Day 6 Assignments

[Wendy Weising]

Wendy Weising’s Stacks Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is these characters have minds of their own.

Mystery: Jane’s husband calls her away from her kids and sends her to the mailbox. Then a car that looks just like his hits her. Was it her loving husband?

Act 1 TP: Car hits Jane, and she ends up in a hospital where the doctors tell her she has no family.

Deception: The doctors are lying to the patients about what they are really doing. Why? Because there are four doctors left. Every alien wants the serum, but they don’t want to be part of the mining process. It is distasteful. If the patients knew what they were doing, the patients would revolt. Dr. Jones doesn’t want to report on her failures, so she pretends that things are going well.

Conspiracy: All doctors and nurses will try to stop Jane from entering the DNE room because they don’t want her to find out.

Act 2 TP: Jane enters the Do
Not Enter room and sees doctors cutting into humans’ brains.

Wound: Jane has been so put
down by men that she has no confidence. She even questions whether all of
it is a hallucination or not.
Coping mechanism: When Polly
and Ava need to escape the hospital, Jane pulls it together. Her mothering
skills kick in.

Act 3 TP: Jane finally reads
the note in the book, it says, “Don’t believe them. They’re lying.” Ava
sings, “We’re bustin’ outta here.”

Wound: Dr. Jones watches a
video of her father before his death. He commissions her to find a cure
and be good like her sister. Well she kind of got one of those right.

Coping Mechanism: Polly and Ava
are becoming loyal to Jane, and Dr. Zyn tells Dr. Jones that he will never
love her. She controls everyone so that they can’t leave her alone.

Secret identity: Dr. Jones
hates humans, but she has to partake if she wants to survive. So she does.

Act 4 TP: Dr. Jones makes a
deal with Polly: She becomes her spy or she becomes brain serum. Dr. Jones
is hosting a party. When Ava appears dressed in an evening gown, Dr. Jones
introduces her to a hideous-looking man who takes her hand and leads her
out of the room. Dr. Jones tells Dr. Zyn that she has chosen him as her
mate, and then she announces it to the party.

Accusation: Jane yells at Dr.
Jones that they are not in a hospital. The patients aren’t getting better;
they’re dying.

Conspiracy revealed: Dr. Jones
tells her that it’s an alien facility where they mine human brains of a
chemical. They take this in by partaking of it. Even Dr. Zyn does this. He’s
lying too. She takes Jane into a room where Dr. Zyn is savagely eating a
brain.

Act 5: Jane doesn’t know who to
trust but knows she must escape.

[Timothy Barley]

Tim Barley’s Stacks Intrigue

What I learned from doing this assignment is that I am not going to be happy until I get this right, and sometimes it’s getting harder and harder to do something that isn’t perfect right out of the gate…

TURNING POINTS

ACT 1:

Turning Point: He wishes he had more sugar for his coffee on the way home and he is attacked by dark malevolent forces. Allistar shows up and barely saves him. High above the street, Feenix watches, seething. Across the street, someone else (Billy) looks on.

STRANGE BEHAVIOR: Did Alex imagine that his coffee was sweeter and was it just coincidence that moments later, strange figures like the ones that his grandfather used to talk about showed up?

MYSTERY/STRANGE BEHAVIOR: How did Allistar just happen to be there? Why was Feenix on top of a building (HIDDEN AGENDA, STRANGE BEHAVIOR)? Who’s the person who we see only through POV (SECRET IDENTITY)?

ACT 2:

Turning point: Alex returns home to find his neighbor waiting, who comes in and fills him in on his family legacy. Feenix shows up and they have a fight that gets wild. Outside someone is watching.

CONSPIRACY: Audacious, wild story about who Alex is. And who Allistar is (SECRET IDENTITY), INTRIGUING WORLD, HIDDEN LAYER: Allistar/Feenix relationship

ACT 3:

Turning point: Alex finally gets Feenix and Allistar to quit fighting and between their family squabbling, they two of them tell him about his past and who he is what he needs to do.

INTRIGUING WORLD/CONSPIRACY/MYSTERY/SECRET/SECRET IDENTITY/HIDDEN AGENDA – The brother and sister lay out the history of “humans” for Alex to absorb, along with their long history and why they are keeping an eye on him.

ACT 4:

Turning point: Alex has to now figure out who wants to help him and who wants to kill him or worse. Edris shows up and lays out his side of the story.

HIDDEN AGENDA, INTRIGUING WORLD, STRANGE BEHAVIOR – The cunning, calculated Edris shows up to tell Alex his side of the history of humans and how Alex plays a role in all of it.

ACT 5:

Turning point: Alex accepts that his life is no longer something he can hide from. Feenix and Allistar tell him he has to speak to someone else. Billy types on his old computer…

DECEPTION, INTRIGUE, SECRET: Billy’s real identity is coming into focus while Alex deals with his own mystery.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by  Timothy Barley.

[Ben Ather]

Subject line: Ben’s Stacks Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is

Stacking intrigues don’t just make every act interesting for the audience, they make turning point that is already strong more powerful. This can engage the audience and have the need to watch episode after episode. They also increase the interest level of the pilot.

I will continue to change or improve the intrigues I have at the moment.

2. Before each Turning Point, brainstorm ways to create intrigue for the Turning Point. Give us the TECHNIQUE and one sentence that tells how you’ll create intrigue for the Turning Point.

Teaser:

Intrigue: Sky shakes. Then a crack appears, turning into a tear across the sky.

Intrigue: Terra, Shard, and three sorcerers are in a rush to be somewhere.

Intrigue: The tear turns into a rift. Light spills out.

Intrigue: Plants are yanked off the ground, earth is torn from its place, everything is flying up.

Intrigue: The rift is sucking the earth.

Intrigue: The three sorcerers sacrifice their lives to seal the rift.

Turning Point: Terra, Shard, and the three sorcerers stopped the rift from wreaking havoc, but it’s still there, held together by giant chains.

Act 1:

Intrigue – Strange behaviour/Intriguing world: Parents are out shopping with their children. The children are all pretty looking.

Intrigue – Mystery: People believe that Nora is cursed and caused her mother’s death in childbirth.

Intrigue – Secret: Nora’s adopted father, Old Beggar, has found Nora’s real father she has been searching for.

Intrigue – Intriguing world: Nora discovers that her birth father abandoned her because she is ugly to learn

magic and bring pride to the family.

Turning Point: Nora discovers her birth father, Eucher, abandoned her because she’s ugly to learn magic and bring pride to the family. Turns out magic is taught to pretty ones.

Act 2:

Intrigue – Hidden Agenda: Sparrow agents carelessly grab the students in the class and out with them.

Intrigue – Strange behaviour: Sparrow agents gather the students in the hall and lock the door. Mo then orders them to check their faces.

Intrigue – Secret: Teachers are worried that what happened in the school, will not just ruin their reputation but also school’s reputation.

Intrigue – Mystery: Array is running from something or someone. Then he runs into a Sparrow agent who wants to arrest him.

Intrigue – Hidden agenda/Intriguing world: Nora asks Old Beggar why magic is important and if it is why is there a rule of teaching it only to the pretty ones. Old Beggar tells her all that he knows – when it was introduced, where, and by who and doesn’t know why.

Intrigue – Suspicion: Old Beggar is suspicious of what Nora is up to when she asks him why no one has ever tried to change the rule. Nora tells him about her decision to learn magic and wants his help to get into the Affinity Academy.

Turning Point/Midpoint: Nora tells Old Beggar her decision to learn magic to prove Eucher wrong and wants his help to get into the Affinity Academy.

Act 3:

Intrigue – Secret/hidden agenda: Array is ugly and uses the disguise to get into the Affinity Academy to learn magic.

Intrigue – Strange Behaviour: Array is wearing a disguise.

Intrigue – Mystery: Aloe is going to the Affinity Academy for a mission, not to learn magic.

Intrigue – Danger: Array uses supplies run to get out of the Affinity Academy but discovers it is a trap, and Natchez arrests him.

Intrigue – Intriguing world: Nora tries to find a job from the tavern. The owner laughs at her and instructs his men to throw her out. Nora goes to grocery man to look for work, but grocery man mocks her. She steals his money but get caught and beaten almost to death.

Turning Point: Grocery man mocks Nora, and she steals his money but gets caught and beaten almost to death.

Act 4:

Intrigue – Danger: The people helping grocery man catch Nora and badly beat.

Intrigue – Secret: Old Beggar has a plan that will help Nora get into the Affinity Academy, but he cannot tell her what it is.

Intrigue – Danger/intriguing world: Nora has a fever Old Beggar can’t bring down and the doctor refuses to see her.

Intrigue – Hidden Agenda: Strange sorcerer asks Old Beggar if he explained to Nora everything about the disguise. Old Beggar believes that Nora finding it out from him might change her mind and hopes that it is the case.

Intrigue – Intriguing World: Mo executes Array for breaking the rule.

Intrigue – Conspiracy: Mo is plotting with Kins and teachers to take over Terra’s position.

Intrigue – Secret Identity: Kins addresses Mo as the true head of the Affinity Academy in secret.

Intrigue – Hidden Layer: The special disguise requires the wearer’s life force to retain its nature and wearing it for too long will lead to Nora’s demise.

Turning Point: Turns out wearing the disguise for too long will lead to Nora’s demise and must decide whether to go ahead with it.

Act 5:

Intrigue – Strange Behaviour: Terra and Shard are wearing disguises.

Intrigue – Mystery: Terra pretends to be Nora’s adopted father and helps her get into the Affinity Academy when he is the head of the school.

Intrigue – Conspiracy: Terra is Shard’s lord who informed the authorities about Nora’s plan to break the rule.

Intrigue – Betrayal: Terra conspired with Array to get into the Affinity Academy and exposed him.

Intrigue – Danger: Nora goes ahead with the disguise and strange sorcerer tells her the disguise will kill her sooner that he had imagined.

Intrigue – Hidden Agenda: Terra exposed Array to alert Mo about the possibility of people disguising themselves to learn magic.

Turning Point: Turns out Old Beggar is actually Terra the head of the Affinity Academy and conspired with Mani who is Shard and caused Nora pain.

[Laurie Brown]

(Laurie Brown’s) Stacks Intrigue

What I learned from doing this assignment is how to keep a focus in the Act by leading to the turning point.

PILOT STRUCTURE: THE CORP TRUTH

Teaser:

• Essence: Geri Martin adores her mother and would do anything to make her happy, including being a fill-in for her cold, absent father.

o Geri eating breakfast with a paper Army hat on is served breakfast by matter of fact Bonnie Martin.

o Bonnie Martin takes her prescription meds while she is cleaning up. o Bonnie hands her a packed lunch and they do their secret skit –

Geri plays the colonel and talks about the surprises he has for her honey after work

They kiss goodbye and Geri sees that she has made her smile.

o The bell rings and Geri races out the door, the boys trying to catch up and she proudly increasing the gap.

o She runs through the kitchen door almost tripping on her mother’s body.

• Turning Point: Report Card in hand she finds her mom in a pool of blood.

Act 1:

Essence: Geri photographs the scene and swears to make her mother proud and solve her mysterious death. An Army hat, identical to her paper hat is at the scene.

Geri puts on the hat and makes a vows to her.

The neighbor, Mrs. Johnson says something nasty about Col Martin.

Col Martin calls off investigation claiming legal authority over the base.

Geri begs to go with him. He says no, he’ll be back in the morning.

Mrs. Johnson takes Geri overnight and goes back to the house to pack up Geri.

Over breakfast Mrs. Johnson tells Geri about military school. Geri, through

her tears, declares that will be perfect for what she has in mind.

Turning Point: Colonel Martin picks up a sad Geri to take her to military school.

Act 2:
Essence: Geri to military school. The headmaster promises to “take care of her”

o The headmaster acts all gaga around Col. Martin. Col Martin acts strange, too, and brags about his new appointment.

o Col Martin says now Geri won’t be interfering anymore.
o HL firmly disciplines one of the girls pointing out a different curfews o After the tour, HL searches Geri’s bags and finds the hat and takes it!

Turning Point: Headmaster Learned takes the hat and threatens discipline if she ever says anything to anyone about it again.

Act 3:
Essence: Geri beats the bullies and builds her team through Military school

o GeritellsBetteandMargeaboutthehat
o Bette, Geri and Marge search everywhere, everyday after

school – finally giving up.

o Finally – a week before graduation, Geri and Bette find the hat. They repeat their vows. Geri puts on the hat and vows to be a colonel.

o Bette gets a new convertible for graduation, and tells her parents she will not go to the family’s alma mater or marry Ron Paul!

o Someone is getting into bed with Marge. One night a scared Bette gets in bed with Geri, Geri likes it until

o Bette kisses Geri, Geri freaks out

o Series of pictures of the three of them changing through their teens –

o Geri gaining medals. Bette boys and Marge grades.

o Col. Martin and Headmaster Learned can’t find the hat and CM loses it over Learned never doing anything right.

Turning Point: Geri, Bette and Marge drive down the highway away from military school in Bette’s new convertible radio blaring, Geri hanging on to her hat

Act 4:
Essence: The girls graduate from nurses school. Geri meets Leo

• Leo approaches Geri and Marge at Officer’s Club

o Flirts and dances charmingly with Geri
o After Geri leaves he acts totally different with Marge.
o Marge comes in late, disheveled and happy in a strange way.

• Leo meets with Col. Martin

o He reminds Leo of how recent women have been allowed. o Must keep them under control.
o But not like he did in Korea.
o Leo says yes. He understands.

Turning Point: Colonel Martin says to Leo, “you and Geri will make a perfect pair.”

ACT. 5 Geri gets engaged

o Leo wines and dines Geri
o Marge gets sick and put in quarantine by the DOI o Geri accepts Leo’s proposal to marry
o Then Geri gets sick and covers it up
o Geri gets appointment for interview

Turning Point: Geri goes to the interview, fighting her illness and mounting OCD.

Act 6
Essence: Geri’s dream come true, Private First Class, U.S. Army.

o Geri is very nervous leading up can’t stop her hand washing.
o Geri lies about her OCD at the health interview.
o Geri signs the paperwork hesitating.
o Geri calls Bette to celebrate. Talks about the no children clause
o Bette tells her that she shouldn’t give up who she is simply for the

career. She could keep working for, but not join. o Geri writes down an address in NYC.

Lock In: Geri gets fitted for her first U.S. Army Uniform and hat, thrilled about her future she boards a plane to NYC.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 6 Stacking Intrigue

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Stacking Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is that a lot of the intrigue is psychological and I’m not sure how much is meant to be simply implied by the situations.

Teaser:

Turning Point:
Oversoul learns it must purge regrets of 5 past lives, starting with young
1^st century Celt boy who becomes gladiator.

· · Intriguing World: Life-Between Lives

· · Mystery: Why is Oversoul still reincarnating as human when it wants to be angel?

· · Secret: No one has told Oversoul it must work to purge past lives

· · Conspiracy: Are past lives working against Oversoul’s agenda?

· · Wound: Oversoul thinks it’s done everything right.

· · Accusation: Abbess accuses Oversoul of not listening

Act 1:

Turning Point: Celt and friend tell the village about Romans revealing they were out at night illicitly.

<div>
Intrigue: Celt can talk to animals, gods but only
best friend Coran knows
</div><div>

Mystery: Why are Romans near their village?

Deception: Celt won’t tell elders about his
abilities

Conspiracy:
Celt and Coran go out at night without telling parents

Secret
Identity: Celt’s abilities as animal/god communicator

Wound: Celt believes his abilities are only for
girls

Strange
Behavior: Why do Romans really
want?

Act 2:

</div>

Turning Point/Midpoint: Celt volunteers to go to protect village and to honor bargain with Taranis, along with twin Piran and Tyran

<div>
Intriguing
World: Rome is very different from Celt’s society
</div><div>

Mystery: Why are Sirius’ and commander’s viewpoints
different?

Secret: Celt talks with Taranis, god of thunder

Deception: Romans want slaves, not euphemistic
‘boys to serve emperor’.

Conspiracy:
Coran believes Celt can see gods

Wound: Celt doesn’t want mother hurt

Hidden
Agenda: Sirius believes in
different tactics than commander, uses map to win over villagers

Hidden
Layer: Taranis doesn’t reveal what
being a primary influence means

Strange
Behavior: Celt takes thunderbolt,
interprets that as Taranis telling him to volunteer for Romans.

</div>

Act 3:

Turning
Point: Celt returns to camp to help Piran escape, too.

· Turning point: Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue, is knocked out by soldier.

<div>
Intriguing
World: Village has re-thought giving boys to Romans
</div><div>

Intrigue: Coran has followed Romans to help Celt escape

Secret: Tribe doesn’t know where Coran is.

Wound: Celt’s need to protect those he feels
responsible for trumps his own safety

Hidden
Agenda: Celt also feels he may be
breaking promise to Taranis by escaping.

Strange
Behavior: Celt doesn’t accept escape
route

</div>

Act 4:

<div>
Celt Turning
Point: Celt won’t leave Piran.
Piran
</div><div>

Turning Point: Piran avoids being with Celt.

Sirius’s
Turning Point: Sirius has to acknowledge things not going as planned

Mystery: Why won’t Celt just leave with Coran?
Why isn’t Sirius honest with Celt?

Secret: Soldiers have institutionalized rape.

Deception: Rome’s law and order is not for all

Conspiracy:
Celtic women being drugged to make them more amenable to be raped

Wound: For Celt, not being trusted/being
avoided by Piran after he’s given up freedom. For Sirius, acknowledging
Roman rule not perfect

Hidden Layer: Celtic women being drugged for
rape, comparison by soldiers that Sirius has used words to ‘drug’ Celt into
compliance.

</div>

Act 5:

· Celt turning point: Celt tries to cut out his own tongue.

· Piran turning point: Piran forgives Celt, prevents Celt from cutting out his tongue.

· Sirius and Act Turning Point: Sirius believes Celt is of no more use as translator.

· Celt Turning Point: Celt is abandoned to the low value slaves. Celt leaves Britannicus on a ship.

<div>
Intriguing World:
Different attitudes by Celts to Roman capture
</div><div>

Conspiracy:
Sirius working with his father and Primus Pilus to promote Celt.

Wound: Celt’s trying to make things better by
translating seen as treason by peers

Hidden Agenda: Sirius wants to use Celt as
example of how successful soft power can be, make Celt translator at court

Hidden Layer: Piran preventing Celt from
cutting out own tongue points to his forgiveness of Celt/recognition that
Celt made sacrifices for him.

Strange Behavior: Celt trying to cut out own
tongue to prevent his own collaboration and in solidarity with Piran.

Accusation: Sirius accuses Celt of being barbarian
for trying to cut out his own tongue

</div>

[P.G. Sundling]

ASSIGNMENT:

4. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

It took me a while to realize I did put in things to setup the act turning points, although some things move fast which makes things harder to setup. I think this technique probably works better on slower heavy turning points instead of quick smaller turning points. The plot points for the stacking intrigue are already there, but a few framing questions ahead of time might get the audience thinking in terms of the turning points ahead of time.

1. Make a list of your turning points.

Stacking intrigue for act 1: (Renquist’s hidden agenda) lots of little things that close off every avenue of escape, to the point that James has to think out of the box and thinks of running for president. Add framing question, “How can he fight back?” to make the audience think about the question before it’s answered.

Act 1 James decides to run for president, as a power-up to defend against Renquist’s power and influence.

Stacking intrigue for Act 2: Pressure builds on Maria to retaliate over her displeasure with James’ campaign: (strange behavior) being too drunk, (strange behavior) smashing her table, (deception) saying she’s sold on the idea, but not really sold.

Act 2 In spite, Maria uploads the embarrassing video unedited.

Stacking intrigue for Act 3 (conspiracy):

1. We’ve seen packages sent out and death threats over them to lay the groundwork.

2. We saw James’ apartment ransacked.

3. While we thought James’ car being repossessed meant one thing, James realizes it’s to allow the car to be searched too.

4. Then we have the urgency of expecting Maria’s apartment is being searched. Which prepares us for the intruders turning point.

Act 3 Maria attacks and chases the intruders, but instead of catching them, she gets taken away by police.

Stacking intrigue for Act 4: None of the Above is reflected back to James 3 times:

1. (secret identity) A young cop calls him None of the Above Guy in the police station, the reveal that the embarrassing video has gone viral

2. (mystery) No one is reacting to James. All the reaction videos are about being none of the above. He went “viral wrong.”

3. (deception) The Take Back America Movement endorsed none of the above and more jobs. James has no other choice than to act.

Act 4 James changes his name to None of the Above and gets Maria to change her name to More Jobs to match their viral video.

Stacking intrigue for act 5 (deception): the Take Back America Movement endorsement means they have to act quick to associate that endorsement with themselves before the movement realizes.

Act 5 They have to get on the ballot before Take Back America realizes they’re a real campaign.

2. Before each Turning Point, brainstorm ways to create intrigue for the Turning Point. Give us the TECHNIQUE and one sentence that tells how you’ll create intrigue for the Turning Point.

3. Select the ideas you like and add them to your growing outline.

(N) = James/None of the Above(None), (M) = Maria Cortez/More Jobs(MJ), (R) = Alvin Renquist

Teaser:

Essence: Maria is president and nuclear war happens on her watch.

Turning Point: A strange creature rises from the mushroom clouds of a nuked city.

(N Beginning) (M Beginning) (R Beginning)

Act 1:

Stacking intrigue for act 1: (Renquist’s hidden agenda) lots of little things that close off every avenue of escape, to the point that James has to think out of the box and thinks of running for president. Add framing question, “How can he fight back?” to make the audience think about the question before it’s answered.

Essence: (N TP1) (M TP1) (R TP1) Maria and James started a billion-dollar software company, but Renquist steals control of it with a shady contract. Renquist will kill Maria once he has found all copies of the surveillance tapes. (R midpoint) Renquist attacks James in every way, even petty things like blocking his unemployment. Lawyers and friends won’t return his calls because everyone is afraid of Renquist.

While Renquist is beating down James, Maria is watching from the surveillance cameras in his office. We see her making copies and putting those into packages.

Maria mails off two packages and winks at the executive assistant, Thelma Livingston, which implies she’s aware of what the packages are. More is revealed in a later episode.

Maria reveals to Renquist that she has the tapes. Renquist threatens to kill her.

When Renquist steals the company from James, he wants Maria to run it. It looks like Maria is betraying him. What actually happened is she lulled him into complacency and then kicked his ass.

Maria goes to let James know he didn’t betray him. He makes her almost beg for forgiveness.

At the bar, James reveals he figured out she didn’t betray him because she was wearing lipstick which happens when she kicks people’s asses but pretended he didn’t know to make her work for it.

Turning Point: (N-midpoint)James decides to run for president, as a power-up to defend against Renquist’s power and influence.

Act 2:

James bluffs to scare some punks by warning about all the things dihydrogen monoxide can do. He acts like its a dangerous chemical. It turns out it’s a reference to water. Turns out it wasn’t water but vodka, so he could have accidentally created a Molotov cocktail, so ironically it was dangerous.

Essence: James wants MJ to be his VP, but he has to prove he can bluff. He bluffs some punks with steam in a steampunk bar. After the bar, they do a practice campaign video with James drunk that goes off the rails.

Stacking intrigue for Act 2: Pressure builds on Maria to retaliate over her displeasure with James’ campaign: (strange behavior) being too drunk, (strange behavior) smashing her table, (deception) saying she’s sold on the idea, but not really sold.

Turning Point/Midpoint: (M midpoint) In spite, Maria uploads the embarrassing video unedited.

Act 3:

Essence: (N TP2)(M TP2) James wakes up in Maria’s bed thinking they had drunk sex, but he’s still fully clothed. James goes home and finds his apartment in shambles. Maria confesses about the surveillance tapes. They rush to MJ’s place where there are intruders.

James gets drunk and Maria tucks him into her bed. When he wakes up he thinks they had drunk sex and is corrected in embarrassment. He had also broken a table but thinks MJ did it in anger.

None of James’ friends call him back, so he uses Maria’s phone to call his friend. It reveals that Renquist is trying to not only destroy James but anyone who shares his common Chinese name.

James’ apartment was ransacked. They were looking for something. That forces Maria to confess about the surveillance tapes. James realizes that the car was also repossessed to look in it. They rush to Maria’s apartment to find intruders.

Stacking intrigue for Act 3 (conspiracy):

1. We’ve seen packages sent out and death threats over them to lay the groundwork.

2. We saw James’ apartment ransacked.

3. While we thought James’ car being repossessed meant one thing, James realizes it’s to allow the car to be searched too.

4. Then we have the urgency of expecting Maria’s apartment is being searched. Which prepares us for the intruders turning point.

Turning Point: (M major conflict) (R TP2) Maria attacks and chases the intruders, but instead of catching them, she gets taken away by police.

Maria stabs one of the intruders. The intruders escape and cops instead arrest Maria. It becomes obvious that Renquist has cops on the payroll too.

One of the intruders is Zelda Remington, who will murder her way into James’ love life later in the season, holding a personal grudge against Maria for her partner’s death. More layers of this will be revealed in episode 1 of season 1.5.

Act 4:

Essence: (N major conflict) (R major conflict) Renquist has crooked cops on his payroll. One of Renquist’s people interrogates None in the police station. They offer him a deal if he’ll turn on Maria, but he doesn’t. The embarrassing video where he talked about being like None of the Above went viral but no one is talking about James Wong. (R ending)

In the police station, Trench Coat Man wants James to help him frame Maria for murder. James doesn’t help and he gives up on that plan but threatens James. He is thought to be a henchman of Renquist, but he’s a Russian oligarch that has as much to lose if the tapes get out. That reveal happens at the end of season 1.0.

The police were told Maria hurt James and he says she didn’t but when he takes off his shirt, he’s covered with bruises. He then half-remembers that he fell down. It’s only after he finds his embarrassing video that Maria is vindicated. This is how it’s revealed that his video went viral.

Stacking intrigue for Act 4: None of the Above is reflected back to James 3 times:

1. (secret identity) A young cop calls him None of the Above Guy in the police station, the reveal that the embarrassing video has gone viral

2. (mystery) No one is reacting to James. All the reaction videos are about being none of the above. He went “viral wrong.”

3. (deception) The Take Back America Movement endorsed none of the above and more jobs. James has no other choice than to act.

Turning Point: James changes his name to None of the Above and gets Maria to change her name to More Jobs to match their viral video.

They went viral wrong. Everyone is talking about None of the Above and More Jobs, but not James and Maria. The video was so popular that a political group endorsed those names. So James and Maria have to change their names to None of the Above and More Jobs to match what was popular about their video.

Act 5:

Essence: The name changes are successful. James blamed his brother Shen for losing the company as his lawyer. Out of options, None of the Above(None) makes peace with his brother and asks him to be the campaign manager. Shen goes over the remaining options in the contract, but no options are useful. Out of options on using the contract, they are committed to president idea.

Stacking intrigue for act 5 (deception): the Take Back America Movement endorsement means they have to act quick to associate that endorsement with themselves, before the movement realizes.

Lock In: (N-ending) (M ending) They have to get on the ballot before Take Back America realizes they’re a real campaign.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by  P.G. Sundling.

[Avi K]

Avi Kapurala’s Stacking Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is: Combined with Layers and reveals, stacking intrigue really elevates a pilot as seen in the top shows. However, it takes practice and feeling like you’re not getting it ‘right’ the way you want to, initially, is ok. It will come.

ACT 1:

Intriguing World:

Intrigue:

Mystery: Why was Maya’s relationship with her own father rocky?

Secret:

Deception: Maya deceives Nancy into thinking they met accidentally.

Conspiracy: Maya conspires with Viktor to sabotage the expansion of the Richardsons’ business.

Secret Identity:

Wound: Maya is sexually exploited by Mr. Richardson

Hidden Agenda: Maya wants to take revenge against him.

Hidden Layer: Viktor and Maya entrapped Richardson with an underage girl and leaked the tape.

Strange Behavior:

Accusation:

Act 1 Turning Point: Maya and Jacob ruin the Richardson’s.

Intrigue 1: Mystery: Angelina asks Maya why she’s interested in the upcoming Tyson expansion since it’s not their deal. Why is she interested?

Intrigue 2: Strange Behavior: She tells Viktor to work his contacts for an invite to a charity event. She tells him she’s not really interested, so why does she need to go?

Intrigue 3: Deception: Maya deceives Nancy into thinking they met accidentally. Why?

Secret: She wants to invite herself to Nancy’s home.

Intrigue 4: Wound: Mr. Richardson asks her if she missed him. That makes her angry and break her wine glass. Why?

Intrigue 5: Hidden Agenda: Maya calls Viktor and tells him to proceed with the plan. What’s the plan?

Intrigue 6: Conspiracy: Viktor contacts a journalist and asks him to release the video. What video?

Hidden Layer: Viktor and Maya entrapped Richardson with an underage girl and leak a tape.

ACT 1 TURNING POINT: The Tyson electric expansion is ruined after the leak of the video Maya and Viktor planted. Richardson commits suicide.

ACT 2:

Intriguing World:

Intrigue: Who is texting and calling Maya?

Mystery: Why was Maya’s relationship with her own father rocky?

Secret: Her father is dying.

Deception: Maya lies to Viktor about where she’s going.

Conspiracy:

Secret Identity:

Wound: Her father’s failed business ventures caused their home to be foreclosed, leaving them homeless.

Hidden Agenda: Maya wants to take revenge against him.

Hidden Layer: She became Richardson’s mistress in high school because of her father’s poverty.

Strange Behavior:

Accusation:

Act 2 Turning Point: Maya’s father dies

Intrigue 1: Intrigue: Maya gets a series of calls and texts from Tara. Who is Tara?

Intrigue 2: Strange Behavior: She calls the head of a hospital and asks him for help. Who is ill? Is she ill?

Intrigue 3: Deception: She lies to Viktor that she’s been going to class each day. But she’s been going to a hospital. Why?

Secret: Her father is dying.

Intrigue 4: Wound: She tells Tara she hates ‘him’ for what he did to them. Who is ‘he’? What did he do to ‘them’?

Intrigue 5: Accusation: Maya breaks down at her father’s bedside and says ‘You drove me to him’. What did he drive her to?

Intrigue 6: Mystery: Why was Maya’s relationship with her own father rocky?

Hidden Layer: She became Richardson’s mistress in high school because of her father’s poverty.

ACT 2 TURNING POINT 1: Maya’s father dies.

ACT 2:

Intriguing World:

Intrigue: Jacob and Eddie are talking about being unable to find ‘him’ yet. Who is he?

Mystery: Why is Eddie in Virginia, asking for Latham? Who is Latham?

Secret: Eddie meets Latham secretively and asks if he has the documents. What documents?

Deception: Why does Jacob ask Hanson to wait until the blood flows to buy? What is he buying?

Conspiracy: Derek meets Vaughan and passes pricing documents to him. Why?

Secret Identity:

Wound:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Layer: Jacob plotted the IPO breakdown.

Strange Behavior: Derek is using a burner phone to make a secret call from Viktor’s office. Who is he talking to?

Accusation:

Act 2 Turning Point 2: The DriveNXT IPO is massacred after documents are released about safety concerns.

Intrigue 1: Intrigue: Jacob and Eddie are talking about being unable to find ‘him’ yet. Who is he?

Intrigue 2: Strange Behavior: Derek is using a burner phone to make a secret call from Viktor’s office. Who is he talking to?

Intrigue 3: Mystery: Why is Eddie in Virginia, asking for Latham? Who is Latham?

Intrigue 4: Conspiracy: Derek meets Vaughan and passes pricing documents to him. Why?

Intrigue 5: Secret: Eddie meets Latham secretively and asks if he has the documents. What documents?

Intrigue 6: Deception: Why does Jacob ask Hanson to wait until the blood flows to buy? What is he buying?

Hidden Layer: Jacob plotted the IPO breakdown.

ACT 2 TURNING POINT 2: Maya’s father dies. She calls Viktor and wants him to come over, but he’s dealing with the IPO failure and cannot.

ACT 3:

Intriguing World:

Intrigue: Why does Jason drive to Brooklyn and then to the ocean in LI?

Mystery: Jason tells Viktor that Jacob may know about Brooklyn. What is in Brooklyn?

Secret: Viktor asks Jason if it can be tied to them in any way. What is ‘it’?

Deception: Jason calls Holland and identifies himself as Matthew. Why? And what lease is he talking about giving up?

Conspiracy: Jason calls someone and promises to pay them !000 if they rent a fishing boat and leave it tied up at a isolated spot. Why?

Secret Identity:

Wound:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Layer:

Strange Behavior:

Accusation:

Act 3 Turning Point: Claire Logan is missing. The police question Viktor as he had a dinner appointment with her before she went missing.

Intrigue 1: Conspiracy: Jason calls someone and promises to pay them !000 if they rent a fishing boat and leave it tied up at an isolated spot. Why?

Intrigue 2: Jason drives to Brooklyn and then to the ocean, where he goes fishing with large bag.

Intrigue 3: Deception: Jason calls Holland and identifies himself as Matthew. Why? And what lease is he talking about giving up?

Intrigue 4: Mystery: Jason tells Viktor that Jacob may know about Brooklyn. What is in Brooklyn?

Intrigue 5: Secret: Viktor asks Jason if it can be tied to them in any way. What is ‘it’?

Intrigue 6:

Hidden Layer: Viktor is connected to Claire’s disappearance.

ACT 3 TURNING POINT: Claire Logan is missing. The police question Viktor as he had a dinner appointment with her before she went missing.

ACT 4:

Intriguing World:

Intrigue: Viktor gets a text that says ‘2.30 pm.’ From who?

Mystery: There is press at Maya’s father’s funeral. Who called them?

Secret:

Deception: Tara turns Viktor away when he tries to apologize to Maya. Later, he asks Jason if he passed on the message. What message was he supposed to pass on? To who?

Conspiracy:

Secret Identity:

Wound:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Layer:

Strange Behavior: Maya tells Jacob she’d really like for him to attend the funeral and that she hasn’t invited Viktor. Why? It’s the same date and time as Viktor received. What’s going on?

Accusation:

Act 4 Turning Point: Viktor hits Maya.

Intrigue 1: Intrigue: Viktor gets a text with a date and time. From who?

Intrigue 2: Strange Behavior: Maya tells Jacob she’d really like for him to attend the funeral and that she hasn’t invited Viktor. Why? It’s the same date and time as Viktor received. What’s going on?

Intrigue 3: Deception: Tara turns Viktor away when he tries to apologize to Maya. Later, he asks Jason if he passed on the message. What message was he supposed to pass on? To who?

Intrigue 4: Mystery: There is press at Maya’s father’s funeral. Maya tries to figure out who called them. Who called them? Why?

Hidden Layer:

ACT 4 TURNING POINT: Viktor gets into an argument with Maya and Jacob at the funeral and ends up slapping Maya. The press laps it up and it is all over the news. Maya decides to leave Viktor.

ACT 5:

Intriguing World:

Intrigue: Jacob asks Eddie where he is. Where who is?

Mystery: Why is Maya packing?

Secret:

Deception:

Conspiracy:

Secret Identity:

Wound: Jacob tells Viktor that Maya is coming away with him. Why? Viktor’s rage is triggered.

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Layer:

Strange Behavior:

Accusation:

Act 4 Turning Point: Jacob and Viktor face-off.

Intrigue 1: Intrigue: Jacob asks Eddie where he is. Where who is?

Intrigue 2: Mystery: Why is Maya packing?

Intrigue 3: Wound: Jacob tells Viktor that Maya is coming away with him. Why? Viktor’s rage is triggered.

ACT 5 TURNING POINT: Jacob comes to see Viktor at his boxing ring and reveals that he triggered the meltdown in Viktor’s life as revenge for the Richardson deal collapse, which he was financing. HE leaves with the promise that there’s more to come.

LOCK IN:

Intrigue: Viktor gets a text ‘He knows’. Who is it from?

Mystery:

Secret:

Deception:

Conspiracy: Jacob shows Maya photographs of Claire Logan with Viktor, driving to Brooklyn and entering a building with him.

Secret Identity:

Wound: Jacob tells Viktor that Maya is coming away with him. Why? Viktor’s rage is triggered.

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Layer:

Strange Behavior:

Accusation: