The Magic Circle

Synonyms:
See also:	Cut One and the Other One Bleeds, Broccoli Test, Soulbond
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

The Magic Circle describes characters' increasing inability to trust those around them, forcing them to rely exclusively on each other for trust and friendship.

The phrase was first coined by Pat Nussman and in use by at least 1994.

"The Magic Circle" a frequent theme in Starsky & Hutch. In that fandom, the phrase is "me and thee," a line from the pilot episode, and an answer to "Who do we trust?"

Another example is Mulder's and Scully's increasing inability to trust those around them, forcing them to rely exclusively on each other.

Starsky & Hutch

Fan Comments: Starsky & Hutch

In 1985, there was a discussion about whether Starsky was derelict in his duty when he allowed the witness he and Hutch were protecting to be murdered, all because he left the witness alone to save Hutch. One fan, Ruth Kurz, said:

[Starsky] feels it is his fault that he was suckered away from the man he was protecting, and in real life he would have to write a report to that effect, getting at best a slap on the wrist for being fooled into leaving his charge alone. At worst he could well be put on charges of negligence. Yes, Dobey would definitely have had him on the carpet about it, no matter how much he understood the whys.... [Starsky] still knew that the burden had been passed to Hutch and him, and it was their responsibility to keep Lionel alive. They ' couldn't. The bad guys struck in their most vulnerable spot — endanger one partner and the other will forget will the rules to save him. Starsky performed like Pavlov's dog, and [he and Hutch] both knew it the moment Lionel came crashing down from that window.

Fiction Which Addresses This Topic: Starsky & Hutch

• Coign of Vantage (1982) is a story that illustrates a completely different perspective on the Eternal Partnership and how it comes with a huge price tag.

The X-Files

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.