I wanted to first start off by saying that I have read all 3 books and am a huge fan of the magicians series. I also wanted to say this is NOT a review where I say, "oh the books were so much better!", because they weren't better or worse than the show. They are different (for good reasons) but still capture "The Magicians". In this review I want to address changes that the show made from the books and my opinions (staying as objective as I can) as to why they made those changes. I would also say don't read this review unless you have seen the first episode at least. There won't be "spoilers" but I will talk about things assuming episode 1 has been watched. Also for those who read this much later than when I wrote it, this is after seeing the first 6 episodes.
CHARACTERS: First I wanted to hit the characters. I will say that it takes a couple episodes for the actors to feel like they have found their characters (this may not be noticed by someone who didn't read the books, but it seemed a little awkward at first to me). By episode three they seem very familiar with their character's personalities and really highlight a lot of the traits that make Grossman's characters unique. From a filming perspective I think it was a good idea to make Katie Orloff more of a main character (as of now, she seems to have replaced Josh) and she adds an interesting dynamic to the original 3 students they focus on in Quentin's year (Quentin, Alice, and Penny). For those who don't know, Josh was the another main character in the Physical Kids who is in Elliot and Margo's year(Janet in the book). With a forth character in Quentin's group, the director is able to do a lot more with Penny as a character. For those who read the book, we know that he is one of the character changes that is the most drastic. While his character and personality are very different, he still fills the same role as he does in the book, he is now more interesting to watch on screen with his interactions with Katie.
PLOT- The BIGGEST change the show makes (and by far the smartest) is Julia and her story. Again, for those of you who have read the books know that Julia is hardly in the first book. Her life in the Magical world remains unknown for the most part until book 2. Bringing her story line right into the first season was a excellent way to show the viewers that, "hey, here's what happens when it doesn't all work out". In addition Keeping Julia in the show was excellent because it adds another plot point as well as a couple new antagonists that TV shows need but may not be needed right away in a novel. Without her story, the director would have no choice but to rush Quentin's story before the viewers get bored.
FINAL NOTES: I did want to touch on this final point that i see in a lot of reviews. A lot of people continue to say that this show is rushed and very busy with book plot points (Im assuming these comments are coming from those who read the books, because how would you know that). The show HAS to introduce a a lot right away otherwise the viewers would be bored and not give the show a chance; they need to bring in all these interesting plot points early to entice viewers. Recall that the beginning of these books, while charming, start very slow. If the show kept that pace, no one would watch it. Overall I think the show is doing a great job adapting the books and I would love for it to continue to see how it unfolds.
CHARACTERS: First I wanted to hit the characters. I will say that it takes a couple episodes for the actors to feel like they have found their characters (this may not be noticed by someone who didn't read the books, but it seemed a little awkward at first to me). By episode three they seem very familiar with their character's personalities and really highlight a lot of the traits that make Grossman's characters unique. From a filming perspective I think it was a good idea to make Katie Orloff more of a main character (as of now, she seems to have replaced Josh) and she adds an interesting dynamic to the original 3 students they focus on in Quentin's year (Quentin, Alice, and Penny). For those who don't know, Josh was the another main character in the Physical Kids who is in Elliot and Margo's year(Janet in the book). With a forth character in Quentin's group, the director is able to do a lot more with Penny as a character. For those who read the book, we know that he is one of the character changes that is the most drastic. While his character and personality are very different, he still fills the same role as he does in the book, he is now more interesting to watch on screen with his interactions with Katie.
PLOT- The BIGGEST change the show makes (and by far the smartest) is Julia and her story. Again, for those of you who have read the books know that Julia is hardly in the first book. Her life in the Magical world remains unknown for the most part until book 2. Bringing her story line right into the first season was a excellent way to show the viewers that, "hey, here's what happens when it doesn't all work out". In addition Keeping Julia in the show was excellent because it adds another plot point as well as a couple new antagonists that TV shows need but may not be needed right away in a novel. Without her story, the director would have no choice but to rush Quentin's story before the viewers get bored.
FINAL NOTES: I did want to touch on this final point that i see in a lot of reviews. A lot of people continue to say that this show is rushed and very busy with book plot points (Im assuming these comments are coming from those who read the books, because how would you know that). The show HAS to introduce a a lot right away otherwise the viewers would be bored and not give the show a chance; they need to bring in all these interesting plot points early to entice viewers. Recall that the beginning of these books, while charming, start very slow. If the show kept that pace, no one would watch it. Overall I think the show is doing a great job adapting the books and I would love for it to continue to see how it unfolds.