The Magnus Archives: Season 2

The Magnus Archives #2

by Jonathan Sims

The Magnus Archives is a horror story written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrates the stories in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly-appointed head archivist of the fictional Magnus Institute; an institution based in London centred on research into the paranormal.

With each chapter released as a podcast episode, The Magnus Archive is structured as a series of statements recorded or written and then recorded for internal research use within The Magnus Institute. At the beginning of each statement, the statement-taker (mainly Jon, the head archivist) provides a brief description of the statement and the name of the statement-maker. Those who give or record statements in the Magnus Institute tend to lapse into a trance-like state not unlike reliving the event.

The second season of the critically acclaimed series.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Fantasy, Queer, Mystery, Fiction, Adult

391 pages, ebook

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Jonathan Sims is a writer, performer and games designer whose work primarily focuses on the macabre, the grotesque, and the gentle touch of creeping dread. He is the mind and the voice behind acclaimed horror podcast The Magnus Archives, as well as story-game design duo MacGuffin & Co., and some of your favourite nightmares. He lives in Walthamstow with the two best cats and an overwhelming backlog of books that he really should get round to.

Reviews

[lupo ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best thing of this season was martin asking jon if he wanted tea and you cannot change my mind.

[jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

No-one:

Not a single soul:

Jon in season two: SUPPLEMENTAL

---
Can I hire Jonathan to narrate my day-to-day life?
---

3rd listen:

Jonathan in season 2: i do not trust my colleagues. i'm going to obsessively stalk them, secretly record their conversations and watch their every move.

Also Jonathan in season 2: why are my colleagues avoiding me :(


also, Jon only has one braincell and it becomes apparent when he takes a smoking break while in a dangerous and urgent situation

---

4th listen (leave me alone)

i actually think this might be my favourite season.
i just really love Jon trying to piece everything he knows together and figure out what the fuck is going on.
also the introduction of so many great characters *cough* both Michaels *cough*

raising my rating to five stars

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to eat every word Jonathan Sims has ever written with a spoon.

[Phantomº · Rating 5 out of 5]

*clears throat* THE VOICE ACTING IN THIS SEASON WAS TOP NOTCH (Michael gave me chills every time he talked or laughed, so eerie). I WANT TO HUG MARTIN BECAUSE HE'S A PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL AND AN ABSOLUTELY MOOD "I WANT EVERYONE TO BE OKAY"...we all want that, but dear Jonathan has no intentions on doing so it seems. The Q&As in the end of the seasons are hilarious, the chemistry between Alex and Jon while they mess with our heads...oh boy. Learning that Jon's parents took part in the voice acting, Such A Talented Family.

Still terrifying? Yes.
Creates new fears I did not know I had? Of course.
Obsessed listening to it that I can't focus on anything else? ABSOLUTELY.

Can we appreciate the sound effects? They have put on so much effort and it shows.

[Xander · Rating 5 out of 5]

jon* has zero braincells and i love him

*edit: the character

[roosmarijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I listened to 40 chapters of this in less than two days is just as unsettling as this whole podcast, maybe even more so. At least i'm having the best time while avoiding my responsibilities.

[n · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

well, hello there. tell me everything, elias. i need to know NOW.

[Aleks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with this!!
I'm equally terrified as amazed by Michael (and his laugh) and Martin has Wylan vibes (I would die for him)
I'm also sliiiightly *ahem* traumatized and paranoid :))

[Geraldine Robles Chipana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Episodios notables:
*Episodio 45: en el que añado a los mosquitos a la lista de "cosas que se integrarán alegremente a mis pesadillas".
*Episodio 49: en el que mi atención es atraída más por la posibilidad de que tim acabe envuelto en un drama personal que por la carnicería y Jared Hopworth.
*Episodio 56: en el que lo que me resulta más interesante no es la declaración. Otra vez.
Tsk, será mejor que esto no se convierta en algo frecuente…
*Episodio 64: en el que mis sueños de explorar tumbas de forma ilegal mueren rápida y definitivamente.
...Yo, de hecho, sí consideré dedicarme a la arqueología en algún momento.
*episodio 70: en el que un libro en serio, en serio me aterroriza.
Leer las fechas cambiantes y las formas horribles en las que se supone que uno va a morir de ningún modo puede ser bonito y reconfortante, gente.
*Episodios 77 y 78: en los que me asusta—mucho, mucho— un ser al que casi nadie es capaz de ver como el impostor que realmente es.

Tras lo que sucedió con los gusanos, Jonathan Sims se ha sentido… paranoico, para decirlo suavemente; oh, él sabe que Jane Prentiss está muerta… y, sin embargo, actualmente siente que lo observan y sospecha de todos aquellos con quienes trabaja.
Desafortunadamente, la desaparición de dos grabaciones que realizó y la segunda visita que hizo a los túneles debajo del Archivo no han ayudado a disipar sus temores, no. Oh bien. Quizás no sea tan mala idea hacer copias de cada cinta que grabe de ahora en adelante, sí.
Y si ha decidido que en esas copias —y solo en esas copias— irá narrando la investigación que va a realizar por su cuenta y que mantendrá ocultas las cintas antes mencionadas… bueno. Demasiada precaución nunca es suficiente, de verdad…

[atria · Rating 5 out of 5]

this season had such good episodes too like binary and fatigue and the book of the dead (especially fatigue i loved that shit) and i just love the guest voice actors in this season 🥰🥰🥰

-----------------------------------

nice [EXTENDED SOUNDS OF BRUTAL PIPE MURDER] you've got there <33

-----------------------------------

ayoooooo tim said 'fuck you' to jon. let's gooooo lmao

anyway, all jokes aside, i feel like season 2 attacked me in more visceral ways than i imagined.

also, for old time's sake (because this was a re-listen):

'JURGEN LEITNER?

STUPID IDIOT MOTHERFUCKING JURGEN LEITENER GOD DAMN FOOL BOOK COLLECTING DUST EATING RAT OLD BASTARD SHITHEAD IDIOT AVATAR OF THE WHORE BIGGEST CLOWN IN THE CIRCUS LAUGHED OUT OF TOWN COWBOY MOTHERFUCKING JURGEIN LEITNER

STOP PINNING ME WHEN I TALK ABOUT JURGEIN LEITENER I HATE HIM SO MUCH WHY DOES HE HAVE SO MANY FUCKED UP BOOKS WHY DID HE DECIDE TO FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT JUST SET THEM LOOSE IS HE DEAD IS HE A BASTARD MAN HAS SUCH A VISCERAL AFFECT ON ME NOT EVEN IN THE ROOM NEVER SEEN THIS MANS FACE AND I KNOW HE HAS THE WORLDS SHITTIEST BEARD GET AWAY FROM ME

if i wanted to get into heaven and god said jurgein leitners waiting inside i would piss on gods feet for the sole purpose of getting sent back down

if i have to deal with jurgein leitner speaking one word in person on voice in podcast not only will i close the tab i will delete my bookmark out of spite and have to rewatch the entire series again for the experience of being able to skip all the times when he is mentioned or alive

i dont even know why i hate him so much. he collects books but i am just mad because i am angy

he better have some fucked up backstory to explain this if hes just some rich shithead whos a fan of creepypasta and wanted the irl version ill go ham

BETTER have had a book make him kill a man cuz if he didnt Im going to make him

paypal.com/IFuckingHateJurgeinLeitner

episodes not even about him. vaguely mentioned what is supposed to maybe be his library and I lost it

where the fuck is jurgein leitner if hes still alive im going to so deeply wish he wasnt

crusty old man

ill punch leitner and his sad frail old man twig bones will simply flake apart under my epic huge meat fist and he will disintegrate until all thats left is one final book he kept on him at all times simply titled Now You Fucked Up in ancient yiddish

im not breathing im hyperventilating at this point

i hope theres a date given for when jurgen died or will die so i can make it a reminder on my phone

everyday once a year i will see it and do anything but pay respects to the man who had so many fucked up if true books'

i hope whoever made this epic rant on discord is happy now lmao

[Jessica Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Individual episode ratings:

Too Deep ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Grifter’s Bone ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Section 31 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tightrope ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Blood Bag ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Literary Heights ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The New Door ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lost in The Crowd ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Butcher’s Window ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Foundations ⭐️⭐️⭐️
High Pressure ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Exceptional Risk ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Crusader ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Still Life ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pest Control ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Children of the Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Personal Space ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trail Rations ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recluse ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Observer Effect ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hard Shoulder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First Edition ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The End of the Tunnel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burial Rites ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Binary ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Held in Customs ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burning Desire ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Tale of a Field Hospital ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thought for the Day ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book of the Dead ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Underground ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Takeaway ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Police Lights ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fatigue ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Long Way Down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Smell of Blood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Kind Mother ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Distant Cousin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hide and Seek ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Librarian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

چی بگم راجع بهش که حق مطلب رو ادا کنه؟
از نظر داستان و پرفورمنس و همه چی عالیه.
شاید بعدا، وقتی که همه رو گوش دادم بیام راجع بهش بیشتر بنویسم.
تو این فصل بالاخره فهمیدن اینا چین.

یادم افتاد اینا رو اینجا هم بذارم:

The human mind is amazingly adept at ignoring things that don’t make sense, that it doesn’t want to see.
-63


Although people always think of digital as not really there, but the thing is, information is always physically present. It doesn’t exist as some formless nothing. Even within the tiniest, most advanced storage systems, physical memory cells change and alter themselves to render that information in a language all of their own.
-65

Well, that’s what’s terrifying, isn’t it? Your mind is all you are, there’s no backup, or you know, reset, If it goes. I’m not just talking about madness as it appears, but what it is from inside. The way people talk about it, it’s like you have to think you’re saying that our mind is everything we perceive, everything we are. That means you can never know when your grasp might be slipping. I’m not convinced that’s it, though.
Or maybe deep down somewhere inside, you understand what’s happening to you and – no. I am, I don’t know which scares me more.
-65

We’ve tricked ourselves into thinking that computers and people have anything in common? But no matter how good we may program them to be at pretending to think like us, that’s all we’ll ever be. Crossing the line from meat and chemicals into pure digital systems is impossible. And everything else is just sophisticated programming and, and illusion.
-65


But you think sometimes about what the real world is. Just what your brain mixes together from what your senses tell you. We create the world in a lot of ways. I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that, when we’re not being careful, we can change it.
-69


You know those friends you have who aren’t really your friends, but you go to the same parties and it’s not enough of a thing that you’d actually avoid each other, so everyone just assumes you’re friends, and you kind of absorb that and even start picturing them there when you think about “your friends” as a group, but deep down you both know you don’t actually like each other, it’s just that it’s actually more effort to not be friends?
-70

Life is a current which cannot be fought. It is a march with one destination. You cannot cease your step, nor move your course, to one that skirts the journey’s termination.
-70


Your vision goes strange when you don’t sleep for a long time. I think it’s something to do with changing pressure on your eyeballs. You start to detect faint movements on the edges, on the periphery, and if you stare too long at a flat surface it starts to gently pulse and move.
-74

So much of what we see and hear are just useful lies that our brain tells us, filtering out the useless bits and adding in what it expects to see. No-one ever knows what they’re really seeing or hearing.
-74

When you don’t sleep, your energy goes in cycles. Your body will go through phases where it seems to be trying to completely shut itself down, and keeping your eyes open is quite literally a physical struggle. Then all at once you’ll enter a period of manic energy, a second, third or fourth wind that leaves you giddy and nauseous, struggling to find an outlet for your sudden rush. Sometimes there is a euphoria with this; other times it’s more like desperation. As you get further and further into it, these cycles get closer and closer together, until your entire self seems to change hour by hour.
Of course, when you have insomnia, it doesn’t matter how much your body tries to send you to sleep in the lulls, it simply doesn’t have the ability to do so. Like your whole self is trying to push you into bed, but it is covered by a solid granite block.
-74


It’s weird to think about people who knew you as a child. You change so much, and when you talk to them again, they’re not talking to you. They’re talking to someone else, someone you used to be. The person they think they’re seeing has been dead for years, but they didn’t see the change. They’re looking at a complete stranger, and they have no idea.
-78

[Khadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan, choices were made.

[Para (wanderer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! What an absolutely diabolical experience this podcast is. It does things to you. Between the last few episodes of season 1 and the first few episodes of season 2, I lost my shit about as fast as the protagonist did. We’re in full manic obsession territory now and I will see this through. I can’t touch any other book until I’m done. Yes, it will hurt, because this is the evil podcast from hell when it comes to making you love the characters and then torturing them, but it’s so insanely compelling and well written. (Seriously, what do they put in this thing??)

What was a somewhat silly short story anthology in season 1 now has much higher stakes. Suffice to say, the archive crew is not having a good time. The worms may be dead, but everyone has been scarred in more ways than one. Jon in particular goes from 0 to unhinged instantly after the finale of season 1. The feigned skepticism is gone. (He’s still a pompous little shit though.) He spends the whole 2nd season plagued by paranoia, recording secret supplemental tapes, and wondering which of his coworkers is a murderer.

Unfortunately for him, he’s terminally incapable of subtlety. However careful he thinks he’s being (I love unreliable narrators) tracking his coworkers’ every move and recording conversations, the other characters know about his mental breakdown pretty much from the start, and are not happy about it. This means more conflict and more dialogue, which I adored. It feels like in the first season all I got was enough crumbs to keep me going, and mind, they were delicious crumbs, but now we finally get to know other characters better! The episodes are still centered on statements of course, but the post-statement parts get more varied, there are a few more people making statements directly, other tapes, and so on.

The strengths from the first season that made me keep going while the plot was still finding its feet are also very much still there. In particular, there’s a fantastic balance when it comes to tone, the horrors mixed with enough humour and softer moments to make each other more effective. It takes a very skilled writer to walk that particular tightrope and it’s rare and wonderful to see it done completely right for once. Even if the skill is used purely for evil, getting you to care about the characters so it hurts deeply when something awful inevitably happens to them, you know what? I can admire that. I admire a writer who isn’t afraid to fucking commit. Go on, whack my emotions to pieces this well and I will thank you and ask for more.

(I truly don’t know how people coped way back when you had to wait for the next episode. I mean. Oof.)

And the character writing! It’s a requirement for horror that a protagonist does something ill-advised, otherwise there would be no story, but the bad choices never feel contrived or random. Of course Jon won’t ask for help, he’s either suspecting one of his coworkers is a murderer or, later, ashamed of how unfair he’s been to them. Of course no one can stop poking their noses into things, they’re too curious (just like me). And so on. The case for why it’s going to end badly and why a character couldn’t just quit, or ask for help, or not look is always solid.

The ending sequence…whew. As of writing this, I’m already recovered enough to be a few episodes into season 3, but let’s just say I needed to stare into space a bit, a couple drinks, and my arsenal of unhinged reaction images (sure I’m trying to be articulate and not a complete gremlin here, but in private? Stick figure violence and all caps all the way down). It was A Lot in the best possible way.

Most highly recommended. Straight onto the list of favourites.

Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 4.5/5, a solid 4/5 for the most part (a definite improvement!), with 5/5 for episodes 41, 65, 74, the finale (cca 77-80), and all of the pre/post-statement dialogue parts

Recommended to: masochists, those who thought season 1 had too little dialogue
Not recommended to: the squeamish

Content warnings: gore and body horror, spiders (more than the previous season), suicide, self-harm, unreality, etc; more detailed warnings available with the transcripts, but expect anything except sexual violence

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.

[rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLESS JONNY SIMS, ALEXANDER NEWALL, AND ALL THE BRILLIANT MINDS BEHIND THIS PODCAST. You've given me something to look forward to and the heavens know I need more clever spookiness in my life.

[Luisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

THAT SEASON FINALE THO

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would drink a cup of Martin's tea anytime

[⋆.˚ Ariana ᡣ&#x10b69;ྀིྀི · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I thought this season would last me the whole month, but here we are 👀.

The star of the show: The Tunnels

So much of me saying that I’m looking forward to listening to season two of The Magnus Archives only to listen to it after 2 years…hehe💀

Jonathan being paranoid the whole season was hilarious 😭. I’m sorry, I just find everything funny and I guess it has become a disease now.

I’ve come to this realisation that I like Jonathan because he and I are the same. He stalked his colleagues, distrusted them, was keeping his distance and recording their each conversations and then wondered why they were distasteful towards him. And I don’t like talking to people or being around them or having any business with them and then wonder why I lead a very lonely life. So you see what I mean?

More than any case, I was looking forward to Jonathan saying: Supplemental

The way everyone did their job so well while narrating the whole season was chief’s kiss, especially the last three episodes🤌🏻🤌🏻.

Can we appreciate the intro music? It’s so ominous and spine chilling.

I mostly listened to this podcast while I was in the shower, and I suppose the electricity going out, me feeling a presence, getting a bit scared and things falling off the counter were just coincidences 🥰.

⚠️SPOILER BELOW

When Jonathan saw the dead body in the last episode he literally went like:
Jonathan: Oh…🧍🏻

So I just listened to This Gun That I Have in My Right Hand is Loaded which was mentioned in the second part of Q&A of The Magnus Archive’s second season.
Production wise it was very well-done. But story wise it was…fine

[maxie.⋆˚꩜｡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I WAS GOING TO STOP FOR THE NIGHT BUT I CAN'T. NOT AFTER THIS FUCKING CLIFFHANGER. WHAT THE FUCK.


(also i love my little funky family, i can't wait to listen to more)

second listen: i forgot how much of a little shit jon actually is, i love it. he's so grumpy and mean. i'm so looking forward to season 3 again. it's also so so so so fun to listen and actually connect things now.

third listen: he's actually soooo bad at being a stalker its so insanely funny. top tier comedy.

[Valéria · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am this 🤏 away from doing something homophobic

[Ash :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elias it doesn't-
*BONK BONK BONK*

[Ovz · Rating 4 out of 5]

fucking brilliant

[سیما تقوی · Rating 4 out of 5]

یک مجموعه عالی از داستان‌های وحشت کیهانی، بشدت الهام گرفته از لاوکرفت و با روایت و حتی نثر زیبایی که خواننده را تا انتها دنبال خودش می‌کشاند. فضاسازی شگرف، شخصیت‌پردازی عالی و ماجراهایی که بعضاً خواب آدم را مختل می‌کند!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth Read August 2025: insane gay people.

~~~

Third Read March 2023 (5/5): The finale of this installment is honestly probably the weakest in the series (too much info dumping even though I know it’s necessary), but it does contain my favorite line in the entire series:

“It is remarkably easy to buy an axe in Central London.”

~~~

Re-read July 2021 (4/5): I love paranoid Jon.

Favorite Episodes: 41, 42, 48, 52, 58, 62, 64, 65, 70

~~~

First read June 2020 (4/5): A.k.a the one where Jon goes (justifiably) a bit insane and paranoid and Martin solidifies himself as my favorite character.

Also I don’t care what Jonny has to say about it in the Q&A, I’m suing for damages if anything happens to Martin. Nothing bad can happen to him.

[Sarvenaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a great way to finish this season. I just want more of TMA characters.
As the highlights of this season go, MAG 65: Binary was so amazingly molded from the writing to the performances. I guess there's something tangible about the live statements and on-tape encounters. Leaves me hungry for more.
Talking about hunger, now that we know some statements actually have connections aka entities and stuff, it makes me so uncomfortable to know all the meat cases have a common source. Also a tiny Michael appreciation post. I imagine him as something out of Uzumaki but colorful af.
That's all for now. I'll go get ready for whatever tomfoolery Sims is up to next.

[ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

last episode my beloved

[eilost · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT WAS THAT FINALE WHAT

[spalanai ⛤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"i think i need some air."
"we don't have time for you to have a breakdown, archivist."

chat, my babygirl is not a babygirl anymore.

anyway, hello hello hello! finished season 2 a few minutes ago and i am sattt. gonna start season 3 very soon and imma sketch some fanart too :3

as for the ratings of the episodes, 5 is a favourite, 4 is brilliant, and 3 is fairly great. it's not really in a strict sense but loosely based on how much i enjoyed it at the time :)

(4/5) MAG 41: Too Deep
(4/5) MAG 42: Grifter's Bone
(3/5) MAG 43: Section 31
(4/5) MAG 44: Tightrope
(5/5) MAG 45: Blood Bag
(3/5) MAG 46: Literary Heights
(5/5) MAG 47: The New Door
(3/5) MAG 48: Lost in the Crowd
(5/5) MAG 49: The Butcher’s Window
(4/5) MAG 50: Foundations
(3/5) MAG 51: High Pressure
(3/5) MAG 52: Exceptional Risk
(3/5) MAG 53: Crusader
(5/5) MAG 54: Still Life
(3/5) MAG 55: Pest Control
(3/5) MAG 56: Children of the Night
(4/5) MAG 57: Personal Space
(5/5) MAG 58: Trail Rations
(3/5) MAG 59: Recluse
(3/5) MAG 60: Observer Effect
(4/5) MAG 61: Hard Shoulder
(3/5) MAG 62: First Edition
(4/5) MAG 63: The End of the Tunnel
(4/5) MAG 64: Burial Rites
(5/5) MAG 65: Binary
(3/5) MAG 66: Held in Customs
(4/5) MAG 67: Burning Desire
(4/5) MAG 68: The Tale of a Field Hospital
(4/5) MAG 69: Thought for the Day
(4/5) MAG 70: Book of the Dead
(4/5) MAG 71: Underground
(5/5) MAG 72: Takeaway
(4/5) MAG 73: Police Lights
(4/5) MAG 74: Fatigue
(3/5) MAG 75: A Long Way Down
(4/5) MAG 76: The Smell of Blood
(5/5) MAG 77: The Kind Mother
(5/5) MAG 78: Distant Cousin
(5/5) MAG 79: Hide and Seek
(5/5) MAG 80: The Librarian

x

[Sara XuHerondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

felt John's paranoia on a deeper level

[caleb gao · Rating 4 out of 5]

like all things first season reigns superior but it’s cool to have more of a running plot this time