TheMagiciansremains one of the most underrated gems in modern fantasy television. While it aired for five seasons on SyFy and holds an impressive 91% rating onRotten Tomatoes, it still doesn’t get nearly the recognition it deserves. Much likeThe Chronicles of NarniaorHarry Potter, it builds on the childhood fantasy trope of stumbling into a magical world, but it does so in a darker, edgier, and more emotionally mature way. In fact, I’d argue no show has ever offered a more nuanced or grown-up take on the “secret world of magic” concept thanThe Magicians. It’s the perfect antidote to the overly sanitized or simplified takes we’ve seen time and time again.
What makesThe Magiciansso special, and the reason it’s still stuck in my head years after it ended, is how it takes familiar fantasy tropes - magical schools, chosen ones, alternate dimensions - and reimagines them with brutal honesty, deep emotional stakes, and devastating twists. Adapting the trilogy of novels by Lev Grossman,The MagiciansTV show is proof that adaptations of fantasy novels can be intelligent, self-aware, and emotionally complex while still being completely addictive. While it admittedly riffs heavily on Narniaand the world ofHarry Potter, it transforms those inspirations into something completely its own.
The Magicians Is An Underrated Fantasy Masterpiece That’s Still Worth Watching
This Fantasy Drama Is Smarter, Darker, And More Emotionally Grounded Than It Ever Got Credit For
At its core,The MagiciansTV show follows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), a grad student whose lifelong obsession with a fantasy book series calledFillory and Furtherends up being far more real - and dangerous - than he ever expected. After a magical entrance exam lands him at Brakebills University, a secret school for magic users, Quentin begins training to become a magician alongside other gifted students, including his childhood friend Julia (Stella Maeve), the aloof and brilliant Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley), and fan-favorites Eliot (Hale Appleman) and Margo (Summer Bishil).
While the early premise may sound familiar,The Magiciansquickly sets itself apart.
While the early premise may sound familiar,The Magiciansquickly sets itself apart (and cements itself as a rarefantasy TV show that’s almost perfect). This isn’t a twee, sanitized fantasy world - it’s full of trauma, addiction, messy relationships, and morally ambiguous decisions. Yet it still offers the escapism fans crave, thanks to itssprawling worldbuilding, dangerous quests, and clever twists. It balances hope and heartbreak with remarkable precision.
Despite its glowing Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%,The Magiciansrarely gets mentioned in conversations about the best fantasy shows of the past decade. That’s likely because it aired on SyFy, a network not typically known for prestige TV, and perhaps because it leaned so hard into genre storytelling. However, those who gave it a shot found themselves immersed in a world that was dark, hilarious, bold, and deeply original. The writing often feels like it’s in conversation with other fantasy franchises, but always with a refreshing edge.
Put simply,The MagiciansTV show deserves way more credit. Its blend of literary fantasy, genre deconstruction, and raw emotional stakes made it unlike anything else on television at the time - and it still holds up just as well today.
The SyFy Series Offers One Of The Best Spins On The Chronicles Of Narnia Ever
Fillory Is The Show’s Dark, Grown-Up Answer To Narnia, And It’s Unforgettable
One of the most compelling arcs inThe MagiciansTV show isQuentin’s discovery that Fillory, the magical land he read about obsessively in his childhood, isn’t fiction. Much like the Pevensie siblings inThe Chronicles of Narnia, Quentin steps into a realm that should only exist in books and fairy tales, only to learn that it’s disturbingly real. However, while Narnia is all noble lions and Christian allegory, Fillory is a surreal, often horrifying place where gods meddle, time bends, and even quests for good can lead to terrible consequences.
This twist givesThe Magiciansa thematic richness that most fantasy shows don’t even attempt. The idea of clinging to fantasy as an escape from depression, loss, or trauma is explored in painful detail through Quentin, whose connection to Fillory is more about survival than heroism. That tension - the desperate need to believe in magic and the crushing reality of what magic actually costs - is the beating heart of the series.
In many ways,Fillory is Narnia with the gloves off. Later Narnia books likePrince CaspianandThe Silver Chairdeal with the Pevensies' growing detachment from the magical world they once ruled, andThe Magiciansmirrors thisby showing how Quentin and his friends become disillusioned with Fillory even as they become its reluctant rulers. It explores what it really means to outgrow your childhood fantasies - and what happens if you actually find them waiting for you on the other side.
In terms of world-building, emotional weight, and sheer creative ambition,The MagiciansTV show’s interpretation of this Narnia-style concept is easily one of the most satisfying and subversive ever put to screen.
The Magicians Offers A New Approach To Magic School Stories Like Harry Potter Too
Brakebills Is Like Hogwarts - But For Students With Real Trauma And Consequences
While Fillory adds depth to the show’s Narnia comparisons, Brakebills University is whereThe MagiciansTV show most clearly takes inspiration fromHarry Potter. However,Brakebills isn’t a school in a whimsical castlewhere magical lessons are punctuated with Quidditch and butterbeer. It’s a place where spells are complex, power has consequences, and students are often dealing with very real psychological issues. It asks what a magic school would actually be like, for damaged, gifted adults instead of innocent children.
UnlikeHarry Potter, which mostly keeps its tone light until the final books,The Magiciansis dark from the start
Quentin’s journey through Brakebills is central to the show’s narrative. He starts as an uncertain and often emotionally fragile student, but as he masters magic, he also learns how devastating that power can be. UnlikeHarry Potter, which mostly keeps its tone light until the final books,The Magiciansis dark from the start. The showtakes the premise of magical academia and pushes it into morally grey territory. Consent, grief, and addiction are just as common in the curriculum as spellcraft.
Lev Grossman’s novels were already a subversive take on the genre, butThe MagiciansTV show goes even further, turning the idea of “chosen ones” and magical training into a brutal, often heartbreaking experience. Itavoids nostalgia and instead focuses on accountability and trauma- what happens when students have to grow upwhiledealing with magical threats.
WithHBO’sHarry PotterTV showon the horizon,The MagiciansTV show deserves fresh attention. It offers a compelling blueprint for how to take the idea of a magical school and make it resonate with adult audiences. It doesn’t just show magic - it shows what itmeansto wield it when you’re not a kid anymore.
The Magicians
Cast
The Magicians follows a group of young adults who enroll at Brakebills University, a secretive institution devoted to teaching magic. As they engage in an unconventional education in spellcasting, they realize that a childhood fantasy world is indeed real and presents a significant threat to humanity.
