The Magicians – A Flock of Lost Birds

It feels like ages since we last saw our favorite ensemble on screen.

Honestly, I had forgotten some key plot points because a year is just too long, SyFy.  It probably doesn’t help that I’m in the middle of reading The Magician’s Land, which only now in book three reveals Alice the Niffin, where magic is back on but not quite, and Quentin is a former Brakebills professor as Eliot and Janet wander through a dying Fillory.

If you’re trying to follow the books with the show, don’t.  Both stand alone and are worthy of your attention. But the show has done a brilliant job of collapsing the best of the novels, tossing out the crazy (like the horrible heist on a flying billiard table), and fleshing out one-dimensional characters in the book (I’m looking at you, Penny).  Read the books.  Watch the show.  Just don’t do it simultaneously.  From someone who has made that mistake, trust me.

In A Flock of Lost Birds, under the pretense of protecting our heroes, The Order has hidden our magicians under disguises.  Kady is a cop, determined to sleuth the truth and finds it in a comic book.

Josh is a lesser version of himself, and Penny is DJ Hansel, which I assume is a commentary on the real DJ Hanzel, but as I know nothing about him or moombahton music it’s over my head.

Quentin is being stalked and having to share some pretty gory ice cream with possessed Eliot. Oh, and Julia is still trying to get into Brakebills. Some character’s motivations never change.

Alice is a prisoner of the library, the only one still herself, which is curious as she was the niffin, furthest removed from herself. She shares a wall with Santa. Let that one sink in.

The Magicians is back, thank Ember, who’s back too and perplexed by the High King’s female form. Remember, Margo won the Fillorian election thanks to Humbledrum the Bear’s support and no thanks to Eliot, who couldn’t see the value in a female running mate. Fail.

Season 4 promises to take us further off book but keep the heart of The Magicians intact with Lev Grossman’s continued involvement in the show.  Executive Producer John McNamara said, “At some point, you have to let yourself improvise because there are only three books and if we did it faithfully, it’d be a mini-series.”

Watch The Magicians Wednesday nights at 9/8c on SyFy, and join me for recaps.  On Twitter follow Chris @ACCooksonWriter .Like our Facebook page Novel2Screen for more updates on your favorite novel-to-screen adaptations, interviews, and more!Or just follow this blog. It’s the little button down on the right that reads “Follow.” Click it.  Thanks!Photos courtesy of SyFy