Day 3 Assignments

[Nadine Vaughan DArdenne]

Subject line: Nadine’s Five Seasons.
What I learned doing this assignment is how complicated it can become. But I did it.

Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five. ✓

KUNO and JAI, two nerdy Black teens who compete in an Intermural Science Fair called FUTURE’S HOPE, are thunderstruck to discover each other is their socio- intellectual equal. But when they’re pulled into a dark world of murder and betrayal, Jai’s betrayal sends Kuno to prison where he barely survives until he’s exonerated. When he’s sent to an ex-offender program and his counselor is JAI, Kuno feels only vindication. He doesn’t know what Jai went through in the military. Finally, they work together and create a new kind of HOPE, for all, with the peace they find in each other.

2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version. ✓
Season 1: Kuno and Jai didn’t know how privileged they were until their lives fell apart.

Season 2: Kuno wants the truth about his father’s death. Jai wants to help but hurts instead. Season 3: In prison, Kuno’s terrified yet strangely protected. In military, Jai’s cruelly attacked.

Season 4: Kuno’s protector is killed and he’s blamed. But an unknown gets him exonerated. Season 5: Kuno and Jai are reunited in hate until finally, they work together for a better future .

3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks. DONE ✓
Title Season 1: “Black in Suburbia”
A. HighConceptormajorhookoftheseason.done✓
B. BigPictureArc/Journey:✓

C. MainConflict:✓
D. D.Mystery/OpenLoops:✓ E. Cliffhanger:✓

I wrote a description of ea. season for the 5 seasons. DONE ✓

[Phyllis Strong]

Phyllis’ Five Seasons

What I learned from this assignment was that it was the most difficult one for me, so far, and I had to brainstorm a lot. But once I got to the Stair Step Model and Building Blocks I had a better grasp and it all began to flow into the descriptions.

Brainstorm Your Stair Step Model

· Season 1: Are the creatures real or is Duncan delusional?

· Season 2: How do you kill a creature?

· Season 3: Other people knew about these creatures

· Season 4: When killed, the creatures help reduce climate change

· Season 5: The creatures have evolved so that they can take over humans useful to them (CEOs of energy companies).

Building Blocks for Each Season

SEASON 1

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Are the creatures real or is Duncan delusional?

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Former EPA investigator Sasha goes from skeptic to believer after she and Duncan encounter a creature. Duncan goes from ineffective hunter of these creatures to part of an effective team.

C. Main Conflict: Sasha and Duncan’s personalities and methods conflict as they search for creatures that he, alone, believes in.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Sasha and Duncan survive finding these creatures if they exist? Are Duncan and Sasha the only ones who believe in these creatures?

E. Cliffhanger: Sasha and Duncan encounter a creature but they can’t kill it with conventional weapons, and barely get away.

SEASON 2

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Killing these creatures without being killed.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Sasha and Duncan develop a surrogate father-daughter relationship, which helps heal their respective wounds (not trusting others and being unworthy of redemption).

C. Main Conflict: Sasha and Duncan vs. the creatures. How to vanquish them without sacrificing themselves or others.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why has Sasha’s estranged father returned? What happened to Duncan’s teenaged daughter? Did these creatures ever exist on Earth before (the Paleogene-Eocene Thermal Maximum)?

E. Cliffhanger: Sasha and Duncan manage to kill a creature, but all traces of it vanish.

SEASON 3

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Other people know that these creatures exist, and were spawned by greenhouse gases

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From Sasha and Duncan acting alone to finding allies, and opponents beyond Delia

C. Main Conflict: Sasha conflicts with Duncan over whom to trust among potential allies, and whom to be skeptical about.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: How did these other people find out about the creatures and how did they band together? Will these allies be helpful to Sasha and Duncan? Who else knows about the creatures?

E. Cliffhanger: Knowing that Duncan is no longer alone, Sasha decides to take her foundation money and stop tracking creatures.

SEASON 4

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: When creatures die, they absorb greenhouse gases, making them a solution to climate change

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Sasha and Duncan reuniting

C. Main Conflict: Sasha is in conflict with herself and Duncan over whether to return to hunting creatures.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Duncan find the creature who killed his daughter? What will happen with Sasha and her environmental activist boyfriend?

E. Cliffhanger: Sasha joins Duncan in his search for the sea-based creature and instead they find Duncan’s presumed dead daughter, alive.

SEASON 5

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Some creatures have evolved so that they can take over humans.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Sasha discovers her talents are best served in fighting climate change by slaying these creatures while Duncan realizes he’s willing to die for his cause.

C. Main Conflict: Saving the humans while killing the creatures that have taken them over.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: How did Duncan’s daughter survive? Can you extract the creatures from their human hosts?

E. Cliffhanger: Duncan dies to save Sasha from his creature-controlled daughter and Sasha decides to take his place.

SEASON 1: TWO LOST SOULS

How does a disgraced EPA investigator keep fighting climate change when she’s unemployable?

After Sasha is dismissed for political reasons, her dream of fighting climate change for a living is dashed. Her only option is to team up with Duncan, a delusional billionaire activist who believes the build-up of greenhouse gases has spawned creatures bent on destroying us. She decides to humor him, in exchange for his promise to fund an environmental foundation for her after three years’ time. Sasha and Duncan are polar opposites, and sparks fly as they pursue their quarry. When Duncan is badly injured, Sasha has second thoughts, which Duncan’s CEO sister exploits. She’ll fund Sasha’s foundation if Sasha helps get Duncan committed. Ironically, Sasha has a hard time trusting others because she fears betrayal, and now she’s about to betray Duncan. Who would guess that by investigating on her own she would find evidence that the creatures are real? She and a recovered Duncan track a creature, but when Duncan shoots it, it doesn’t die. They barely escape with their lives.

As Sasha the skeptic slowly becomes a believer, and Duncan finds creatures through Sasha’s expertise, they realize they make a good team. Maybe Sasha will start to trust, and Duncan will start to heal his wound, that he believes he is irredeemable.

SEASON 2: FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS

Now that Sasha and Duncan have the means to find these creatures, how do they kill them?

Duncan goes through science experts until he finds a recluse who theorizes that today’s creatures are related to ones from the last massive global warming event 55 million years ago. With Duncan’s access to high tech tools, he and Sasha figure out the right weapon and mode of attack. With Sasha and Duncan on the same page, they start to develop a surrogate father-daughter relationship. She hasn’t had one since her father abandoned the family when she was thirteen. He hasn’t had one since he was responsible for losing his teenaged daughter during an extreme hurricane. The return of Sasha’s estranged father brings out complicated love/hate emotions that strain her relationship with Duncan.

Sasha devotes herself to tracking and she and Duncan find another creature. He kills it and they now have proof. But the truck transporting it is ambushed and the dead creature vanishes! Who else knows about them?

SEASON 3: THE OTHERS

How do Sasha and Duncan find the others in the know, and how do they distinguish allies from enemies?

Duncan announces the he’s acquired the bones of a mysterious creature from 55 million years ago and will exhibit them at his mansion. He does a facsimile, so when people show up, many dismiss the bones as a fraud and leave. But a handful stay, and admit to theorizing that the creatures spawned by greenhouse gases 55 million years ago would have counterparts today. Now Sasha and Duncan have a team, and make breakthroughs in tracking. They guard the next creature they kill zealously, and try to get publicity. But the news reporter that Sasha befriends ends up betraying them by filing the story with The National Enquirer. Some group is trying hard to cover up these creatures, and they are led by Duncan’s CEO sister. She and her fellow oil company CEOs have known about these creatures for 10 years, but haven’t wanted to admit their role in creating them.

Sasha discovers a mole among their team, reporting to Duncan’s sister. Tied to that mole is Sasha’s father. Stung by the betrayal, she does some soul-searching and realizes that killing these creatures is saving individuals, but doing nothing to slow climate change. Her three years are up, Duncan has a team, and she wants to start her foundation and fight climate change directly. She and Duncan share a bittersweet farewell.

SEASON 4: REUNITING

How can Sasha reunite with Duncan if it means giving up her dream of fighting climate change directly?

As he continues tracking them, Duncan is scheming to find evidence that his sister knew about the creatures spawned by greenhouse gases years ago and covered it up. But he misses Sasha’s daily presence, and keeps up with her by being on the board of her foundation. She, meanwhile, has opened herself up to a new relationship, an environmental activist she is funding. But down-deep, Sasha has mixed feelings about leaving Duncan’s side. She enjoyed her investigative work more than she’d like to admit, and she worries that Duncan’s impulsive side will win out over careful planning. Those feelings will be amplified when Duncan discovers that dead creatures absorb fifty times their weight in greenhouse gases. Killing them does help reverse climate change!

When Sasha learns that Duncan is planning to hunt the sea-creature that he thought took his daughter during the hurricane, she agrees to join him, this once. She fears his emotions will get the better of him and he’ll be vulnerable. While on the trail of a creature that may be their target, they find Duncan’s daughter alive, but with no memory of how she survived. It’s also a mystery why she stayed on this island.

SEASON 5: TO THINE OWNSELF BE TRUE

How does the mysterious reappearance of Duncan’s daughter tie in to the creatures spawned by greenhouse gases?

Duncan doesn’t care how or why his daughter survived. Now he feels worthy of redemption, his wound healed. Sasha is skeptical, determined to find out what’s beneath the surface. With the help of Duncan’s recluse friend, Sasha discovers that the fossil record of 55 million years ago shows creatures fusing with other species. And it’s happening now, with humans. Sasha, Duncan and the team investigate those who have most control over releasing greenhouse gases. They kidnap a CEO of a powerful energy conglomerate and figure out how to separate out the creature and kill it, and not its human host. But if you perform the procedure on a human, he will die. Sasha is convinced that the sea-creature Duncan saw fused with his daughter and that’s how she survived. Her suspicions are heightened when the daughter contacts her CEO aunt (Duncan’s sister) for a job. But, Duncan’s in denial. Sasha has a plan to separate Duncan’s daughter from the creature, but all goes awry and Duncan’s daughter pulls a gun and aims at Sasha point blank. Duncan throws himself between them and takes the bullet. Sasha tackles Duncan’s daughter.

Duncan’s daughter is saved, but Duncan is dying. Sasha promises that she will take up the gauntlet and become the slayer of these creatures. Her dream to make a significant impact on climate change will come true, although no one will know it. Duncan’s daughter plans to join her, as well.

[Bob Onufer]

Bob’s Five Seasons

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Title: Mount Moriah

Season 1: Seek and ye shall find.

A. High Concept or Hook of the season: Finding the terrorist leader who plotted a specific terrorist attack fifteen years before the present time.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From newly assigned agent in the Jerusalem bureau to a rogue actor who discovers the name of the terrorist he is seeking.

C. Main conflict: Dealing with terrorists and informants to track down the terrorist he is seeking. Christina Wade, a fanatical Christian with a Temple Mount group latches onto Daniel and begins to plant seeds regarding destroying the Dome of the Rock.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why is Daniel seeking out the specific terrorist? Will his personal agenda cause him to lose credibility and possibly his position in the intelligence community? How will he handle Christina?

E. Cliffhanger: Daniel discovers the name of the terrorist he is seeking only to find out he is now an elected official in the Israeli Knesset and can’t be touched.

How does a child deal with seeing his parents murdered in front of him – at a celebration honoring him no less?

After witnessing his parents’ murders while celebrating his Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Daniel channels his anger and guilt into an obsession to obtain the skills and position that would allow him the best chance at finding the perpetrators and exacting revenge. While working under the watchful eye of his bureau chief, Daniel disregards policy, takes unnecessary risks, and makes deals with the devil to obtain the information he needs. Of course, Daniel has no regard for his own safety being driven by the thirst for vengeance.

Season 2: Render onto Caesar.

A. High Concept or Hook of the season: How will Daniel be able to exact revenge against Najeh, an untouchable opponent.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From frustration to devastation when his actions to discredit the Najeh leads to the death of an old friend.

C. Main conflict: Seeking the aid of classmates from the elite IDF program he graduated from including Rina, a woman he casually slept with. His actions also bring him into conflict with his superiors in the agency, politicians, and especially with Christina.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: What is the backstory of his relationship with Rina and how will it resolve itself? How will this impact his relationship with Christina? Will Najeh take violent action against him? Will he be able to control his anger and guilt over his parents’ murders?

E. Cliffhanger: Rina discovers some evidence that will discredit the terrorist turned politician but is killed before she can deliver it to Daniel.

How do you deal with an untouchable enemy?

After learning that the person who plotted the attack that killed his parents is now a respected politician, Daniel must now figure out a way to discredit him. Daniel seeks the assistance of classmates from the elite IDF program he graduated from to get information that may discredit the terrorist turned politician. Amongst those he seeks out is a former lover who was hurt by Daniel because of his inability to form attachments in the wake of his parents’ murders. Despite the baggage between them, his former lover unearths evidence that could discredit the terrorist turned politician, but she is killed before she can deliver it to Daniel.

Season 3: An Eye for and Eye.

A. High Concept or Hook of the season: Daniel is completely obsessed with revenge on the terrorist turned politician since he is believed to be responsible for his lover’s murder.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Daniel goes from deeply depressed over his lover’s murder to blindly obsessed and when he finally confronts the terrorist turned politician, he kills him.

C. Main conflict: Dealing with the bureau chief as he seeks out ways to get to Najeh. Christina Wade steps up her rhetoric regarding destroying the Dome of the Rock as a way to get vengeance on Najeh and all the terrorists.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Daniel be able to confront Najeh? Will Daniel’s internal demons be too much to handle? How will he deal with the increased pressure from Christina?

E. Cliffhanger: Daniel confronts Najeh, kills him, and is arrested.

When is a time for a person to take action regardless of the personal outcome?

That’s what is facing Daniel in the aftermath of his former lover being killed when helping obtain evidence against the terrorist who plotted the attack that killed his parents. Disregarding all protocol, Daniel goes after Najeh and when he is finally able to confront him, he kills Najeh with his bare hands. Feeling good about the vengeance, Daniel is taken into custody.

Season 4: Bring you a red heifer without defect.

A. High Concept or Hook of the season: Daniel and Christina set a plan in motion to destroy the Dome of the Rock.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Daniel is released from confinement and suspended from the bureau. He works with his Rabbi/therapist to come to terms with the deaths surrounding his life.

C. Main conflict: Dealing with the internal demons brought about by his parents’ and Rina’s deaths. Christina pushes Daniel more and more towards destroying the Dome of the Rock as only then will there be a chance for lasting peace and the end of actions that killed people he loved and forced him to kill.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Can Daniel deal with his demons? Will he do as Christina asks? Will the bureau (that is now monitoring him) find out what he plans to do?

E. Cliffhanger: Daniel decides Christina is right and a Third Temple needs to be established. He and Christina visit a farm where a red heifer has been raised as the needed sacrifice for the creation of a Third Temple.

Is there a way to make the world a better place?

After being released from confinement and suspended from the bureau, Daniel must consult with his Rabbi/therapist to deal with his inner demons. At the same time, Christina is pushing her agenda that the only path to lasting peace is the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and construction of a new Temple. While reluctant at first, Daniel becomes convinced, and he and Christina begin the steps required to fulfill the biblical prophesies.

Season 5: Build him a house in Jerusalem.

A. High Concept or Hook of the season: Christina prepares the ritual requirements for a new Temple while Daniel plots to destroy the Dome of the Rock and blame it on the terrorists.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Daniel starts convinced he is doing the right thing for ultimate peace, but as the planning for the destruction progresses, he starts to second guess his commitment.

C. Main conflict: He must hide his activities from the bureau and deal with terrorists as a disgruntled former agent in order to set them up for the blame. Daniel and Christina fight over the pending destruction they plan.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will the bureau catch on to Daniel and Christina? Will the terrorists double cross them? Will Daniel go through with the plan?

E. Cliffhanger: Explosives are in place and Daniel’s finger is on the trigger as Christina watches on.

Can anything bring about world harmony?

This is the question Daniel keeps trying to answer as he moves forward with a plan to destroy the Dome of the Rock. Urged on by Christina, Daniel must plan the attack, avoid being caught by the bureau and deal with enemy agents who might double cross him at any time. As if that isn’t enough, Daniel begins to envision what his deceased parents would have wanted for him and becomes less convinced he’s doing the right thing.

[Brigitte Timmerman]

Brigitte Timmerman – Character Descriptions – Refuge Nation

Irene

Older sister of Jessie and Aunt of Isaac. She is an activist and was a leader in her community that had fallen. She feels she is responsible for the family’s survival.Noteworthy traits: Educated has a law degree and botany, Empathetic until she is pushed. Survival skills. Skilled navigator. Went to school for botany then switched to law. Intriguing history: Graduated from law school became an activist to follow her grandmother’s footsteps. Was married to her husband Dan who whereabouts are unknown. She miscarried several times which put stress on the marriage that led to divorce. Intrigue? Mystery? She has special maps in code she does not discuss with Jessie. They are very valuable. How do they support or drive the conflict with others? Irene and Jessie are always in conflict. Irene claims to do things the ethical way and thinks Jessie is a lost cause. Irony — She lies quite often in her mind she is doing the right thing.Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters. Jessie and Irene are constantly at odds with each other. Irene always policing Jessie and her risky behavior. Unpredictable? She hides her agenda from the family. Intriguing relationship with one or more characters Irene appears stong when she is weak. Jessie appears weak when she is strong.

Jessie

Who is the character? Role in the show? Younger rebellious sister of Irene. Noteworthy traits Wild, tough, Does things that are ethically questionable but it is all to keep the family safe. Intriguing history: She was born when Irene was a teenager. Irene raised her after their parents were killed by raiders. Intrigue? Mystery? Jessie was sexually abused by a neighbor when she was a twelve. She killed the neighbor and the crime went unsolved. She is pregnant when she and Irene thought they were unfertile. How do they support or drive the conflict with others? Jessie and Irene are constantly at odds with each other. Irene looks down at her risky behavior. Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character. No one see the sacrifices Jessie makes to keep the family safe. She prostitutes herself to keep the family alive. Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters Jessie and Irene are constantly at odds with each other. They are polar opposites. Unpredictable? She flies off the handle and has fits of rage. Intriguing relationship with one or more characters. Jessie and Irene has always had a turbulent relationship. She becomes close to Calvary who appreciates her tenacity.

Isaac

Who is the character? Role in the show? Native American Nephew of Irene and Jessie. There niece was his mother, the father is Native American, his tribe and whereabouts unknown. Noteworthy traits His Native American family is the key to the family’s survival. If they do not find Isaac’s family they will be forced to live in a displacement camp.Intriguing history: Isaac was born in a community far from Irene and Jessie. He has very little memory if his mother. His father left before he was born. Intrigue? Mystery? Who and where is Isaacs family? How do they support or drive the conflict with others? When he finds his Omaha family he is emersed into his culture and starts to questions his upbringing from Irene and Jessie. Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character The family that raised him he starts to reject. He had struggled with his identity. Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters Isaac is the key to the family’s survival but also he is why the family is banished. Unpredictable? Maintains the relationship with Irene and Jessie but gets closer to his grandfather Yellowsmoke. Intriguing relationship with one or more characters. He grow closer with Yellowsmoke and Grandpa Frank.

Calvary Cullum

Who is the character? Role in the show? Rancher and Leader of the Sandhills Republic. He was first cousins with Irene and Jessie’s grandmother. His father claimed the Sandhills Republic as a sovereign nation. His family was completely prepared for the fall of nations. They stockpiled weapons for many year to militarize their country. Noteworthy traits tough, smart, took in families that land was taken. Can be brutal if he and his community is threatened. Intriguing history: Father started Sandhills Nation and Calvary followed in his footsteps. Intrigue? Mystery? Comes across friendly and jovial yet has a deep desire to get back some of the community ranches. How do they support or drive the conflict with others? He protects his community at any cost. Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character. Pleasant personality with rage underneath. Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters. He has great animosity to Irene thinking she is a threat to take his land. Unpredictable? You never know what trigger. Intriguing relationship with one or more characters. He builds an alliance with Jessie to go against Irene.

Grandpa Frank

Who is the character? Role in the show? Native American ancestor and spirit.Noteworthy traits He guides the family on their journey. Only Isaac and Mira can see.Intriguing history: He was an alcoholic and addict that turned his back on his family. Intrigue? Mystery? He sober up and become part of the upraising at the Wounded Knee take over in 1973. How do they support or drive the conflict with others? When he was using he abandoned his family and never stood up for his people. When a rapist targets Native American women. Grandpa Frank plans his attack. Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the characterOpposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters. His drinking puts him in conflict with his family and community when he was alive.Unpredictable? You never know when he is going to show up. Intriguing relationship with one or more characters. He grows closer to Irene and shows himself to her.

Yellowsmoke

Who is the character? Role in the show? Leader of the Omaha Tribe. Grandfather of Isaac. Noteworthy traits Tough, smart, born leader, his community looks up to him. Intriguing history: His son died in the United States who is Isaac’s father. Intrigue? Mystery? Does not let outsiders into his community.How do they support or drive the conflict with others? He lets Irene and Jessie family in his community only to banish them. Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character Intrigue? Mystery? Animosity against whites. He had an affair with a white women years ago who broke his heart. Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters. He turns Isaac against his aunt Irene and Jessie. Unpredictable? Hides what he knows about people and used it against them later. Pretends he does not speak English. Intriguing relationship with one or more characters. Turns Isaac against Irene will use her for intel to see Isaac.

[Kimberly Gore]

Kim’s Five Seasons

What I learned from doing this assignment is where each reveal should occur and how much of the mystery should be exposed during each season.

• Season 1: Natalie’s multiple personalities are her past lives trying to inform her of her destiny unless she can turn her present life around

• Season 2: Eric also suffers from this problem, but desperately tries to ignore it

• Season 3: Krystal has this issue, too, and is trying to sort it out by seducing Eric

• Season 4: The discovery of their pasts and how they are intertwined. There is a fourth person involved: Natalie’s son that she gave up for adoption when she was 16

• Season 5: Krystal and Eric are the ones who are supposed to be together, not Eric and Natalie, which is what Eric thought was the case. Natalie is tied to her son, instead.

3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.

Season 1: Death by Fire

• A. High Concept or major hook of the season. Natalie receives clues that point to her being the one who attacked her husband, but also that the true culprit was a woman from her past life. As she works through this, Eric is trying to keep her out of jail.

• B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Eric has no backbone, no real fight in him when it comes to women. And Natalie needs him to love her despite the odds stacked against them.

• C. Main Conflict: Defending his wife while simultaneously trying to keep custody of his daughter from his first marriage. Natalie trying to understand what’s happening to her while Eric tries to quell her other personalities.

• D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why does Eric defend his wife so vehemently when she attempted to kill him? What secret does he harbor?

• E. Cliffhanger: He knows about Natalie and her past lives. But he hides that he is connected to her through these. At end of first season, we see that he is a part of her past and the death of a young woman burned to death in a barn fire.

How does a man play the cards he’s been dealt when the deck comes up half missing?

Respected psychiatrist Eric Howard stands up for his wife, Natalie, the person responsible for an attempt on his life. The reason? She suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. One of her personalities attempted his murder, not his doting wife of five years. A personality that died young in a horrific barn fire. But now Natalie proves to be a danger to society, and Eric’s ex-wife wants full custody of the daughter from his first marriage. Eric is used to being bullied by the women in his life: his mother, then his first wife. But it’s not just the custody battle that forces him to face the issues plaguing his marriage to Natalie. It’s the secret he’s been keeping from everyone up to now.

As a man trained in psychology, he should understand his own foibles and (detriments). But he won’t look into himself. He can’t. What he will find there will be too troubling, too frightening. Because the truth is…he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, too. And as he eventually discovers, it’s related to the ties he has to Natalie through reincarnation.

Season 2: The Drowned Girl

• A. High Concept or major hook of the season. Mentor LaDonna introduces Natalie to Krystal, her own therapist. But when Krystal meets Eric, she’s attracted to him and jealous of Nat’s relationship with him.

• B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Natalie discovers how her first past life brought her to this point: an accident that should never have happened.

• C. Main Conflict: As Natalie explores this further, Eric pulls away, afraid to confront his own past lives. It’s the perfect storm for Krystal to march in and sweep him off his unstable feet.

• D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why is Eric’s friend not interested in defending Natalie? Why does Eric feel so strongly about Krystal, even though they’ve never met? How is Eric connected to the Drowned Girl that keeps contacting Natalie?

• E. Cliffhanger: We discover that Krystal suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder as well, and they have all been fated to meet again to sort things out.

Natalie needs people to know she did NOT try to kill her husband. One friend stands by her, LaDonna Ingels. The more they talk, the more LaDonna feels Nat’s soul might have memories of its past lives. She introduces her to a good friend, a past life regression therapist named Krystal Nicholson. The mystery of her past lives begins to unravel: her death as a young child, along with the boy who tried to save her, two adult witnesses who did nothing. Nothing. Nothing at all while she drowned an icy death.

And now, she feels the same slow death as the man who is supposed to help her, stand by her, love her, begins to pull away. He’s preoccupied by his ex-wife’s threat to have full custody of their daughter. His best friend, who is supposed to represent Natalie at her trial, detests Nat. And then there’s Nat’s therapist, Krystal, who swears she’s trying to help Natalie…but something doesn’t feel right. Eric looks at Krystal in a way he’s never looked at Natalie.

Not even LaDonna can help her now.

Season 3: No Accident

• A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Eric starts a secret affair with Krystal, but fears this will prevent him from fixing things for his past lives.

• B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Krystal learns from Natalie, discovers they are intertwined. When Natalie tells the stories she discovers about her past lives, Krystal matches them with drawings her different personalities have drawn and painted over the years.

• C. Main Conflict: Krystal wants to bring Eric over to her side, she’s sure they belong together. But Eric and Natalie begin the understand that their past lives were linked and divided by tragedy.

• D. Mystery/Open Loops: How are they connected? Could Krystal be the reason why their souls could never rest? Was she a third wheel in all their lives?

• E. Cliffhanger: LaDonna discovers the affair Krystal is having with Eric. But before she can confront Natalie with the secret, Krystal kills her.

Krystal digs her claws into Eric’s heart, and he’s torn between his wife and the woman he lusts after. But he has too much going on to think about what he’s doing. His ex-wife is still trying to make his life hell, his mother can’t stop sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong, and his best friend isn’t helping his wife prepare properly for trial.

Meantime, Natalie’s regression therapy with Krystal is going well. Too well. Krystal is starting to recognize these stories. When she goes home, she finds the stories depicted in paintings and drawings she’s been creating since she was a kid. And now she knows. She’s the one meant for Eric. Natalie has brought him nothing but tragedy.

Except her friend LaDonna, the one who introduced her to Natalie, discovers the affair with Eric. And she threatens to go to Natalie. But one of Krystal’s personalities sees exactly what’s happening. It can’t happen. Because once Krystal knows, it will mess everything up. Eric has to make this work organically. But LaDonna is unstoppable. Angry. And there’s only one way to keep the secret, even if it means getting rid of the source.

Season 4: Strangled Victim

• A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Eric is trying to cool down the affair, he has bigger issues. His daughter is sneaking around behind his back. Linnie is now “talking” to a boy online.

• B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Natalie gets to know the third past life she had, and comes to realize that Krystal may play a part in it

• C. Main Conflict: Natalie wants to trust Krystal, but something is off. And she has no one to talk to, now that her best friend has stopped showing up to yoga class…and oddly only speaks with her via texting.

• D. Mystery/Open Loops: Where is LaDonna? What has Krystal done to her?

• E. Cliffhanger: The boy Linnie is talking to shows up at her house. And he doesn’t seem on the up-and-up.

Backing off from the affair, Eric struggles between his wife, who is distraught over her friend missing for days, his daughter, who is sneaking behind his back talking to some mystery boy online, and Krystal, who continues to dog him, reminding him that Natalie deserves to be locked up. She’s certainly not sane.

Natalie receives texts from her friend, but they’re so…cryptic. Odd. Not like LaDonna at all. Something’s not right. Meantime, another personality takes front stage, forcing Natalie to see another past life, another doomed life, another tragic death. And now she’s noticing something else…two other people always seem to be around…and one of them….one of them she is certain is Krystal. When she breaks into Krystal’s house to search for clues to where LaDonna might be, or the possible affair with Eric, she sees the drawings and the paintings.

But that same night, the night she is breaking into Krystal’s house, Eric is out with Krystal, trying to end the affair. And his daughter, alone at the house, is waiting for someone. He shows up, smiling, but something feels off. Because when he enters her house, he’s intrigued by her family. When the door closes, it feels ominous.

Season 5: And Then There Were Four

• A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Not only has Natalie discovered the paintings, proof that Krystal is a part of their past, but she finds LaDonna’s phone. Eric finds out about the boy Linnie is sneaking into the house and the real reason he’s there.

• B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Eric realizes his soulmate isn’t Natalie. It’s never been Natalie. And to right their fate, he has to make a drastic decision. And this time, he needs to make it on his own without anyone’s help.

• C. Main Conflict: Natalie knows Krystal has been working against her. But her trial is set for tomorrow, and she’s not sure if Eric will be on her side, or Krystal’s.

• D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who is the boy Linnie is seeing? And what does he want?

• E. Cliffhanger: Natalie is sent to prison, she discovers the boy Linnie is seeing is her son, and it’s possible that if the boy and Linnie remain together, fate once again will twist the wrong way.

Suspecting that Eric is having an affair with her therapist, Natalie breaks into Krystal’s home for proof and discovers the paintings and drawings Natalie has created about their past lives. Natalie’s eyes are opened: Krystal is the one who has always gotten in the way of Eric and Natalie’s fated relationship! But as she’s searching further through the house, she discovers LaDonna’s phone. Why would it be at Krystal’s home? This means LaDonna hasn’t been contacting Natalie after all.

Eric discovers Linnie has been sneaking the boy she met online into their home. He confronts him, and the boy admits he’s not there for Linnie. Natalie is his mother. But Eric doesn’t want this kid he’s never even heard of meddling in their affairs and kicks him out, threatening to call the authorities if he shows up again. He has too many other problems right now, especially since he’s been paying more attention to his past lives and now realizes he’s supposed to be with Krystal, not Natalie. And in order to right the wrongs of his past, he will have to send Natalie to prison.

Natalie loses the court case and is devastated that her husband turned against her. But in prison, she receives a letter from a boy claiming to be her son. She asks him to meet her, and after seventeen years of separation, they see each other and discover they have been with each other for many lifetimes. He is the other person in her memories. And he has issues with past lives, too. But before he leaves, he tells her he feels he is fated to be with Linnie.

Natalie knows that he is twisting fate once more, and if he ends up with Linnie, the cycle will never be broken.

[Diana Ceres]

Diana’s Five Seasons

What I learned: The season titles actually helped me frame the key turning points for each season and elevated my concept even more. I came up with six seasons instead of five and decided to leave the last season open, in case the producer wants to keep it running beyond season 6. All subject to change.

1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.

Gullible FBI agent regains his self-respect and seeks revenge after being tormented and framed by his ex-wife for crimes she committed.

2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.

Season 1: Wife frames husband for forgery.
Season 2: Husband goes to prison.
Season 3: Eldest son discovers ex-boyfriend is really
their father and that Lupe is married to four other men.
Season 4: Jake’s wife bankrupts him and seeks sole
custody of their kids while he is in prison.
Season 5: Mike goes to prison to kill Jake so he can’t
testify against Lupe.
Season 6: Jake released from prison and seeks revenge
on Lupe in the jungles of Peru with other husbands with machetes, breaking
through vines, etc., searching for wife. While Mike searches for him and
US Marshalls search for Mike.

3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.

Season 1: To have and to hold

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Gullible FBI
agent unwittingly marries career
criminal.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From law-abiding
citizen/FBI agent to prime suspect in forgery investigation run by his
partner.
C. Main Conflict: Jake framed by his wife for crimes she
committed.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Lupe get caught? Will Jake
prove their innocence?
E. Cliffhanger: Will Jake go to prison?

Season 2: From this day forward

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: FBI agent
goes to prison for wife’s crimes, because she gaslit him into believing he
did them.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From doormat to respected
inmate.
C. Main Conflict: Trying to navigate and survive new
life in prison.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Jake realize he is not
guilty?
E. Cliffhanger: Did Jake kill inmate who attacked him?

Season 3: For better or worse

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Eldest son
discovers Jake is not his father and that his mother has four other
husbands.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: From framed to furious.
C. Main Conflict: Jake torn between staying married and
divorcing the woman who framed him.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: How did Dolores get to be crime
boss? What lengths will she go to keep her daughter Lupe out of her way? Why
does Jake stay with Lupe even after he realizes she framed him?
E. Cliffhanger: Will Lupe’s ex-boyfriend learn that
Mike and Carlos are his? Will Jake find out?

Season 4: For richer or poorer

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Jake
learns his wife is not only a career criminal, but also a bigamist.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Devoted father and husband
sets out to frame his criminal wife who bankrupted him and sought sole
custody of his kids while he was in prison.
C. Main Conflict: Family man wants to divorce his wife.
Learns his kids aren’t his.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Lupe get caught? Why does
Mike follow orders from his mother that endanger him?
E. Cliffhanger: Will Mike go to prison to get even with
his father?

Season 5: In sickness and in health

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: Mike goes
to prison to kill father so Jake cannot testify against his mother.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: After altercation with son,
Jake is in the infirmary. Has two broken arms and three broken ribs from
altercation with son in prison. Mike is in the hole for nearly killing his
father. (From near-death to stronger than ever)
C. Main Conflict: Jakes loves his son, even though he
isn’t his bio son. His son wants him dead.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why does Mike hate Jake so much?
Will Jake tell Mike the truth about Lupe and his true father?
E. Cliffhanger: Will Mike escape from prison?

Season 6: Till death do us part

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: FBI agent
abandons his core values and seeks revenge on ex-wife.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Jake released early on good
behavior. Sets out to kill ex-wife with her four other husbands.
C. Main Conflict: Jake wants revenge. Ex is off the
grid and cannot be found. Mike is a fugitive and after Jake. US Marshalls are
after Mike.
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why is Lupe is married to four
other men? Where is she? Will Jake and the other husbands find her?
E. Cliffhanger: Is Lupe alive? Will Jake get caught by Feds?
Will Mike escape the Marshalls or will Jake handle it himself?

4. Write a description of each season and give us the 5 seasons.

Season 1: To have and to hold

Jake, a gullible FBI agent unwittingly marries Lupe, a career criminal whose mother is a crime boss and Santeria queen. Lupe runs a forgery scheme to make millions. When the feds catch wind of it, she frames Jake for her crimes, making this law-abiding citizen/federal agent the prime suspect in a forgery investigation that is run by his partner. Jake is incredulous at the charges and while under a Santeria spell cast by his mother-in-law (Dolores), confesses to all of the crimes Lupe committed.

Season 2: From this day forward

Jake is sentenced to five years in federal prison, FBI agent goes to prison for wife’s crimes, because she gaslit him into believing he did them and her mother’s spell to sway the jury worked. While navigating his new life in prison, he starts out as a doormat but by the end of the season he is well respected and feared. When an inmate attacks Jake, he chokes him violently.

Season 3: For better or worse

Unable to kill the other inmate, Jake releases his grip and gains elite status on his bloc. While Jake is rising in prison status, his eldest son discovers Jake is not his father and that his mother has four other husbands. When Jake finds out he was framed by his wife, he is torn between staying married and divorcing the woman who framed him. Dolores murders her husband to become crime boss by giving him a Santeria tincture that is undetectable in autopsies and mimics cardiac arrest. When Lupe finds out, their relationship becomes estranged. Carlos is torn between keeping his secret and confronting his mom and real father.

Season 4: For richer or poorer

Carlos confronts his mother and her ex-boyfriend while he is over for dinner. He threatens to tell Jake unless she does X. Carlos tells his dad everything, leaving Jake to process his wife is a two-timing bigamist who is not the biological father of his two kids. To add insult to injury, Lupe’s lavish lifestyle bankrupts Jake and they are forced to foreclose on their house. After processing the news that Lupe is back with her boyfriend and she is seeking sole custody of their kids, Jake sets out to frame her for the crimes she accused him of committing. Lupe instructs Mike to get caught for other crimes she has committed while Jake has been in prison, so he can prevent his father from testifying aginst Lupe.

Season 5: In sickness and in health

Mike is sentenced to ten years in prison and is furious at his father for trying to convict his mother of crimes he thinks Jake committed. After altercation with son, Jake is in the infirmary. Has two broken arms and three broken ribs from altercation with son in prison. Mike is in the hole for nearly killing his father. Jake rises from the proverbial ashes and goes from near-death to stronger than ever. Jakes loves his son, even though he isn’t his bio son. Unfortunately, Mike still wants to kill him. Jake tries to reason with Mike but when Mike comes after him again with a shiv, he almost tells him but an alarm sounds and the power cuts off and Mike runs off to escape.

Season 6: Till death do us part

Mike is a fugitive being hunted down by US Marshalls after his prison break. Jake abandons his core values and seeks revenge on his ex-wife. When he is released, he gets in touch with Lupe’s other husbands (with Carlos’s assistance) and then sets out to kill his ex-wife with the help of her four other husbands who also want revenge and were framed for her crimes and also bled dry financially. Carlos helps locate Lupe who is in the jungles of Peru. As they hunt Lupe down, Mike is after Jake to protect Lupe, and the US Marshalls are after Mike. This battle will either play out and end the series or the season will end as a cliffhanger to allow for additional season(s).

[H.G. MIDDLEMASS]

What I learned doing this assignment is…I can start at end of series and work backwards or start at the beginning and work forward and I used a combination of both.

SEASON ONE: Panic Button” Thousands applied to a lucrative corporate job for half-million annual but only thirteen candidates were selected. Strange, but these thirteen seem very unlikely to have made it so far. But the corporation’s enigmatic procedures, methods of evaluation, remote setting, and the cryptic nature of the job itself is like no other corporate vetting process ever seen before! But more important than the story concept are the characters! In the beginning, every character is uncertain “if” they should use the panic button to report the deaths and risk disqualification of the group. Before it’s all over they will do anything and everything to win the job! The “Big Hook” at the end of season one is…..

SEASON TWO: Acquitted” Due to unbelievable circumstances at the Nevada facility and the fact that there was NO clear-cut winner, Nebularkin has decided to continue the vetting process for the six remaining candidates. However, seven new ones will be added. Now that we know ALL the candidates were “acquitted” in the deaths of others, we dig deeper into the characters and show their crimes throughout season two. The contest also moves to a “nearly identical” facility but instead of the Nevada desert it’s in the empty grasslands of Wyoming fifty miles from anywhere. The rules remain the same – no phones, no internet, no contact with outside world and pressing the Panic Button disqualifies EVERYONE. Clues are given that the VP of Special Services will lead “Operational Efficiency” and “Customer Service” leading some candidates to believe they have clear advantage. But……those are red herrings! The games and challenges for the candidates will be more difficult and intense. This time, the death of a candidate is known immediately for what it is – murder. But the stakes have been raised to 750 annual and no one is quitting! Another investigation and the Corporation is forced to move again.

SEASON THREE: TBD – Moves to Alaskan wilderness in Winter. New clues indicate the VP of Special Services will be in charge of Public Relations. By the end of season it appears for the job will handle PR for a controversial project to build a nuclear power plant close to major city.

SEASON FOUR: TBD – Moves to uninhabited Seguam island. New clues to what the VP of Special Services really is: Working directly for the enigmatic CEO Mr. Nebularkin.

SEASON FIVE: “Nebularkin” Moves to secure underground facility below corporate headquarters. End of series: Three candidates have made it because of their resilience, tenacity and determination the company has created two other roles along with the winner.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  H.G. MIDDLEMASS.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  H.G. MIDDLEMASS.

[Marcus Wolf]

Lesson 3

Subject: Marcus’s Five Seasons

What I learned doing this assignment is how to develop and write up a five season outline worthy of a pitch bible. I hope.

1. Season 1 to 5 arc.

Season 1 Start: A long retired coven of aging witches, each struggling with the modern world in her own way, reunite to confront an old enemy who struggles with his own issues.

Season 5 End: Together, they cast the most dangerous dark spell known in the magic world and start a new existence.

2. The Seasons Stair Step + Building Blocks.

Season 1: How Far We Have Fallen

Cassandra casts an incorrectly done spell on Trabeus who then, under orders from his mob boss, tortures and murders an innocent person in a case of mistaken identity. But this incident leads Cassandra to find Trabeus and resume her ancient war with him. She believes he wants to enslave the world. She must re-form her old coven. But they have problems of their own, problems with each other and no serious problem with Trabeus. Cassandra needs to overcome her age problems and entice her coven, so she seeks the fabled Puer Aeternum (eternal youth) spell. She incorrectly casts a spell needed to find Puer Aeternum and only gets part of it. Trabeus, now in magical contact with Cassandra easily finds the missing part of Puer Aeternum. Now he has a bargaining chip. (cliffhanger)

Trabeus, in witness protection, is in hiding from a mob boss who he ratted out. As an added benefit, his new identity hides him from Cassandra. He has partially broken the entrapment spell she laid on him long ago, which she did incorrectly. In his new location, he is now involved with a local crime boss who he secretly wants to destroy. Cassandra’s bumbling interferes with his plans and he is infuriated with her. He misses Beatrix with whom he had a secret affair years ago and this war gives him a way to be with her again. Marius grows unhappy. Trabeus kills the evil mob boss who is immediately replaced by someone worse. (cliffhanger)

Stewart lives an aimless hedonistic but unfulfilling life. He’s the local surf shop burnout. No one realizes how bad he suffers from PTSD. He has vivid flashbacks to the horrors of the wars he fought in (Spanish-American, WWI, WWII and Vietnam). He goes to therapy, but loses his cool in a session where he uncontrollably causes damage to the office with magic. Therapy is off the table, nor can he solve the problem with sex, drugs or risk taking for very long. He seeks another way. His Aunt Endor contacts him with a possibility: replace Astra in her coven. (cliffhanger)

Astra, a happy-go-lucky spirit, commits a crime with an “associate” who throws her under the bus, landing Astra in prison. She has become bitter and will have her revenge. She begins to organize her own coven behind bars. But her new coven does not turn out the way she’d hoped. Now, all she can do is destroy them and start over. Easier said than done. (cliffhanger)

Winfred, lonely and bored, dabbles in dark magic and opens a portal to The Deep. Nightblue comes through. Nightblue, a “Friend from the Deep”, becomes an addiction for Winifred. Nightblue can enter her ancient body and restore her youth and strength, but also exerts limited control over her. Nightblue wants more and more. Winifred learns just how dangerous Nightblue is. Every time it leaves Winifred, she is weaker and weaker. Twilightgreen follows Nightblue into this world and is unhappy about (or is jealous of) Nightblue’s activities. (cliffhanger)

Beatrix works in a physics lab and wants nothing more to do with magic. Cassandra won’t leave her alone about it. Beatrix agrees to help Cassandra re-form the coven for old times’ sake. Secretly, she hopes to reunite with her old clandestine lover, Trabeus, while protecting him from the coven. Cassandra, who does not have a good handle on the magic that binds her to Trabeus, cannot find his exact location. Beatrix wants this information, but Cassandra can’t know. Beatrix figures it out, almost getting caught. Beatrix packs her bags and goes in search of Trabeus. (cliffhanger)

Endor lives with Jean St. Mark, a Voodoosaint (practitioner of Voodoo) who she wants to teach her how to create zombies. He resists greatly, citing the dangers of dabbling in that type of magic. But he is in love, as well as vain about his powers, and Endor is relentless. He believes that if he can convert her to Voodoo, she will stop her sacrilegious magical practices. He creates a zombie for her called Deathsong, proving he can do it. But the cadaver Endor supplied for Deathsong was Endor’s daughter. Deathsong calls Endor “mama” and Endor is horrified. She frightens Deathsong, who runs away. Endor is devastated with guilt. Jean St. Mark is furious with Endor. A zombie cannot be on her own. (cliffhanger)

Season 2: Ambivalence at First Sight

Cassandra pulls the coven into a loose and uneasy confederation, promising each of them help with their individual problems in exchange for help against Trabeus. Work on these problems consumes her and each witch is resentful whenever she helps one of the others. And all their problems are so big, she can barely focus on Trabeus. The confederation falls apart. (cliffhanger)

Trabeus, ignores Marius’ misery and trivializes his pleas for help, while helping everybody in the neighborhood with their problems. Trabeus knows that it’s only a matter of time until Cassandra’s coven comes for him. He works on a plan. Marius betrays Trabeus with the new mob boss. The new boss realizes that Trabeus is not loyal. He also realizes that Marius has turned on his master and cannot be trusted. Unfortunate, because Marius is so useful. But he has to go. Marius is more powerful than the mob boss anticipated and kills dozens of gangsters in a climactic street fight. But they prevail and take Marius away to torture and kill. Trabeus steps in to save Marius but is himself captured by an unexpected trick Marius had previously taught the new mob boss. (cliffhanger)

Stewart leaves the surf shop in the hands of his assistant and travels to Endor, having nightmares, meaningless sex and drunken brawls along the road. He arrives to find Endor a babbling mess and is at a loss to help her or even find out what she had planned for him. He meets with Cassandra whom he had last seen at Woodstock, not knowing who she was at the time. He recalled a spell she cast on him which went horribly wrong. Cassandra, fearing retribution, orders Stewart to return to his surf shop. But Stewart isn’t going anywhere. He had undone Cassandra’s bungling almost immediately and now he has something to hold over her head. He insists on helping get Endor back to her senses. He demonstrates his full power to Cassandra who is intimidated and furious that he could scare her. She convinces him that she knows magic which will cure Endor’s melancholy. Stewart is fascinated with the idea, as he believes it might also work on him. He strikes an uneasy truce with Cassandra. Cassandra needs some help on this complex spell from Astra and takes Stewart to the prison to visit her. Stewart is in love at first sight with Astra. She finds herself obsessed with him, but rejects him because she is angry with at Cassandra and associates him with her. She refuses to help Cassandra and believes that Cassandra brought Stewart as a trick.

Astra, distracted by her thoughts of Stewart, is attacked and beaten by three of her coven mates. The remaining loyal one is nowhere to be found. The three had secretly killed her earlier. Astra is sent to a local hospital because her injuries are too great for the hospital infirmary. Stewart comes to visit her but she chases him away. She sees a chance to escape, but is too weak and gets caught. Under heavy guard, she becomes well enough to return to prison. One by one, she shows her new coven just how powerful a witch she is. But the last one, Catori, has talents that Astra didn’t expect. During their mortal combat, the entire prison riots and they are separated. They fight their way to each other for the final show down. (cliffhanger)

Winifred loses her struggle to resist Nightblue who takes complete control of her. Twilightgreen hides in this world unbeknownst to Winifred who thinks it has returned to the deep. The other witches don’t fully understand the problem, until Winifred winds up in a hospital ICU, comatose. Nightblue and Twilightgreen, trapped in this world, seek new hosts. (cliffhanger)

Beatrix arrives in Trabeus’ new hometown and sets about finding him. She doesn’t know exactly where Trabeus is, what his new name is, or even what he looks like (he is disguised). Marius has a power, a sense of nearby magical power. He senses the presence of a new witch in town and seeks her out. When Marius locates Beatrix and realizes who she is, he makes it his mission to prevent her from reuniting with Trabeus. He becomes her new friend and lulls her into a sense of trust and security. Then tries to kill her. About to die, she barely fights Marius off and flees town to escape him. She needs a new plan to get to Trabeus. (cliffhanger)

Endor descends into heroin addiction and alcoholism and rejects everyone’s help. Stewart meets Jean St. Mark and asks for his help with her. Jean, devastated that Endor never loved him, is reluctant to get involved. Stewart knows some very powerful healing magic, which he shows Jean. But it isn’t enough and Stewart knows the Voodoosaints can do things he can’t. He strikes a deal with Jean to trade knowledge if he will join in saving Endor. Together, they try. (cliffhanger)

Season 3:

Cassandra must find a way to revive Winifred from her coma. She respects Winifred and needs her council. She knows she can’t address the problem of Nightblue on her own. Cassandra becomes obsessed with the Puer Aeternum. She believes that she can cast it using only the part that she has. She reveals what she has to Endor who doesn’t believe it, Puer Aeternum being a fable. When Cassandra shows it to Endor, they fight over it. Without the entire spell, there is extraordinary danger as well as severe side effects – and that’s if the spell even works. Endor knows how bad Cassandra messes up casting and barely convinces her not to try the Puer Aeternum. Cassandra gets a phone call from Trabeus. (cliffhanger)

Trabeus believes Marius is once again his faithful servant and once again ignores his problems to deal with the gangsters and the threat of Cassandra. With Beatrix out of the picture, Marius sets about finding Cassandra on his own to join her in her fight against Trabeus. Trabeus, working diligently, finally removes the last part of the spell that connects him to Cassandra. He is shocked to find that Marius has been using it to try to locate Cassandra. Trabeus has underestimated Marius and must kill him. Marius runs. Beset on all sides, Trabeus decides to deal with Cassandra once and for all. He calls her on the phone to discuss a meeting. (cliffhanger)

Stewart attempts to assist Cassandra while struggling to hide his problems from her. He visits Astra in prison but she won’t see him. He goes to the hospital with Cassandra to see Winifred. He uses his powers to diagnose her illness. He discovers that she is not in the vegetative state she appears to be in, but is infected with a magical poison which he can’t identify. He remembers having seen something like this in the past but can’t remember what it was. He spends hours at Winifred’s bedside, angering Cassandra who requires his assistance and who doesn’t want him to know about Nightblue. Stewart finally remembers that during World War I there was a gas attack, but not the usual stuff the Germans used – something with a magical component. It killed all his men, despite gas masks. But to remember what saved him, he would have to allow – initiate – a flashback, in spite of its cost. Knowing that Cassandra is hiding something, he doesn’t trust her to help, so he has to take the chance and cause the very thing he’s trying to cure himself of. And do it by himself. In a seedy motel room. (cliffhanger)

Astra magically messes with Catori’s mind and turns her into a babbling crazy woman. Now Astra can focus on Stewart, what’s going on in her old coven, and formation of another new coven, but doing it right this time. But Catori isn’t as far gone as she looks. (cliffhanger)

Winifred, on life support, is useless to Nightblue. Nightblue infests some random people, but they die quickly and horribly, and unpleasantly for Nightblue. Nightblue seeks a stronger host (a witch). Twilightgreen sees the possibilities of this world. Twilightgreen is way more dangerous and powerful than Nightblue. Twilightgreen opens the door wider and multiple Friends from the Deep come through. The witches see the magnitude of the problem and try to resist the Friends. They fail and the Friends scatter into the world. (cliffhanger)

Beatrix sets up a laboratory and works on a weapon that is part technology, part magic. With it, she will kill Marius and free Trabeus from his menace. In her new home base, she runs into the Alley Rats, a gang of runaway kids. Alley Rats try to rob Beatrix and she doesn’t want to hurt them. But their leader, a horrible teenager named Willet gets violent and she is forced to subdue him with magic. The other kids are impressed, but Beatrix accidentally kills Willet and is devastated by it. She takes the kids in and turns them to her control. Many of them are unredeemable, but she still tries. With their help (finding useful supplies) she completes her weapon. The worst of the kids immediately steals it. Winifred must now find it before they hurt somebody with it – or hurt themselves with a device they don’t understand in the least. (cliffhanger)

Endor, cured of addiction by Stewart and Jean, goes to the Voodoosaints to seek help against the Friends from the Deep, but they don’t want to work with sacrilegious impure witches. Nightblue hears about Deathsong. (cliffhanger)

Season 4:

Cassandra

Trabeus

Stewart embarks on his journey into the past to relive the horrors of World War I. Memories flood back to Stewart that he’s long suppressed – for good reason. Stewart is unable to distinguish his flashback from reality. He loses touch with reality. He delves into constant combat and growing survivors’ guilt as all his friends die around him. This goes on for days. Stewart meets a comrade he’d completely forgotten and it starts to come back to him. This soldier was a self-taught sorcerer who practiced solely in dark magic and had delighted in coming to a battlefield to try his magic. But he unleashed something he didn’t fully understand. At dawn, in an unusual deathly silence, it comes creeping across the battlefield like gray smoke. The men all don gas masks. Stewart casts a spell to protect himself from poison gas. The other soldier does, too. He tells Stewart that he is going to open the portal that this smoke came from and force it to go back through, then lock the portal permanently. The smoke gets to the men and all but Stewart and the other sorcerer die horribly. The other sorcerer works frantically. Stewart tries to help, but he doesn’t know this kind of magic. He watches and learns and the other sorcerer tells him what he’s doing. The other sorcerer finally opens the portal, but the smoke won’t go through. In an act of desperation, he draws it into himself and dives into the portal. Stewart closes it behind him and suddenly he’s back in his motel room, starving and drenched in sweat. But he has an idea what to do. He gets into the shower in a fetal position crying.

Astra can’t find a suitable candidate for her coven, let alone four. She decides to attempt an escape from prison. On the night of her escape attempt, she runs into Catori, also trying to escape. Astra convinces Catori that if they fight, they will get caught, so must work together. They can then go their separate ways and never see one another again. Working together, they make it out of prison, but Catori turns Astra in and she’s picked up and brought back to prison in solitary confinement.

Winifred has a small bit of Nightblue inside her. Stewart comes to the hospital during the decision to take her off life support. Cassandra desperately tries to delay the doctors, but she’s neither a relative nor has power of attorney. Stewart begs ten minutes alone with Winifred to say good bye and the doctors reluctantly agree. Stewart removes the piece of Nightblue by absorbing it into himself. Winifred comes to in a remarkable recovery from vegetative state. But Stewart, already suffering serious malnutrition gets sick. He implores Cassandra to get him home immediately. She is reluctant to leave Winifred, not comprehending what Stewart has done. Stewart stumbles out of the hospital by himself and passes out. He is brought into the ER, unconscious. (cliffhanger)

Nightblue finds Deathsong and infests her, the perfect vessel. Deathsong is in agony, but Nightblue grows tremendously in strength. Twilightgreen and the Friends witness this and want zombies of their own. They attack Jean St. Mark and force him to try to raise more dead people. Jean St. Mark tries to kill himself to prevent the raising of more zombies. Endor saves him. The witches join with the Voodoosaints and go to war. But not all the Voodoosaints are against the Friends from the Deep. (cliffhanger)

The kids with Beatrix’s weapon use it to do a crime spree that includes murder and arson. Beatrix desperately seeks their hideout. So do the cops. Beatrix develops an app that allows her to track the weapon. Then she develops a spell to counteract its effects. As she finds the kids, they are holed up in a house where they are in a shoot out with the cops. They turn the weapon on the cops, but Beatrix has disabled it and the kids are apprehended. The device is confiscated by the police. (cliffhanger)

Endor and Jean St. Mark battle the rebel Voodoosaints as well as Deathsong/Nightblue. Endor realizes that she can’t have her daughter back and the only way to rid the world of Nightblue is to destroy Deathsong. They find a way to exorcise Nightblue from Deathsong. Endor tearfully says goodbye to Deathsong and puts her to rest. Now to work on the other Friends from the Deep. But Nightblue is not destroyed, as anticipated. (cliffhanger)

Season 5:

Cassandra and Trabeus put aside their differences to cast the eternal youth spell (Puer Aeternum) together.

Trabeus and Beatrix start over as youths, but lose all magical ability.

Astra gets out of prison and locates her “associate” on whom she gets revenge. Then she tracks down Catori and notifies the police of her whereabouts. Catori goes back to prison.

Stewart and Astra develop a lasting love and get married. Stewart, with Astra’s help finds a way to participate constructively in therapy.

Endor gets back together with Jean, who she really loves. They defeat the bad Voodoosaints and destroy all the bad zombies.

Winifred dies sending Nightblue and the Friends from the Deep back to the Deep permanently.

[Marie Jordan]

Assignment Lesson 3 Module 2

Marie’s five seasons

What I learned is that by putting the story into season and using the brainstorming and the step leads to many more paths.

SEASON 1: DISCONNECTED

How does a guardian angel protect a teen hacker in danger after losing the connection with her?

A Guardian angel with the ability to travel through space and time all at once, is either studying at the school of angels in heaven or on a mission on earth: watching over Rose, a teenage hacker. But one day, he loses the connection with Rose. It’s too bad he has already failed his previous mission. Failing again means he will be sent to guard the remparts for eternity and it would put an end to the rumor about the mystery of his origin, the way students think he is « THE CHOSEN » and the particular attention he secretly receives from the school principal and the teachers, the archangels.

Without the ability to connect with Rose, he can only remove obstacles and dangers before they reach her. She hacks a bank to attract the attention of her birth father, a famous bank robber in jail. With his traditional guardian angel training and his dyslexia, Skyler is unprepared to deal with Rose’s genius ability to hack and to understand the Cyber world she’s involved with. He can make big mistakes and take risks, and use forbidden magic to commit crimes. All of this makes him wonder about his own identity. Is he actually bad? Is Skyler a fallen angel?

SEASON 2: THE INVASION, WHO IS WHO?

How Skyler discovers that the school of angels has been infiltrated by fallen angels including his best friend. Are they also behind Rose’s horrific behavior?

Skyler likes to hang with Merrill and Charlie, his two best friends at school. Skyler and Charlie are punished for something they didn’t do and sent to guard the remparts for a short period of time. When they return to school, Charlie is not himself anymore. Skyler doesn’t notice because he is busy watching Rose who is now hacking a hospital for a ransom. Someone dies. How could Rose turn so bad?

Skyler is haunted by traumatic memories of the boy of his previous mission (no other angels had memories). That boy had turned suicidal and Skyler failed to prevent him to take his life. Why does he fail all his missions?

Skyler and Merrill investigate Charlie and find out that he has been embodied by a fallen angel who stalked Skyler, cutting his connection to Rose in order to enter Rose’s mind. Skyler and Merril decide to act as normal with him and meet secretly. They inform the principal, the archangel A.

Skyler and Merrill investigate and unveil the scheme of the fallen angels: The fallen angel’s strategy is to create an incident that causes several students to be punished and sent to guard the remparts at the end of the angel world for the time they have been sentenced to. But once there, they become the victims of the fallen angels who slip into their bodies. How many fallen angels are inside the school now? What happens to the students’ souls when they have been embodied ? Will Skyler be able to stop Rose from becoming a monster?

SEASON 3: CONSPIRATION

Stopping a major cyber attack while leading a secret investigation to reconquer the school.

Rose hacks the water filtration system and the whole country’s water is not drinkable until she gets a generous ransom. Skyler must do everything in his power including forbidden magic to stop this major cyber attack.

In the meantime in Heaven, the archangels (the principal and the teachers) set a war strategy: they delegate Skyler and his friends to investigate who is or is not a fallen angel? Skyler refuses. Because he was always present every time someone was punished, he questions his own doing. Is he a fallen angel? He confesses his doubts to his mentor the archangel who admits that it could be a strategy from the fallen angel to help him doubt himself.

Skyler accepts the mission to investigate the students and believes now he can be a good angel.The archangel recommends they respect the school rules to avoid suspicion from the fallen angels but of course, Skyler breaks the rules and is sent to the remparts for punishment. Once there, Skyler is the victim of many unsuccessful attempts to embody him. Skyler discovers what happens to the souls of the victims.They are kept in transparent eggs outside the remparts. What’s special about him? Why is he different? Skyler escapes from the remparts.

SEASON 4: THE CHOSEN

Skyler discovers he is the only guardian angel who can resist the fallen angel embodiment and is admired by the other students! Why? The archangel A reveals that he and only he can reverse the process for the victims. It was written in a prediction. This explains why the rumors call him ’the chosen’. But to activate his power, he has to believe in himself, to trust he is a good angel.

A big event takes place every year at school : a game of wings. Usually school houses compete against each other but this time, the archangel creates 2 teams: one of guardian angels and one of embodied angels. The new rule is to hunt away the embodied angels. A real battle field and a real wish to kill on both sides! Skyler leads his side to victory and they haste to recover the souls of all the embodied students, outside the remparts and bring them in time before their body dies but only Skyler can reverse the process.

Skyler is busy affronting both the dragon and Charlie in a huge fight using magic despite the rules of the school and Skyler kills the dragon but the dragon is not completely dead when Charlie sacrifices his life, to save Skyler from the ultime attack of the dragon. But Skyler is badly hurt and looks like he is dying.

The souls of the embodied students are brought to their body but it’s not enough to make the students come back to life.

It’s all lost. Skyler is the only one who could reverse the process to reunite souls and bodies!

Charlie, the fallen angel, is dying too. He repeats: « you are the boy, you don’t belong here. »

But Skyler doesn’t understand what Charlie means and Charlie loses consciousness. The archangels carry him away with the bodies of the other students.

Skyler concentrates all his energy to moving the souls into the body of the students. He pronounces some magic formulas. But nothing happens.

As the angels carry Skyler around sadly in a slow ceremony, he seems to lose his eyesight and hearing abilities. Merrill’s face is close to his face. She cries. The archangel gently pulls her away telling her that she has to let him go, « he has fulfilled his destiny and he is not due to be with us anymore ». Is he dying???

In the meantime, Rose has turned into a cyber lord and is doing missions of worldwide political manipulations that could cause a war.

But still, Rose is a teen who needs to be loved and is always searching for a father figure and it makes her very vulnerable in her online dating.

Inevitably, it turns against her : Her online favorite date turns out to be a Cyber Lord who

kidnaps her. Once locked in the basement of his house, he uses her skills for his own devil plan of ruling the world.

SEASON 5: HACKING THE HACKER

How will Skyler hack the biggest Cyber Lord while in heaven?

Skyler’s eyes are closed, but he can hear Merrill crying. Skyler opens his eyes and sees her face but as he looks around, he sees he is in a hospital room, lying on a hospital bed and tubed with machines beeping. There are screams around him. « He opened his eyes!!! » Skyler can see Merrill but the hospital staff who surround his bed can’t see her. Skyler discovers he is on earth. He has been in a coma for 7 months.

Merrill continues to watch over him meanwhile he has visitors : his parents, a girl friend, school friends.

After a recovery time, Skyler tries to find Rose. But she disappeared.

Charlie the guardian angel appears by his side. He survived and the other guardian angels did too. Skyler feels Charlie’s presence and talks to him.

Skyler has to go to school, date his girl friend without having feelings for her anymore and his guardian angel Charlie that she has been cheating on him. He breaks up with her.

He looks everywhere for Rose.

He finds a Cyber security teacher and keeps on training.

One day, there is a total power cut for a huge ransom in another country. Skyler, with the help of his teacher, recognizes Rose’s specific style and that leads him to the Cyber Lord who kidnapped her. He finds him thanks to Charlie and Merrill who are watching over everything he does.

He then hacks the hacker with the help of his Cybersecurity teacher.

The power is restored and the crypto money traced and reversed back to the government.

Skyler becomes a hero and is chased by paparazzi and reporters.

Rose’s situation becomes worse as the angry Cyber lord blames her. Merrill has become her guardian angel and makes things the least worst possible for Rose.

Will a foreign language and his dyslexia slow Skyler down? Will he arrive in time to save Rose?

Skyler manages to locate the Cyber Lord’s base and it’s a high security EMF protected building but Skyler manages to hack into the Cyber Lord’s security system and free Rose.

Rose believes she seized an opportunity and thanks her guardian angel! She doesn’t know Skyler helped her.

Skyler then, manages to meet her through her favorite dating app and he plays the part she likes when she meets men. She falls for him immediately.

Rose doesn’t want to touch a computer anymore and feels sorry for what she did but he shows her how much her talent is needed for gouvernements to protect their population. She can redeem herself by working for Ethical Cyber.

What will be Rose and Skyler’s next mission for the government with the protection of their guardian angels Charlie and Merrill?

[Diana Ceres]

Diana’s Episode Ideas (Rough Draft)

What I learned: Every time I run through the episodes I learn something else about the characters and add to their journey. I also ordered a puzzle to practice putting all the different pieces together, which can serve as a metaphor for how we piece together a show or movie. It’s impossible to know where all the pieces go when you first start, but if you persevere, you will have a finished product. Sort of like what Hal said on the call, encouraging a student to get a puzzle to help her create her show structure. I thought it was cool that Hal used that to teach his daughters the creative process by working on puzzles and wanted to give it a try to see if it helped me see all the different pieces of the show I am working on and how they all come together to form a complete series. Who knows? Maybe I’ll do a different puzzle for each show or movie I work on, cats willing. LOL.

Possible Episode Ideas

Season 1: To Have and to Hold

Beginning: Jake burning checks and shredding cards because of Lupe’s overspending.

Middle: Jake’s partner is tipped by Jake’s MIL and starts investigating his partner.

Ending: Jake framed by his wife for forgery and arrested by his partner.

Cliffhanger: Will Jake go to prison for his wife’s crimes?

Mystery Setup:

Question
A: What
is the mystery? Jake married to a career criminal. Why is Jake burning
checks? Wife’s extravagent spending/closed account and cards. Why did Lupe
steal some of the checks Jake was burning? To commit forgery.
Question B: How could
the mystery be set up? BBQ at beginning with flames. We don’t know what he
is burning until we see the checks. What parts will be left out that must
be solved? Why Lupe stole some of the checks. Who else is involved in the
scheme?
Question
C: What
it the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover? Who
will go to jail for forgery? Who plays a role in framing Jake?

Mystery Resolved: Jake framed for forgery by his wife.

Layers:

Question
A: What
layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework? Wife and MIL
career criminals.
Question B: Are there
any other layers that you could think of? MIL crime boss and Santeria
queen. Marriage built on lies. Adultery. Jake’s partner investigates him
for his wife’s crimes. Lupe destroys each husband financially and
emotionally and then leaves them and the kids behind and creates a new
alias and repeats her scam with her mother.

Major Storylines:

Question
A: What
main characters have story lines that affect everyone else? Jake, Lupe,
Dolores (MIL), Carlos and Mike (kids), ex-boyfriend, Jake’s partner
Question
B: What
are the most important story lines of this show? Lupe setting Jake up for
fraud. Jake trying to prevent Lupe from overspending. Dolores pulling all
the strings. Lupe cheating on Jake. Will Jake go to prison?

Season 2: From This Day Forward

Beginning: Jake goes to prison.

Middle: Jake struggles with prison life.

Ending: Jake earns respect from the other inmates.

Cliffhanger: Will the inmate who tried to kill Jake survive?

Mystery Setup:

Question
A: What
is the mystery? Why was Jake framed? Maybe someone he knows is in prison,
like Lupe’s brother who orchestrated the whole thing from the outside. Or
even the MIL. Maybe his partner was competing with Jake for a promotion
and wanted Jake out of the picture. Will Jake learn who framed him? Will
Jake believe Lupe when she says it wasn’t her fault?
Question B: How could
the mystery be set up? Call from prison to start things in motion. Ex: MIL
calls daughter. Or brother calls sister. What parts will be left out that
must be solved? Who set him up and why? Why does one of the inmates try to
kill Jake? What does the man in the car want?
Question
C: What
is the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover? Jake
must stand up for himself and gain status inside prison. He also wants to
find out who framed him so he can be released from prison.

Mystery Resolved: Lupe set Jake up. Jake’s partner eager to go along with it. MIL hexed jury. Inmate paid to kill Jake (by Lupe).

Layers:

Question
A: What
layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework? Lupe doesn’t love
Jake. She conned him. Carlos is Jake’s kid. Mike is the boyfriend’s. No
one knows but Lupe.
Question B: Are there
any other layers that you could think of? Lupe’s mother conned her. Jake’s
partner doesn’t like Jake and wanted him out of his way so he could get
promoted. Carlos starts investigating the man who is staking out their
house by running his plates using his dad’s software.

Major Storylines:

Question
A: What
main characters have story lines that affect everyone else? Jake, Lupe,
Dolores (MIL), Carlos and Mike (kids), Jake’s partner, Inmate that tries
to kill Jake
Question
B: What
are the most important story lines of this show? Jake navigating prison
life. Lupe’s and Dolores’ schemes. Jake’s partner getting promoted. Carlos
investigating mystery guy in car.

Season 3: For Better or Worse

Beginning: Eldest son discovers his mother is a bigamist and Jake is not Mike’s biological father.

Middle: Jake’s partner gets a tip from Carlos (Jake’s eldest) that it wasn’t Jake who committed multiple counts of forgery. Partner ignored tip, because he didn’t want to get in trouble for allowing his partner to be framed. Lupe maybe paid him off to keep quiet about it. This could be something that happens earlier in the series but is revealed during this season maybe?

Ending: Jake learns he was framed and that Lupe is a career criminal and married to four other men.

Cliffhanger: Will Jake divorce his wife?

Mystery Setup:

Question
A: What
is the mystery? Who is the father of Jake’s kids? Why did Jake’s partner
go along with the scheme?
Question B: How could
the mystery be set up? Mike bonded with Lupe’s boyfriend more than Jake. Carlos
hates boyfriend but loves Jake. Jake’s partner getting promoted, buys nice
car. What parts will be left out that must be solved? DNA test? Phone
calls or meetings with Lupe.
Question
C: What
is the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover? How to
navigate prison life and garner respect/avoid being killed. How to carry
out her scheme without getting caught? How to use this knowledge (mother
is a bigamist) against his mother.

Mystery Resolved: Boyfried father of Mike. Jake’s partner wanted to get promoted and was bought off by Lupe to stay out of the way. Carlos tests boyfriend’s DNA and discovers Mike is a match. Carlos hacks his mother’s phone and reads texts between her and Jake’s partner.

Layers:

Question
A: What
layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework? Lupe is a career
criminal. Frank Lopez is an opportunist who will sell his partner out. Lupe
is having an affair. Jake is more badassed than he realized.
Question B: Are there
any other layers that you could think of? Jake starts standing up for
himself. Carlos is digging up dirt on his mom.

Major Storylines:

Question
A: What
main characters have story lines that affect everyone else? Jake, Lupe,
Dolores (MIL), Carlos and Mike (kids), Jake’s partner
Question
B: What
are the most important story lines of this show? Mike isn’t Jake’s kid. Jake
was framed for forgery. His partner was in on it. His wife is a bigamist
and a conartist. His MIL is a crime boss and uses dark magic to get what
she wants.

Season 4: For Richer or Poorer

Beginning: Jake’s wife bankrupts him and serves him divorce papers and seeks sole custody of the kids while he is in prison so she can marry her boyfriend.

Middle: Jake starts dating a woman who writes to him in prison.

Ending: Mike agrees to commit crimes for his mother so he can join Jake in prison and kill him so he cannot testify against his mother.

Cliffhanger: Will Mike get caught for his crimes?

Mystery Setup:

Question
A: What
is the mystery? Why is Mike committing crimes? What is Carlos going to do
with his intel?
Question B: How could
the mystery be set up? Mike starts doing bad things. TBD. What parts will
be left out that must be solved? How many other husbands Lupe has.
Question
C: What
is the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover? Mike
is after Jake.

Mystery Resolved: During trial we see Mike smirk or something. He’s in on it.

Layers:

Question
A: What
layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework? Mike hates his
father. Jake loves his dad. Jake is relieved when Lupe divorces him.
Question B: Are there
any other layers that you could think of? Mike will do anything to please
his mother and gain his grandmother’s approval. Carlos hates his mother
and will do anything to save his father.

Major Storylines:

Question
A: What
main characters have story lines that affect everyone else? Jake, Lupe,
MIL, Mike, Carlos.
Question
B: What
are the most important story lines of this show? Jake gets served with
divorce and custody papers behind bars. Jake starts dating a lawyer while
in prison. Mike starts acting out. Mike gets caught.

Season 5: In Sickness and in Health

Beginning: Mike goes to prison and almost kills Jake.

Middle: Jake gets married in prison. Lupe furious.

Ending: Jake’s new wife kidnapped by man in mask and sold into white slavery in Peru.

Cliffhanger: Mike attempts to break out of prison. Will he make it?

Mystery Setup:

Question
A: What
is the mystery? Who kidnapped Jake’s wife? And where is she?
Question B: How could
the mystery be set up? Wife missing day after wedding. What parts will be
left out that must be solved? What happened? Who did it? Where is she?
Will Jake find her?
Question
C: What
is the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover? Jake
must find his his wife and get revenge on his ex. Mike must escape US
Marshalls and find Jake.

Mystery Resolved: Nope. Not until Season 6.

Layers:

Question
A: What
layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework? MIL crime boss,
Santeria queen, Mike hates his father, Lupe jealous of Jake’s new wife
Question B: Are there
any other layers that you could think of? Jake was an Eagle Scout and can
find his way through anything, MIL grooming Mike to take over the family
business, not Lupe.

Major Storylines:

Question
A: What
main characters have story lines that affect everyone else? Jake, Lupe,
MIL, Mike, Carlos, Jake’s new wife, Jake’s partner sort of disappears.
I’ll need to go back to earlier seasons and add him back in.
Question
B: What
are the most important story lines of this show? Jake remarries. Mike goes
to prison to kill Jake. Jake’s new wife is kidnapped. Mike and his buddies
plot a prison break.

Season 6: ‘Til Death Do Us Part

Beginning: Jake released from prison and organizes a search hunt for his wife and Lupe with her other husbands. Mike escapes to hunt Jake down. US Marshalls hunting down Mike and other convicts who escaped en masse.

Middle: Mike almost caught by Marshalls just as he is about to shoot Jake. Jake escapes. Barely. Only to fall into a pit.

Ending: Lupe’s other husbands find Jake in the jungles of Peru. They are searching for Lupe with machetes, chopping down vines to find her.

Cliffhanger: What will they do when they find Lupe? Will the Marshall’s get Mike? Will Mike get Jake before the Marshalls get him? Where is Jake’s new wife?

Mystery Setup:

Question
A: What
is the mystery? Where is Lupe? Where is Jake’s wife?
Question B: How could
the mystery be set up? Jungles of Peru. Carlos on computer using GPS
coordinates. Jake’s new wife kidnappped. What parts will be left out that
must be solved? Location of Lupe and Jake’s new wife.
Question
C: What
is the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover? Jake
must find his wife. Lupe must survive the quicksand and her angry husbands
who find her. Mike must escape the Marshalls that are on his tail. And
Dolores (MIL) must save Mike from the Marshalls, because she doesn’t trust
Lupe or Carlos to take over the business.

Mystery Resolved: Jake finds Lupe in quicksand, yelling for help. When he learns his new wife was sold into white slavery and where she was sent, he walks away, breaking his promise to help her out and leaving her fate up to her other husbands. Mike gets caught at the end of the season by the Marshalls. But will their mission be successful? Or will Dolores intervene?

Layers:

Question
A: What
layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework? Why Lupe is in
Peru. What is she doing there? Cat and mouse. Hunt. Chase.
Question B: Are there
any other layers that you could think of? MIL santeria, revenge

Major Storylines:

Question
A: What
main characters have story lines that affect everyone else? Jake, Lupe,
MIL, Mike, Carlos, Jake’s new wife, Jake’s partner sort of disappears.
I’ll need to go back to earlier seasons and add him back in. Lupe’s other
husbands.
Question
B: What
are the most important story lines of this show? Find Jake’s wife (Jake).
Find Jake (Mike). Run from Jake (Lupe). Keep Lupe at bay and protect Mike
(Dolores). Capture Mike (US Marshalls)

<br clear=”all”>

Season 1 Episode Ideas (To have and to hold)

1) Season 1: To Have and to Hold

a) Episode 1: Bankruptcy

i) Check BBQ

ii) Lupe Steals Checkbooks

iii) MIL with kids

iv) Boyfriend with Lupe

b) Episode 2: Career Choices

i) Lupe looking for work, but quickly gives up

ii) Lupe keeps spending because she’s bored

iii) Lupe sells all their possessions on eBay to pay for the stuff she buys

iv) Lupe buys more stuff, forges Jake’s signature on checks to pay for it. Sells on eBay.

c) Episode 3: Men at work

i) Jake and partner on a sting

ii) Partner over for dinner, notices nice things and wonders if Jake’s on the take

iii) MIL does weird Santeria stuff

iv) Jake wheels out dolly with stacks of bins from the post office to his car. Lupe says she has an online business to help out with the expenses.

d) Episode 4: Side Gigs

i) Lupe finds her fraud lucrative and pays for a girl’s weekend-with her boyfriend!

ii) Jake too caught up in work and play and kids to notice Lupe’s stepping out

iii) Lupe’s boyfriend enquires about how (his?) boys are doing

iv) Police call Jake about checks from his closed account appearing in local scams

e) Episode 5: Trouble in Paradise

i) Jake and his partner close their big case

ii) Jake and Lupe go on their long-delayed vacation (honeymoon?)

iii) Lupe shows a side Jake never knew was there on vacation (think super bitch on steroids)

iv) Jake confronts Lupe about all the bills for the goods she orders online

f) Episode 6: In the Weeds

i) Post office begins keeping track of Lupe’s orders

ii) MIL begins to conspire with Lupe

iii) One of Lupe’s many husbands shows up in Miami

iv) Begins to track Lupe down

g) Episode 7: Old Flames and New Trouble

i) One of Lupe’s husbands starts staking out their house

ii) The MIL uses Santeria to curse Jake and have him take the fall for the bad checks

iii) Lupe doesn’t realize the Post Office is investigating her shipments

iv) Postal Inspectors show up at Lupe’s house and confront her while Jake’s at work

h) Episode 8: Die Hard

i) Carlos watches girl across the street with his telescope

ii) Lupe tells Postal Inspectors that Jake is the mastermind and criminal behind the eBay shenanigans

iii) Jake is tailed by Postal Inspectors from his Miami FBI office

iv) Jake pleads his innocence, says it must have been the MIL

i) Episode 9: Trial by Fire

i) Postal Inspectors work with Jake’s partner to entrap him

ii) Jake picks up Lupe’s latest shipment, thinks nothing of it

iii) Postal Inspectors are waiting for Jake and Lupe sees them in the parking lot-takes kids into apartment

iv) Lupe watches from window as Jake is arrested

j) Episode 10: Innocence Lost

i) Jake faces judge and released on bail

ii) Jake mounts a defense and confronts MIL about eBay

iii) MIL concocts potion and convinces Jake he’s guilty

iv) Jake decides to take a plea to spare the children and Lupe and get a reduced sentence

Season 2 Episode Ideas (From this day forward)

Episode 1: [one sentence description with bullet points beneath each one]

Episode 2: Will finish this later. I think I was only supposed to do Season 1 anyway.

Episode 3:

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 6:

Episode 7:

Episode 8:

Episode 9:

Episode 10:

Season 3 Episode Ideas (For better or worse)

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 6:

Episode 7:

Episode 8:

Episode 9:

Episode 10:

Season 4 Episode Ideas (For richer or poorer)

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 6:

Episode 7:

Episode 8:

Episode 9:

Episode 10:

Season 5 Episode Ideas (In sickness and in health)

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 6:

Episode 7:

Episode 8:

Episode 9:

Episode 10: Jake released from prison. Mike attempts to break out.

Season 6 Episode Ideas (Til death do us part)

Episode 1: Mike and his buddies break out. US Marshalls on their tail. Jake searching for his new wife and Lupe.

Episode 2: Jake discovers Lupe is a bigamist.

Episode 3:

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 6:

Episode 7:

Episode 8:

Episode 9:

Episode 10: Jake finds Lupe sinking in quicksand. He agrees to free her if she discloses the location of his new wife. Once he has the intel, he drops her back in the quicksand to beg for mercy from her other four husbands.

[Eric Watterson]

Eric Watterson’s Five Seasons (plus 2)

What I learned doing this assignment is how to being to brainstorm the storyline across several seasons.

1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.

2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.

Season 1: Discovering Your Identity

Season 2: Reconnecting with Team

Season 3: Team Battles Against Creatures

Season 4: Creatures Takeover Humanity

Season 5: Dark Creatures Fight back

Season 6: Supernatural Help Comes

Season 7: Battle for Earth between light and dark

3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.

Season 1: Brothers Unite

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: A secluded gardener battles against dark forces

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Anthony must accept his situation and care for a group of guys that seem hopeless while trying to remember who he is

C. Main Conflict: With his diagnosed memory loss is suddenly made steward over a group home full of young men surrounded by the dark forces that only he can see that haunt him in his dreams

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Anthony’s memory was wiped from him, the boys in the group home are being experimented on, Anthony continues to receive hand written notes with the words “in medio foedere opus est tibi.”

E. Cliffhanger: Anthony regains his wiped memory which reveal him as a member of a ancient brotherhood of protectors and he needs to find out who killed his team and why by receiving an ancient manuscript left by his father which he died to protect

Season 1 Description:

Anthony works as a secluded gardener under prescription pills because of head trauma which led to his memory loss. After protecting a woman from an abusive husband, he is placed as a placed into community service as steward over a group home. Unknown to him, the young men in the home were hand picked unwilling participants in an experiment conducted by an evil organization called The Dark Order. Anthony soon learns that these boys are slowly being taken over by the Dark creatures he sees in his nightmares.

=======

Season 2: Restoring The League

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The centuries long plot to destroy The CENTRY League Brotherhood is revealed

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Anthony remembers his past with the CENTRY League and accepts his role in it’s mission to war against darkness

C. Main Conflict: Anthony works to uncover the truth about the murders of his father and his team while battling against the Dark Creatures that want to control him and the boys

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who is behind The Dark Order, Why do they hate the League, Why was his team and father killed, wheres his fathers Centry medallion

E. Cliffhanger: Anthony and the boys embrace their full place and powers as members of the Centry League as they discover a hidden stash where the The Dark Order is producing enough of the Dark Drug to take over the world

Season 2 Description:

Anthony regains his memory of his place within the CENTRY League after being tortured and electrocuted by Dark Creatures. Once he regains his full memory, he has all the strengths he had as a CENTRY along with the new knowledge he has learned along the way. After receiving another note with the writing, “in medio foedere opus est tibi.” written backwards. He also remembers this is how he and his father used to send notes when he was young. He translates the note as, “the centry league needs you.”. He journeys to the address on the note and finds ancient manuscript continuing the ancient secrets of the Dark War. In the meantime he remembers that he is a member of the military and when he reports in, he learns that he has been listed as AWOL and is being accused for killing his team.

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Season 3: The Dark Virus

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The Dark Creatures are actually Humans who were infected by a Dark Virus

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Anthony and the team battle against the creatures while trying to free those they can from the Dark Virus without killing them

C. Main Conflict: Trying to understand how the virus is spread, while trying to free members of their team and local schools and other community locations that are being taken captive and transformed into dark creatures

D. Mystery/Open Loops: How is the virus spread, why does the darkness target certain places, why are some people immune to tit while others aren’t, they have a spy within their group that is feeding secrets to the enemy, Anthony finds the Centry medallion and it protects him from the virus

E. Cliffhanger: The Dark Drug is released into major cities and a rise of Dark Creatures begin to popup all over the world

Season 3 Description:

Anthony’s team grows to include other full CENTRY Units and together they battles against the growing darkness. As the battle the creatures they realize that the creatures aren’t monsters but transformed human beings. Now they work to find those they can cure without killing them before they become totally consumed by it. The team also begins to suspect that there’s a traitor within their ranks after several missions are false leads and they suffer surprise attacks on their secret locations.

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Season 4: Protecting Humanity

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The CENTRY League grows to include wives of CENTRY Brothers and together they attack darkness that’s spreading throughout the city

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The CENTRY Brothers must learn to accept the strength that comes from their wives while trying to understand while other relationships with women don’t increase their ability to battle darkness

C. Main Conflict: More reports of Dark Creatures rise in the city and seems overwhelming to the CENTRY Unit, CENTRIES must learn how the power works with their wives, the darkness kidnaps CENTRY Wives to kill them, the CENTRY Team must work to rescue their wives before they are executed

D. Mystery/Open Loops: What is the Dark Order’s ultimate plan, who is distributing the virus, how is it transmitted, why are some CENTRY apparently immune after purposely being injected, is there a vaccine that will destroy the virus within its host

E. Cliffhanger: The Dark Orders plans to infiltrate government is revealed and they move into stage two of Dark Creature evolution, where the virus morphs it’s host from mindless hideous creatures into humans controlled by the Darkness within them

Season 4 Description:

After continuing to battle against the darkness Anthony’s home is invaded by dark agents on the night of his honeymoon. Before the dark creatures can kill his, his newlywed wife uses CENTRY Power to protect and free him. Together they fight and destroy the dark forces. Soon after they try and learn how to use their combined CENTRY Power while trying to understand why the virus is mutating, making the dark creatures more and more dangerous.

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Season 5: Dark Creatures Arise

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The Dark Creatures are beginning to cause havoc all over the world and they don’t know how to stop them

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The team must begin to track the dark creatures appearances and find out how they got there

C. Main Conflict: The team struggles to learn who and how they are distributing the dark virus

D. Mystery/Open Loops: What makes CENTRY married couples stronger, why does the virus seem to be mutating, the Centry start to notice their extra strength attached to their medallions, medallions seem to replicate randomly

E. Cliffhanger: The Centries fight without success to destroy The Dark Order but before the last CENTRY Unit is killed they are rescued by one lone supernatural CENTRY Soldier,

Season 5 Description:

Dark creatures are rising spread all over the world and CENTRY League Units unite worldwide to fight against them without causing mass panic while also keeping the news media from reporting on the full story. In the meantime an undercover reporter begins to track of follow CENTRY Solider citings after her mother was killed by a creature by she was saved by a CENTRY before it could kill her. She catches the eye of a CENTRY solder and she soon discovers that she is connected to a CENTRY and marries him and through their connection she begins to show the powers of a CENTRY through her husband. Together they learn that there’s a strength that husband and wife have against the darkness that elevates their power and abilities to fight the darkness. As they fight against the darkness, they creatures converge around the Global Pharmaceutical company linked to the dark virus. The CENTRY Teams fight to destroy the main lab with the original Dark Virus Code that’s used to create all other doses of the virus.

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Season 6: The Eternal Partnership

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The Supernatural CENTRY Brother must teach the natural team to battle in both realms if they are to win the war even though he seems to switch between realms randomly

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The natural CENTRY Soldiers must learn how to work with their supernatural counterparts.

C. Main Conflict: CENTRY Soldiers are pulled between two realms during battles and it causes them to die quickly, the presence of enter CENTRY Soldiers has made the mutation of Dark Creatures power powerful and deadly

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who is this Ancient CENTRY Soldier, why does he leave and come, who turns out to be Anthony’s dead father, how many governments and leaders are controlled by the dark, the Supernatural Soldier shows them how to morph their medallions into weapons

E. Cliffhanger: After thinking that The Dark Order is destroyed and the war was over. A CENTRY team is surrounded by a Dark Army that ruses in towards them as they rest

Season 6 Description:

After single handedly saving the CENTRY Team from death, a supernatural CENTRY being joins the fight against darkness. However, his presence on earth seems to have increased the amount of Dark creatures and their influence on earth. In additional to that this CENTRY Soldier is non-verbal most of the time but will respond to certain triggers with one word phrases and saying that the team must learn to figure out if they are to use the weapons and abilities it brings. In the meantime, the Dark Creatures have turned their war directly towards CENTRY Units and their families in an attempt to wipe them out once and for all.

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Season 7: Battle Zone Earth

A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The CENTRY Team must teach other Worldwide CENTRY Units how learn to use the new powers they have gained from the Supernatural Solider.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The CENTRY Teams must come together over barriers in race, location and culture while battling an onslaught of Dark Attacks worldwide

C. Main Conflict: CENTRY Units must deal with their own personal struggles to try and embrace their full CENTRY Power to keep from being destroyed

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why are some CENTRY Units being completely destroyed, a variation of the Dark Virus is created specifically for CENTRIES which doesn’t kill them but keeps their powers muted, who is the mystery person trying to destroy the CENTRY League from within, why do some CENTRY Soldiers get spiritual creatures to fight with them like lions, birds and other animal creatures

E. Cliffhanger: As the Worldwide CENTRY League rushes into battle to protect the first and greatest CENTRY Citadel from being destroyed, their spiritual counterparts suddenly stop and transport them from the battle. As the multitude of creatures rush toward CENTRY Mountain a lone man appears on the hill facing the army positioned to fight the multitude alone.

Season 7 Description:

After a sudden ambush, the CENTRY Team takes their newfound skills to a new level while also strange creatures manifest around them during the battle. These creature are only sen by the CENTRIES but they battle against darkness both seen and unseen. The CENTRY Teams must travel to other CENTRY Units around the world to help them defend their citadels and train them for battle. In the meantime, The Dark Order begins to kidnap CENTRY soldiers, their wives and children and makes them spy’s and inside agents for The Darkness. Using them to destroy CENTRY Citadels from the inside or weaken them for attack, all while the Dark Order prepares for their final battle.

[David Thome]

Dave’s 5-season arc for Blank Slate

What I learned is that it’s helpful to know where the whole story is going.

BLANK SLATE

SEASON 1

High Concept or major hook of the season: After experiment goes awry, man shifts between parallel realities

Big Picture Arc/Journey: From confused PR writer to knowing what his predicament is and what he needs to do to get back

Main Conflict: Doesn’t know what’s going on, has to dig for information; is pursued by mysterious enemies

Mystery/Open Loops: Who are The Two Agents? What is Salva’s goal? What happens with Joshua’s family while he’s not in the baseline?

Cliffhanger: Joshua finds out that Salva is the one who’s been trying to kill him

SEASON 2

High Concept or major hook of the season: Who’s on who’s side?

Big Picture Arc/Journey: Joshua navigates the vagaries of the constantly shifting alliances

Main Conflict: The Agents and others seem to be for him at sometimes, against him at others; Salva continues her attempts to kill him

Mystery/Open Loops: The people Joshua seeks out keep getting killed

Cliffhanger: Joshua finds out that they’re getting killed because someone is using The Tech to see possible futures if certain people remain alive

SEASON 3

High Concept or major hook of the season: It’s bigger than just Joshua—way bigger

Big Picture Arc/Journey: Joshua goes from focusing solely on getting back to the BL to bigger, more important issues that could affect lots of people

Main Conflict: The mysterious Third Agent seems to be at the center of the international intrigue

Mystery/Open Loops: Who is The Third Agent? What is The Third Agent’s goal? Is he or she a good guy or a bad guy? Will Henna move on in her life in the BL?

Cliffhanger: The fate of the world may hinge on Joshua getting back to the BL

SEASON 4

High Concept or major hook of the season: Preventing Armageddon

Big Picture Arc/Journey: From info gathering to action

Main Conflict: Joshua inserts himself deep into the international conspiracies around The Tech

Mystery/Open Loops: Who is the Third Agent?

Cliffhanger: The Third Agent is someone very close to Joshua

SEASON 5

High Concept or major hook of the season: Finding closure

Big Picture Arc/Journey: Choosing a future

Main Conflict: Salva still wants to kill him, the Agents (or someone) ramps up efforts to stop Joshua from getting back to the BL

Mystery/Open Loops: Who is the Third Agent (Fred? Henna?)

Cliffhanger: Joshua realizes he no longer fits into his baseline life, decides to remain a “traveler,” which is essentially a superhero who stops abuses of The Tech

[Anne James]

Anne James

Module 2 – Lesson 3 – Easy Way to 5 Seasons

What I learned…I have fallen horribly behind due to a health issue (I’m fine now!) and then a crazy surge at work usurped my blocked out writing time. Now I’m putting me head down and working to get back up to date. For the first time, I found myself bogged down by the structure of the exercise. I kept getting stuck. So I just poured out the ideas and came up with a breakdown of 5 Seasons. I know they are too long. Will go back and tighten and polish later. But I’m really happy with how much meat is on the bone here.

SEASON ONE

Throw a Fist of Dirt

In exchange for a thirty-year vow of chastity and to keep the eternal flame of Rome outside the House of Vesta burning, Nerilla’s privileged life as a Vestal Virgin has been lived happily in the shadow of the beloved, ethereal Head Priestess, Livia, and the popular Beyonce of Vestals, Severa. Third in line with a series of botched blessings on her record, Nerilla privately is skeptical about her mystic capabilities and struggles with this life chosen for her at the age of 10, when she was taken from her parents and siblings. She’s contemplated running away from it all. A secret, taboo relationship with her non-biological “sister” Livia proves a temporary salve. Livia’s mysterious pregnancy, miscarriage and death, throws the House of Vesta into high stakes chaos. To Severa’s shock, Nerilla is hastily appointed the new Head Priestess. She must now restore the public credibility of the Vestals and unite a divided House of Vesta. Publicly, Nerilla has denounced Livia and enforced a damnato memoria, removing all traces of her. Privately, she is devastated, heartbroken and determined to uncover who impregnated Livia. Thrust into the highly competitive, sexually charged, volatile world of Roman politics, Nerilla navigates warring factions within the Severus dynasty, led by Emperor Severus and Empress Julia Domna, and the Praetorian Guard and Prefect P, all seeking to exploit her favor with the gods. Panicked, she starts to “fake” blessings. All theatrics, feeling nothing and throwing up after each one. But somehow…they work. Until Emperor Severus dies while on campaign in Roman Briton, an endeavor she heartily blessed. This unsettles leadership and Nerilla. On their return, his sons, Caracalla and Geta, fight for control. Caracalla kills Geta and declares it was Nerilla’s blessing and influence with the gods that ensured his destiny to be emperor.

SEASON 2

On Fishes Through the Water Glide

Caracalla, Serverus’s volatile, arrogant son, returns victorious to Rome, convinced it was Nerilla’s blessing that ensured his destiny to be emperor. She becomes his “lucky charm” and keeps her close. Devastated by the murder of her son, Geta, Julia Domna now fears for her own safety. She has no real position any longer, but has experience and connections. Nerilla has position and access, but no clue how to navigate the inner workings of Rome. Together, they form an alliance. Julia Domna channels political secrets to Nerilla, to lend credibility to her mysticism and predictions. Nerilla, with the help of Vestal Laurus, begins a series of high stakes public blessings that increase her influence and access within the political elite. She starts to believe she does have magical powers. She is a vessel of the gods! Gradually she rises in power and influence. Macrinus is appointed the new Praetorium Prefect. Nerilla falsely advises him to leave Rome and campaign in the eastern provinces, convincing him a victory there will give him more political standing over the unhinged emperor. Laurus discovers her brother, a member of the Praetorian Guard, is assigned protection of Emperor Caracalla. Caracalla, out on maneuvers with the military, is killed while taking a leak on the side of the road reportedly by a disgruntled soldier denied a promotion. Rumors are that Macrinus, still out in the provinces, put out the hit. With no one in charge of Rome, Julia Domna and Nerilla see an opportunity.

SEASON 3

The Nimble Hours

Macrinus, while out in the eastern provinces of the Empire, is confirmed as Emperor, by the support of the army. He does not return to Rome. With Macrinus absent, Nerilla achieves new levels of influence and power within the government, with Senator Dio’s help. Julia Domna, formerly an Augustus under Severus’s reign, begins to hold state gatherings of select key players, both senatorial and citizens. Nerilla’s presence gives Julia’s endeavors the god’s seal of approval. A falsified grain shortage pushes the Roman people to revolt. Until Nerilla stages a magical blessing that brings immediate access to the grain again. Laurus, growing uneasy with Nerilla’s abuses of power and her own implication in the false blessings, starts to secretly align with Macrinus and the Praetorian Guard, who are growing suspicious of Julia’s power grab. Julia Domna, using her personal funds, bribes a discontented military to campaign for her nephew, the 17-year-old Elagabalus to be the next Emperor. With Senate approval and a Vestal blessing, she sends the Roman military to overthrow Macrinus at the Battle of Antioch. Elagabalus is declared the rightful heir to the empire. Nerilla discovers an important clue about the mystery of Livia’s pregnancy.

SEASON 4

End of Triumph

Nerilla discovers Livia had a romantic relationship with a childhood friend. A farmer and widower, he provided the House of Vesta with fresh milk. She visits him and, spotting a personal effect of Livia’s, secures a confession. Conflicted as to what to do, she has her security detail kill him. She rides away weeping to the screams of his children. Emperor Elagabalus proves indulgent, dim, reckless and sexually deviant, even by Roman standards. Although obsessed with his horse groomer, Trilex, Elagabalus insists on marrying a coveted Vestal, the beautiful Severa. When Silvius reveals Severa is not a virgin, Nerilla agrees not to punish her. But instead, allows Severa to be married. An ineffectual leader, Elagabalus infuriates all levels of Roman politics. Nerilla’s counsel is largely ignored. She is haunted by the ghost of the farmer and the screams of his children. Her and Julia Domna’s relationship becomes strained. Nerilla brokers peace with the female leader of a nearby tribe, the Ovinaliats, overtaken by the military. This infuriates military leaders. She threatens Elagabalus with a prediction of his death, which he ignores. Despite of Dio’s warnings, Nerilla attempts to align with the disenfranchised Praetorian Guard. Laurus advises them to ignore Nerilla’s advice. Julia Domna, secretly pays Laurus’s brother, security detail to the Emperor, to kill Elagabalus. In contempt, the Guard throw his remains in the Tiber River.

SEASON 5

A Thousand Snares

A dying Julia Domna, campaigns to put her nephew, the young and inexperienced Alexander, on the throne. He wins enough Senate support to continue the Severus Dynasty line. Severa, a widow and lost without status of the House, leads the life of a regular citizen. Julia Domna dies, leaving Nerilla lost and vulnerable. Still haunted by the farmer’s ghost, she visits the orphanage where his children now live. She asks Severa to take them in. Alexander attempts to negotiate a truce with the Sassanid Empire. He secures a blessing from Nerilla. He attempts to win them over with bribes and flawed diplomacy. He blames Nerilla for his failed venture and wants her removed as Head Priestess. He threatens Laurus, who exposes Nerilla’s incest and fraudulent blessings. Nerilla is arrested and jailed. There, Laurus confesses to her that she leaked Livia’s miscarriage. Nerilla is put on trial and convicted. Lead through the streets, Nerilla is buried alive. Laurus is appointed Head Priestess, with the support of both Emperor Alexander and Praetorian Guard.

Cut to 391A.D. Emperor Theodosius, a Christian, puts out the House of Vesta fire and disbands the Vestals. Shortly thereafter, the Visigoths sacked the city of Rome. Which began the fall of the Roman Empire. According to legend, this could only happen because the city wasn’t protected by the House of Vesta’s fire.

[Mary Andrews]

ASSIGNMENT 2-3: DAY 15
Compelling Character Descriptions
What I learned doing this assignment is Top of Form

Bottom of Form

1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.

2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.

3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.

Season 1:<s>THE CHOSEN</s> TALLYHO<s></s>

A. High Concept or major hook of the season.
The Fireborn are at home in
flame; In the end, they may become our only hope

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Rael
Pointe, the hunter, has been targeted by the leaders on an unknown planet
to help fulfill a prophesy to save their world, the Oracle Planet. So,
Rael, the only person to ever escape the Hive Penal Planet, as a newborn,
already implanted with the temple plates, enabling him to access anything
with an electronic pulse as well as anything across a truly intergalactic
web net within. Terrified of the Hive since childhood, Rael now finds
himself trapped into becoming The New Corporate Overlord; master of the
Hive.

<div>

C. Main Conflict: While hunting a ring of intergalactic paranormal
terrorists (a Psi Ring) who have mind-jacked a Universal Government Agent,
a special team of Government Dark Ops Agents find themselves being toyed
with by an unidentified but powerfully threatening faction. During their
search, they coerce a blinded woman who sees and speaks telepathically to
join their search though she claims she is on a mission to save her home world—where
ever it is.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who are the Oracles? Is
Tristen more than she appears? Who is targeting the Nemesis team? Why are
they counting coup instead of making a move? Why/how can they not fear the
Universal Government when any infraction of their law means lifetime
service at the Hive Penal planet? Why did no one attempt to keep Tristen
from being captured? Who is Mallory Switt? Where is the Oracle’s world?
Who assassinated Marion Mahata, Head of Dark Ops on her own station? How?
Why? Is Rael Pointe in the cross-hairs?

E. Cliffhanger: Rael realizes who is attacking him.

</div>

4. Write a description of each season and give us the 5 seasons.

Season 1: Season 1: CHOSEN: Who would dare attack or even engage a Universal Government Dark Ops team, when the penalty for this is lifetime incarceration on The Hive penal planet? Yet RAEL POINTE (36) Special Dark Ops Seeker team leader and captain of the Government ship, Nemesis, finds himself under attack. First by common thugs on a pleasure planet, Tanivol where he and his team are sent to retrieve a Universal Government’s Ambassador who has been mind-jacked and left incoherent and in agony outside of the planet’s main spaceport. Soon, while on the trail of the mind-jacker, the psychic terrorist manages to ensnare Rael’s mind as well and lures him to a pleasure Palace only to be confronted by his team members who manage to capture and retrieve the mind-jacker, even turning her to aid them in their search for the terrorist ring. The team deems their assailants to be high ranking and powerful enough to afford the means to mess with them, but why? And Who are they?

Season 2: RESONANCES AGENT ALANDRA HAZE (Psionic Operative—telepath) is kidnapped on a Hive drug mining planet by noblemen, the Deridia brothers, (Deshon, a psychic vampire and his twin brother, Nevon, –a legendary entity (a Siphon) believed to wields the “breath of God.” (residual power remaining within each planet during its original creation)

Season 3: HEALER’S GAMBIT LAYNALD enacts a covert plan to free Rael of the Oracle threat. Under the pretense of training and testing the Deridian brother’s reliability and self-control, Ira, Tristen, Laynald, Lazlo, Lythia (now head of Dark Ops) and Lazlo revisit Mallory Switt at The Pleasure Palace to enlist his expertise as a slaver to test/determine the feasibility of using the Deridian brothers’ dangerous abilities under duress. Afterwards, they successfully confront the Oracles on their homeworld, only to fulfill yet another prophesy.

Rael determines that Alandra must be sent to The Hive and with Tristen’s help, she is dispatched. Ira feels betrayed and when his next mission is to somehow save the Oracle Planet from an oncoming asteroid, he leaves with Tristen, and the Deridian brothers to the Oracle Planet. No one is happy and he is considering quitting the team permanently.

Season 4 PROPHESY: the prophesy tells of their arrival: A siphon bearing the Breath of God, the Dark Lord, whose deathlike hunger shaves away life, the Chosen One who binds them together, and the Dark Angel who will stand upon the Mountain and save us all when the death from the sky is upon us.

Ira, the Deridian brothers and Tristen, arrive at the Oracle Planet to somehow save it. Meanwhile, Rael, Laynald, and Archangel Gabriel are betrayed by Lazlo and find themselves shanghaied by space-faring Roma, leaving the Corporate Overlord and his communications Nexus severed from a multi-galactic Corporation.

At the Roma’s annual Festival of Earth, Rael, the Archangels, even Laynald, find themselves all in the right place as Ira and his team do what needs to be done and transfer Oracle Earth across dimension and time to the exact place Old Earth had been. It is a big success…until Tristen saves Ira’s life and pays the cost of saving her planet, herself.

Season 5: MONSTERS Grief stricken, Ira awakens to discover Tristen’s death. He takes her body and Nemesis down to the New Earth to grieve, unaware that Raphael, Psi Healer, remained on board. Inconsolable Ira remains despondent. Raphael reports to Rael daily. A month has passed and Ira does not get better. Raphael finds him on the same mountain ledge where Ira had stood and saved Tristen’s home planet. He is disheveled, his hair is loose, whipping about and he sits with his legs dangling over the ledge. As usual, he is not aware of Raphael’s approach but follows his urging to rise and accompany the Archangel back to the vehicle.

The Overlord is unable to help him recover. Laynald fears Ira is too dangerous as he is out of control.

Gabriel is charged with finding Ira help, and he does. He reopens contact with Eric Barrows, an ancient creature of the night, a draugr (Viking Vampire) from Earth’s distant past who owes the Overlord a favor. However, something is not right and Eric finds himself facing a creature of like origin when suddenly, monstrous draugar begin to appear on new Earth and one of them is Tristen.

Season 6 AFTERMATH Ira is drawn to Tristen’s side after she escapes to a troublesome world Eric is hired to tame. Meanwhile, Lythia asks for help to catch a shapeshifter.