Magic Is Gone
The Magicians (2017)
YouTube captions are often inaccurate. The transcript below is verified for accuracy.
Characters
Alice
Professor
Quentin
Transcript
[Quentin]
Yeah, I probably shouldn't say this out loud, but this was kind of an okay day.
[Alice]
Are you bragging?
[Quentin]
No. Kind of. Not about this... entirely. I also kind of killed a god.
[Alice]
Hilarious.
[Quentin]
No, seriously. Ember. I mean, he was erasing the whole thing.
[Alice]
Wait, wait, you can't be serious.
[Quentin]
Yeah.
[Alice]
No no no no no no no no no no
[Quentin]
No, I didn't want to he had just killed his brother. He was going after Julia I—he was genocidally insane.
[Alice]
You don't get it. Jesus. When I was a-a niffin, I-I saw things. I saw everything from the beginning of time.
[Quentin]
Alice, calm down.
[Alice]
No, I-I understand the way the universe works, Q. The wellspring, the hierarchies, the plumbing. I was inside it. Gods like Ember have parents, you idiot.
[Quentin]
I'm not following.
[Alice]
The old gods, the creators of the universe, of all magic itself. To Ember, we're like we're like toys, but to them we're we're we're cells. When we're harmless, they ignore us, but when we become malignant, they amputate.
[Professor]
Now if you're gonna use stones like this, it's imperative th— Excuse me? Excuse me, this is—
[Quentin]
Okay, wait like so there's an actual plumber? Like the Mario Brother of the gods?
[Alice]
Yes.
[Quentin]
And he can just—
[Alice]
I guarantee you he's doing it.
[Intercom Voice]
Attention, please keep calm and follow all code three procedures. Please remember not to interact and safely gather all things and cautiously execute. Attention, please keep calm and follow—
Clip Context
Quentin (Q) tells Alice about something drastic he did. Alice warns him that there will be major repercussions.
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Vocabulary
Read each word out loud.
amputate
/ˈæm pjʊˌteɪt/
verb
to cut off (a limb) by surgical operation
Example:
The doctors decided to amputate my leg after they discovered a potentially life-threatening infection that could spread.
malignant
/məˈlɪg nənt/
adjective
(of a disease, especially cancer) tending to grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body; harmful and difficult to control
Example:
The biopsy results confirmed that the tumor was malignant, requiring immediate treatment to prevent it from spreading to nearby organs.
wellspring
/ˈwɛlˌsprɪŋ/
noun
an original and plentiful source of something
Example:
Reading classic literature has been a wellspring of inspiration for many modern filmmakers and screenwriters.
imperative
/ɪmˈpɛr ə tɪv/
adjective
extremely important; crucial
Example:
It is imperative to seek high ground during storms with heavy flooding.
genocide
/dʒɛn əˌsaɪd/
noun
the deliberate and systematic killing of a peoples within a national, racial, political, or cultural group
Example:
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin reminds visitors of the scale of the Holocaust, one of the most documented genocides in modern history.
hierarchy
/ˈhaɪ əˌrɑr ki/
noun
a system of organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other in order of status or authority
Example:
I’m stressed about meeting the CEO because he holds a high position in the hierarchy.
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Conversation Practice
Working with a tutor? Try asking or answering these questions out loud with them.
Working alone? Try speaking your answers out loud or write them in the lesson discussion below.
1. Quentin describes Ember as "genocidally insane." In the context of the video, is genocide presented as a crime of madness, or as a calculated act of power?
2. What would you classify as the wellspring of your creativity or motivation?
3. In what real-world contexts could amputate be used metaphorically?
4. What makes an action imperative as opposed to merely important or necessary?
5. Taken as a whole, this scene describes a universe governed by strict rules and violent consequences. Do you think the clip presents this system as just or unjust?
Lesson updated:
September 9, 2026
Film and series posters created by Thomas.
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