THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2020
- MAG154 - Case #0082107 - Eric Delano
Statement regarding their life, Mary Keay and the Archives.
The Magnus Archives hears the story of a former employee and loving father who discovered that love tested their ability to see things clearly and that freedom had a price.
Content Notes: Murder, physical violence, domestic abuse, self-inflicted wounds
Starring: The Archivist - Jonathan Sims; Gertrude Robinson - Sue Sims; Eric Delano - Richard Soames; Martin Blackwood - Alexander J Newall
Writer: Jonathan Sims
Director: Alexander J Newall
Producer: Lowri Ann Davies
Editors: Alexander J Newall, Annie Fitch, Brock Winstead
MERCH:
Crowdmade: crowdmade.com/collections/rus...
Teepublic: www.teepublic.com/stores/rust...
Redbubble: www.redbubble.com/people/Rust... - บันเทิง
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"Gouge your eyes out and run away with me" surly isn't the kind of love proposal I expect but exactly the kind john would give
i wouldn't expect anything less from him
It's such a John move
s1: Martin's a useless nuisance
s4: Martin, lets run away together
s1: Martin is a useless nuisance.
s4: Martin, holy shit, lets gouge our eyes out to run away from The Beholding and all the powers, also, we can swear now
Eric 🤝 that barista
Pining after monster ladies
Who are 'hot'
good taste tbh
Jon can have one swear, as a treat.
Edit: Martin may also have one swear, because he is a treat.
😂
Agreed🤣
Yes
Jon ceremoniously says *_"SHIT"_* at least once at the crux of every season
Oh absolutely
"I found a way to leave the institute, but its pretty drastic"
"what, you're gonna gauge your eyes out or something?"
"......"
"fuck off"
why does this make me laugh so hard
ikr, I had to pause it to properly take in the rest of whats really a serious moment because that had me wheezing-
Fr I replayed that interaction like fifteen times, it's hysterical
Instead of doing any normal couple thing, he literally went up to Martin and proposed the idea of going blind together and eloping. Very Jon way to confess
😂😂😂
Eric saying “Elias?? Really?” Is so funny when you remember that Elias used to be a pothead
LMAOO
You laugh, but this is a genuine plot point that actually becomes relevant near the end of the podcast.
@@arifhossain9751 ik, i just finished the podcast like last week :,)
Omg I almost forgot that
When was the episode they mentioned he was a pothead ? I only vaguely remember
Jon says "The Lonely's really got you, hasn't it?" not because Martin rejected him (which Jon realizes is pretty out of character for him), but because Martin can't envision a scenario where someone cares about him. He can't comprehend someone else wanting him to be okay and safe, because no one has ever really done that; he seems himself as the caregiver, never the one allowed to be cared for. And it breaks Jon's heart just as much, if not more, than the rejection.
You know, from the inside of that mind state, its really stupid, and really fucking selfish, and in the end it just breaks you down. But _in_ it, you think its a shelter. You think its the only way to keep you safe and dignified. You think if you build up enough walls and shut everyone out that you can never get hurt again. You never realize that the pain wasn't really coming from the outside.
Ima cry now ✌🏻
i like how martin treats the tapes like little pets
That was such an endearing addition.
I get the feeling that he talks to spiders in the same way.
I love it because it makes our POV like an excited little pet. Every time we pop in around Martin I say "Haaai Martin :)" and I'm always very happy when he says hi back.
You know that if Tim was still around he would instantly start learning braille
I love how in the Q&A johny refers to this as the "let's gouge out our eyes and make out" episode
omfg thank you for sharing that info
I am very happy knowing this info thank you so much
I needed this info
Gouge out, make out
"its.. pretty drastic."
"what, you've got to gouge your eyes out or something?"
ASHDKGJNGNGN
"Fuck ooOff!"
I laughed so hard at this
I think me and Jon shared a facial journey of 'wellllll' in that moment lmao
augh I could practically see jon's face right then
Top ten charecters that get pegged on a regular basis:
Eric
We were all thinking it, but you didn’t have to say it
he really said girlboss malewife rights
"and Mary pushed _so_ hard... harder even than you. But I let her."
_hmmm..._
Hehehehe, DelAno
Jurgen Leitner
Jon 🤝 Martin
“ F U C K ”
but they won't...................
@@ita104 ... _YET_ ...
@@SkyP9812 ever.......... cuz jon is canonically ace
@@fluffylizard4325 *smiles enigmatically in spoiler*
Jon really asked Martin to run away with him.
I'm dying inside over it. Especially because of Martin's rejection making me T.T
I'm just surprised of how bold a move it was for such an emotionally-repressed man. Like woah that was almost a love confession
I couldn't stop thinking of Crowly (for Good omens) when he asked his Angel the same thing
@@azulBjort_1406 Same
Except the romance was slightly put off by the fact that to do so they would have to gouge out their eyes
*"...and his final thought was a gentle saddness at how little he was suprised"*
Why did this make me actually tear up like wtf
his last thought was "disappointed, but not surprised."
*at a job interview*
*interviewer:* special skills?
*me:* skipping to the exact moment when the TMA intro ends and the recording begins on the first try
“You’re overqualified for this job”
Omg I did that on this episode too. I usually manage to skip till just before the music ends but this one was right as the recording started
Nothing is more satisfying than skipping +10 seconds ahead and when you stop you hear "(*click). Statement of..."
I'm so glad jon and martin invented homosexuality
fellow queers please thank jon and martin for inventing gay
I agree, let us all thank them for creating and becoming the first two gay people
when eric mentioned micheal my heart went *:(*
Saaaame 😭😭 especially him saying that she was "nice" to him
ERIC
I loved that. Gerry
That made me so happy
Honestly I feel so bad for them. They honestly seemed like such sincere good people
I feel so bad for these two ahhh 😭😭
I dont like garden shears anymore
They rarely swear on this show, but when they do it's WELL timed
cut to episode 163
Don't they read the profanities in statements though
Oof Martin laughing like that really got me ouch.
Can you imagine? How long has he dreamed of hearing those words or something like it coming from Jon "Come with me" "Let's run away together" "Just the two of us" and now... Now he can't do it. Now he doesn't want to. It must be so unintentionally cruel, Jon finally being the one begging and Martin knows he has to turn him away.
And the only way it makes sense to Martin is that Jon only asked because he knows he'd refuse. He doesn't really mean it.
Oof.
Yeah! Every time John says how much he cares to Martin, it really sounds like he doesn't believe him! And it breaks my heart! Every single time!
Martin you are loved, just please believe us!
I want to jump into a pool of acid xx
I can't believe I don't even think of that!?!?!!! Oh god
STOP YOU'RE JUST HAMMERING THE NAIL DEEPER INTO MY BLEEDING HEART
"Scans show decisions are made by your brain long before your conscious mind even has a chance to register them. Most of one’s life is simply spent looking back and convincing yourself that you chose deliberately to act like you did." Annabelle Cane
That's such a Jon way to confess to someone. Drastic and dramatic and very dangerous.
YES!!
The Three Ds of Proposing
Oh shi-- Jon literally said, "you and me, we could go off together" like he was just talking about the two of them ALONE, leaving and, "i'm willing to take that risk" JUST TO BE SAFE FROM HERE WITH YOU LIKE BRO OMFG I-- THIS-- MY heart can' take this
And you can just HEAR him, "I'll be here if you ever need me, just don't wait too long" which means 'i'm here for you if you need me but just don't take too long because i want to talk to you AGAIN as soon as possible because i like talking to you' omfg i cant i cant i cant i cant i cant MY HEARTTT
More like 'don't take too long' because both of them could become monsters if they wait too long.
And Martin left him high and dry.
I startled myself because i suddenly read this is Crowley's voice-
I love Martin's stunned "FUCK OFF" when he finds out. Like, drops that distances because this is importance.
"What, you got to gouge your eyes out or something-"
"..."
"Fuck off."
that was great
I just imagined him pausing and then awkwardly nodding in affirmation with a pained expression on his face
Jon said “Romeo take me somewhere we can be aloneeee”
That made me laugh more than it should have
😂😂😂😂😂 dam you✌️
jon: we could go off together
martn: go off Together?
Shit... This shit hurts
@Irregular Psychic your pfp makes this so much better
Oh oof.... good reference though
I'm Tired HBQIHDKSKD
i'm in love with you for this!!!!!!!
"I think the Lonely's always been with me" we talk about Martin being a Bean™ but he's had it rough
Yeah that broke my heart! And considering how his mother hated him and John was dismissive of him in the first season, I can understand where it comes from. The poor guy was never wanted.
Really brings you back to that conversation with him and Tim
Tim: "This isn't about you!"
Martin: "it never is."
@@waffleboi2976 exactly, he was always overlooked, and the fact thate can now literally turn invisible just 💔
@@achnav3762 YEAH AND IT HURTS MY HEART SO MUCH
eric sounds just like his son, gerry keay. his voice and general snarkiness.
I appreciate that they are both snarky
@@jydeosaure6564 who doesn't
Gerry really took after his father, didn't he? Its depressing that they both met horrible ends, but kinda sweet considering that even after Gerry grew up surrounded by so many monsters, he still managed to take after his father, the only person who cared about him.
JON JUST WANTED TO LEAVE AND HAVE A QUIET SEMI-NORMAL GAY LIFE WITH MARTIN AND MARTIN SAID "lol x to doubt" GODAMMIT
when it comes to anyone genuinely caring about martin his go-to move is just 'press x to doubt'
@@broblerone413 honestly same
@@cartoonistanonymous mood
I'm sorry but as heartwarming as Jon's offer to Martin was,
what was he expecting? the two of them, as he puts it 'running off' together?? Jon,....
HOW EXACTLY ARE THE TWO OF YOU GOING TO DO THAT WITH NO EYES??? XD
Run off into a streetlamp together more like it..
honestly the thought of them running into a street lamp just THONK it makes me laugh
"When he opened his eyes, he of course, saw nothing" I didn't catch that at all the first time! So good
That "I could" from Jon has the same energy of "I could be on drugs".
Hearing Jon say the f-bomb after hearing the tape was so vivid in my mind I legit laughed. I just imagine him, wide-eyed, him running his hand through his hair like he uncovered the most important piece of information imaginable by tripping.
"I am the avatar of awful knowledge and revealed secrets. So what does it not want me to show?"
Happy memories and wholesome facts maybe?
of course Gerry's dad would find humor in his wife struggling to dismember his body after murdering him. Though sadly he sounded like he loved Mary...despite all that. He seemed like such a good guy and father
To hear how completely jaded Martin has gotten is a genuinely depressing scene. I suppose that's the point though, isn't it? To eliminate hope, leaving only the fertile fields of hatred, grief, and mistrust in which fear thrives in
Just let them elope already
Little known fact: Gerry's grandfather was also bound to a page, which was burned by the archivist before Gertrude, and so on, back to the beginning of the Institute.
Do you remember which episode was that?
Jon going full love eyed teenager with the running away together thing. Man it hurts that it's at this point when Martin can't reciprocate :(
Me listening to Eric speak about his relationship: How dumb are you?
Also me listening to Eric speak about his relationship: yeah id let Mary step on me too😔
He just loved his damn murderwife so much he couldn’t stand the thought of being apart from her. I hated Mary for being so cruel to Gerry, but now I find her simply odious. How could she be so mean to perfect boy Eric Delano??
@@jessarisetty5448 He literally deserved so much better! He knew she was bad news she never even tried to hide it but he loved her anyway and got killed for it! Justice for Eric (but still stand by what I said I love her it's a problem but the way he speaks about her I can't not😭)
@@amphitritemists4595 ajskdl yes if just the force of him talking about Mary is enough to make everyone fall in love with him the poor man never had a chance actually knowing her (and the power of her just going “you’re taking me out to dinner” no wonder he gouged his eyes out for her so would I)
Mary is littlerally the Alex g song Mary lol
Jon really be proposing to Martin like:
"We can go off together! | Alpha Centauri! Loads of spare planets up there, nobody'd even notice us!"
And then Martin be like:
"We have nothing whatsoever in common, I don't even like you!"
I'm here to heal my heart after season 2, how dare you attack me this way ?!
You know I had almost gotten over that part and now I'm sad
NOOO
What’s this a reference to?
@@Ruuehxbfiqkxn the hit amazon show Good Omens, very good, very heartbreaking, *very gay*
ITS LIKE THAT SCENE FROM GOOD OMENS IM GONNA CRY
THAT'S WHAT IT REMINDED ME OF i couldn't place where i remembered it from
OH GOD IT IS 😭😭
I THOUGHT SO TOO I CAN'T
That's all I could think of AAAAAHHHHHHH
this is even more heartbreaking than the one where Elias made Martin cry Jesus fucking Christ just LET THEM BE HAPPY
I totally forgot about that scene!!! I felt so bad for Martin!!!
"It's not easy to blind yourself temporarily,"
Gunpowder Tim: easy for you to say
You know it's been really nice thinking of Martin as an adorable bean, but really he's always been incredibly sharp. He's very intelligent and sort of ruthless
That dry laugh of disbelief Martin has.. It breaks me everytime! First he is sweet and sounds happy to see John but that laugh.. I sounds like "I don't believe you care about me" and after he is nothing but dismissive!
I don't know if he's right or if John really wanted to run away with him, but the way he can't put his mind on the possibility that John would give everything up the go with him, it is too much for me.
Eric and Gerry’s statements made me so sad...
Also, the way John and Martin dropped the f-bomb made me laugh so much, I actually replayed Martin’s a couple of times and I couldn’t stop the laughter
Eric: :3
Mary: I want the submissive and breedable one to be my husband
imagine just sitting around in your office when your long time crush BUSTS DOWN THE DOOR AND STARTS OBSESSIVELY TALKING ABOUT RUNNING AWAY TOGETHER. and when you say *no* . I did not binge this podcast to have my heart absolutely shattered thank you
also love when swearing is rare but *highlights* the important moments. like in bojack the horseman where was always just one "f*ck" per season
Eric really was a bottom, huh.
Aw man that broke my hear when Martin says I can't follow you to John 😭😭
goddamn this episode was full of emotions but let's go through my three main ones:
1. OH SO THATS WHO ERIC IS / i think i have the same taste in women as eric delano and damn i dont know what to do with that information / oof he really just called gertrude worse than mary
2. wait what / WAIT WHAT / TIM COULD JUST HAVE LEFT? Oh FUCK ME
3. LETS RUN OFF TO ALPHA CENTAURI TOGETHER PLEASE / martin saying that the lonely was always w him HURT. i mean thats what the entire first season was wasnt it. i mean, and the second. and... yep. that letter to his mom... ah fuck its all making sense now boys and it doesnt look good
I'm pretty sure Tim would have taken his own sight in seconds.
@@Nizati Before he knew that he could get revenge for his brother by disturbing the Stranger's ritual he surely would. After that, I'm not so sure.
THAT'S IT!! THAT'S THE VIBE!! alpha centauri............... god
Jon really pulled a Crowley on us
I find it so funny just how many good omens fans this episode had revealed in the fandom
The lonely’s really got you, hasn’t it?
MY HEART
oh no
*my boys*
" And Gerry, have you seen my son?"
just rip my fucking heart out why don't you?
Wait, Decker dropped a screaming box into the Thames. Was that the head of the desolation guy Gertrude... erm... solidified?
You GENIUS
I never would have thought of that!
Martin's little 'fuck off' was amazing.
"You and me, we could go off together" Oh my GOD Jon I'm DYING over here.
Also what's up with Michael's timeline? The statement we heard Michael Shelley in was from 2007, but here it's 2008, and Eric implies that twelve years before the Sannikov Land incident already happened, marking the time he became the Distortion to AT LEAST 1996, so what's up with that?
Fitting, that the Spiral doesn't seem to make sense.
I think being the Distortion and being a book ghost are both bad for your sense of time.
Maybe Mary knew and told him? He said she summond him from the book to talk sometimes
"Just don’t wait too long, okay? ...If you haven’t already."
Wow
I feel like no one on this earth would be able to handle the amount of ranting and raving I want to do on this podcast. I could scream 😭. There's no outlet. It all bottles up with nowhere to go. Talking to people I know actually makes me feel like I'm Jon taking info from the unwilling. Except reverse.
So you rant on the internet. It's what its there for.
Literally same, this podcast lives in my brain rent-free
I've tried to talk to someone about it, but firstly I don't want to spoil it for them, and secondly, as soon as I open my mouth they're "And no, we don't want to hear about The Magnus Archives". So here I am.
My God this hurts an unreasonable amount.
like the fact that one of Eric's last wish was for "Gerry" to be safe.
That realization that his dad was probably one of the only people who got to call him that. And the tragedy that Gerry died all the same having lived a life unable to get away from his mother. It's so sad to think about how they both ended up as pages as well.
And don't even get me started on that closing dialouge. I am in absolute tears and that's almost not an exaggeration.
I am so in awe of this writing
THIS CONNECTS WHY GERTRUDE FOUND GERRY AND ERIC'S STORY AND I JUST *MUCH SCREAMING*
Jesus Christ, I just want them to be happy
I'm alone in my house. The exact moment this ended I literally said just one thing out loud:
"NO."
JONNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY why must you be so cruel?! i was _already_ devastated there was no need to go this hard oh my god
Jon saying fuck immediately followed by Martin typing noises were what I needed in 2021
Did not expect Martin to hurt me so much but he sure did, didnt he
them swearing is i-
damn i have to stop catching feelings for characters that dont exist 😳
It's too late for us I think. We've gonna have our hearts broken in the series finale..
@@achnav3762 hey how do you feel about the finale
@@faxonii How dare you!
(I'm okay, the open ending was everything I needed, I can write my own canon-compliant happy-end)
I love this episode but also I hate it hhhhg
*mom the boys are fighting* :(
Eric be like *"I'm scaroused"*
my man really said step on me
This gave me flashbacks to good omens and I'm now the avatar of the big sad
that's what i thought 😭
I am going fucking FERAL over hearing Jon’s quiet “fuck” and Martin’s “fuck offff”
22:38 and 24:23 replay button
Jon: looks for the tapes that he really doesnnt want to listen to
Ceaseless Watcher: OUTPLAYED
Well... Removing one's optics is the individual's way of escaping the Beholding. But if you are all caught up with the series... You know there is a way that *all* the archival assistants can leave... And its just as horrifying as you imagine.
What getting absorbed into the eye ? Die ? I think blinding oneself is a good way out.
Spoilers (maybe, just being careful.)
Its killing Jon right. Yeah that would be bruta.
@@cappuccino1645
...
yes
I would guess it involves doing terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things to Jon.
Nope. Killing the Archivist would just lead to another Avatar being born. That sounds very ATLA but it's true. i.e, what happened when Gertrude died.
Aaaaahhhh he really truly was like "let's run away together" huh,,,,,
"getting out of here one way or another" KILLING AND BITING AND MAIMING
Eric, I love you and appreciate that you actually cared for Gerry. Also, *pain*
"you and me, together-"
The way he talks about being bound reminds me of TMA 165... "The angles cut me when I try to think"
I love all the episodes with Gertrude. Her death was basically the bad ending for their world.
He called him Gerry. He loved his son so much 😩😩😩😩
14:10 and everytime we touch I get this feeling-
Me most of the Jon and Martin scene: *laughing at the lets run away together* adorable amazing
Me tearing up at the end: whyyy
but what if.. someone blind wanted to work for the magnus institute??
I guess they wouldn't be employed. At least not at the Archive's.
Another question : what if someone from the Archive's got themself blinded (not on purpose) but don't quit. Would they be fired or something?
Take up a discrimination case with evil eldritch Eye?
@@achnav3762 I think they just would potentially be able to quit but not be aware of it? So as long as no one told them they'd be able to quit, they would just keep going on as usual being a useful tool of the Eye despite their blindness, thinking they were still trapped there
I have a migraine and listened to this with a sleep mask on to block out the light in my room. Ah irony
While listening to last half of this episode I got something really painful and scratchy in my eye and the whole time I was just like "NO THANK YOU I'M GOOD I DON'T NEED ANY BLINDNESS TODAY"
"just don't wait too long, okay?
if you haven't already."
AND WHEN I LOSE MY MIND????
martins exasperated "fuck off" i love him
Gertrude was savage it appears!
She managed not to be as linked to the Eye as John is but don't know who was more of a monster ! Everyone hated her!
Gertrude was a deeply tragic figure. Instead of sacrificing her humanity to the entities to become a monster in service, she sacrificed her humanity herself, becoming her own kind of monster in order to fight the entities. Even if the rituals were doomed to never succeed, their partial success would still be borderline apocalyptic.
@@SorchaSublime spoiler gap just to be safe:
I'm pretty sure it's impossible for them to succeed even slightly? Everything Gertrude did was in the end pointless, there was no risk from any of the rituals because no entity could ever even partially enter reality without the others rubberbanding them back like a blue shell to the spooky face
Which really just makes her even _more_ tragic I think
i know he's not going to, but imagine if he actually did gouge his eyes out!!! would he heal instantly, or would he die? the most fun bit, i think, is would martin know, and how?
I like how people just casually say hello to the Eye.
Is this the first time Martin swore?
WELL THEN. Ty for making me sadder then I already was :(. I'm joking of course. It's interesting hearing from Gurtrude now that we know how much Jon doubts everything. Did she? Did she feed off people the way that he did? Did she care at one point, the way he does?
From what gerry said I think Gertrude avoided becoming a full on archivist, barely using her powers and minimally feeding herself statements. The reason why jon can feed himself with the statements in the archive is because Gertrude just didn't read most of them to avoid hurting the people who gave them (jon says at one point he thinks that Gertrude didn't read them). The exception being if they have relevant information for her quest to stop the rituals, which was her one true mission.
Okay, when she started reading the statement I really thought she was reading a smutty fanfiction of her own writing WELL THIS EXPLAINS WHY THE EYE DIDN'T WANT JON TO READ IT C'MON DUDE THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN SAKE
INT. MAGNUS INSTITUTE, ARCHIVES, ARCHIVIST’S OFFICE]
[TAPE CLICKS ON.]
ARCHIVIST
(sigh) Hm. (sharp inhale) I’ve, uh, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking after what happened with Daisy last week. About- what I can do. What I am. What feels- right.
I found a- erm, I went back to Eli- Peter’s office, to that box of tapes, started rifling through. And I started to pay attention to the ones I… wasn’t drawn to. The tapes I instinctively wanted to discard.
There was one, this one, that my hand… pulled back from. I dropped it, twice, when I went to pick it up. Even now, I’m… (slight quaver to his voice) struggling to hit play.
I am the avatar of awful knowledge and revealed secrets, so what does it notwant me to know?
[LONG SIGH.]
[TAPE CLICKS OFF.]
[INT. MAGNUS INSTITUTE, ARCHIVES, ARCHIVIST’S OFFICE, 2008]
[TAPE CLICKS ON.]
GERTRUDE
(sharp sigh) Right. No use putting it off further.
[WE HEAR THE RUSTLE OF PAPER. GERTRUDE BEGINS TO READ.]
GERTRUDE
“When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing, but he heard her breathing, slow and steady and focused, and he immediately knew that she was finally going to- (slight stumble) -kill him. When the garden shears plunged into his chest, he was surprised by how little actual pain there was, just the sudden feeling of moisture on his chest and the realization that his body was growing weak, fading away.
He wished she would say she was sorry she was doing this, that she loved him, that she would miss him. But he knew better, and his final thought was a gentle sadness at how little he was surprised.”
[AS SHE READS, A STATIC BEGINS, FIRST A RELATIVELY STANDARD CRACKLING, THAT SOON EVOLVES INTO A DEEPER, MORE WHOOSHING SOUND.]
GERTRUDE
“And so Eric Delano ended.”
[THE WHOOSHING SOUND FORMS MORE CLEARLY INTO A SHAKING BREATH.]
GERTRUDE
…Eric?
ERIC DELANO
Gertrude, I- Wha- What am I doing here?
[FOLLOWING EVERY WORD HE SPEAKS IS AN ECHO, LIGHT AND AIRY AND GHOSTLY. HIS VOICE ITSELF IS SOFT, ALMOST COMFORTING IN ITS MONOTONY.]
GERTRUDE
Mary. She gave me your page.
ERIC
She!- Oh.
GERTRUDE
Yes. Well. I’m sorry.
ERIC
Wasn’t even hard for her, was it? Handing me over? No sign of regret.
GERTRUDE
(still a bit shaky) No.
ERIC
No.
GERTRUDE
I’m sorry, Eric; I know this must be hard- I just read your death. I didn’t realize it would quite so…
[SHE TRAILS OFF, FLAPS THE PAGE AT HIM.]
ERIC
You should have seen what she did to my body afterwards.
GERTRUDE
Did you?
ERIC
Oh, yes. She bound me afterwards and made me watch. Don’t know why. Wasn’t really in the best state to ask. Maybe she just wanted some company.
GERTRUDE
…While she disposed of your body?
ERIC
God, I was a mess. I mean, part of me kind of suspected she’d killed before, but clearly she hadn’t done it enough to be a decent hand at chopping up and dumping bodies. (heh.) She was having a real hard time of it. My legs were all over the shop. (long inhale) Would probably have been funny, if it hadn’t been me.
GERTRUDE
What’s it like? Being bound to the book?
ERIC
I don’t know how to describe it. Never was great with words.
Bad. It feels bad. All the time.
I know that I’m not really Eric; I’m just a memory someone wrote down. It hurts, most of the time. I don’t like it.
GERTRUDE
But, you’re still here.
ERIC
I suppose. Mary used to get me up to bounce ideas off of. Talk through her thoughts and theories. Never listened to me, obviously, but (light, pointed) nothing new there.
GERTRUDE
Well, it’s good to see you. I suppose.
ERIC
You too. (beat) You got old.
GERTRUDE
Better than being dead.
ERIC
(short sigh of a laugh) Fair enough. To be honest, I’m impressed, more than anything. Hard to get old in this business. You either die, or you, uh, stay young. (short, uncomfortable pause) …How did Mary look?
GERTRUDE
(same sort of short laugh) She got old, too.
ERIC
S’pose that makes sense. And Gerry? Have you seen my son?
GERTRUDE
No; I’ve never met him, I’m afraid. Mary talks of him a lot. Well, she seems very proud.
ERIC
That’s…not as reassuring as you think it is.
GERTRUDE
I see your point.
[SHORT PAUSE.
ERIC
Why did she give me to you?
GERTRUDE
I- I don’t know. She seemed to think it was a gift.
ERIC
Mm, charming.
GERTRUDE
She said she had one final mystery to explore. With the book.
ERIC
Oh. Oh. You know what that means, don’t you?
GERTRUDE
I have a pretty strong suspicion, yes.
[ERIC HEHS.]
GERTRUDE
What?
ERIC
Oh, just thinking. Five years as her husband, god knows how many as her possession, and she just couldn’t stand being bound in the same book as me.
GERTRUDE
Hm. I’m sorry.
ERIC
Yeah, it doesn’t feel great. But being dead, I s’pose you don’t feel things quite as strongly. Little bit- flat.
I’m aware of the heartbreak, but I don’t know if I actually feel it. It’s strange, really.
GERTRUDE
Yes. Yes, it sounds it.
[ERIC TAKES A SLOW, DEEP BREATH.]
ERIC
So what now?
GERTRUDE
I’m not entirely sure. I was probably going to burn you, if you’re amenable to the idea.
ERIC
…Yes. Yes, I think that would be for the best.
GERTRUDE
I’m just trying to figure out if there was a reason she gave you to me. The way she was smiling… as if she was handing over a secret.
ERIC
I don’t know. (sigh) Do you have any questions? Any unfinished business?
GERTRUDE
(heh-hm) Of course. When she killed you, there were plenty of outstanding cases and such, but nothing that would still be relevant.
ERIC
Sorry, what do you mean?
GERTRUDE
Well, you were working on quite a few statements when she killed you.
ERIC
Gertrude, I left the Archives months before she killed me.
GERTRUDE
What? No. That’s- That’s not possible.
ERIC
Of course. They didn’t tell you. Why would they? Mary probably thought it was funnier if you didn’t know, and Wright would have preferred you not to know. How is he, by the way?
GERTRUDE
James? He died about twelve years ago. Elias is Head of the Institute now.
ERIC
Elias? Elias Bouchard, seriously?!
GERTRUDE
Hm, he’s changed a lot.
ERIC
Must have!
GERTRUDE
So. What did they not want me to know?
ERIC
I quit.
GERTRUDE
You- Sorry, you quit?
ERIC
Yeah. I figured out how.
GERTRUDE
I- I just assumed-
How?
ERIC
Well, that’s it, isn’t it? I suppose that’s why she gave me to you. One final screw you to the Eye.
GERTRUDE
Eric. How did you quit?
[ERIC HOLDS BACK.]
GERTRUDE
(warning) Eric,
ERIC
(short laugh) Sorry. I just- (laugh) I don’t mean to be a dick, but- well, it’s been a long time since I’ve had any sort of- leverage, I guess? Just a- little bit of power. It’s kind of nice.
GERTRUDE
Are you going to tell me?
ERIC
Thinking about it.
GERTRUDE
Think harder,
ERIC
You know, you were never actually all that nice to me when I worked for you, Gertrude. Not like Michael, or Emma.
GERTRUDE
Eric,
ERIC
What, you gonna threaten me? Look at me. Best I can currently hope for is to be burnt to ash. (inhale, sharp sigh) I’m going to tell you, just- maybe there’s a price?
GERTRUDE
What do you want?
ERIC
I don’t know- I haven’t had a chance to think.
GERTRUDE
Eric.
ERIC
Fine! (short pause) I want two things.
GERTRUDE
(impatient) I’m listening.
ERIC
I want you to find my son. If Mary is- if she’s gone, or worse, I want you to make sure he’s alright.
GERTRUDE
(amused) Hm. I’m not exactly a mother figure.
ERIC
You could hardly do worse than her.
GERTRUDE
Hm. Fine. But I don’t know what growing up with Mary has done to him. If he’s… gone rotten, I can’t promise anything.
ERIC
I understand.
GERTRUDE
I suppose he might be useful.
ERIC
(DRY AS THE SAHARA) Oh, sentimental as ever.
GERTRUDE
Hm. And the second thing?
ERIC
I want to make my statement.
GERTRUDE
Is that really necessary?
ERIC
I don’t want to disappear on her terms. Or yours. I want to speak my piece, have it recorded.
GERTRUDE
Fine. Tape’s running.
Subject is Eric Delano, recorded 21st of July, 2008, regarding…
ERIC
What else? Me, Mary, and the Archives.
GERTRUDE
As you wish. Begin whenever you’re ready.
ERIC
(exhale) I’m almost not sure where to start, now it comes to it.
I always loved ghosts. They fascinated me. Not the rattling chains and horror part of it, of course, but the mystery, the promise of secret knowledge, of seeing something that no one else was privy to. A secret world that gripped my imagination.
So when I finished my Masters in library science and saw a vacancy at the Magnus Institute, of all places, I jumped at the chance. The chance to pursue my passion and my career at the same time seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up! It was only an assistant archivist position, of course, but that was fine.
A good entry position- I’d, I’d soon move on, I told myself.
Heh. Yeah.
And for the first few years, it was pretty much exactly the job I’d expected. Longer hours than I’d hoped, and the Archivist seemed less interested in doing her job than I was, but all told there were worse places to work.
Then I met Mary. She was like no one I’d met before in my life. She was beautiful, like a- like a shark is beautiful. Every moment she made was deliberate, sharp, and her eyes were always focused on something, always watching. And when she looked at me, I always felt afraid.
But there was something else. Something under the fear. Something that made me feel very aware of all my blood. (exhale) I don’t know what she saw in me, not really. But when she walked up to me and told me that I was taking her to dinner, I couldn’t help but nod.
I’ve always been- (sheepish laugh) Well, now, I wouldn’t call myself a coward, but I’ve never been in a fight. Never even been punched. Maybe it’s- luck. Maybe it’s the fact that I can never really bring myself to push back from people.
And Mary pushed so hard. Harder, even, than you. And I let her, because she gave me something I had never before experienced: Danger.
The things she taught me, had me do- I’d never known anything like it. Whenever I kissed her, it tasted like blood.
I knew what she was, I,I think. What she was capable of. But I convinced myself that I was safe, that she loved me. It made me feel special. That I was somehow protected from all the cold cruelty that she tried to keep hidden, but leaked out in so many ways.
I remember visiting her, shortly after she’d started her books business. I found her sitting opposite a corpse, a well-dressed middle-aged man who sat in a huge armchair she kept in the back office. She looked me in the eye and told me he was her uncle, prone to drink, making an unexpected visit, and had passed out in the chair. (amused, wistful hm) I knew she didn’t have an uncle. I knew the man was dead.
She didn’t lie to me because she expected me to believe her; she lied to me because she expected me to obey her. And I did. We rescheduled our date to the following day.
But d’you know what the strange thing is? Despite the violence, death, even my own murder, I still don’t feel like she… betrayed me. She was what she was. And I knew that. And even though I told myself that she would never harm me- of course not! I was her husband, her true love- even then, the only one lying was me.
She never promised anything, not even in her vows. She never betrayed me. Not like you. She never played dumb when I was stalked by bloated, blood-soaked things, or told me I was imagining it when your friend Adelard dropped a screaming box into the Thames. She didn’t try to keep me in the dark just so I wouldn’t stop being useful; she never made me complicit in a thousand different nightmares, and lives ruined for the sick joy of some otherworldly voyeur.
Compared to that, I suppose a few murders were easier to stomach.
But I couldn’t be part of it. Not once Mary told me what was really going on.
I know what you say, what you think you’re doing, saving the world one poor doomed soul at a time- I mean, I understand; I do. (exhale) But I couldn’t be a part of it. Not when I saw what happened to everyone else you involved.
I had to get out, to escape this place. I had a son to look after; he needed me!
Or so I thought.
And that’s when you turned nasty, isn’t it? When all your resources, they no longer want to serve your purpose. I suppose you didn’t know there was a way out, a way to escape. But if you had, would you have told me?
Mary, at least, played straight with me. She knew all about the Institute. And when we were married, when she was sure I could handle it, she laid it all out for me: the rituals, the Powers, all the messy little cogs of the games you play with the universe.
She laid out her own plans as well, her dreams of power. In many ways, I suppose they were no better than yours. But at least she didn’t bother to hide behind noble aims.
Maybe that’s why I chose her, in the end. At least she was honest. (pfft) Or perhaps I actually was afraid. Terrified of the crossroads where I’d found myself, and I chose the option I thought might keep Gerry safe.
At least if I was home with him, I could perhaps soften the edges of his mother.
I suppose I never really understood. No matter how clear the situation was, how well it was explained to me, I just couldn’t see the parts of it that I didn’t want to.
Two years, I tried to figure out how to quit, how to leave this place. And when I finally did, when I felt the Watcher’s grip slip away, it left me in such a state I was no longer useful to Mary, and… she did what Mary does. (short laugh) It was fitting, I suppose. Even after everything, she made me taste blood one last time.
GERTRUDE
Well, thank you for that. I’ll make sure it’s stored somewhere- safe.
[ERIC INHALES SHAKILY.]
ERIC
Right.
GERTRUDE
Something wrong?
ERIC
I just- (small sigh) I thought it would be more of a relief.
GERTRUDE
Mm. I’m sorry it wasn’t as cathartic as you were hoping. But we had an agreement.
ERIC
Yeah. I know.
GERTRUDE
So. How did you do it? How did you quit the Archives?
ERIC
It was actually really simple. Not easy, but simple. (heh) You’ll kick yourself when I tell you.
GERTRUDE
(get on with it) O…kay…
ERIC
You were almost there, you know, with your theory that James could watch us from any eye, even an illustration. What did you do? How did you sever that link?
GERTRUDE
My God!
ERIC
I left to avoid dragging my family, my son into this life, to try to look after him. But Mary decided that a newly blinded husband was simply too much of a burden.
GERTRUDE
Did you need to do anything special? Any… ritual, or…?
ERIC
Just as long as they’re useless. I went the extra mile, destroyed them completely, but- I’m sure you’ll find something (inhale) neater.
A strong acid, precisely applied? That sounds more your style, if you decide to do it, that is.
GERTRUDE
(conflicted sound) Well, I don’t know.
ERIC
No. It’s not an easy sacrifice to make, is it?
GERTRUDE
I still have work to do.
ERIC
Don’t you always.
GERTRUDE
Yeah. Well, (exhale) I think I’ll rather do some research of my own, before the rather extreme step of blinding myself.
ERIC
It’s the only way. Trust me, I tried them all.
GERTRUDE
Yes. I remember.
ERIC
So, was there anything else?
GERTRUDE
No. No, I don’t think so.
ERIC
Then if you don’t mind? I think I’d like to go away now.
[SLIGHTEST OF PAUSES.]
GERTRUDE
Yes.
I think that’s probably for the best. You’re certain burning will work?
ERIC
If it doesn’t, I’m sure you’ll figure something out.
GERTRUDE
Then let’s get it over with.
ERIC
If you see Mary again, tell her- (beat) No. I guess there’s not really anything else to say.
[TAPE CLICKS OFF.]
[INT. MAGNUS INSTITUTE, ARCHIVES, ARCHIVIST’S OFFICE, PRESENT]
[TAPE CLICKS ON.]
[THE ARCHIVIST SIGHS HEAVILY.]
ARCHIVIST
Fuck.
[TAPE CLICKS OFF.]
[INT. MAGNUS INSTITUTE, ????, LATER]
[TAPE CLICKS ON.]
[TYPING SOUNDS. A SMALL SIGH-CUM-WHISTLE.]
MARTIN
(still typing) Oh. Hi. Hello again.
[HE KEEPS TYPING.]
MARTIN (CONT’D)
(small laugh) Sorry pal, false alarm this time.
[HE STOPS TYPING.]
MARTIN (CONT’D)
(sigh, voice darkens dramatically) Unless-Peter.
[THE CLOCK TICKS IN THE BACKGROUND]
MARTIN (CONT’D)
Look, Peter, I-
[THE DOOR IS THROWN OPEN. THE ARCHIVIST BURSTS IN.]
ARCHIVIST
Martin!
MARTIN
(overlapping) Oh- (voice more whispered) John! (he drops something) God, don’t do that!
ARCHIVIST
Sorry, I just-
MARTIN
No, it’s fine! I j- you just surprised me, that’s- (surprised) Jesus, you alright? You- You look like hell.
ARCHIVIST
Oh! Uh, Ri, Right, I um, God, I get weak. Hungry, I guess, sort of. I,I’ve been trying to avoid, being, um- sticking to old statements? Thank you for your little intervention, by the way.
MARTIN
Look, I wouldn’t have to if you’d hadn’t been-
ARCHIVIST
(overlapping) Yes no, I know, I know; I’m sorry; that didn’t come out right; honestly, thank you. It’s been hell, but- I, I did need to hear it.
MARTIN
(pleasantly surprised) Oh, um. Uh,h, good. Are the others- helping?
ARCHIVIST
(:))))_ Oh. They’ve been keeping a, um, very close eye on me. (half laugh) Well, that’s not important- no, well, it is important, but it’s, it’s not why I’m here, I-
MARTIN
John. Calm down. What do you want?
ARCHIVIST
I know. I know what you said, but I just- (inhale) I think I’ve found a way for us to leave the Institute.
[BRIEF PAUSE.]
MARTIN
O- kay…?
ARCHIVIST
Yeah. But it’s- (heavy inhale) It’s pretty drastic.
MARTIN
(hah) What, you going to gouge your eyes out, or something?
[BEAT.]
MARTIN (CONT’D)
(gets it) Fuck off.
Right. (unable to make words) Uh, uh, right, uh… (groping for words continues) Erm… like, I mean… permanently? Or…
ARCHIVIST
I, I, I don’t know; I suppose. I,If your vision comes back, the Beholding probably does as well- probably. But i-it’s not like it’s easy to only blind yourself temporarily anyways i- I-
MARTIN
(weak) Uh, y,yeah, yeah, uh… H-Have you told the others, or?…
ARCHIVIST
No, you’re the first.
MARTIN
Why?
ARCHIVIST
Uh, because… because, because I trust you. I, I’m trying to think about what to do, and I… (exhale) If I did try this, I don’t want to do it alone. But we could leave here, you and me. Escape.
MARTIN
(weary) John. Don’t do this.
ARCHIVIST
Do what?
MARTIN
Make it my decision.
ARCHIVIST
I’m not-
MARTIN
I mean, (mirthless laugh) Could you even survive at this stage? Is there anything else keeping you alive?
ARCHIVIST
(squawk) Uh, I,I don’t know. I don’t- know. But… maybe it’s worth it? The risk- y,you and me, together, getting out of here-
[MARTIN SNIFFS.]
ARCHIVIST (CONT’D)
-one way or another.
MARTIN
John.
[HE GIVES A SMALL SIGH.]
ARCHIVIST
(sharp exhale) No. No, o,of course, this was stupid; you have your own plans going on, don’t you?
MARTIN
Just- Look, I need to see this thing through with Peter to the end. If, If what he’s saying is even half true, I need to be there.
ARCHIVIST
But what if you don’t? (small exhale) We could just leave. I mean, whatever their plan is for me, I am damn sure that doing that isn’t it. I’d derail everything- we could derail everything, and then just- leave!
[WHEN MARTIN LAUGHS, ALL HUMORLESS AND DRY, IT NEARLY SOUNDS LIKE HE’S CRYING.]
ARCHIVIST
What?
[MARTIN KEEPS LAUGHING.]
MARTIN
Nothing; It’s just- (one more laugh) It’s just ironic, that’s all.
ARCHIVIST
Martin…
MARTIN
Who are you kidding, John? You’re not going to do any of that.
ARCHIVIST
I, I could.
MARTIN
(still brimming with false laughter) But you won’t. That’s why you came to me, isn’t it?
[THE ARCHIVIST EXHALES.]
MARTIN (CONT’D)
You know I can’t do it, not now; you don’t want to blind yourself; you don’t want to die; what you want is a reason to not do those things, so- you come to me.
Well, you’re welcome. B,Because I can’t follow you on this one.
[THE ARCHIVIST HAS BEEN EXHALING REPEATEDLY DURING THIS PERFORMANCE.]
ARCHIVIST
The Lonely’s really got you, hasn’t it?
MARTIN
(no hesitation) You know, I think it always did.
[SMALL PAUSE.]
ARCHIVIST
(quiet) Maybe. (beat) Well, I’ll be here, if you ever need me.
MARTIN
(also quieter, softer) I hope so.
ARCHIVIST
(faster) Just-don’t-wait-too-long,okay?
[HE MOVES TOWARDS THE DOOR, SIGHS.]
ARCHIVIST (CONT’D)
If you haven’t already.
[HE OPENS THE DOOR, LEAVES. IT SHUTS.]
MARTIN
Yeah. (wearier) Yeah.
Steven [Redacted] )))))))))))))):
also thank you ):
What is it with the gays saying "fuck the apocalypse let's just run away together"??? (Good Omens, The Umbrella Acadamy and The Magnus Archives)
So in all honesty, this is the episode that brought me to The Magnus Archives. A couple of weeks ago I kept getting animatics for MAG suggested to me and I finally clicked on one. Well, it was out of this episode and it was the scene with Jon and Martin in the end. This, and also someone made an animatic from the live show when Martin first shows up and accidentally lets a dog into the archives. That was pretty fkn funny ngl. So yeah, I've been waiting every 154 episodes for this moment and you know what, it hits harder than I thought it would
This was one of the most heart broken statement, like everything in this, Jon and martin, eric calling his son Gerry I'm aaaah I'm almost crying
Martin's sincere "fuck off" really hit me
What I love most about this is that this is the Episode 111 of a previous generation, parelleling Gerry and Jon talking.
‘If you ever do need me.’ Petty but also heartbreaking.