#Tim didn't do anything wrong Jon's just dramatic

[cult-of-the-eye]

MAG 86 here we goooo

Ok so I actually listened to this like a few days ago but I never got round to looking at the transcript but HERE I AM

God this is the blanket never did anything one

He says tucked in so fucking menacingly like Jesus Christ man

TIM MY LOVE

I can't get that one post out of my head that says how Tim was the furthest from being taken by the Eye cause he keeps tripping up on pronunciations and stuff in statements that other archival staff wouldnt honestly it's such a genius take

Oh shit this is getting really long I'll add in a read more

God I love how he's rebelling in every sense, he's doing the bare minimum, he's literally warning people away from it

It's kind of interesting the way he always thought the statement stuff was stupid but in the whole of season one and a lot of season two he managed to hide his distaste pretty well, like even when he lashed out at Jon about the Prentiss incident, he still didn't say that the statements were stupid, but he's saying it behind his back - maybe some part of him knew that Jon needed the statements to work and some part of him still felt for him enough to not point that out

He's kinda dramatic with it as well but I feel like in more of a self aware way than jon

You can feel his distaste honestly the statement just sounds wrong coming from him, which is interesting cause I didn't think that about when Martin did it

So he's mad at the fact that he put effort into a job that he wasn't even that comfortable with in the first place and now he's trapped in? Not about the monsters??

Jesus Christ Tim being a bit of a dick to melanie

HE BLAMES MARTIN????? Damn bro you weren't there how could you tell he didn't do it properly??

I think he's mad at himself for not being there and deflecting it on to martin

She likes that it's quiet!!! That's cute

Martin's not big on change AH neurodivergent vibes

All the archival staff are literally queer and neurodivergent you can't change my mind

Also the fact that he thinks that's the biggest reason why martin doesn't want Melanie around, not the Horrors and the same reason as Tim

I think Tim is refusing to think that Martin might see the situation in the same way as him because if he does then it means Tim's way of dealing might not be the best way and that's an unacceptable thought to him

Suspicious and resentful - my man is self aware I think he knows the way his path is going (hurtling towards destruction) but is too stuck shaking his fist at god to try and get out or he's sort of known his whole life that this is where he was supposed to end up, a terrible fate created by his own two hands that dug their own way down to rock bottom and he's just so tired of trying to do anything about it that he's just accepted it

SASHA OH GOD

Wow seeing firsthand the effects of the stranger, the way neither Tim nor Melanie can remember the real Sasha, but Tim has to live with the fact that he didn't notice and Melanie has to live with the fact that she did, but can't prove it

WHO AM I EVEN SAD FOR

AUGH I THOUGHT SOMEONE MADE THAT UP I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS CANON OH GOD

He lost his FRIEND and he DIDN'T REALISE and he STILL DOESN'T KNOW THE WHOLE TRUTH AUGH

Oh I wonder why he left the tape running? I'd think he would've forgotten to turn it off but if so I feel like he'd have that shocked moment of remembering which he didn't

Maybe he wanted proof of the conversation? Maybe it was a warning to anyone listening to the tapes? See firsthand how terrible it is at the Magnus Institute so you don't work here? I dunno

Ha I had to ask my lovely mutual @melandrops to explain what a marker was

Oh god honestly this statement fucked me up I completely understand why people hate it I hate it

I was so scared of the dark as a kid and the idea of being reduced to that state of lack of awareness and vulnerability is actually terrifying

Also the dude dying in the blanket???? Ew ew ew

Love the fact that tma doesn't just go with a oh shit I forgot a torch so it was pitch black kinda horror but the I brought a torch, I even brought spare batteries but it still did nothing which in my opinion is even scarier

Oh god her whispering the blanket never did anything that was horrifying

Melanie was actually so good at giving the statement girl really got into it

I was also talking to @melandrops about archivist!Melanie cause I think that would be really interesting... she'd definitely bring a more proactive vibe to the role...

It's interesting to think that Melanie and Jon hated each other at first sort of because they're so alike? It's like the we are made of the same stuff (derogatory)

Love how she just checks out the dead guy

The way she's denying it even though she's literally had paranormal experiences before that's so Jon core she would be a great archivist

JON????

Oh shit I just realised he's labelled as Archivist...when did that happen??

That's so funny he's like bitch maybe I do have reason to kill you

Hmm nice touch of Melanie being like do you guys not want me cause I'm a girl?? Is this misogyny??? Good guess but unfortunately it's worse

It's quite nice that Jon's trying to save her even though the meetings about helping him and her quitting would mean he'd lose the one informant he might have in the institute

Shot in the leg by a ghost in India????

Ha Tim hates you and Martin's probably being watched

Love how Tim's hatred for Jon is so visceral and known that they don't even bother watching him

I bet Elias would delight in knowing about Martin's little crush on Jon and how Jon actually hated him in season one and then how their relationship progresses he'd thrive on the drama and the angst the little bastard

Ok ok it's good that he's on the right track, he guesses it was elias

Wait the whole murder was on tape... WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT TAPE??? DID ELIAS TAKE IT??? COULD IT BE USED AS EVIDENCE???

YES MELANIE IS BEING CAUGHT UP (info style) BUT ALSO NO MELANIE IS BEING CAUGHT UP (web style)

[d-lissa]

Liveblogging TMA - Season 1 - MAG 39-40

"I mean for god’s sake John, we’re literally hiding from some kind of worm… queen… thing, how, how could you possibly still not believe!?"

SEASON ONE FINALE :

Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck-

Wait, no, I wasn't actually ready for the plot !! Please go back to dramatically recording statements, this is too much information too quickly ! I NEED TO PROCESS THINGS !

Why the FUCK is Jonathan adorable ? Excuse me ? Where did that even come from, I was expecting him to have a soft side that was hidden away under all of the sarcasm, but I didn't expect him to be cute. Damn it, you can't do that to me !

What happened to Sasha ? The transcripts list her as "Not-Sasha", so is the shifter back ? Did the shifter fucking live in the institute or something, why was it even here ? What happened to Sasha, did it take her person ? Is she dead like Graham probably is ??

And what the fuck is wrong with Tim ? I love him to death, actually, how can he just barge in so chipper after a near death experience or three, but what is his childhood trauma ?

Ok. Ok. I am done freaking out, kind of.

Yep. Totally. I am soooooo normal right now.

Let's start with how this post will be presented. Considering the not ... Unconsiderable amount of information we've gotten, I feel like it is safe to do it like with episode 32. Quotes and everything they make me think.

This time however, rather than grouping them into different categories, I will just go chronologically, to make sure that I don't miss anything. It will be a point by point situation. Not everything will be speculations and theories and questions, it's just. My thought process.

And so. Let's begin.

INFESTATION :

We start where we left off, because Jonathan, that absolute lunatic god bless, took the time to get the tape recorder, at the expense of his own skin.

"I used to carry around a knife, but I started thinking that, well, cutting into someone laterally wasn’t really the most efficient way to get them out, and besides which, they seem to be quite slow burrowing in a straight line so, given their size, th-the corkscrew just seemed to be the better option."

... On one hand, A+ for foresight and stuff, but talk about fucked up. Is Martin ok ? Well, of course not, considering his life for the last few months, but that is an interesting train of thought to have.

Still. Ressorceful. i like it.

But talk about painful.

When temporarily safe, Jon, Sasha and Martin talk.

"I do! I did. I just… I don’t want to become a mystery. I refuse to become another goddamn mystery. Every real statement just leads… deeper into something I don’t even know the shape of yet. And to top it all, I still don’t know what happened to Gertrude. Officially she’s still missing, but Elias is no help and the police were pretty clear that the wait to call her dead is just a formality. If I die, wormfood or… something else, whatever, I’m going to make damn sure the same doesn’t happen to me. "

AND ! SO ! I WAS FUCKING RIGHT !

God, I love being right. Jonathan knew all of that, he knew things were real, he just didn't want to admit to it because he was scared. He is such a good character, oh my god I am screacing.

"Only an idiot would stay in this job."

At least he is self-aware. His curiosity is going to be the end of him, won't it ?

"You know what I mean. The ones that have weird wrinkles, or that just seem to have something solid to them. They all have one thing in common."

"They don’t record digitally."

"And we have to use the tape recorder. At this stage, if it records to my laptop I almost don’t bother. I don’t –"

VINDICATION !!!

I have been saying this from the beginning and my GOD I love being right. Of course Jonathan knew, of course he did, he's not stupid, he has been thinking about all of this for so much time, probably trying to making things make sense, and I am living for this.

 "Statement of Joe Spooky, regarding sinister happenings in the downtown old –"

Mh. Yep. It's decided, I love him with all my heart and would kill for him. Timothy Stoker, you are dangerous.

"Ah, yeah. Sure. So, um, Sasha tackled Tim and there was kind of a struggle, but she made it out of the Archives. That, that was about two minutes ago and she’s gone to get help. P-Probably. I mean, she, she couldn’t… she wouldn’t just run so…"

... And to think that just a few months earlier, Sasha was bemoaning Martin's lack of self-preservation. Girl, i love you, but what is this exactly ? I told you, she's a hypocrite.

"Did it look like any of the worms… got her before she left?"

And Jonathan is worried. Oh my god, my heart. The man can barely move, and is probably in a lot of pain, and yet he still manages to to worry and care for his friends. The heart of this bitter man.

"Of course, I believe. Of course I do. Have you ever taken a look at the stuff we have in Artefact Storage? That’s enough to convince anyone. But, but even before that… Why do you think I started working here? It’s not exactly glamorous. I have… I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Within reason. I mean. I still think most of the statements down here aren’t real. Of the hundreds I’ve recorded, we’ve had maybe… thirty, forty that are… that go on tape. Now, those, I believe, at least for the most part."

And so he admits to it. I am. So proud. And I am so glad to finally hear anything about him and why he started working here, because I've been wondering that all throughout !

I knew he believed in the supernatural, but why bother doing this job if he was going to just deny everything in the end ? Why not just have a normal, desk job ? And so, he believes. Do you think he got affected by the supernatural when younger ? Maybe a family member or himself, something that marked him for life to the point he'd decide to find the truth of all of this.

Also, nice to know just how much of the files are hogwash. Put many things in perspective, several hundreds of statements, with only the 35 of them real. So far at least.

This Institute. What a mess.

"Because I’m scared, Martin!. Because when I record these statements it feels… it feels like I’m being watched. I… I lose myself a bit. And then when I come back, it’s like… like if I admit there may be any truth to it, whatever’s watching will… know somehow. The scepticism, feigning ignorance. It just felt safer."

Overwhelming, I tell you, the amount of information we got. There IS something pushing him, and I am fucking SCREAMING because whatever entity in the archive that is pulling the strings is getting mre and more mysterious the more we learn about it. Just what is it ? And why does it want Jonathan to do the statements ?

I guess this is what makes the interferences to show what statements are the real deal from the rest, but why ? Is it good ? Is it evil ? Martin then mentions of feeling it too, something pushing him to stay, but why ? What plan does it have for Martin ?

"She’s destroying them. Sort of."

Something is in there, in those files, that the Hive and whatever else is behind it don't want the Archivist to find. What is it ? And why ?

"No… We’re clearly doing a whole heart-to-heart thing and, truth be told, the question’s been bothering me. You’ve been living in the Archives for four months, constant threat of… this. Sleeping with a fire extinguisher and a corkscrew. Even you must be aware that that’s not normal for an archiving job? Why are you still here?"

"Don’t really know. I just am. It didn’t feel right to just leave. I’ve typed up a few resignation letters, but I just couldn’t bring myself to hand them in."

"I’m trapped here. It’s like I can’t… move on and the more I struggle, the more I’m stuck."

"Martin…You’re not, uh… You didn’t die here, did you?"

"What? What? N-No… what?!"

"No, I just… No, just the way you phrased that…"

"Made you think I was a ghost?"

"No… it’s –"

"No, no… it’s just that whatever web these statements have caught you in, well, I’m there too. We all are, I think. … A ghost? Really?"

"Shut up, Martin."

... This entire section was just precious. They killed me. I am dead, i tell you. Oh my God, they're both so adorable, you can't do that to me, what the hell ?

Actually, I will also kill and die for those two. Jonathan mostly, I still don't trust Martin for some reason, but they're too precious and deserve to be protected at all cost. I love them so much.

"To be honest I always thought they were just… overreacting. Other staff have seen them around, but no-one’s reported any aggressive behaviour or anything like that. You know how those two are… John puts on a good show, but sometimes I swear he’s worse than Martin."

That ... Explains so much about Elias actually. He's just a bad boss ! Got it !

Fuck that guy, actually.

"He’s not smoking again, is he?"

That being said, I am side eyeing this one. Did Jonathan use to smoke ? When did he stop ? Was it because of the "Anglerfish" statement ?

Also, how dare this podcast make me laugh with their antics when they're actively fighting for their lives ? Criminal. How do they even manage to keep the tension ?

"Put them back on, please."

D- Did Tim, high as a kite on CO2, just dropped his pants in the middle of the room, in front of his boss, while they're being chased by flesh eating worm monsters ?

... Well, it's official now. I got to find a way to marry him.

How come nobody was aware of the tunnels though ?

"Oh, um… well, I’ve been using it to record myself. I write poetry and I think the tapes have a sort of… low-fi charm."

... Sir, this is illegal, you have NO RIGHT to be this cute. How dares he ?

"Did I ever tell you I first joined the Institute as a practical researcher? I had to analyse and investigate all the stuff in here. Take notes after sleeping in the rusted chair, write in the memory book, all that sort of thing. I transferred after three months. Would’ve quit, but couldn’t afford to back then. Never understood why they keep this stuff secret. I mean, we’ve, we’ve enough here to send any sceptic packing, but it’s just locked away. I… I asked Elias about it once, but he just muttered something about funding and mission statements. He’s good at changing the subject, isn’t he?"

Several things to mention.

First, more information on the Institute and how they work. There is a part of it devoted to the research of supernatural objects, and I am intrigued beyond reason by this.

People outside the Institute don't know about this ?

Still, I understand Sasha here, sounds nightmare-ish. Just what kind of people even work there full time ?

I am also wondering about her life, and how she came to work there. Money problems ? Huh.

And again, fuck Elias. Just. Worst boss ever actually.

And after all of this, the table, of course. Why is it that the moment she saw it, the shifter came and took her place ? Again, did it kill her, in the end ? Does it take the identity of everyone who sees this table ?

God. This episode was a lot.

Will there be more episodes like that in the future ? I hope so. I can see Jon deciding to just always have a tape on him.

HUMAN REMAINS :

After all the stress and danger, we are back. Having missed the rest of the action though, so it is a good thing that Jon is such a strickler for journaling everything he deems important.

"I went with the ECDC people when they took her away. I watched her body burn. Jane Prentiss is dead. You can relax."

That is good news, and yet somehow, I sooooo don't believe him. And like, ok, Prentiss is dead, arguably, but what about the Hive ? You know ... The thing that controled her ?

"Sasha tells me the tape was lost."

Oh this is bad, this is really, really bad, please tell me it isn't destroyed and Jonathan will find it back.

Preferably, with Sasha herself while we're at it.

" I do apologise that it took me quite so long to figure out how to actually work the system."

... Again. Shady as hell.

I'm just ... Putting it out there.

How the fuck did Elias even become Head of the Institute ? No wonder it's a joke when the head himself is THIS incompetent. I know it's not a reason and he's definitely faking it, but do we care right now ? Cause I sure as hell don't !

Just ... Fuck that guy.

At least he apologized.

"It looked like a few dozen worms had been going into each of you when the carbon dioxide killed them."

Nooooo, not my babies. Seriously, did anyone escape from this encounter safely ? Not even Martin escaped from being scarred mentally, though it is probably a step up from being eaten away by worms wriggling in your flesh while conscious and being kidnapped (killed?) by something that will take your life.

... I'm just saying. Martin was really lucky on that one.

"The police tested the blood and confirmed the DNA matched to Gertrude, though I don’t know why they had her on file."

... Oh my god, was Grandma Robinson a criminal in her wild youth ? Please say yes. Please tell me she got records of breaking and entering, maiming and physical violence, at the very least.

Anyway, finally found her dead body. Took them an entire year.

... How come her body was recognized after so much time in tunnels underground though ?

God, all throughout this episode, Jonathan just sound so tired and traumatized. So does Tim, actually, but it is much more striking to hear it from Jon himself. This day has been a mess from beginning to end, huh.

"Except you found that hidden passage, and they had to act."

... Well now. Isn't that convenient.

The only reason Jonathan found the hidden passage was thanks to a spider. Did the spider ... Help him ? But why ? Is the spider on the Institute side ? Is it fighting against the Hive ?

But we've seen it be incredibly interested with Jonathan himself. Why ? Because he's the Archivist ? Is the Spider the thing in the Archive that put him there ? Is it the thing that is always watching him ?

"I was probably still out of my skull, and half-hallucinated the whole thing, but it looked like they were trying to make a doorway."

Oh, fuck THAT. Not even touching that one !

... Except that I am, because my brain cannot shut up.

So, a doorway ! Was this to maybe ... Make a passage for the Hive itself ? Jane Prentiss is dead, I know that, but the Hive itself isn't. Jane was its host, because it needed a human body to manifest in the human realm, maybe ?

Does this mean we'll get even more flesh eating worms ?

Urgh.

"Yes… Where do you want me to begin?"

...

This entire statement with Not-Sasha made me grit my teeth, actually. The way she says "Yes" all the time, is she not able to reproduce the speech pattern of Sasha ? Does she look like Sasha ? Does she even need to, or did everyone forget what Sasha looked like, unless they see the table ?

Same for her memories. She sounds as if she is reading a script, does she have Sasha's memories ? Because the way she talks makes me think she doesn't, but I can't exactly be sure because someone had decided that running for her life was the perfect moment to open up about her life story to Jon on tape.

I like it ! it was good, I was glad to see that she trust Jonathan so much, that they're so close friends, but talk about bad timing.

"Are you feeling alright? You seem a bit out of it."

... At least Jonathan noticed. Not the truth, of course, but that she was off. My heart.

"No, I mean… I’m sorry I left you."

Oh my god, Jonathan, I swear to god if you don't give this man a hug, I will punch you, holes in your skin that creeps me or not.

"She was shot! Three times, that I could see. Three shots to the chest."

God damn it.

Ok, no, Elias killed her. He killed her and placed Jon in her position for some reason. To get rid of him ? Was he even the one that chose to put Jon there ? Because it seemed like the Archive got a mind of its own, so. Yeah.

Did the Archive chose Jonathan ?

At least, he is catching on quick on the reasons why Gertrude was killed. Not like it will keep him from doing the exact same thing she probably did and die in his quest for truth.

"The tapes for cases 0051701 and 0160204 are gone. I don’t know why these two specifically, but I cannot trust anyone."

The two tapes missing are the recording of "Strange Music" and "A Distortion".

I can ... Quite easily guess as for why the latter would be removed, considering that there is a whole ass shapeshifter hiding among you using the identity of one of the team, and having a recoding of her and how she talks and behaves would probably be troublesome for it.

... Actually, now that I think about it, it was also the case for "Strange Music", wasn't it ? She made a remark, cutting Jon off to ask about the pronunciation of "Calliope". I thought maybe it had something to do with the calliope itself, which is still in the Institute, or the Circus of the Other, but did the shifter take those two tapes to take away any recordings that might make Jon remember Sasha's voice ?

Amazing.

Jonathan is starting to slip into doubting everyone around him, which is a good thing, considering what is in his current entourage, but that's not necessarily a good thing for his mental health or safety.

And so, the season end !

God, that post was long.

And it is about to get even LONGER because I now have to include a list of all the threads I am keeping track of.

Just a list, though, I am so done with this post already, I want to go back to listening to the podcast !

THREADS OF THE MYSTERY :

The Keay Family.

The Lukas Family.

The Leitners.

Maxwell Rayners and his Cult.

Graham and Not-Graham/Sasha and Not-Sasha.

The Lensik men.

Fractals.

The Eyes.

The Spiders.

The Table/Box/Portrait with intricate patterns that affect reality.

The Dreamer.

The Four Horsement of the Apocalypse. (?)

Breekon and Hope Deliveries.

Jane Prentiss.

Liminal Spaces.

The Possession of Father Edwin Burroughs.

Agnes and her father.

The Hive.

The Circus of the Other.

The Lighless Flame.

The Beholding.

Simon Fairchild/Trevor.

Michael with all the bones in his hands.

Salesa.

Sarah Baldwin and her Anglerfish boss.

Death(s)/The Gream Reaper(s).

The Song.

The Archivist's Crimson Fate.

The Homophobic Vase

And that should be a wrap for now. This took me. So long.

The quote of the post will be :

"I’m going to figure this out, and I’m not going to stop. They’ll have to kill me first."

End Liveblogging.