File #101 (S3-21) - "Another Twist"

[Oneiros]

OR: "Reskinned"

Is the devil the demented doll who wants to divest you of your skin? Or is it the disturbing doorway that opens to distract or deliver? Is it both? What decisions would you make if in the Archivist's shoes?

Well, The Magnus Archives is back and I hope it was the experience you've all been waiting for!   A real cavalcade of entities in this one as we get Nikola Orsinov, Breekon & Hope, the Coffin, "Michael" and Helen Richardson all combining to give a frankly astonishing performance as we learn more about who Michael was, what 'he' is and get more insight into Gertrude's character. As dense as dwarven bread, this episode is...

So, thoughts and theories then folks? Thanks so much for bearing with us through this unexpected mid-season break - it's been really useful for us to get caught up and even a bit ahead with the production issues. And I hope you enjoyed the little bonuses we put together too.

[amethystend]

AHHHHHH WE'RE BACK!

So Michael says Jon is a better Archivist than Gertrude was? Even though she's so badass?

Hmm...

Maybe competency doesn't necessarily equal effectiveness in the position of Head Archivist?

[duckpond]

Jon being a better Archivist than Gertrude is interesting, though I suppose Michael isn't particularly unbiased where she's concerned. Hopefully there's more insight into the role of the Archivist on the way - maybe it's Gertrude's very badassery that makes her a poorer Archivist than Jon?

I wonder if there's a statement on the way featuring Breekon & Hope and some intimidated Lush employees...

[liraven]

So awesome to finally hear Michael's statement! Sad he's gone though, I'll miss his creepy, echoing laughter. It's great hearing more from Nikola too, she says such horrible things in the most fun way.

May 17, 2018 11:12:26 GMT duckpond said:

Jon being a better Archivist than Gertrude is interesting, though I suppose Michael isn't particularly unbiased where she's concerned.

Yeah, definitely some justified bias there. Poor Michael. I wonder if Gertrude sacrificed any of her other assistants to save the world? I suppose the ends justify the means, but it would be really difficult to keep rooting for Jon if he knowingly fed Martin or Tim to a monster.

Also, I figured they'd eventually stop the Unknowing by finding and destroying that ancient skin Gertrude took from the Stranger, but now Jon's skin works as a substitute? That's... not ideal. He's sorta using it.

I wonder if there's a statement on the way featuring Breekon & Hope and some intimidated Lush employees...

That would be amazing. Though it's interesting B&H are tied to the coffin. I'd assumed they were with the Stranger, but Nikola didn't seem too keen on having that coffin around. Maybe they're bound to it in the same way Not!Sasha was bound to the web table? Makes sense why they'd take over a delivery service then, that's a large item to haul around.

[lego]

there's always the possibility that what michael means by a better archivist is not necessarily a definition of 'better' that we'd agree with. im not really knowledgeable enough about all the entities to theorise particularly well, but if jon organising the archives is providing power to something michael may be allied with, michael may consider him a better archivist.

also, whilst Gertrude may technically be better/more trained at her job, it appears that she was deliberately trying to keep the institute unorganised? (that was the impression i got) whereas jon is trying to sort it, so trying whilst untrained, is still more sucessful than aiming for the opposite

[tabbyclaw]

May 17, 2018 19:36:33 GMT lego said:

there's always the possibility that what michael means by a better archivist is not necessarily a definition of 'better' that we'd agree with. im not really knowledgeable enough about all the entities to theorise particularly well, but if jon organising the archives is providing power to something michael may be allied with, michael may consider him a better archivist.

also, whilst Gertrude may technically be better/more trained at her job, it appears that she was deliberately trying to keep the institute unorganised? (that was the impression i got) whereas jon is trying to sort it, so trying whilst untrained, is still more sucessful than aiming for the opposite

*vague, grabby-hands gestures, as of someone trying to pull the words out of the air and not quite reaching them* I think that's part of it, that he still feels beholden -- forgive the pun -- to the ostensible duties of being a small-a archivist as well as The Archivist. The gathering and understanding of information still matters to him in a way that it probably didn't to Gertrude, at least not by the end when she went into 'stop this by any means necessary' mode. Michael was drawn to the Institute in the hopes of explaining something he experienced, and I think that part of him respects Jon's continued curiosity.

ETA: And I think it's relevant to this that what's left of Helen likes Jon because he listened to her and believed her. Whatever reprieve he's getting right now, it's coming because he did his job.