Warning: Spoilers for the Season 4 finalethe magicians.
The Magicians season 4 finale
Last week, Syfy aired the fourth season finale ofthe magiciansCoincidentally, last week was also the time whenthe magicianshe shut out a fraction of his fan base. Why the writers chose to kill Quentin Coldwater. Who may have been the lead role.
Yes, I have to admit that I am a week late for this interview. I was lagging behind and have only now watched the last three episodes of season four. So imagine my surprise when I caught up with him and found Quentin dead.
For those who haven't seen the series/season yet (and still want to read this article),the magiciansis a fantasy series that airs on Syfy. The show, based on a book series, follows a group of New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s who discover the existence of magic, go to Hogwarts' version of Yale-like graduate school, and battle an evil series. . Monsters, gods and magical creatures.
Among the characters of the show.erasQuentin Coldwater, a man struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, the show's later seasons have begun to explore Quentin's sexuality, expressing their mutual love for a female flame in character Alice Quinn and her significant other, Eliot Waugh.
Sadly, that storyline and character ended in Season 4, Episode 13, "Broke My Heart". In it, Quentin sacrifices himself to protect his friends and the universe from potential harm. And by writing his death, the show's writers betrayed many of their fans.
And for those who think Quentin might still come back, that doesn't seem to be true. The show's creators and Jason Ralph have confirmed that the actor has officially left the show.
A statement from the executive producers:
„…Ahead of this season, we had a creative conversation that included the writers, Executive Producer/Director Chris Fisher, Lev Grossman, our partners at UCP and SYFY, and Jason Ralph. Jason's decision to leave the show was made collectively, with great respect for the show's history, fans, and a shared sense of essential, conscious creative risk. We want wizards to visit new, strange, and exciting places, and we know we can't get there by following the same garden path that others have walked before us. So we did what you shouldn't do: we killed the character who was supposed to be "safe". In real life, none of us are safe.
When we first met Quentin Coldwater, he was in a mental hospital dealing with painful life and death issues. This season, we saw a rare opportunity to complete his arc, leading him to a true understanding of the priceless value of his own life. Quentin and recognize the truth: there is no such thing as a small fix. The smallest action can spill over in powerful ways we may never fully understand."
fan outrage
Here's the thing, many people took to Twitter to express their outrage over the death. Many see this as the writers committing the incredibly annoying "bury your gays" trope.
#TheMagiciansFinaleHe was in such a hurry and didn't even finish half of what was going on. Also, they completely ignored Queliot and pretty much didn't make Eliot's big return what the whole trailer was supposed to do... very disappointed.
(Video) Why The Omni King Wouldn’t Care If Goku Died– Allison (@aeparkss)April 18, 2019
Me last year:
Check out all the magicians it's so good a lot of positivity really fun show weird rep etc.
me later#TheMagiciansFinale:pic.twitter.com/ZVr9QbInhm-Tibby (@bewitchedbaby)April 18, 2019
#TheMagiciansFinaleQuentin Coldwater deserves better...pic.twitter.com/RYQm5n3f8V
-Tibby (@bewitchedbaby)April 18, 2019
Sadly, LGBTQ characters are still just a fraction of the characters we see on TV shows. However, LGBTQ characters are often murdered at a higher rate than their straight/cis counterparts. For example, Autostraddle is constantly updated.the list of lesbian and bisexual female characters murdered on television since the 1970s.The current number is 204..
Think of it as two marble vases. The straight marble pitcher is full. Therefore, if you kill a character and take a marble from him, you will still have a large number of marbles. Meanwhile, the LGBTQ cup is less than half full. If you kill a large chunk of these characters and remove a handful of marbles, you're left with an empty glass.
I hope that@magicianSYFYknows that while killing male leads is rare, killing LGBT people with mental illness is not. Queerbaiting and killing your gays is a huge misstep in my opinion#TheMAGICIANSfinale
— Kris (fairies/them/their pronouns) (@maybefaeby)April 18, 2019
Also the fourth season ofthe magicianscarried a general theme of diversity and perspectives. One specific episode entitled "Side Effects" conveyed the message that the white man is not always the hero. It seems like the show's writers are focused on making it more inclusive rather than the stereotypical white savior story.
Along with that comes how the show has been going for years. since the 1st season,the magiciansmade a conscious effort to stand out from the book series. The program overtook entire bookstores and leaked parts of others at will.
So it's not surprising that the season ended with Quentin's death. It sends the message that no one is safe. Anyone can die and the TV show is actively trying to be what it wants to be.
My reaction
But how should we react to this change? While I'm not as angry as some other fans, LGBTQ or otherwise, I'll admit that I felt shocked and betrayed by this ending. As a writer, I applaud the show's boldness in taking the story in an unexpected direction. But as a fan, I can't help but be stunned.
As a writer, what a beautiful choice.
As a fan, I'm upset and will never forgive you and I hope authors walk through burning Legos every day for the rest of their lives because this pain is nothing compared to what I'm feeling.#The Wizards #TheMAGICIANSfinale— here, queer, full of existential angst (@Sailor_Trivia)April 18, 2019
And here's the thing. I liked Quentin Coldwater. Yes, as a queer person of color, I would like to see more varied stories that don't rely on the white protagonist. But that doesn't mean he wants to do away with all white male prospects.
Additionally, the show already has a variety of LGBTQ, female, and racially diverse characters. Many of them have more meaning and narrative appeal than Quentin did. Therefore, the celebration of these characters does not justify the death of the white man.
It seems that we all get hurt in this common crusade for representation and diversity. The show's writers felt the need to actively and aggressively combat the white male perspective. So they killed off Quentin, even though his character arc was that he was a regular, unimportant white guy.
Meanwhile, fans of the series focused on the qualities that made Quentin unique. Namely, his growing bisexuality and mental illness. As such, they focused on his death being the death of a strange character and a man struggling with suicidal thoughts. Instead of seeing the entirety of the character.
quentin cold water
Quintin Coldwater was a geek and a nerd. He was an academic with self-esteem issues. He was a hero because he dared to dream and act, even though he knew terribly that was normal. He was a man who lost the innocence of magic but fought to regain it. He was a fun guy, a lover, a good friend and a person. However, he was a person who became a tool for multiple agendas.
All of which is to say that I am shocked and still processing the death of a character I didn't even know I cared so much about. And while both sides have perfectly valid points in this Quentin Coldwater discussion, let's take a moment to mourn the man and the character as a whole. Yes, he was LGBTQ and he was a man who struggled with mental health. Yes, he was a white male lead and a perfect tool for a shocking plot twist. But most of all he was a good character. And he will be missed.
"Did I do something brave to save my friends? Or did I finally find a way to kill myself?"#QuentinColdwater #TheMagiciansFinale pic.twitter.com/hNfqew8HHA
-Boden. (@Katley24)April 18, 2019
Update: This article has been updated to include the executive producers quote confirming that Jason Ralph and Quentin Coldwater have officially left the show.