I actually think it’s extremely important from a character standpoint that Jon and Martin bicker so much throughout Season 5.
From the standpoint of Martin’s character: Martin is someone who’s always been entangled by The Lonely. When we first met him he was passive, and kind, and really just wants to be liked despite Jon’s irrational annoyance.
That’s why it’s so important that he learns to stand up for himself and advocate for his own feelings. Not just to anyone either, but to Jon, who he’s always wanted the approval of.
If Martin bit his tongue and just went along with everything he wanted, then it would show that he hasn’t grown a lot since the early seasons where he put “keeping the peace” over his own feelings. in this case his loud disagreement is a good thing because it means that he’s grown into someone who’s comfortable standing up for himself in his relationship.
From the standpoint of Jon’s character: Jon need’s someone to be willing to disagree with him in Season 5.
At the start of season 5, Jon has basically given up. He’s wasting away in the cabin, blaming himself for the end of the world and thinking that he can’t fix it. It’s Martin’s willingness to contradict Jon and go “I think there’s still hope. I think there’s still a world to be saved,” that pushes him to get out of bed.
Then during the apocalypse when they start disagreeing on how to handle saving the world and the merits of vengeance, Jon still needs to have those disagreements. Both because those new relationship hurdles are a reminder of the human connection he’s working to keep, but also because it forces him to consider a perspective that’s not his own.
The Eye is chipping away at his humanity, and everyone else in the apocalypse is treating him like he’s a God. He DESPERATELY needs someone to remind him “ Hey. You aren’t inherently right because you’re The Archivist. Let’s also consider other people’s points of view,” due the situation.
From a character standpoint I think a lot of Martin and Jon’s arguing is actually a really interesting showcase to where they both are as people by Season 5 and indictive of their character development. Also they’re in the apocalypse and that totally contributes.
It’s so hot today that I made that I’m headcanoning The Magnus Archives characters favorite ice cream flavors:
Jon - Rum Raisin
Martin - Vanilla
Tim - Cookies And Cream
Sasha - Neapolitan
Melanie - Birthday Cake
Georgie - Cheesecake
Basira - Salted Caramel
Daisy - She doesn’t like ice cream but she really likes snow cones. The blue ones in specific.
Peter - Mango
Elias - Coffee
Gertrude - Cookie Dough
Gerard - Mint Chocolate Chip
Michael Shelley - Cotton Candy
Jon after doubting Tim and Martin to the point it causes a rift in their relationship: “Wow. It sure is hurtful that someone I thought was an ally was actually suspecting me.”
No but I think this moment is a really interesting one for both Jon’s character.
For Jon this moment is one where he has all the suspicion he’s been eager to give to other people thrown back at his face, and instead of having any take away’s from it, he rationalizes Basira’s motivations instead of truly acknowledging the hurt he feels. He justifies what she did by saying that he hasn’t been stable in the last few months. Then even uses word “bit” to lesson the impact on his emotional state, but it’s clear that it got to him.
I think Jon’s reaction to Basira’s deception shows that he’s rationalized suspicion so much he can’t even break free from that mindset when he’s confronted head on with how hurtful it can be. He’s just that far gone down a rabbit hole of distrust, and it’s very sad watching him rationalize a thing that’s hurt him because he’s hurting others and rationalizing it in the same way.
Season 2 Jon will always be one of the most frustrating yet tragic characters to me. He’s just so well-written.
“I could never be as good of an Archivist as Gertrude.” - Jon says, standing next to Martin, Melanie, Georgie, and Basira who he kept alive during the fearapoclypse despite Gertrude losing all of her assistants.
“I could never be as good of an Archivist as Gertrude.” - Jon says, his hands stained with the ashes of Gerry’s page and the blood of Elias Bouchard because he finished the things Gertrude left incomplete.
“I could never be as good of an Archivist as Gertrude.” - Jon says, after holding onto his humanity even as he slipped into avatarism while Gertrude’s humanity starting slipping while she was still human.
“I could never be as good of an Archivist as Gertrude.” - Jon says, after sending the fears somewhere else for once and for all.
Gertrude was a fantastic Archivist in the practical sense. She did all the right things to keep the fears in cheek and had noble intentions even if her methods were harsh. However, as her successor Jon was able to complete the puzzle she started by adding the final piece she has been missing: Bringing humanity into the equation.
What I think The Magnus Archive character’s smell like:
Jon - Jon smells like old books that were left in a room with an air freshener all day, meaning that he smells like any library that’s existed for more than a decade. The way he smells is not helping the “Jon is old” allegations that his coworkers give him.
Martin - Martin smells a bit like tea, which isn’t a surprise to anyone considering how much he makes. But he also smells a lot like peppermint because of a hand lotion he uses. (Bonus headcanon that Jon used to not like the scent of mint, but by Season 4 he has a bowl of peppermints on his desk.)
Tim - Tim smells like a noticeable body spray that would be applied by frat boys and apparently Magnus Institute workers. Most people couldn’t pull the scent off, but there’s something about his general demur that makes the smell seem to suit him more than it should.
Sasha - Sasha smells like a coffee shop. She smells warm and sweet like hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls being served as a treat. The way she smells is very comfortable and welcoming.
Melanie - If you asked Melanie this question she would say that she doesn’t smell strong of anything. However, if you Georgie would say that smells faintly like coconut deodorant and hair dye. This is because Georgie likes women.
Georgie - Georgie smells like green apple because of the soap and shampoo she uses.
Basira - Basira smells like a mix of coffee and a room full of house plants combined into one. Being around her is like being around the physical embodiment of a sunroom.
Daisy - Daisy smells like a spring day. She smells like soil soaked by rain and a forest full of pine trees who’s cones are in bloom. She has this very natural smell about her that couldn’t be replicated by any cologne or shampoo.
Peter - Peter smells like saltwater. No matter where he goes he the the ocean follows him.
Elias - Elas somehow smells exactly like an eye doctor’s office. It’s not on purpose, he just achieves that uncomfortable clinical smell naturally.
Gertrude - Gertrude has smelt like the wick of a candle that was just went out ever since her ritual with The Desolation. Before that she had a slight orange smell that she expects clung to her clothes from her daily lunchtime snack, but that was a long time ago.
Gerard - Gerard’s clothes reek of smoke. Between his cigarette habit and his book burning he smells like a dirty chimney being lit most of the time, with the only expectation being late at night when he paints. He smells like watercolor and acrylic then. Though it’s always fleeting.
Michael Shelley - Michael smells soft like laundry that was just taken out of the dryer. When Distortion Michael has a smell he smells like laundry that was just taken out of the dryer but also tv static mixed with coffee cake and lilac. Maybe.
Helen Richardson - Helen Richardson smells like her favorite strawberry lotion and perfume. Distortion Helen smells like strong lemon cleaning products, making her smell like a sterile hotel lobby in a way that’s both familiar and distressing. She has a much more consistent scent than Distortion Michael since she’s a bit more stable. But it’s still unsettling.
