Okay, so, I was thinking about MAG160 and the entities coming into our world and it's all properly horrifying and all that but. Like. In the long run? This is not going to go how the entities think its gonna go.

Long post sorry.

Because, basically, they've all been using the fear of the unknown, not the unknowing, to terrify people and I don't think they realize that.

Like, if you're in a cave and you're getting crushed and having yourself a proper freak out about it and then SOMETHING GRABS YOUR LEG, you're gonna get so much more scared.

But, if you're in a cave and getting crushed and having a proper freak out about it and then something grabs your leg AND you know that there's this fucking, creature or whatever the fuck that's feeding on your fear? Oh, well then you get pissed and kind of go "oh it's YOU" and, I don't know if the situation gets less scary, exactly, but the fear becomes, like, more manageable.

So the entities are gonna have to work their asses off to get some real terror out of people and bam! Back at square one.

Because humans are, like, stupidly adaptable and also once we know what we're afraid of, we start making it less scary. We joke about the NSA agents watching our house and the slowly increasing inevitable destruction of the ecosystem by our own hands and stuff and we're scared sure, but more than that we're pissed. And finding ways to work around it and change our situation so we can still live our lives.

If you know the source of your fear, you can address it and that makes it that much more manageable.

And, on top of that, they're EVERYWHERE now. Which means they are very quickly going to become routine. Which is also going to cut down on how scared people are of them.

At the end of the day, all these terrifying supernatural situations are terrifying, yeah. But the most scary thing about them is we didn't know why they were happening. And now we do. So we can adapt to them. And that makes them way less scary.

Yeah. At first I was confused as to what the Beholding was meant to be, because I know knowing more about something usually makes it less scary, or at least more manageable!

Now I know it's also about surveilance, and Knowing Too Much For Your Own Good, but I still stand by "knowing is most of the time better than not knowing, I want to know!", which, I mean, I might be pretty Eye-ligned.

i cant stop thinking about the idea of in-universe memes being made about the s4 finale

Oh, you know people would. Fighting fear with laughter is a very common tactic.

happy end of season 4!!! here’s a gomic feat. the dialogue at the end of MAG 160!!! although there’s a lot i want to fix about this thing, i’ve spent way too long on it and just need to go ahead and post it before i chicken out so HERE U GO 

Whoever is listening, save us all...

Whoever made that piece a while ago that said, "Fuck off Vast! This is Beholding's sky!" was an absolute prophet. Hats off to you.

Okay, surely though, this is the Extinction - there is no 15th fear, it's all of the fears eating themselves and each other up, as well as humanity. They'll destroy everything by existing. The Extinction isn't a seperate entity, it's all of them together.

My thoughts exactly.

You think I wouldn’t be RELIEVED by an episode where the world ends but so many things I feared didn’t happen, but?? 

I’ve hit the perfect balance of horror and excitement without the soul-crushing dread and suspense I suffered in between a lot of s4 episodes and wow

You know what? Yeah, sure.

The world was ending and the only survivors were lesbians obsessed with Halloween.

The Magnus Archives: Season 5

On a more serious note, though: I'm actually... really happy about the episode, and the way the plot is going? Like, yeah. The world's ending. My hands were literally shaking after listening to it.

But Jon is still Jon. He went "full Archivist" like we've known he was going to, and then... he came back. He did what he was designed for, and yes, he has to live with the consequences, but it is him living with them. He's the same character we've been following for four seasons, not suddenly a strange and evil monster.

And (you knew I was going here) he and Martin are together. They had almost a month together, happy, teasing each other for having retro aesthetics, making light of Jon needing statements, looking for good cows. And now that the world is ending? They are still together. Martin found Jon through the storm, Jon woke up to his pleading (and don't get me started on what Martin must have been feeling there - six months leaves quite an impression on you), and they are facing this together. Holed up in a safehouse in Scotland, broken windows and the apocalypse raging outside, but after all they've been through to get back to each other's sides they are allowed to stay there, against all odds.

So... yeah. That episode was a lot, but... really, really well done. Upping the horrors while still showing that fighting to hold onto what you care about is worthwhile and can make a difference. And it makes me happy.

Thank you for pointing this out.

@chasingspacerabbits​ you didn’t specify what kind of hug so………

So uh... Tim died for nothing huh?

Fun new revelation! Michael Shelly? Also died for nothing!

Gerard Keay, too! 

Maeve I’m not having fun anymore 

But you know what? I think some of them, the ones that are truly dead, were kind of lucky. They didn't live to see this shit.

make sure to check your archivist’s candy tonight for dangerous statements! we’ve gotten reports that some people are hiding incantations to bring about the end of the world inside chocolate bars and tape recorders. before letting your darling little grubby jesus chow down on the fear of people’s worst memories, make sure it’s safe and free of Jonah Magnus’ influence. have a safe and happy Halloween!