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Day 3 Assignments
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Subject line: Ben’s Five Seasons
What I learned doing this assignment is other than farming my Binge Worthy Framework to create five seasons, I was able to create descriptions that are to the point even though some of them are long. From this assignment I have noticed something wrong with most descriptions I read out there – in that those descriptions tend to include story B,C etc and not get to the point or lack hooks or what the story is really about. This assignment helped me avoid all that.
ASSIGNMENT:
WHITE PHOENIX FIVE SEASONS
SEASON ONE: LEARNING MAGIC
After Rain discovered her birth father abandoned her because she’s ugly to learn magic and bring pride to the family, she decides to learn magic and prove her birth father wrong. An impossible mission in a world that teaches magic to pretty ones, but all that change when her adopted father, Old Beggar, presents to her the plan she desperately needs for her vision to become a reality – using disguise to enter Affinity Academy and learn magic without getting caught and killed.
Unfortunately, Rain discovers she’s cursed to never learn magic and must find a way to lift the curse, but her cover’s blown before she does and Mo Dune, who has taken over the head of Affinity Academy, sends Sparrow agents to arrest her. Mo Dune tortures Rain to get the information out of her and when she doesn’t, he locks her up to be executed. Fortunately, Terra orders Shard Spear and his men to break into the prison and rescue Rain. After rescuing Rain, Terra convinces her to join him in his quest to change the rule.
SEASON TWO: CHANGING THE RULE
Mo Dune puts his son, Reed, in charge of hunting down Rain and prevent her from changing the rule. While surviving the hunt, Rain discovers the best way to change the rule is to recruit the average and ugly looking ones.
With the average and ugly looking ones, Rain resists Reed and his Sparrow agents as their first step toward changing the rule. But Rain never thought it would lead Mo Dune to gather the underworld of magic and reveal to them the mystery of teaching magic to pretty ones, uniting them to crush Rain and her average and ugly looking ones.
SEASON THREE: UNDERWORLD OF MAGIC GOES TO WAR WITH RAIN
Mo Dune, the Leader of the Great Alliance, leads the underworld of magic to crush Rain and her average and ugly looking ones. Faced with great challenge and can’t find a way to fend off the Great Alliance, Rain must accept the fact that their annihilation is inevitable.
Just when all seems lost, Terra provides Rain the solution she desperately needs — making a deal with the Lord of the Shadow Warriors. With the Shadow Warriors, Rain and the average and ugly looking ones defeat the Great Alliance, but Terra discovers Rain is actually his brother Whyller he’s been searching for and captures her.
SEASON FOUR: THE MAGIC OF SHAI’RA
After capturing Rain, Terra tries to convince her to save his life, but when Rain refused, Terra takes Aloe and Reed hostage to threaten her. Left with no choice, Rain must find a way to save Terra.
When she does, Rain discovers Terra deceived her into helping him find the magic of their world to harness its power, but doing so will destroy their world.
SEASON FIVE: INTELLIGENT BEINGS
Rain tells the underworld of magic Terra has found the source of their world magic and plans to harness it. It will not only make him the most powerful sorcerer, but doing so will destroy their world and must stop him, but the underworld of magic don’t believe Rain.
Rain reveals to them Terra is actually Skai Ruse and he introduced teaching magic to pretty ones to increase his magical powers, after which the underworld of magic bands with Rain to stop Terra from destroying their world. But Rain and the underworld of magic discover shocking truth — Terra is the Celestial who created their world to comprehend his magic (people and creatures of Shai’Ra who have become intelligent beings) and the magic of their world is the breakthrough Terra’s been searching for, and it will still destroy their world.
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Tim Barley’s Five Seasons
What I learned from doing this assignment is that I had the five already in my head, but when forced to look at them again, I changed it up just a bit; and will probably do so again…
Season 1 – Rude Awakening
Wanting nothing more than to just live his life in quiet, Alex’s existence is thrown into turmoil when he’s become the target of unknown forces attempting to kill him and steal his power that he didn’t even know he had. Out of the woodwork, it seems that all around him already know who he is and vie for his time, often backstabbing each other, sometimes literally. Swirling around him are Dark Men, technological breakthroughs, romantic interests, family secrets, ancient bad blood and a mysterious comet mentioned on the news the other day… But, after a showdown with a nemesis, it’s time to go home and get some answers.
Season 2 – Godlike
It’s time to return home and get some answers. Alex, his power growing and with his new friends in tow, travel to his small town to learn his family’s secrets, only to find a dark secret that he cannot escape. As family secrets spill out and threaten to split up the new group, including his new relationship with Feenix, Alex’s ever growing power draws the focus of dark forces who descend on the town, causing the group to set aside differences, circle up and defend themselves from an emissary who brings dark tidings from across the world. And what is that object that entered the atmosphere?
Season 3 – Ascending the Throne
Done with being at the mercy of those who want his power, now completely under his control and almost godlike, Alex makes the decision to bring all parties together, Earthling and human. Making use of his friends, he sends them to bring them all the negotiating table. But, old rivalries are hard to overcome; and new relationships are easy to manipulate. But, they all need to come together because we finally know what that object speeding toward Earth is…
Season 4 – Coming Home to Roost
The world is thrown into chaos as the first wave of Neanderthals have come home to Earth, looking to reclaim what they left behind, including The Power. Travel weary, they are NOT in a mood to let Alex keep it, and while negotiations with world “leaders” publicly continue with tech sharing, repatriation, etc., the REAL work is being done to avoid an all out war. But, as some fights break out between Earthlings/humans and Neanderthals, it’s pretty obvious that there is no stopping this war.
Season 5 – Fallout
War! With the main ship, disguised as a comet, containing the entire Neanderthal race bearing down on Earth, Alex and the remnants of the Houses and the humans must defend the planet from a pissed off group of beings that have lost any sense of decency and forgiveness. But, a war is going to cost a lot to the planet; so who will blink first and back off from destroying the only thing that each side wants?
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This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Timothy Barley.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by
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Elizabeth’s 5 Seasons
What I learned doing this assignment is that even though I have a completely new set of characters for each season/lifetime, I found a repeating pattern that made writing this easier than I thought. (The repeating cliffhanger is how the regrets of one lifetime are addressed in the next…)
Living My Lives (for Oversoul-framing for all 5 seasons)
A. . High Concept or major hook for the entire series.
How does an Oversoul who’s lived 120 human lives break the human reincarnational cycle and achieve its dearest wish of becoming an angel?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:
From swallowing its pride to treating its past lives and minor divinities with respect.
C. Main Conflict:
Examining/listening to its past lives which it believes knows less than it does
D. Mystery/Open Loops:
How will it purge regrets of all its past lives? Will it be able to resolve everything before the Female Writer (its last complete life) dies? Female writer knows of Oversoul, threatens to die holding onto unresolvable regrets, condemning Oversoul to stasis/hell of endless repetition.
E. Ongoing cliffhangers:
Each of Oversoul’s lives attempt to reconcile regrets from the previous lifetime, but create new regrets that future reincarnations/lives must deal with.
Celt (First lifetime, first season)
A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.How does a small, psychic 1<sup>st</sup> century Celt boy torn from his homeland, succeed as a beast fighter and gladiator in the violent world of Roman slavery?
B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:From peace-and-and-animal loving, rule-following boy to successful gladiator
C.
Main Conflict:Surviving/thriving in Rome, then reclaiming original values
D.
Mystery/Open Loops:Will Celt be able to succeed in Rome, keep his values – without creating unresolvable regrets?
E.
Cliffhanger:How will Celt’s regrets about lack of education, violence, disrespecting women, etc. be addressed in Oversoul’s next lifetime as the reluctant abbess?
Season 2: (The Reluctant Abbess, 2<sup>nd</sup> Lifetime)
A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.How will an artistic, educated, fun-loving, boy-crazy young daughter from nobility succeed as a humble medieval nun?
B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:From powerless (but happy) female to (less happy) but empowered abbess
C.
Main Conflict:Overcoming privileged background to become servant-leader.
D.
Mystery/Open Loops:How will the Abbess address Celt’s regrets?
E.
Cliffhanger:What regrets does the Abbess generate through her arrogance that must be resolved in future lifetimes?
Season 3: (The Torturer, 3<sup>rd</sup> Lifetime)
A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.How does a torturer live with the consequences of his actions?
B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:Destitute, humble boy seeks to provide for family, becomes torturer
C.
Main Conflict:Must torture innocent people he knows, some from previous lifetimes
D.
Mystery/Open Loops:Will he be able to live with himself, or will he take the ultimate way out?
E.
Cliffhanger:Was becoming a torturer inevitable? Is suicide forgivable? What regrets will carry into the next lifetime?
Season 4: (The Welsh Actuary, 4<sup>th</sup> Lifetime)
A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.How does a Welsh actuary’s thwarted dreams serve a purpose?
B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:Victorian Welsh boy who wants to become architect becomes actuary instead
C.
Main Conflict:Maintaining sense of self when everyone else prefers false self. Maintaining secret dream even when hopeless.
D.
Mystery/Open Loops:How will Welsh actuary achieve dream and maintain any self-respect in face of family opposition to dream?
E.
Cliffhanger: How will actuary’s regrets be addressed in next lifetime?Season 5: (Hitler’s Most Dangerous Enemy-female Polish journalist/freedom fighter)
A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.What does Rachel, a Catholic-Jewish intellectual have to do to motivate Poles-and America itself-against Hitler-before it’s too late?
B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:From a Cassandra-like character (forced to utter true but not-believed prophecies) to a crusading freedom fighter and spy
C.
Main Conflict:Overcoming others’ inertia and disrespect of her as female to becoming resistance leader
D.
Mystery/Open Loops:Will Rachel be able to get negatives of Nazi atrocities/concentration camps to the American press before she’s caught?
Will she be able to keep the child spies safe?
Will she be able to assert her leadership in a male-dominated world?
E.
Cliffhanger:How will Rachel’s regrets and sense of failure be addressed in next lifetime?
Season 6: (Female Writer-her influence may be felt throughout, as opposed to giving her her own season)
A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.How does Female Writer (Oversoul’s intended last complete lifetime), address all past life regrets in her story of Oversoul’s journey?
B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:From confused writer to confident chronicler
C.
Main Conflict:Completing her magnum opus before she dies.
D.
Mystery/Open Loops:How does Female Writer work with Oversoul to purge the regrets of past lives, as well as her own?
E.
Cliffhanger: What adjustments with Oversoul
and/or changes of perception allow everyone to move to forgiveness and
celebration? -
Avi Kapurala’s Five Seasons
LESSON 3: FIVE SEASONS
What I learned doing this lesson is: Thinking of season and show arcs early on is really helpful in giving structure to the idea, even though this is a rough draft.
1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.
SEASON 1 START: Aman Verma is a respected businessman, whose wife stumbles upon a secret he has kept hidden for 25 years. He is a serial killer.
SEASON 5 END: Unable to kill his children, Aman decides to end it all rather than be caught.
2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.
Season 1: A serial killer’s wife stumbles upon his secret.
Season 2: Despite his best efforts to conceal the secret, he is now being blackmailed by two people who know about it.
Season 3: Having gotten rid of the blackmailers doesn’t help, as a new threat emerges, threatening to expose his secret and destroy his life.
Season 4: Shocked by the discovery of their father’s past, Tara and RJ go to the police with evidence.
Season 5: Racing to escape the police, Aman is running out of options.
3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.
Season 1 Title: Till Death Do us Part
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: A wife stumbles upon a chilling secret- her husband is a serial killer.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Aman’s veneer as a successful businessman, husband and father is torn away, revealing him to be a cold, calculating killer.
C. Main Conflict: The desperate steps he has to take for concealment after his wife finds out the truth about him.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Aman be exposed by his wife? Can he silence her before? Will the police catch him?
E. Cliffhanger: Even after silencing his wife, his secret isn’t safe. Someone else knows and is blackmailing him.
Season 2 Title: Two is Company, three is a Crowd
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Is the serial killer’s secret safe after his wife is silenced?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Having silenced his wife, Aman must now contend with two different blackmailers. Can he succeed in silencing this new threat?
C. Main Conflict: Outwitting his blackmailers.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who are the blackmailers? Are they operating together? Will Aman be exposed by one of them? Can he silence both of them before? Will the police catch him?
E. Cliffhanger: Getting rid of the blackmailers doesn’t ensure his safety. A new threat emerges.
Season 3 Title: Play it again, Sam
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Aman thought he was safe, but a new threat has emerged, threatening to expose him.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Having successfully eliminated his blackmailers, Aman must now contend with a mysterious stranger whose motives are unknown. Can he succeed in silencing this new threat?
C. Main Conflict: Outwitting the new threat.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who is this new blackmailer? Is his motive money, or something else? Is he operating alone? Will Aman be exposed? Can he silence the stranger before? Will the police catch him?
E. Cliffhanger: Tackling his new nemesis doesn’t solve Aman’s problems. His children have found out his secret!
Season 4 Title: Sweet Child of Mine
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Aman’s children have discovered the truth and they cannot be bought or threatened. What will he do?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Having successfully eliminated his most-recent threat, Aman must now deal with his own children’s efforts to expose him and bring him to justice. Can he succeed?
C. Main Conflict: Outwitting his children and the police.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Aman be exposed? Can his children gather the evidence the police need? Will the police catch him?
E. Cliffhanger: Aman is confronted with a choice – kill his own children and make the evidence they have disappear forever. Will he do it?
Season 5 Title: Que Sera, Sera
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Will the killer finally be brought to justice?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Aman uses all his wits to escape the police, but must eventually fail.
C. Main Conflict: Outwitting the police and fleeing the country.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Can Aman escape, or will the police catch him?
E. Cliffhanger: Faced with the need to kill his children, Aman decides to end it all.
4. Write a description of each season and give us the 5 seasons.
SEASON 1: Till Death Do us Part
What happens when a wife finds out that her husband is a serial killer?
Aman Verma has the perfect life- a high-flying finance business, a loving wife and two great children. He is the envy of everyone who knows him. But beath the surface lurks ugliness: his marriage is falling apart; his wife wants a divorce and his children hate him. What could be worse? The exposure of his most chilling secret: he is a cold-blooded serial killer who has cleverly concealed his crimes for years!
As the clock begins to tick for him, Aman resorts to desperate measures to stay hidden and avoid capture, even if it means silencing his own family…
SEASON 2: Two is Company, three is a Crowd
What happens when a killer is confronted by not one, but two blackmailers?
Aman has successfully dealt with the threat posed by his wife. But he soon finds out that killing her hasn’t solved his problem. In fact, it’s the opposite- her death has drawn the attention of two blackmailers who are intent on extorting him for millions in return for not exposing him.
How does Aman contend with this twin threat? Can he discover the identity of his tormentors? Can he silence them before they become more unpredictable? Or will their patience run out and with it, his time?
SEASON 3: Play it again, Sam
Serial-killer, meet the Good Samaritan.
After he has eliminated his dual blackmailers, Aman soon discovers that there is a new threat in town. Someone else knows his secret and is intent on exposing him. When he discovers that the new threat is more unpredictable than his previous ones, Aman must figure out a way of dealing with it fast, or be finally brought down.
What can he do to tackle this danger? Or has he finally met his match?
SEASON 4: Sweet Child of Mine
It’s all in the family, again.
Aman’s disposal of his tormentor from Season 3 comes at a very high price. His children now know their father’s horrifying secret and are desperate to get hold of the evidence whose existence the Good Samaritan revealed to them. They want their mother’s murderer brought to justice.
Does Aman have it in him to do what it takes to stop them? Or is his heart not-so-cold, after all?
SEASON 5: Que Sera, Sera
He couldn’t bring himself to kill his children at the end of Season 4 and what that means for him is certain capture by the police, unless he can find a way to flee the country. As the noose tightens and his options decrease, Aman grows increasingly desperate.
Can he escape? Or will the killer finally face justice?
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Linda Anderson’s Five Seasons
What I learned doing this assignment is this stuff is hard to do well. I’ve gained new admiration for people who are great at creating successful series.
Series: Rejected
Format/Genre: Half-hour comedy
By: L. C. Anderson
Season 1: Rejection Is a Bitch
A newspaper fact-checker (Louise) has bestselling author dreams and a mid-life crisis when a NYC editor (Candice) rejects her boring memoir. Feeling worthless and not recognizing her unique talents, she secretly steals her young neighbor’s (Derrick’s) more interesting life story to write a new book that will sell. A recovering alcoholic who thinks he’s a failure; Derrick lies to Louise by answering her questions about his life with the story of his father (Chester) who testified against a crime syndicate and lives in witness protection.
Louise sends the fake memoir to Candice, using Derrick as her pen name. The lonely editor falls in love with his bad-boy image. She manipulates the book onto the publisher’s bestseller track. If Candice finds out it’s a fake, she’d demand Louise return the advance money and charge her with fraud. Or the deception could help her get promoted at the publishing company.
When the book’s launch in NYC gets notoriety, Chester, who rejected his son, must come out of hiding and save Derrick from a corrupt FBI hitman (Mark) who the crime syndicate sent to silence him. The truth about the deception comes out at the launch. The revelation that Louise and Derrick are being chased by the syndicate makes readers love art imitating life. Will Louise and Derrick survive if the book catapults to the top of bestseller lists and they go from rejection to major success?
Season 2: The Me I’ve Never Let You See
Derrick becomes a publishing superstar with his fake memoir and the crime syndicate putting him on its most-wanted list. Louise, shamed by stealing his life, works as his remorseful assistant to write his true life story life as a recovering alcoholic, tea expert, and rejected son of a crime boss. On the side, she’s gaining authentic writing chops while writing a new, more dramatic version of her true life story.
It’s galling her that Derrick has fame, fortune, and validation that his life matters while she’s working in obscurity and still supporting her grown daughter, Jan, a rejected actor. Now, though, her life is full of adventures with professional clown gigs and running from the crime syndicate.
Her new book is so interesting with odd quirks, such as sometimes being able to hear inanimate objects talking to each other, and hidden twists and turns she’s never told anyone. Her writing is so good now that the book could become a bestseller and overshadow Derrick’s new memoir.
Season 3: Who’s on Top?
Louise’s new memoir includes her shame and remorse about stealing Derrick’s life. These confessions make the book a big hit, because everybody’s ashamed of something. Her strange new involvements as a professional clown and top target of the crime syndicate spur creation of a popular video game. Derrick’s new memoir is tanking and now he’s assisting Louise. A streamer wants to turn it into a series, starring her daughter, Jan.
Louise is transforming from lack of confidence about having an boring and mundane life to readers who feel rejected relating to her. Now she and Derrick compete for best book-event venues and media coverage. But are they one-book wonders? Candice pesters them for next books. How do they build on what their memoirs have started? Will the TV series put Louise’s life and career over the top?
Season 4: Comfort Zone and Beyond
Louise, Derrick, and Jan start a nonprofit organization, Comfort Zone Training (CZT) to help rejected people and clowns reclaim their power. They’re coming out of their own comfort zones of believing they must compete with each other to figuring out how to give meaningful service.
Now they’re drowning in a sea of people who relate and also don’t recognize their value. Although Louise, Derrick, and Jan have shared life experiences of rejection, failure, and disrespect they don’t have a clue how to manage a foundation servicing people with so many needs. CZT could turn into one more chance for the three of them to view themselves as losers.
From contest losers, failed marriages, and overlooked lives, the foundation’s clients are motivated to start helping each other rise above rejection. Will it grow? Will it last?
Season 5: Loving Yourself Is Rich
CZT becomes a worldwide phenomenon. Louise, Derrick, and Jan are celebrities of sorts. From their personal journeys of rejection to redemption they are creating a system that works for other people to becoming hugely successful.
But the trio isn’t ready for unforeseen consequences of being viewed as gurus and celebrities. They need to find a balance and ways to be happy with the journey versus extremes of fame. Derrick and Jan start to appreciate each other in new ways that are blossoming into a lasting love. Chester manages to come out of witness protection by making peace with the crime syndicate. He and Derrick are forging a father-son relationship. Louise is thrilled when Jan wins an Emmy for the portrayal of Louise in the TV series.
With the growth and self-reflection each of them has gained, they figure out that valuing their own uniqueness is gold. To live a contented life, they don’t need acceptance or rejection from anyone. Loving and being loved by people who are important to them is the greatest validation.
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Wendy Weising’s Five Seasons
What I learned doing this assignment is that my inner perfection was screaming while I was doing this one. I had to block it out and just keep going.
Assignment #3
1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.
SEASON 1 START:
Jayne is a perfect housewife who wakes up strapped to a bed in a strange hospital, wanting to know where her husband and kids are.
SEASON 5 END
Jayne becomes an alien warlord who conquers her planet and leads her people to a new galaxy where there is a cure to keep them alive.
2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.
Bigger opponent.
Season 1: Jayne fights Dr. Smith and escapes the hospital.
Season 2: Jayne fights alien scientists at other facilities as she tries to find and save her kids.
Season 3: Jayne fights the strange climate and animals on the new planet to survive.
Season 4: When Jayne finds out that she is an alien, she fights herself and her friends, to regain trust and build an army.
Season 5: Jayne goes to war with her small army against the planet’s leaders, wins, and then leaves for another galaxy to find a cure for her people.
Bigger arena for the fight.
Season 1: hospital
Season 2: facilities where the brain mining is done
Season 3: the wilds of the new planet
Season 4: the cities and government of the new planet
Season 5: Travel to another galaxy
New layer exposed
Season 1: Woman is hit by a car and ends up in hospital that is run by aliens who are mining humans for a brain serum.
Polly is a genius.
Ava is forced to work as a prostitute for Dr. Smith.
Dr. Zyn falls in love with Jayne but acts like Dr. Smith’s mate to protect Jayne.
Dr. Smith is controlling everyone except Jayne.
Season 2: They are no longer on Earth, and Jayne’s kids are in another facility and in danger.
Polly maps the planet from memory and figures out where the facilities might be.
Ava is drug addict who is almost out of drugs.
Dr. Zyn shares his true feelings for Jayne.
Jayne’s “husband” is really a mercenary hired by Dr. Smith to track her and kill her.
Season 3: Her children aren’t the same kids that she remembers. The new planet isn’t like Earth.
Polly has an amazing knowledge of the animals and plants there.
Ava uses her voice to cause the aliens to comply.
Dr. Smith kidnaps Ava.
Season 4: She finds out that she is an alien, who hunted and captured humans for Dr. Smith.
Season 5: She discovers that Dr. Zyn was from a royal family of warriors on his planet. She finds that she already has skills while training with him.
Mystery
Season 1: Who tried to kill Jayne?
Why are the doctors telling her that she doesn’t have a family when she knows she does? Is she insane, or are they lying?
It’s not a real hospital. The doctors and nurses are aliens. The patients are not getting better, but their brains are being mined for a chemical that the aliens need to survive.
Season 2: Jayne’s children aren’t the children she remembers. They know her, but she doesn’t know them.
Jayne has two nightmares: Her husband isn’t kind but brutal. She is breaking into houses and capturing families.
In real life, her husband is brutal. He says something that makes her think he tried to kill her.
Season 3: They are no longer on Earth.
Season 4: Jayne is an alien
Season 5: Another planet has a serum that will keep the aliens alive without hurting humans.
Conflict
Season 1: Jayne vs. Dr. Smith
Season 2: Jayne vs. the aliens at the other facility
Season 3: Jayne vs. the climate and creatures of the new planet
Season 4: Jayne vs. herself and alien leaders.
Season 5: Jayne vs. the alien government’s army
3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.
Season 1: The Hospital
A. High concept or major hook of the season:
Humans trying to escape a facility run by aliens who need their brain chemicals to survive.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Jayne goes from a trapped patient to a free fighter for her children
C. Main Conflict: Figuring out what the hospital is and how to get out.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Dr. Smith stop Jayne from saving her children? Will Dr. Zyn tell Jayne that he loves her? What happens when Ava runs out of drugs? What happens when Dr. Zyn runs out of human brain serum?
E. Cliffhanger: Jayne escapes the hospital with her friends and discovers that they are no longer on Earth.
Season 2: Facility #4
A. High Concept or major hook of the season.
Jayne and friends try to locate the brain-mining facility where her kids are being held and rescue them.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:
Jayne goes from a fighter for her children to a killer of aliens.
C. Main Conflict:
Finding the facility where Jayne’s kids are without being caught and killed by the aliens.
D. Mystery/Open Loops:
Will Jayne and her group be able to outrun Dr. Smith and her alien mafia squad? Will Jayne and her friends survive the planet and find a place of safety? Are the kids really her children or another alien lie? Is she really still married to the creep who says he is her husband? Will Ava find her mother in one of the facilities?
E. Cliffhanger: Ava offers herself in trade to Dr. Smith for the release of Jayne’s children. The group leaves as Dr. Smith pulls out the drug.
Season 3: Cerebro
A. High Concept or major hook of the season.
Jayne and the group go into the wilderness of the planet Cerebro, where they must fight off weird wild animals and adapt to the strange climate changes while hiding from aliens.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:
Jayne goes from a killer of aliens to a wilderness survivalist.
C. Main Conflict:
The group must battle aliens, the elements, strange creatures, and Dr, Smith to survive.
D. Mystery/Open Loops:
Will Jayne being an alien change her relationship with Dr. Zyn? Will Jayne embrace her alienness? Will she be able to gain Polly and Ava’s trust again.
E. Cliffhanger: When they rescue Ava, Dr. Smith tells Jayne that she is an alien who has hunted and captured humans for experimentation. That is why she was on Earth.
Season 4: Alien
A. High Concept or major hook of the season.
Jayne decides to use her alien skills to overthrow the government. But first she needs an army.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:
From Jayne the alien fighter to Jayne the society magnet
C. Main Conflict:
Fighting her way into society to change aliens’ minds and build an army
D. Mystery/Open Loops:
Will Jayne be true to Dr. Zyn or will she fall in love with someone new? Will Dr. Smith convince other aliens to trap and kill Jayne? Will anyone follow Jayne?
E. Cliffhanger: Jayne learns that a planet exist in another galaxy where serum is being mined from the planet’s trees.
Season 5: Warlord
A. High Concept or major hook of the season.
Jayne amasses and trains her army to take over the planet and find the other planet that has the serum.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:
Jayne goes from confident and ruthless society leader to warlord who conquers the planet.
C. Main Conflict:
Jayne and her army fight against the old regime’s armies to gain access to spaceships.
D. Mystery/Open Loops:
Will Jayne forget her friends? Will she choose Dr. Zyn as her mate? Will she win the battle? Will she find the planet? Is there really a serum there?
E. Cliffhanger:
The spaceships that Jayne and the rebels have taken land of the new planet. Her ship’s door opens to darkness.
4. Write a description of each season and give us the 5 seasons.
4. Write a description of each season and give us the 5 seasons.
Season 1: The Hospital
When a perfect wife and mother is hit by a car and ends up in a hospital, she is told that she has no husband or children. Soon she discovers that she is in a facility run by aliens who need human brain chemicals to survive. Jayne is told that she has a brain-eating virus, and gets injections once a day. Dr. Smith is running the show and wants to kill Jayne. Jayne’s children are alive but in a different facility. Jayne has nightmares about her husband being evil and about kidnapping and capturing children.
She befriends two patients and an alien. Polly is a genius, who acts simple, hoards anything she can get her hands on, and has been spying for Dr. Smith. Ava is fifteen. Dr. Smith got her addicted to a drug only found at the hospital and pimps her out to her alien friends. Dr. Zyn, Dr. Smith’s chosen mate, falls in love with Jayne but must act like Dr. Smith’s mate so that she will not kill Jayne. The three have nothing to lose, so they decide to escape with Jayne. She picked the right people: Polly has map of the hospital in her head and an exit door key, Ava sings to aliens to make them compliant, and Dr. Zyn know the aliens’ plans. Jayne fights Dr. Smith and wins.
As Jayne steps out, she sees strange bands of color across the sky, and they aren’t from a rainbow. Jayne is no longer on Earth.
Season 2: Facility #4
Ava volunteers her brain so that Dr. Zyn can stay alive. He brought enough antiviral medication to get Jayne through her disease. Dr. Zyn thinks Jayne’s children are in Facility #3.The patients there are almost or already brain dead—the final result of the alien solution. There are no children. They move on to other facilities with horrific sights. Ava finds her mother in the dead pile. When they reach Facility #4, there are children lying comatose in beds with tubes coming out of their bodies. Jayne doesn’t recognize her kids. Where are they?
The facility is invaded by Dr. Smith’s goons. They capture the group and take them to a lovely house. Dr. Smith has a girl in her lap and a boy playing at her feet. She also has a gun. When Jayne enters, both kids call out “Mama.” But Jayne doesn’t recognize them. Is this another alien trick? She decides that they are someone’s kids and will rescue them. When Ava begins to sing, he stuffs cotton in his ears and Jayne’s, and the other aliens begin to smile. They are in a daze. Jayne grabs a weapon and deftly kills three of the goons. Dr. Zyn holds onto the kids. She will only trade for them.
Ava offers herself, and Dr. Smith releases the children. The group leaves as Dr. Smith pulls out the drug.
Season 3: Cerebro
Jayne and the group go into the wilderness of the planet Cerebro. They encounter strange creatures, some of which are good for food. They must convince Polly to donate brain serum to keep Dr. Zyn alive. They survive off large game that is dangerous to hunt. They go through several climate challenges.
Then they find a deserted cabin. Polly stays in the cabin while Dr. Zyn and Jayne hunt. Jayne’s husband, who is really one of Dr. Smith’s hitmen, attacks Polly and tortures her to find out where Jayne is. She says nothing. Finally he gives up and leaves to find them. They return to the cabin and find Polly. She says that she didn’t tell this time. While Dr. Zyn helps Polly, Jayne leaves, hunts her husband down, finds out who he really is, and kills him.
When Jayne returns, they decide to rescue Ava. When they rescue Ava, Dr. Smith tells Jayne that she is an alien who has hunted and captured humans for experimentation. That is why she was on Earth. If she doesn’t believe it, she can ask Dr. Zyn.
Season 4: Alien
At first, Jayne and everyone else is rocked by the news that Jayne is an alien. She confirms it by asking Dr. Zyn. She is angry with herself and Dr. Zyn. Many things fall into place. She wasn’t getting a viral shot but a serum. The kids look strange because they are aliens and not what she remembers. Dr. Zyn tells her that Dr. Smith gives the alien hunters human memories before they go to Earth. He also tells her that the alien body can do things that a human one can’t.
He and Jayne begin to train together. As she learns about the injustices happening on the planet, she wants to change things. They go to the capital city. Jayne steals clothing for them. They blend in. Jayne rubs elbows with the elite. She tries to change their mind about injustice, but most don’t’ listen. One very good-looking male invites her on a date. She goes, crushing Dr. Zyn. She goes to find out more information. He tries to rape her, but she beats him up. When she returns to her friends, they seek out the down and outers of the city. They begin to build an army of the poor and a few of the elite. Jayne tells Dr. Zyn why she went on the date. He confesses his love for her. She isn’t sure.
One of the things Jayne learned is that a planet exists in another galaxy where serum is being mined from the planet’s trees.
Season 5: Warlord
Jayne amasses and trains her army to take over the planet’s old regime. It is the only way they can gain access to spaceships that will take them to the new planet where the serum is being produced. They attack the capital city and kill most of the old regime’s leaders. Jayne sees herself in a mirror. She is covered in blood after killing many of her people. As she sits down and sobs, Dr. Zyn finds her and holds her. He tells her that she did what she had to do. She finally tells him that she has loved him but didn’t want to lose him if their mate relationship didn’t work out. He reassures her that he will always be by her side. They finally kiss.
They find the spaceships and board. One passenger gets on last. No one sees her boarding. Dr. Smith is going too.
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Stuart’s Five Seasons.
What I learned doing this assignment… wow, this was a fruitful, validating, deep dive, extremely valuable, but time consuming. Again, very valuable. The series I’m developing has been explored/positioned as as a horror-anthology – with Poe’s storyscape as the unifying style, theme, and a new Poe story for each season – but I wanted to challenge myself to see whether The Horror of Hop-Frog had legs as a stand-alone multi-season series. I feel it does, many thanks to this lesson’s guidance.
Season 1: Roast for King Goplik
At the celebration of the engagement of Lady Amelia to Prince Brann of Lavinia, a lavish gift from their neighboring ally, King Goplik of Brattvia, launches a brutal massacre of family and friends, igniting the scorch-earth usurpation of Lavinia. The two survivors, Amelia and her servant, the dwarf Temkin, are enslaved to entertain King Goplik and his Ministers. They are humiliated and named Trippetta the Dancer and Hop-Frog the Fool.
To protect his lady (and secret love), Hop-Frog plays by the king’s rules – facilitating the horrific practical jokes Goplik delivers for rule and punishment to his rivals. He wins the king’s trust in order to manipulate the king and his ministers and secretly plot their fall. Meanwhile, as court dancer, Trippetta pursues her own secret path toward vengeance, using her dance and charm to seduce Lord Asnar, the king’s military adviser and the murderer of her prince.
Hop-Frog’s and Trippetta’s individual paths for vengeance cross and they must learn to trust each other – but that trust fractures when Trippetta’s maneuvering of Lord Asnar turns into true seduction, crushing Hop-Frog’s heart. But Lord Asnar doesn’t realize this was part of Trippetta’s plot – to push Hop-Frog to hatch the final act.
Feeding Goplik’s paranoia of forces wanting to take the throne, Hop-Frog delights King Goplik with his most lavish practical joke – a Roast for King Goplik, a Mocking Tribute to celebrate the anniversary of his taking the throne. But the devious plot expected by Goplik to turn this into a literal roasting of his enemies is twisted by Hop-Frog with King Goplik facing the roasting fires.
With Goplik’s death and free of their servitude, Trippetta and Hop-Frog plan their return to Lavinia. But the empty throne beckons Trippetta. Several other forces are eager for their claim, including Goplik’s niece, Princess Syrelle, who’s riveted and charmed by Hop-Frog’s sacrifice.
However, likely the biggest force with rightful claim is rising from the crypts of Goplik’s castle… the supernatural remains of Goplik’s brother, King Raynor, seeking his own vengeance.
Season 2: Hell hath no fury like a Queen Mother Scorned
With the death of King Goplik, the Master of Ceremonies (Prime Minister of Fear) tries to maintain calm and stability, as he prepares to name the next King of Brattvia. The two rivals within the royal family are Princess Syrelle, the daughter of King Raynor, and Prince Botch, the doltish son of King Goplik. The Queen Mother forces the placement of Prince Botch – while supernatural forces in the dungeons are whispering the need for Syrelle to take her rightful seat in the throne. Meanwhile, Trippetta sees Botch as her way to the throne, and maneuvers herself as Botch’s military adviser and lover. This is further motivated when Princess Syrelle enlists Hop-Frog as her minister to maneuver Botch and his ministers into Syrelle’s web of control.
With favor toward the Queen Mother, the Master of Ceremonies must negotiate the crown against the increasing threat of evil in the dungeons that are transforming Goplik’s castle fun-house of practical jokes into a nightmarish phantasmagoria where few may survive. The MC and King Botch must also protect Brattvia from the encroaching threats from neighboring Balog… and the increasing validation of the marching victims of the plague.
Throughout, the MC fears Hop-Frog as his greatest threat and works to vanquish the dwarf – even enlisting Trippetta as an ally.
The final battle is played out between Princess Syrelle and King Botch; Trippetta and Hop-Frog; and the Queen Mother and the resurrected demon that was her first son, King Raynor.
King Botch falls, evil rises, and Syrelle must face her resurrected father, channeled through the Master of Ceremonies. Trippetta targets Syrelle for the throne but Hop-Frog intercepts in time. While both potential leaders survive, Hop-Frog has lost Trippetta, his secret love.
In the final moments, Hop-Frog realizes the Master of Ceremonies has been the puppet-master all along. He’s been in league with the spirits resurrecting King Raynor, intent on his position as Minister of Fear. Hop-Frog realizes the MC is the one who must fall.
Season 3 Master of Ceremonies – Minister of Fear
The Master of Ceremonies rules Brattvia through the evil forces that have resurrected King Raynor. This season is a mano a mano duel of strategy and growing magical abilities pitting Master of Ceremonies and Hop-Frog, who needs to win back the trust of Trippetta. This leads to potential love – Hop-Frog’s dream.
But the Master of Ceremonies is more Machiavelian and more practiced in Machiavelian tactics than Hop-Frog. He has the advantage and the upper hand.
Hop-Frog wins Trippetta’s trust, her allegiance, and potentially her love as the two defeat the Minister of Ceremonies. However, Hop-Frog has survived through his shadow and in the end of the season, he surprises all by taking the throne. He silences both Syrelle and Trippetta. Leaving us unsettled at season’s end. How will he rule, and what forces of opposition does he face?
Season 4 King Hop-Frog!
King Hop-Frog faces Trippetta, a prisoner to Brattvia. She’s locked up by this ruler who had secretly loved her.
In a Hop-Frog-warped way, he rules similarly to King Goplik – taking on the celebration of clever humor or a well-played practical joke to rule with fear. He executes a practical joke on a neighboring country, and in turn takes a prisoner whom he designates as his ‘Hop-Frog’, his court jester. But the spiritual remnants of King Raynor within the castle walls still linger and still seduce.
Now in power, and threatened by evil forces from rivals across borders, as well as from the supernatural forces within the castle walls, Hop-Frog’s paranoia grows – as did King Goplik’s. Meanwhile, Trippetta is determined to find the essence of Tempkin within King Hop-Frog. The essence she was falling in love with and that she desperately wants to save.
The dynamics of the season play on two layers – King Hop-Frog’s struggle for rule in light of outside threats, especially against the darkest force still residing in the castle’s crypt. And Hop-Frog’s navigating his relationship with Trippetta.
It ends tragically with Hop-Frog dying by Trippetta’s sword. The supernatural forces are still present, suggesting a rise of Hop-Frog and his vengeance against Trippetta.
Season 5 The Death of Hop-Frog and Trippetta
The funeral of Hop-Frog… a ceremony that memorializes his rule. He’s buried in the crypt of Goplik’s castle. But Queen Trippetta doesn’t believe Hop-Frog’s burial is complete. She fears powers that may resurrect him, as a force that threatens her rule. And there’s something stirring in the crypt…Trippetta may be right…
In memory of her family and Hop-Frog, Trippetta is rebuilding Lavinia, which is causing protests within her council of ministers and the people of Brattvia.
During this season, we celebrate a woman’s rule of the throne against forces that cannot accept that rule. They continue their trickery and practical jokes – as if Trippetta faces the spirits and their continuing efforts to silence her rule.
Within the realm of the supernatural, Hop-Frog wages his own struggle to survive and to reclaim his human desire for love – to return to his heart’s true desire – Trippetta. In the final clash, Hop-Frog rises to help Trippetta against her greatest foe. They win, but realize the sacrifices they’ve made for others now need to reside within the actions of others. They need to leave Brattvia, they need to leave their service, and their greed for power, to celebrate their love far away from the throne and court of power. Back to their homeland of Lavinia. At last, finding their happily-ever-after.
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(Laurie Brown’s) Five Seasons
What I learned from doing this assignment is that the only way forward when the task at hand is so daunting, is to just keep bouncing back and forth through the assignment and to accept being imperfect.
1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.
Can an insecure, shallow young woman, riddled with secrets that threatened her rise to the highest rank in an Army that didn’t want woman, survive under the command of an officer who wanted her love, but not her military success?
2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.
Season 1: Conflict with her father after mysterious death of her mother leading to being dropped off at military school where she makes a bond with her new friends for life, Marge and Bette, to be forever true to each other and to their lifetime dreams to be the first female officers in the Army.
Season 2: When a law is passed allowing women to join the Army and Geri, Marge and Bette are amongst the lucky few to advance from paid civilian nurses to the Army Corp of Nurses. Bette gets stationed overseas, while Geri and Marge stay behind, where they each secretly date their commanding officer, Leo. Leo, who asks for Geri’s hand in marriage, impregnates Marge. Willing to cover up for Marge, Leo gives her a bogus “sick leave” and she has a secret son, allowing her to stay in the army. Did Geri find out about Leo’s infidelity or is there another reason she called off the engagement.
Season 3: Leo, a lover now scorned, was promoted to secret operative for the Department of Interior. Still wanting Geri, he threatens to derail her rise to Colonel. He blackmails Marge to carry it out, all while Geri masterminds an elaborate cover up to her abortion, about which she confides in Marge.
Season 4: As a final test to her rise to Colonel, Geri gets sent to Viet Nam, where she reunites with Bette who has been there for two years as a MASH nurse. Geri confides in Bette about Leo and her abortion while Bette tells Geri about the lie the Army is perpetuating to cover up the death casualties. Bette challenges Geri to win back her honor by challenging the Army and telling the truth. Bette asks Geri to join her by defying the Army orders. Meanwhile, stateside, Leo and Marge carry out their plans to destroy Geri’s career. Then Geri gets a letter from the Department of Interior for a charges being made against Bette.
Season 5: Bette, charged with a diabolical scheme to kill injured soldiers by holding them back from flying out of Viet Nam to hospitals in Japan. Bette, facing imprisonment, begs Geri to help her, to tell the truth and restore the honor to those who “died in Japan”, vs. were casualties of the Viet Nam war. On her final rung to the ladder of success Geri assumes she must decide between betraying Bette or telling the truth of their plan to save the honor of the injured soldiers. But when Geri takes the witness stand, the line of questioning changes, and following questions about why she broke off her engagement with Leo, the prosecution asks about her relationship with Bette. Geri looks at Bette and tells it all, about the abortion, Leo’s rape, the government’s conspiracy to cover up casualties in Viet Nam and finally her love for Bette. She lays her medals on the table and as she and Bette leave the courthouse together, (the press hounding them with questions) they pass Leo and Marge, the wind finally out of Leo’s blackmail scheme, he loses Geri forever as she has revealed her true self and to the world, the real love in her life, Bette. Do they live happily ever after?
3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.
SEASON 1
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: How can an abandoned daughter of an Army Colonel get from military school to the first female colonel in an Army that doesn’t allow women to join.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Insecure, lost little girl, takes on challenge in military school of new best friends who vow to climb the ranks of military schools, bonded together forever as best friends for life.
C. Main Conflict: Geri, Marge and Bette must each overcome their estrangement from their families by learning to trust each other in a military school with rules that would have them fail.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Geri betray her friends to succeed in her climb to the top?
E. Cliffhanger: In the opening scene, why is Geri being questioned at a hearing by the Department of Interior and for what.
SEASON 2
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: When the law changes allowing women to be in the Army will Geri and Marge be chosen to be amongst the few or will their mutual but secret lover, Leo, successfully pit them against each other?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From insecure, wall flower civilian nurse to sought after wife of war hero, Geri is first female nurse allowed in the Army, while Marge takes a mysterious leave of absence.
C. Main Conflict: Geri and Marge, unbeknownst to them, are engaged in a competitive battle for the love of their superior officer, Leo, who impregnates them both, threatening their chances to get in an Army that now allows for women, but does not allow for pregnancy.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Geri marry Leo and give up her dreams? Is Marge’s sanctioned leave of absence to have a child or have an abortion?
E. Cliffhanger: What does Geri decide to do?
SEASON 3
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Can Geri keep her secret from the Army, and especially from Leo, secret operative of the Dept of Interior?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Geri, violating her ethics and honor, lies to Leo about the pregnancy and breaks off the engagement.
C. Main Conflict: Geri and Marge, risk their lifelong dreams by covering up their abortion (Geri) and a secret son (Marge) while Leo, a lover scorned, blackmails Marge to take down Geri.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Geri succeed in her climb to the top or will her best friend’s scheming ways do her in.
E. Cliffhanger: Will Geri get transferred to Viet Nam?
SEASON 4
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Will Geri and Bette survive together in Viet Nam or be taken down by Marge as she moves forward with her diabolical plan with Leo to take Geri down.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Geri confides in Bette about Leo and her abortion while Bette tells Geri about the lie the Army is perpetuating to cover up the massive deaths in Viet Nam. Bette challenges Geri to win back her honor by challenging the Army and telling the truth.
C. Main Conflict: Bette and Geri saving the honor of the dying soldiers by defying the Army orders as Leo and Marge carry out their plans to destroy Geri’s career.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Marge have the evidence to bring Geri back to trial and for what? Will Bette convince Geri to help her save the honor of the dying soldiers in Viet Nam?
E. Cliffhanger: Geri gets called back to Washington to the Department of the Interior trial against Bette. Why?
SEASON 5
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Bette, charged with a diabolical scheme to hold back soldiers from flying out of Viet Nam to hospitals in Japan.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From successful candidate for colonel, Geri is questioned by the Dept of Interior, to betray Bette or
C. Main Conflict: On her final rung to the ladder of success Geri assumes she must decide between betraying Bette or telling the truth of their plan to save the honor of the injured soldiers who, if removed from Viet Nam by helicopter to Japanese hospitals would lose their right to be named a war casualty.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: What will be the real charge against Bette and Geri?
E. Cliffhanger: Will Geri and Bette live happily ever after?
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P.G. Sundlings 5 seasons
5. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
This assignment was easier because my seasons were already a big escalation. After over a decade of thinking about the various pieces, it feels like it’s coming together. Having all five books in summarized format feels like a giant milestone in this journey.
2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.
Season 1.0: national level
Season 1.5: international level
Season 2.0: interstellar level
Season 2.5: intergalactic level
Season 3.0: multiverse level
3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.
To enhance the feeling of acceleration in scope and stakes, the series is designed to be in two half seasons a year like Battlestar Galactica instead of a smaller yearly set of episodes.
Season 1.0: (Ascension)
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: A non-politician changes their name to None of the Above and runs for president. Can an honest man survive the backstabbing world of American politics?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: MJ is asexual. It takes many steps to work up to her first real kiss. What happened with Zelda doesn’t count. That was espionage.
None wants a deeper physical connection with MJ, but she rejects him. He tries to fill that lack with other women, often with disastrous effects. It doesn’t help that MJ sabotages his relationships.
C. Main Conflict: On surveillance tapes, Maria finds a secret that puts her and anyone who helps her in danger. She must unravel the conspiracy before they find the last tapes and kill her.
Childhood friends James Wong and Maria Cortez have their billion-dollar software company stolen with a shady contract. They find the ultimate power-up to fight back: become president. They change their names to None of the Above and More Jobs. Who won’t vote for more jobs in a bad economy?
D. Mystery/Open Loops: MJ and None care for each other, but MJ won’t be physical with him. Can None win over MJ?
E. Cliffhanger: A kill switch disables American military technology and Renquist has it.
Childhood friends James Wong and Maria Cortez have their billion-dollar software company stolen with a shady contract. They find the ultimate power-up to fight back: become president. They change their names to None of the Above and More Jobs. Who won’t vote for more jobs in a bad economy?
On surveillance tapes, Maria finds a secret that puts her and anyone who helps her in danger. She must unravel the conspiracy before they find the last tapes and kill her.
Season 1.5: (Hot Nights and Cold Wars)
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: When China builds a land bridge across the Taiwan Strait, it brings the world to the brink of war.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: MJ enters her first relationship. She must navigate the two men who love her.
After None wakes from a coma, he is mentally disabled. His intelligence is restored with an implant, but None modifies his brain implant, despite warnings. He loses his grip on reality. Has his implant become a sentient AI, has he opened a gateway to an evil spirit, or is he just crazy?
C. Main Conflict: A kill switch that disables American military technology falls into the wrong hands. To get it back, the President works with a hated foe. Worse, she must personally lead a stealth attack into Russian territory.
When a military computer overrides failsafes to launch the American nuclear arsenal, the missiles must be stopped in the midst of a global cyberwar.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: When a singularity cult disables AI safety protocols, sentient AI emerge in growing number. When the AI begin to disappear, who or what is murdering them?
When advances in holographic technology allow people to wear famous faces, celebrity culture goes on overdrive. With the Internet intruding into real life, social media becomes omnipresent and seeing is no longer believing.
E. Cliffhanger: MJ is pregnant. Is the father None or Fernando?
Season 2.0: (Triple Apocalypse)
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Aliens use asteroids and a biological agent to kill a billion people, turn them into zombies, and use them as drones against the survivors. Once inside the alien ship, can None defeat the Third Apocalypse?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: MJ dies in child birth during a crucial battle. None faces his biggest fear when he lost MJ forever and it’s his fault for getting her pregnant. MJ faces her biggest fears when alien germs invade her body, while she is still aware. She evolves into a mutant, experiencing her body being devoured from the inside. Under alien control, MJ attacks those she loves against her will.
C. Main Conflict: Asteroid strikes kill over a billion and put humans in survival mode. People are skeptical of the zombie apocalypse because crawling zombies aren’t much threat. Soon, they are walking zombies, then quick zombies. The continue to evolve into green mutants. Some of the mutants act intelligent.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: After the aliens land, None sees strange symbols in his dreams. When he toggles his brain implant into full access mode, he’s able to communicate with an enslaved aliens. Is this entity who they say there are and what is their agenda?
E. Cliffhanger: One ship almost destroyed humanity. A fleet with thousands of those ships sets course for Earth. How can they be defeated? Will all the mutants be back under alien control?
Season 2.5: (Tomorrow is Already Gone)
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: An alien weapons cache could protect Earth. The only way to get there is risky higher dimensional travel. None finds an ancient fleet of ships older than the universe. Has he gotten lost in the wrong universe? The secrets he find will destabilize the intergalactic power balance. Can None and MJ find their way home to actually share them?
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: MJ must come to terms with no longer being human. She is traumatized by her memories of her zombie experiences and the horrors she was forced to inflict.
Higher dimensional travel requires None to achieve enlightenment. He must jettison core aspects of his personality, or humanity dies.
C. Main Conflict: An alien fleet heads for Earth. Humanity has only six months to prepare for invasion. With alien influence removed, the mutants become a new race of superhumans. Mistrust between human and mutants grows. Humanity uses alien tech beyond their understanding. The way things are going, humanity may destroy itself before the aliens invade.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: None must discover the secret of the Big Bang to save Earth.
E. Cliffhanger: The ancient fleet cannot fall into the wrongs hands. They return to the void with an army from Earth to commandeer the ancient fleet. Fleets of multiple species followed them to the void and attack.
Season 3.0: (The Genesis Reset)
A. High Concept or major hook of the season. Unlimited Energy was supposed to solve all problems and bring the galaxies together. Instead, it lit the universe ablaze with wars over every Nexus point.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: MJ loses control again when slaver aliens capture her. After all that she’s gone through, she must face being powerless again. To save MJ, None must sacrifice his remaining identity. He must merge with Ada to succeed in a dangerous rescue mission.
C. Main Conflict: The secret of the Big Bang will destroy the entire multiverse if an intergalactic war isn’t stopped.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Ghosts haunt space near destroyed worlds and nexus points. What causes the ghosts and where are they from? Has a netherworld been unleashed?
E. Cliffhanger: The war stops with moments to spare. Skeptical of the danger, a rogue world sends a fleet to control a Nexus point, endangering the multiverse once again.
4. Write a description of each season and give us the 5 seasons.
Each half-season expands scope and stakes exponentially. To enhance the feeling of acceleration, the concept uses two half seasons a year, using Battlestar Galactica season notation (season 2.0, season 2.5).
Season 1.0 (National) Ascension
A cryptic simulation predicts doomsday. Periodic simulations show dire events. Interventions prevent some events from taking place.
Childhood friends have their billion-dollar software company stolen with a shady contract. They find the ultimate power-up to fight back: become president. They change their names to None of the Above and More Jobs. Who won’t vote for more jobs in a bad economy? Can an honest man survive the backstabbing world of American politics?
On surveillance tapes, Maria finds a secret that puts her and anyone who helps her in danger. She must unravel a conspiracy before they find the copy and kill her.
None wants MJ, but she rejects him. He tries to fill that lack with other women, often with disastrous effects. It doesn’t help that MJ sabotages his relationships. MJ is asexual. It takes many steps to work up to her first real kiss. What happened with Zelda doesn’t count. That was espionage.
A White House attack reveals the full extent of a conspiracy. Traitors in advanced armor mow down agents by the dozen on their hunt for MJ. How will she survive?
A simulation marks the time line unwinnable. A failsafe starts a self destruct timer for Earth.
Season 1.5 (international) Hot Nights and Cold Wars
From Nazi nukes to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, simulations replay time line interventions that prevented nuclear war. The last intervention doomed the time line to something worst than nuclear war.
A kill switch that disables American military technology falls into the wrong hands. To get it back, the President works with a hated foe. Worse, she must personally lead a stealth attack into Russian territory.
When China builds a land bridge across the Taiwan Strait, it brings the world to the brink of war.
After None wakes from a coma, he is mentally disabled. His intelligence is restored with an implant, but None modifies his brain implant, despite warnings. He loses his grip on reality. Has his implant become a sentient AI, has he opened a gateway to an evil spirit, or is he just crazy?
When advances in holographic technology allow people to wear famous faces, celebrity culture goes on overdrive. With the Internet intruding into real life, social media becomes omnipresent and seeing is no longer believing.
MJ enters her first relationship. She must navigate the two men who love her. The sabotage of the entity in None’s head further complicates her relationship with None.
When a singularity cult disables AI safety protocols, sentient AI emerge in growing number. When the AI begin to disappear, who or what is murdering them? A battle for AI supremacy uses a global cyberwar as cover.
When a military computer overrides failsafes to launch the American nuclear arsenal, the nukes must be stopped in the midst of a global cyberwar.
With nukes launched, only a crazy plan can stop them, but there is an even greater threat that reveals itself. An ascension event will destroy the world in minutes. Can None stop it in time?
Nukes destroy the Chinese capital. Will it lead to war? What happens to the other nukes?
MJ is pregnant. Is the father None or Fernando?
Season 2.0: (interstellar) Triple Apocalypse
Asteroid strikes kill over a billion people and plunge the Earth into a month of darkness. Humans don’t take the zombie apocalypse seriously because crawling zombies aren’t much threat. The creatures of the night evolve into fast zombies, then powerful mutants. Why do zombies and mutants avoid attacking brains? When groups of mutants act intelligently, they pose an even greater threat. Humanity looks forward to First Sunrise, only to find that mutants are more powerful in sunlight.
After the asteroids hit, None sees strange symbols in his dreams. When he toggles his brain implant into full access mode, he’s able to communicate with an enslaved alien. Is this entity who they say there are and what is their agenda?
MJ dies in child birth during a crucial battle. None faces his biggest fear when he loses MJ forever and it’s his fault for getting her pregnant. MJ faces her biggest fear when alien germs invade her body, while she is still aware. She evolves into a mutant, experiencing her body being devoured from the inside. Under alien control, MJ attacks those she loves against her will.
The aliens only control small groups of intelligent zombies. The final foe can control them all with a single mind. Inside the ship, None must defeat the Third Apocalypse or humanity will be murdered and enslaved.
One ship almost destroyed humanity. A fleet with thousands of such ships sets course for Earth. How can they be defeated? Will all the mutants be back under alien control?
Season 2.5: (intergalactic) Tomorrow is Already Gone
An alien fleet heads for Earth. Humanity has only six months to prepare for invasion. With alien influence removed, the mutants become a new race of superhumans. Mistrust between humans and mutants grows. Humanity uses alien tech beyond their understanding. The way things are going, humanity may destroy itself before the aliens invade. MJ must come to terms with no longer being human. She is traumatized by her memories of her zombie experiences and the horrors she was forced to inflict.
Logs from the captured alien ship mention three locations of advanced technology. Could None and MJ find weapons to defend Earth? The only way to cross such long distances in time is risky higher dimensional travel. That travel requires None to achieve enlightenment, or humanity dies.
Humans finds an ancient fleet older than the universe. How is that possible? Have they gotten lost in the wrong universe? None decodes a secret of the Big Bang, a secret that will destabilize the intergalactic power balance.
Earth defends against invasion. The ancient weapons cannot fall into the wrongs hands. They return to the void with an army from Earth to commandeer the ancient fleet. Fleets of multiple species followed them to the void and attack.
Season 3.0: (multiverse) The Genesis Reset
Unlimited Energy was supposed to solve all problems and bring the galaxies together. Instead, it lit the universe ablaze with wars over every Nexus point.
MJ loses control again when slaver aliens capture her. After all that she’s gone through, she must face being powerless again. To save MJ, None must sacrifice his remaining identity. He must merge with Ada to succeed in a dangerous rescue mission.
None decodes further secrets of the Big Bang. If an intergalactic war isn’t stopped it will destroy the entire multiverse.
Ghosts haunt space near destroyed worlds and nexus points. What causes the ghosts and where are they from? Has a netherworld been unleashed?
The war stops with moments to spare. Skeptical of the danger, a rogue world sends a fleet to control a Nexus point, endangering the multiverse once again.
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