would feel contrived somehow, like *of course* it would have to be the only archivist we are familiar with and the fandom is obsessed with. I think it would be much more interesting if the entity is actually the archivist native to this timeline. Or I could be wrong, but I really hope it's not Jon because I'm getting a little tired of everything having to ultimately lead to Jon and Martin xD Like, I want some original content with original characters.

[@dragonicdoom3772]

@@dobyk5338 I have floated the idea that it could be Jon but only the Archivist part of him, similar to the creature from the Serapeum of Alexandria.

[@nexospine]

I just started listening to malevolent a couple days ago, so this being written by the same guy was a weird surprise.

[@matthewgeorge9051]

Here's a thought. If the external with the tape recorder is the remnants of Jon from TMA stripped of his consciousness and humanity, I wonder if that's how other monsters manifested as well. Avatars stripped of their powers when the entities escape into a new world and repurposing it into new creations of fear or passing them onto new servants.

[@ziasteele9332]

I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! I really like the implication I got from the series finale of TMA that even the most inhuman monsters started out as avatars and slowly lost their autonomy like how Jon would have eventually become an eyeball monster like the one in Alexandria(and maybe he did in this series 😢)

[@dobyk5338]

I really don't feel that [ERROR] has anything to do with Jon. Like, at all. Though it definitely sounds like an archivist of some kind.

[@brcrdiosas5633]

And Martin is the tape recorder, he finally got to bite other avatars

[@no-namemcnameless7188]

Me: waits like 7 weeks so i can listen to multiple episodes at once Ep 23: cliffhanger

[@M1N1SCUL3]

the tapes are WHAT NOW

[@ethanstine426]

Okaaay so I'm pausing at the halfway point. There is alot more step by step body horror in this series and I got to say it REALLY gets to me. Took me a month to finish the second episode.

[@_nafura_]

I WAS DISTRUBED HARLAN, as usual, great episode.

[@ariana7404]

The lack of comments is screaming eye to me, like they're all just watching this person go through this loop, and feeding 😬

[@avarievans7065]

just me leaned back from the desk for the whole ep, really fantastic

[@cosmicastell658]

Alice being nice to Gwen??!! BIG day for the dyhard shippers

[@M1N1SCUL3]

new tmagp episode new me

[@Phantom_1_2]

The Magnus Archives polycule was fun. But The Magnus Proticol polycule is better. Practically canon/j

[@Autistic_Menace00]

GOD I hope so I would be so happy

[@remmcknight614]

Sam and his response paperwork. Bruh. I too like telling random useless forms my trauma 🤣

[@Bashbots_v0id]

basira and helen mention omg

[@kehlcassidy9562]

Okay, but I am here for Alice and Gwen as enemies to lovers. Also- six cases about evil toys? We know that FR3D1 communicates with our crew through their caseload, are they trying to tell Celia something here?

[@ryukryukryukryuk7294]

ayyy harlan guthrie always love getting more content from him

[@brits4940]

He says the John and Martin he found, they died from a "cycling accident" and a "heart thing" right??? Spoilers for MA ahead! Wouldn't Martin have certainly stabbed John in the heart at the end of MA to kill him that quickly... is that the "heart thing"? But i cant connect the "cycling accident" to Martin in during that same moment. 😅

[@Timfishoh2759]

I'm guessing it was this dimension's Martin Blackwood that died of "some kind of heart thing."

[@augusticeearly2432]

I’m re listening to archives, and MY GOD I need some intense stuff from this one too

[@grifterz_bonehurt]

THIS EPISODE MADE ME ILL I LOVE IT I AM FROTHING AT THE MOUTH FOR BASIRA AND HELEN AND JON AND MARTIN AND AAAAAAA The statement reminds me so much of this creepypasta I read about a year back called Licks from a Bear. Such good memories! I like this version way more though, idk if it was inspired or just a coincidence but it's still really cool seeing the parallels regardless.

[@DiegoGonzalez-mc7mq]

"John where the FUCK are we"

[@assuredpug]

A large part of me REALLY hopes that the versions we know of Martin and Jon are still alive (I’m still trying to recover from 200) Also is it just me or when Celia lies about where she got info about Jon and Martin, FR3-D1 got REALLY buzzy, almost as if he knew that Celia was lying but also he REALLY KNEW, like when you *absolutely know* when someone is lying instead of… knowing? My brain is theorizing like crazy I don’t know how else to word this right now lol

[@cae2212]

I expected a lot going into this with everything building up. What i didn't expect was to get jumpscared by harlan guthrie at the end. Especially since I kind of flipped a coin to determine if i want to listen to this or malevolent

[@miriam8376]

I guess it could be our Jon in the computer and their Jon as ERROR, with a falsely-reported death or something, but I also kind of like the idea of ERROR being a sort of cautionary tale of what happens when the Eye picked someone less worthy than Jon to play Avatar for it. Maybe there’s a reason he never fully lost his humanness and decency like so many of the other Avatars did. Maybe if the Eye picks someone who embraces it and wants the power, this is what we get.

[@JennyFerko]

Alex thinking he is trolling Alice: :) Some entity tired of making new documents: >:(

[@thecondescendinggoomba5552]

New dread power: The Paperwork a.k.a I don't want to fill you out

[@paint-splash6638]

I imagine when Sam looked up Jon Sims he ended up with Jonny d’Ville and was greatly confused lmao

[@racoon_in_ankhmorpork]

Hey, anyone got a clue about the phantom commenters in the statement? My current theory is that they’re other “new you”s whose comments have been deleted by moderators, but that feels a bit off… wouldn’t the statement have mentioned the comments being deleted throughout? Just saying x likes and zero comments that way… I’m confused. Anyways, cool case and even cooler post-case scenes, Gwen and Alice teaming up could mean shit will finally get done!! I was also very happy that the Response Department paperwork was mentioned again, though I’m still not sure where it’ll lead Sam…

[@thelastpizzasliceeeee]

More name droppingggg

[@Atari_01]

here’s how Jane Prentiss can still win…

[@watercraftworshipper3758]

Does this statement mean The Corruption has dominion over coral? Or is it a question of belief? Like if you honestly think an old boot will murder you in your sleep, does that old boot become an artifact of The Slaughter? Of course, these questions presuppose that the original 14+1 mean anything in TMP (which I suspect that they don't), but I guess this question could go back to TMA.

[@vithebi]

Love me some good body horror, but boy did this make my skin crawl. I really like the detail of the number of likes in the thread and consistent 0 comments. That enormous surge in likes at the end was a really well-executed idea that is pretty damn scary for being so simple. If there's that many of these döppelgangers out there, that's a right epidemic, but of course, no one would know until it's too late. The sad thing is, it seems like the woman in the statement was in a really vulnerable place when she found this groupchat. It's fitting though since that's exactly how cults operate irl. Okay, but BASIRA AND HELEN TOO!? Praying to the RQ gods they cameo in the future 🙏🏻 I got actual chills at Alice and Gwen's conversation at the end. They're communicating at least, and that's a good first step towards surviving.

[@aphemorpha]

I'm pretty sure the glitches only work when a character is knowingly (conciously or subconciously) lying, so the paperwork could very well still be important. It just means that Lena doesn't know that, which is interesting in it's own right. Or it's the world's most bureaucratic red herring.

[@pandoriasbox]

insane case and insane post-case, what a banger episode

[@maxmanning9301]

Jon? That you with the eyes?

[@GreyBird-g5t]

malevolent mention??? in tma????? this is the best day of my life

[@alexanderbonner8694]

They said the things! Love references from prior series.

[@matthewgeorge9051]

The immediate disapproval when Newman realized she made a mistake. "Thread locked by BetterThanYou" A bit dissapointing they died alone in this universe, but without the Magnus Institute, they never would have met or stuck together in the first place.

[@MikaNeow]

Every time it said "zero comments" but the likes kept increasing I was like ohhhh boy I can't wait to see what fucked up thing happens to excite these people into commenting.

[@kehlcassidy9562]

​@@MikaNeowi know, and then the one post with 37!! I wish FR3D1 had read out the comments!!

[@OctopusOwl]

I wonder if Gwen knows that she was reciting that story and summoning the many eyed tape recorder entity. Maybe it just happened because of proximity to the entity while being terrified for your life.

[@whatsuphomedawg]

TAPE RECORDER‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️