Recap Notes: MAGP 4 “Taking Notes”
Spoiler Warning: this is a purely selfish exercise in remembering what the hell happened last season (from someone caught up thru MAGP31, 2/27/2025 & all of The Magnus Archives). No promises I’ll keep up with it.
Summary: A spooky instrument gives a whole new definition to musical vamping and an unnamed bastard child from the 18th century becomes a renowned prodigy by feed-me-Seymouring his gifted violin.
Casement: CAT3C7494-19111831-29012024
Random Thoughts & Observations:
Sam sings under his breath while he works, which is precious, but I’m still curious why Freddie re-directs Sam’s security ping to Alice. I’m still not sure I fully understand what the gestalt consciousness (consciousnesses?) got from that. Does one of them resonate with Sam, and that’s why it tries to make him happy by forwarding him the TMI cases? Does the Tria Prime-a (that was awful, I’m sorry) collectively need him for some purpose? A whole season down, and I’m no closer to answering that. Would be real curious if it was playing favorites with Alice, considering she does everything she can to tune him out, but if there’s any truth at all to be found in the bonus content episodes it was a curious mention that (at least in the ‘what if everyone listened to Colin’ AU) she has the best KPI’s.
Starkwall mention!
We never get a name for the casement giver, but we do get a description of their “towering father” with an “unshakeable belief in his own significance”. With the obvious German connection in this episode, could be interesting if he’s peripherally related to one of the bigwigs messing about in the Great Work.
And yes, I was a little disappointed to look at a map and see that the route from Alnwick Abbey to the palace at Mannheim does not pass thru the Schwarzwald (although if I’m reading the maps right, I think we’re at least in the state of Baden-Württemberg, which is fun for Johann Von reasons). Really want this guy to be a Von Closen.
Hunger and luck are mentioned, two recurring themes in the show so far. More on that later.
“the blood for its strings need not be your own”
Neatly hints at what the OIAR could be up to with their balancing act, but with a lot of the playing with chance/deal-based stories in Protocol so far, I’m interested to see how far they can push it before something implodes.
Unhealed wounds of existence also casually mentioned in regards to satiating casement giver’s hunger. Skirted it, but think this is going to come into play re: the larger metaplot and what happened at the end of TMA, but I have a hunch MAGP08 is the best early episode to discuss that. For now, this a great first story from Augustus. His VA Tim Fearon (great name for a horror actor, btw) is a treat, and old-timey statements were always a delight in Magnus so I’m glad to see Alex and Jonny continuing that trend into Protocol.
“a 'jete’, a jarring musical demand for their attention, a declaration that I must be seen, and heard” also sticks out for this series’ focus on social media / Freddie’s whole shtick. The fears here aren’t thriving in the shadows. They want to be seen. Whether or not that’s a side-effect of having been brought here by The Eye is yet to be seen.
Klaus cameo! Really hoping he pops up in person at some point and isn’t just an ARG hero.
And unrelated, but in this week’s 'I doubt it’ll come up, but this was an entertaining find from over-googling everything’:
Lena is a name of German and Scandinavian origin, derived from the German name “Helene” which means “bright, shining light.” In Scandinavian countries, the name Lena is a shortened version of the name Magdalena, which means “of Magdala” or “from the tower.” This gives the name a sense of strength and protection.