Helen Magnus is a Great Character, Discussion and Appreciation Thread

every time i look at her promo pictures, see seems kinda sad... is it just me, or...?

It kinda looks that way, but I guess in her world there isn't much to smile about???

She does look sad, but I have a feeling there will be some tender moments (maybe with her daughter) where we'll see her smile. I mean, come on, Amanda has a great smile, so we'll get to see it occasionally.

Hmm do we think the relationship between mother and daughter is a good one then? Or a little bit of tension mixed in there?

I bet they have a good relationship. I mean they do search for abnormals together, but I bet the 'tragic' circumstances of Ashley's birth add a little conflict to the relationship (which is cool because conflict is good entertainment). I still think they will be close and have some tender moments. I can't wait. Plus, we get Amanda humor...Damian said so. If we are going to get Amanda humor then that means Helen has a sense of humor. I can't wait to see it!

Yeah, I think there's been a few conflicting scenes along the line, but the sense of humour...boy I can't wait to see that...

Going back and forth between Victorian Helen and modern Helen should give AT some good character stuff to work with. As much as I like the sound of the action, I really want character development too. And I think Helen has great potential.

According to the N. John Smith interview


it sounds like Helen didn't go to formal medical school. I think at the time it would have had to have been a "ladies" medical college--i believe that's the route they went in the US originally anyway. But a lot of medical training in those days was kind of apprencticeship anyway. And of course she'll have had a LOT of years to perfect her skills.

If I understand correctly, the apprenticeship method, if one may call it that, was a valid way of learning the art and science of medicine back then. As long as one passed one's certification examinations, regardless of how one obtained the learning and knowledge to do it, one was a doctor. The very un-fun part, as a woman, was finding a certifying body that would allow 'a mere female' to sit the examinations in the first place. The first woman certified as a doctor in England took at least part of her certifications in the, ah, more enlightened atmosphere of Paris. ::runs off and checks – yes, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson studied at the University of Paris, and passed her required examinations there as well - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WandersonE.htm ::

Helen might well have done something similar in addition to, of after, studying with her father.

And yes, it sounds like there's all kinds of potential in the Helen Magnus character - they even seem to have built that potential into the show! I can really respect and admire the forethought that it took to give Helen all the facets we've heard of: her age, without being aged, her drive and intensity, her daughter, her touches of anachronism, her profession as a doctor, and her avocation as a 'monster hunter,' her past relationship history, her proteges, her weapons prowess, her quest to end her own longevity -

So very many opportunities there to be embraced.

with the new dk interview that the girls did, I'm thinking that Ashley and Helen's relationship could be a bit... hectic?

*is excited*

It says that logic is Helen's department, and that excites me. I can just see Helen as this kick butt hero who knows how to handle the situation. She'll be leading her little team into the action. I can't wait!

Draconis--thanks for the info on medical apprenticeship and exams. It would certainly be cool (from my perspective) to have flashbacks to some of those experiences for Helen.
The monsters and effects are great & I enjoy them, but my view is that you've got to have characters that capture you or all the flash in the world isn't going to do much.

The DK interview with sanctuaryfans.com just makes me more enthusiastic about the character of Helen. I think the kind of humor he mentions that is not based in one liners (not his words), but will come out of the character and the situations she's in sounds great.

Wanted to get this topic going again. Helen Magnus is one of the most interesting characters I've ever experienced in television history. She's 157 years of living history for goodness sakes. And I bet she's going to kick some Cabal butt in the season opener!

What have some of your favorite Helen moments been? For me, I really enjoy some of the lighthearted rarities. "Cheeky monkey", "Now where would a girl be without her secrets" (all that ironically seem to involve Will), but am also very fond of her darker moments that really bare her soul. I think we saw a lot of who she truly is at the core in Requiem, because even though she was under the influence of that parasite, I think the parasite stripped away those barriers that Helen has put up to keep it all under control for so many years.

I loved the cheeky monkey line aswell

Requiem was full of great Helen moments.