Seven years ago today, one of the saddest episodes of fantasy TV aired for the first time — and its show was never the same. When it comes to great fantasy series from the 21st century, The Magicians simply doesn’t get enough love. The Syfy show, which is based on Lev Grossman’s books, puts a fresh and realistic spin on genre conventions. It also takes viewers on an emotional ride alongside its complicated cast of characters, and there’s one installment that stands out as the most hard-hitting of the bunch.
Given The Magicians‘ commitment to exploring serious subjects, from mental health to sexual assault, the series has no shortage of episodes that will tug at viewers’ heartstrings. A major throughline of the series is that magic can’t solve all problems — and its biggest challenges and losses really drive that home. And one of The Magicians‘ largest and most controversial losses marks its saddest chapter overall. In fact, it’s one of the most devastating episodes of fantasy TV, and the series never fully bounces back from it.
7 Years Ago, The Magicians Season 4 Finale Cemented Itself as 1 of TV’s Saddest Episodes
The Magicians Season 4, Episode 13 sees Quentin Coldwater sacrificing himself to save his friends, a death that doesn’t happen in the source material, and thus, managed to shock readers and newcomers alike. The show goes beyond Grossman’s book trilogy, and it takes an entirely different path with Quentin. In some ways, it’s nice to see him grow to a point that he’s willing to bravely lay down his life for others. However, it’s a gutting that’s gotten a fair bit of backlash, with many feeling the character deserved better. And whether you appreciate how Quentin’s death is handled or not, it’s one of the most heartbreaking in fantasy, both for its unexpected nature and for the exploration of grief that follows. It’s a tearjerker for sure, and The Magicians starts to feel like a different series following it.
The Magicians Never Recovered From Losing Quentin in “No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry”
Due to the emotional impact of Quentin’s death, The Magicians Season 4’s finale is one of the most memorable chapters of the show — though whether that’s a positive or negative thing remains up for debate. It says something about the series’ character writing that the loss hits so hard, but Quentin’s death continues to prove controversial. Many feel it’s too devastating an end for a character who struggled with his mental health. And of course, there’s the disappointment of having yet another LGBTQ+ character written off in a tragic way. Such criticisms made it hard for the fan base to forgive The Magicians. And the show didn’t recover on-screen either, despite continuing for another season.
Without Quentin, the show feels very different in its fifth and final outing. It still manages to give the rest of the characters a somewhat satisfying send-off, but it never fully returns to what it was. It just goes to show how much the dynamics of a story can change, even with just one prominent player missing. In a way, “No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry” marked a turning point seven years ago (and perhaps the beginning of the end, as The Magicians was cancelled after Season 5).
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