Day 8 Assignments

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Mysteries (Assignment 1 only, #2 posted later)

Assignment 1 Module 1, Lesson 8 Creating Mystery

What I learned from assignment 1 is how beautifully clear, rational, layered (and ironic) the plot is for “Handmaid’s Tale”.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Instant mystery

Opening scene – Shocking event

Mother, father, child being pursued by sirens

· Who is chasing them?

· What is the purpose for chasing them?

· Where in the world is this set?

· When is this set?

· How did this situation come about?

· Why is this particular family being chased and separated?

Over time mystery

· Who are the groups that perpetuated this society (and who resists them)?

· What do the leaders hope to accomplish?

· Where do they want to take this society?

· When will a resistance form?

· How will June and others escape this, find her stolen child, reunite with husband?

· Why is this society attractive to its adherents?

June’s hidden past

· broke up a marriage to get her current partner

· was apathetic about political situation

· has activist/feminist mother she may have ‘let down’ by marrying and having traditional family

· current situation covering up June’s rage

Shocking ongoing events

· is raped routinely as a handmaid

· eventually finds true love in a hostile situation

Cover up

A. Cover up presented as reality

· the ceremony is ‘legalized rape, given a biblically-based cover

· June plays up to rapist/commander in order to expose regime, learns secrets to destroy it

B. Secret: Intriguing past event or secret is hidden.

· the commander’s wife was an architect of the society that now represses her (also a reveal)

· the chauffeur is really an ‘eye’ for the regime (also a reveal)

C. Reveals: We discover small bits over time. Clues are presented over time that challenge the “reality.”

· Chauffeur will betray/lie to regime to help save June.

· Commander will betray regime values/visit city for prostitutes to bed June in sexier way

· Marthas are architects of resistance

· Commander’s wife will challenge regime in small ways and pay the price

· Commander’s wife will betray commander

· Other commanders will betray regime

[Stuart Voytilla]

Stuart’s Show Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is that my mystery is still a bit of a mystery but becoming more realized. As a character, Hop-Frog is similar to Francis Underwood (House of Cards); he wants revenge and the audience sees that actively progress over the course of the show. We know his ‘why’ and we’re engaged in the ‘how’ it will play out. Rather than focusing on Hop-Frog for the show’s mystery, I’m finding the deeper mystery through the show’s antagonish, Goplik, within the shocking event/cover up.

Assignment 1:

American Horror Story’s Mysteries:

Shocking Mystery: The murder of the twins and the mystery of “what” resides in the basement of Murder House.

Over time mystery: What is the mystery of Murder House? What do they need from the Harmons? And why does “it” (the house evil, Nora) need Vivien’s babies? And what does Tate need from Violet?

Assignment 2:

Hop-Frog’s Mysteries:

The Shocking Event Mystery

Shocking Event: King Goplik’s army crashes Trippetta’s debutante’s party and massacres the people of Lavinia, abducts the princess.

Secret 1: King Goplik has murdered the Lavinian royal family and has taken in the future princess as a gift to negotiate alliance with Balog. (A cover-up: this is a ploy to disarm Balog, and usurp them).

Secret 2: To keep peace with Brattvia, the King of Lavinia allowed King Goplik’s army to imprison a rebel suspected of Raynor’s disappearance/death. MC demands their gift, the prisoner. But the King of Lavinia never expected this would be turned into a blood-bath and abduction of the princess.

Investigation:

In pilot we can see:

WHO: King Goplik’s army – the King’s Master of Ceremonies leading the party crashing.

WHAT: Goplik’s horrific practical joke becomes a massacre; Goplik’s MC/Army secures the rebel-prisoner and abducts the princess.

WHEN: A debutante’s ball, the formal announcement of engagement between Princess and Brann.

WHERE: The Royal Palace

HOW: Crashing a fairy tale party to enforce power and instill terror.

Part Withheld:

WHY: Goplik’s want to terrorize and control; to imprison/silence a rebel, leader of resistance, to control the resistance. To use the imprisoned Princess to control Balog.

The Over-Time Mystery

Cover up: After the disappearance/death of King Raynor, his young brother King Goplik is determined to uproot those responsible. His intelligence confirms Lavinia’s complicity, and will use them as an example to all who might be involved with Raynor’s disappearance.

Secret: King Goplik conspired with Raynor’s Queen to get rid of King Raynor to take the throne. He needs to destroy the growing resistance (which supports Princess Syrelle as true ruler) and squelch rumors that King Raynor still lives.

Reveals:

WHAT: Raynor’s disappearance/death. His remains are buried in the castle’s crypt.

WHEN: two years ago.

WHERE: Raynor was journeying in the northern lands.

Part Withheld:

WHO: Goplik and queen plotted the disappearance/murder of Raynor.

WHY: Raynor was seeking alliances; the Queen/Goplik sought control and power, not allegiance.

HOW: Goplik fuels distrust of neighboring countries, promoting conspiracy in the death of Raynor. Goplik/Queen set up the murder, but can’t confirm it was completed. Remains were delivered and buried.

The Over-Time Mystery 2

Cover up: A foreign ship wrecks on the shores of Balog – in the northern territories. And the ship’s crew are plague victims – humans transformed into were-beasts. All were killed and the remains of King Raynor were returned to Brattvia.

Secret: King Raynor may not have died, but escaped and now terrorizes the northern country as a were-beast seeking revenge upon his brother and Queen.

Reveals:

As Hop-Frog serves in the court he soon finds out….

WHO: Raynor’s fate. Remains have been buried. Dead or still alive. If alive, gathering an army of were-beasts for vengeance upon Goplik/Queen?

WHAT: remains are sealed in the crypt? Whose? And confirmation of cause of death?

WHEN: two years ago.

WHERE: Raynor’s death was in the northern territories, north of Balog. His remains are in the crypt.

Part Withheld:

WHY: Is there truth behind the plague/were-beasts? A conspiracy fueled by Balog? By the resistance to place Princess Syrelle on the throne? And/or by Hop-Frog to manipulate and terrorize King Goplik?

HOW: How did Raynor die? Has he died? Is Raynor preparing to take back the throne?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Mysteries Assignment 2

What I learned from doing this exercise-the difference between secrets and withheld information feels a little confusing to me. I also was confused because although the assignment is fairly clearly stated at the end, there are ‘extra’ questions embedded in the examples which are different enough (even though they overlap with assignment questions) that they took me in a bunch of different directions which were hard to capture using the original questions. Sigh. I may actually have generated more than I need…

Oversoul

A. Shocking Event:

Oversoul can’t become enlightened angel without reviewing past lives (again) even though it thinks it’s already reviewed and healed them.

B. Secret

Who is Oversoul and why can’t it stop reincarnating as a human?

C. Investigation

Audience is set up to search for regrets of Oversoul’s past lives. Oversoul doesn’t know the answer to the what or how questions, but thinks it understands the other questions. Over time we find Oversoul may not understand as much as it thinks it does.

· Who are the past lives that have regrets?

· What are the regrets?

· Where did the past lives occur?

· When are these past lives?

· How will the regrets be purged?

Over Time Mystery-Part Withheld (Shocking events under the surface)

· Oversoul’s inability to jump from one life to another (because it wouldn’t learn the skills involved) forces it to do complete life reviews of each life.

· the idea that Oversoul could’ve left behind human existence immediately after its life as the Celt gladiator, bypassing many additional lives

· Ways in which other lives deviated from the blueprint Oversoul devised

· the discovery of other past lives Oversoul was unaware of that are still influencing it

· That Oversoul’s forgotten/avoiding living lives that it already set up for itself

· Oversoul doesn’t realize its past lives’ regrets are tied into its own regrets-Oversoul blames itself for not setting up a better blueprint.

· Oversoul ignores the earlier gods/goddesses/divinities and those minor/outdated divinities must be worked with/honored for their contributions in order for Oversoul to progress.

· the knowledge that those Oversoul tortured in one life had been its friends and colleagues in other lives

· Places Oversoul lost control of events, almost gave up

· Past lives (and specific events) it’s ashamed of

· That other souls Oversoul touched in various past lives and its future lives are trying to reach Oversoul to ask for and to extend forgiveness and aid

· the offer by another higher entity to end Oversoul’s human reincarnation by ending Oversoul’s examination of past lives, leaving its past lives unhealed

· the reveal that the ‘higher entity’ is a projection and also part of Oversoul

What could the main character’s current situation be covering up?

· its sense of inadequacy to transcend human life

Ultimate reveals

· Animal companion knows both more and less than Oversoul hopes and fears

· Oversoul’s mystery could be that it’s part of a group of Oversouls who are supposed to be working together and Oversoul has forgotten and blocked them out and they’re trying to reach Oversoul (through the Animal Companion?)

· Oversoul must overcome its despair when it learns it could’ve ‘gone home’/’become an angel’ at any point

· Oversoul must overcome its own regret about its past lives’ regrets and ‘own’ those regrets as its own.

· Oversoul must change its perception of its past lives and see them as colleagues (particularly the writer life), not just as pawn pieces with annoying free will (hint: sometimes the past lives have great insights on other past lives…)

· Oversoul learns healing an issue in one life promotes healing of the same issue in other lives

· Oversoul must ultimately love all parts of itself before all parts agree that they’ve experienced everything that human life can offer before they ‘transcend’

Celt (the first life)

What
events from the main character’s past could be hidden?

A. Shocking Event

Celt’s shocking events that disrupt his reality

· Romans arrive

· bargain with god Taranis resulting in ‘volunteering’ to go with Romans to save village

· murder of Piran (Tyran’s twin)

· castigation by fellow Celts for learning Latin

· attempted self-mutilation of tongue

B. Secrets:

· Celt can see and speak with divinities.

· What Romans really want Celts for (slavery)

· Sirius manipulates Celt into learning Latin (collaborating) to ensure docility of other Celt-slaves

· Munerium indictio means no justice for wronged slaves or their families

· Celt girls are raped by soldiers

C. Investigation:

· Audience knows who Taranis is (god of thunder, violence)

· What does Taranis require from Celt when Taranis says he wants to be the primary influence in Celt’s life?

· When does Celt have to ‘pay’? (Audience assumes going with the Romans NOW is part of Celt’s ‘when’.)

· Where? Celt goes to Rome

· How? Celt walks with Romans to ships.

· Parts Withheld:

Celt’ hidden past life/parts withheld

· times he shared psychic impressions and was ridiculed

· times he let down his father

· times he was jealous of his best friend

· time he was babysitting a sister and he lost track of her and she died

· times he was beaten up by Rudhek

Over Time Mystery

A. Cover up

· Other Celt divinities don’t like Taranis’ bargain, think it’s unfair to Celt

· Taranis doesn’t care where Celt uses violence, whether it’s as a soldier or a gladiator

· Celt resents Tyran for losing his one chance at freedom, forgets Tyran, feels freer when Tyran isn’t with him (but feels guilty when he realizes this)

B. Secret

· Celt could’ve been adopted by the people he assumes are his parents, but really is the child of psychic mother and father who were killed by Romans, and he’s never been told

· Celt could’ve stayed with village, would’ve made no difference to village’s ultimate survival/ safety

C. Reveals

· Who really has power over Celt?

· What are Celt’s most important and useful talents? What is Celt’s purpose once he’s protected his village? What will he be required to do by Taranis?

· Where will he live? Will he ever get to return home?

· When will he be free of Taranis and the gods’ influence? When will he come into his own?

· Why are the Celtic and Roman gods so interested in Celt?

· How will Celt use his gifts? How will he integrate into Roman society? How will Tyran be part of his life?

Long reveal (part of Oversoul/Writer’s reveal)

o Celt’s bargain with gods may have been a psychological projection to justify going with Romans.

Parts withheld

· Celt must discover/create a purpose for himself that gives his life meaning, once he realizes he can’t/won’t leave Rome.

· Celt must find way to adjust from matriarchal to patriarchal society

· Celt will be faced with decision to become a bestiarus (animal killer in colosseum) or gladiator (human fighter)

· Celt will have to find way to sidestep being permanent bestiarus

· Celt eventually capitulates/adopts certain Roman values, but hates himself for it

· Celt vows not to sire children who might become Roman slaves, but circumstances make him a reluctant father

· Handicapped/injured older Celt will have to decide how he wants to end his life-in the ring, or on a farm with his daughter

· Celt’s enslaved adult daughter will become a Christian, challenging Celt’s own views

· Dakarai’s son may be the gladiator who takes Celt out

[Linda Anderson]

Linda Anderson’s Show Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is this is an area I need to do a lot more work on.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Series: The Religious Gemstones

Big Picture Mysteries:

Why is Jessie’s wife so oblivious or feigning to be?

Why is Gideon so hateful to his family?

Why does Gideon stay subjugated to the blackmailer?

Will Uncle Billy get revenge on Eli for stealing Ami from him?

Will Judy get and keep Eli’s acceptance?

Smaller Mysteries:

Why are the siblings, especially Judy so angry?

Why is Gideon amused when Jessie one-ups the blackmailer?

Will Uncle Billy and Judy make a successful team?

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.

1. Shocking Event Mystery.

A. Shocking Event: Louise is so distraught over the rejection of her memoir that she rides her bicycle into an oncoming car driven by her neighbor, Derrick

B. Secret: Louise feels she’s actually been rejected for having a too bland and boring life. She suspects this is true and it fuels her mid-life crisis.

C. Investigation: Derrick rushes Louise to the emergency room and is trying to figure out why she ran into his car.

WWWWW and How:

Who: Louise and Derrick are condo neighbors with a shared wall.

What: Louise is chasing Derrick’s car because

When: After Louise receives the outlandishly snarky rejection letter from NY editor, Candice.

Where: The street outside their condo.

Parts Withheld: Louise is in a fit of anger and motivated to confront Derrick over being such a raucous and selfish person.

2. Over Time Mystery.

A. Cover up: Louise befriends Derrick so she can steal his life and write a new (highly successful) memoir under his assumed name.

B. Secret: Louise’s daughter, Jan, suspects her mother has an ulterior motive for suddenly befriending Derrick and joining him at clown school in order to have a less boring life.

C. Reveals:

*The secret reason Candice rejects Louise’s memoir is that it reminds her about her own failed life story.

*Derrick has been lying to Louise and telling her details of his crime-boss father’s life rather than his own.

*Derrick was responsible for driving drunk in an accident that killed his sister. His father won’t speak to him.

*Derrick is still sneaking drinks.

*Louise becomes aware that she has talents and skills that she thought made her life boring but are vital to her, Jan, and Derrick’s survival.

* Jan thinks she’s blackmailing Louise into sharing the book’s advance, but Louise has already started a special savings account with the book’s earnings to give to Jan.

D. WWWWW and How:

Who: Candice is the New York editor who rejected Louise’s manuscript for not being able to help her reach the goal of editing a hot bestselling book.

What: Mark is on the payroll of a major crime syndicate threatened by incriminating details in Derrick’s memoir that he stole from his crime-boss father who is in a witness protection program.

When: After Louise sends Derrick’s book to Candice.

Where: Derrick, Louise, and Jan’s Midwest condo, Candice’s New York office, Mark’s Washington, DC FBI office.

How: Derrick takes Louise and Jan with him when the book’s promotion comes out.

Parts Withheld: Candice convinced the head of marketing to fast-track Louise/Derrick’s book on the best-seller track which will result in massive publicity and major danger for Derrick, Louise, Jan, and Derrick’s father.

[Wendy Weising]

Wendy Weising’s Show Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is that the more assignments I do, the more the plot is filled in.

Lesson #8, Assignment #1

Wendy Weising

Lost

The Shocking Events

A plane crashes on an island

Before pilot dies, he says that they are hundreds of miles off course, so no one knows how to find them.

They kill a polar bear on the tropical island.

They hear something big and ominous in the woods. It’s tearing down tries, and it ate the pilot.

Someone knocks Sayid out just as he has gotten a signal on the transceiver

Sahid tortures Sawyer to get needed medication from his stash.

Over Time Mysteries

Why is Sawyer so mean to everyone, and why does he push everyone away?

Revealed in Episode 8: His mother slept with another man, and as a result, his entire family died except for him. The man’s name was Sawyer. In his hunt for Sawyer, he has become him.

A recording is playing somewhere on the island of a distress call. It has been playing for years. Who recorded it? Where is this person?

What is the creature that thunders through the woods? What does it look like? What does it want? Where does it live on the island?

Are there other people on the island? The people in the tail section of the plane landed somewhere else. Where are they? Did they survive? Was the smoke from their section of the plane? Has someone else been living on the island?

Locke was a paraplegic man before the plane crash. After the crash, he stood up, and he has been walking ever since then.

What did Kate do that made her a convict?

Why is Jin so jealous? Why was Sun going to leave him?

Why is a polar bear on a tropical island? Are there other weird animals or even people on the island?

Why does Jack keep seeing his father on the island? His father was on the plane, but he was dead in a coffin. The coffin was empty. Does this mean his father is alive? If the island can heal a man’s legs, can it also bring someone back to life?

Lesson #8, Assignment #2

1. Shocking Event Mystery

A. Shocking Event: Jayne is on speakerphone with her husband. They make plans to leave kids with grandparents and drive down the coast in his new convertible. He asks her to check the mail box at the end of the driveway. She opens the mailbox to find a note that says, “Goodbye, Bitch.” Just then, a yellow convertible Mustang plows into her, and everything does dark.

B. Secret: Who was driving the mustang? Why did they want to kill her?

C. Investigation: The audience will wonder if her husband was involved. They will wonder why he might kill her.

What: A car hits Jayne in front of her mailbox.

When: On an ordinary day in the present

Where: In front of their mailbox

Part Withheld:

Who: Jayne’s husband is driving the car

Why: He is a bully and is afraid that she is getting ready to leave him and take the kids with her.

How: He lures her into the street and hits her while going fast.

2. Over Time Mystery

A. Cover up: Jayne wakes up in a hospital. Being worried about her kids, she asks about them. She is told by the medical staff that she doesn’t have a family, that she’s single, and that she tried to end her own life.

B. Secret: The hospital is not a human one. The staff are aliens. The patients are not getting better, but their brains are being mined for a chemical that the aliens need to survive.

C. Reveals: Two patients begin to reveal that the hospital isn’t real and that they are no longer on Earth. They tell her that the staff are aliens who look like humans but that they are taking chemicals out of living patients’ brains to consume and survive. They confirm that the staff is lying to her. Her memories are true. They think that the children are being kept in another facility. Jayne decides to escape the hospital and go to find them.

What: Jayne wakes up in a hospital and is told that her memories aren’t correct. She isn’t who she thinks she is. Some of the patients have been there awhile but are in comas. There is no way out of the hospital.

When: Five years after Jayne’s accident. She has been in a coma that long.

Part Withheld:

Who: The aliens created the facility that looks like a hospital.

Where: They are on the planet Kine.

How: The aliens took over Earth, abducted most of the human race,and placed them in facilities where they could mine the chemical from their brains.

[Ben Ather]

Subject line: Ben’s Show Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is I worried about the things I shouldn’t right now. I thought of coming up with mystery type 1 that wouldn’t be a cliché or use as a teaser, or can be answered through out the entire season when I should focus solely on creating mysteries. I also had difficulty with using Hal’s way of creating cover up versus the cover up I had come up with for my show, creating more layers. But I have realized I shouldn’t worry about any of that and create mysteries, which is what Hal wanted me to do.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the mysteries that have been created in that show. Also, notice the difference between the big picture mysteries that are a big part of the plot across the entire season versus the smaller mysteries.

Tell us about the mysteries from this show.

MYSTERY TYPE 1: WHAT HAPPENED THAT CUASED MICHAEL TO ROB A BANK JUST TO GET CAUGHT.

A. Shocking Event: Michael robs the bank just to get caught.

B. Secret: Michael’s brother, Lincoln, is setup and on a death row.

C. Investigation: Veronica and Nick are investigating to uncover who setup Lincoln.

WHO: Michael.

WHAT: Robbing a bank.

WHEN: Happening now.

WHERE: Savings Bank.

WHY: Michael wants to go to prison to break out his brother.

HOW: Michael tattooed the plan on his entire body.

PART WITHHELD:

Everything is revealed by the end of the pilot. This and the way the writers deal with mysteries in The 100 helped me come to a decision when I was making things difficult for myself.

MYSTERY TYPE 2: WHO KILLED THE VICE PRESIDENT’S BROTHER AND WHY.

A. Cover up: Lincoln killed the Vice President’s brother.

B. Secret: Who set Lincoln up and why?

C. Reveals: In a flashback, Lincoln swore to Michael that he didn’t kill the Vice President’s

brother. And that he was setup. Michael himself did his own investigation, but it led to nowhere.

WHAT: Lincoln killed the Vice President’s brother.

WHEN: Three years ago.

WHERE: In the garage.

WHY: Lincoln has a grudge with the Vice President’s brother.

HOW: Lincoln shot the Vice President’s brother in his car.

PART WITHHELD:

WHO: Who setup Lincoln and why?

SMALLER MYSTERIES

Sue Parsons, woman pretending to be a reporter, visits Lincoln in the prison and threatens him with his son’s life.

Michael and Lincoln’s father abandoned them.

Charles Westmoreland finds his Cat dead in his cell.

The person who stole the evidence tape Veronica hid new exactly where to find it when only Veronica and Nick knew where she hid it.

Veronica and LJ’s mother have past relationship with Lincoln.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.

1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

MYSTERY TYPE 1: RIFT IN THE SKY

A. Shocking Event: A rift appears in the sky, sucking the land and everything into it.

B. Secret: Terra created the rift to deceive people that their world is dying and

teaching magic to pretty ones will repair the rift.

C. Investigation: Audiences have been set up to investigate what the rift is.

WHAT: A rift held by giant chains and sucking light.

WHERE: In the sky.

PARTS WITHHELD:

WHO: Eldore (Terra) created the rift.

WHEN: Created a day ago.

WHY: To deceive people that their world is dying and teaching magic to pretty ones

will repair the rift

HOW: To hide the truth.

2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

MYSTERY TYPE 2: MAGIC IS TAUGHT TO PRETTY ONES

A. Cover up: Terra created the rift to deceive people that their world is dying and

teaching magic to pretty ones will repair the rift.

B. Secret: Terra is harnessing pretty ones magic to increase his magical powers.

C. Reveals: Rain finds her birth father, Eucher, and discovers that Eucher abandoned her

because she’s ugly to learn magic and bring pride to the family. Later, when Rain decides

to learn magic and wants her adopted father’s help. He refuses because there is a rule that

magic is taught to pretty ones and she will get executed.

WHO: Skai Ruse (Terra) introduced the rule.

WHEN: Introduced 800 years ago.

WHERE: Affinity Academy.

PART WITHHELD:

WHAT: To increase Terra’s magical powers.

WHY: Terra wants to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world.

HOW: Terra harnesses the magic with Mystic Mountain Affinity Academy sits on and convert it into his own power.

[Timothy Barley]

Tim Barley’s Show Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is that there are a lot more mysteries to unravel and that this assignment got me thinking a lot more than the others so far.

Assignment #1:

The Walking Dead Mysteries:

Shocking Mystery: the zombie apocalypse – what happened and how to survive it every day

Over time Mystery: there are other groups out there, distrusting and looking to survive also. Can they find the CDC and a cure? Who has been bitten and may be hiding it? The eternal search for safety. Personality conflicts.

Assignment #2:

Shocking event mystery: Alex’s father dies and suddenly he has a “power,” drawing all manner of people to him.

Secret 1: who is Alex really?

Investigation: in the pilot, after his father’s death, we see that he can create things, but there might be a “cost.”

Who: Alex

Where: the world behind the world

When: an eons old manipulation of evolution

Part withheld:

Why: to create one centralized person who has all the power that then can be accessed

What: what he is?

How: can he do what he does?

The Over-Time mystery: what is this new world that Alex has suddenly been thrust into?

Cover Up: the power in the world around us and humanity’s evolution

Secret: that the world is actually made up of people who have access to power to change the world

Who: Alex is part of a system of ancient Houses

What: Houses are part of an unseen organization pushing humanity to evolve before someone comes back to look for that power

Part Withheld:

When: how long this has been going on

Why: why has this been going on?

How: can Alex figure out his power and avoid those that want it for themselves

[Avi K]

Avi Kapurala’s Show Mysteries

Lesson 8: Inviting Obsession Through Mystery

What I learned through doing this lesson: It’s important to figure out what the immediate vs. long term mysteries are and prevent them from overlapping too much.

Assignment 1: Mr. Robot

Assignment 2

1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

A. Shocking Event: Maya dies in
the hospital after a car crash. Aman, who is also in the hospital, dreams
of her being smothered to death.

B. Secret: Did she die due to injuries,
or did someone kill her?

C. Investigation: The police
investigate the crash and Maya’s death.

WHAT: Maya dies after a car
crash while driving back from a party with Aman; WHEN: Same night; WHERE: in
the hospital.
Part Withheld: WHO did it? Aman
is the one who kills her in the hospital; WHY did they do it? Because she
has stumbled upon a huge secret of his; HOW: Aman orchestrated the
accident by hiring a junkie driver, then kills the driver after the crash,
fakes his injuries. When he sees Maya isn’t dead, he successfully kills
her in the hospital by smothering her.

· Ultimate Reveal: Maya is killed by someone.

· Ultimate Reveal 2: The accident is orchestrated.

2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

Mystery 2: Who is Aman? Why was Maya killed?

A. Cover up: Aman is presented
as a victim of the same accident that killed his wife, Maya.

B. Secret: He killed Maya.

C. Reveals:

WHO: Aman.

WHAT: killed Maya.

WHEN: night of the accident.

WHERE: In the hospital. Also the accident was orchestrated.

Part Withheld:

WHY: Because she’s close to figuring out his secret. He’s a serial killer who has killed many women earlier.

HOW: She had hired a private detective to dig up his past, after she finds a box of creepy memorabilia with photos.

[Laurie Brown]

(Laurie Brown’s) Show Mysteries

What I learned from doing this assignment is that categorizing these two mysteries in this way really determines how the show MUST be written. If there is a secret not to be revealed until the end, then it must be covered up from the audience.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

The mysteries from Queen’s Gambit Episode Four are:

In the first episode, QB loses her mother, goes into an orphanage and befriends a chess player, them gets adopted. In the second episode, she bonds with her mother and starts competing with men who would just as soon keep her out.

A. Shocking Event: IN first episode she wakes up late, apparently hung-over, drinks booze and takes pills and goes into a tournament with a Russian chess master in a very important tournament.

B. Secret: Whom is the girl playing chess? Who is the woman in bed that she looks at while she secretly takes the pills?

C. Investigation: The audience has been set up to search for who she is.

WHAT: Beth wants to master chess as a way out of her dire situation.

WHEN: For the last 10 years.

WHERE: In a world controlled by others – controlling women and misogynist

men.

Missing before final episodes:

WHY: She was so driven to win.

WHO: will she become in the journey to win?

HOW: How will she overcome her addiction to stay the course?

Ultimate Reveal: Her mom committed suicide and tried to kill her.
Ultimate Reveal 2: We discover that not only did she take her own life but wanted

to take her child’s.

MYSTERY 2: QUEEN’S GAMBIT

Beth, who seems to be driven to play chess really what?

A. Cover up: Beth is presented as an addict, but not as a victim. She breaks into the pill jar, steals from her mom. It enables her to visualize the chess moves.

B. Secret: She has a gift none of the other of them has.

C. Reveals: It starts with hiding it under her tongue, then stealing from the jar, then stealing from her mom, then drinking.

WHO: The mom crashed the car.

WHAT: the

WHEN: In her childhood.

WHERE: In some small town off the road.

Missing:

WHY: We don’t know why?

HOW: How does Chess provide the meaning of life? Chess turns out to be a

metaphor for Beth being worthwhile. It represents the missing piece that people are searching for in their lives. It requires a journey inward. It causes the search for meaning.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.

1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

A. Shocking Event: A woman in uniform is being interrogated about an illicit affair.

B. Secret: Who is the woman and what is the affair?

C. Investigation:

Who – a woman in her mid thirty’s in military uniform

What – some kind of court proceeding where she is being questioned

Where – Washington DC

Why – Part withheld

When – 1960’s

How – Justice system

Part Withheld: Why was she in court? What did she do?

2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld. Who is the woman and what is the affair?

A. Cover up: Jo and Bette are lovers. Covered up even to the audience until the end.

B. Secret: Jo is gay, a secret even to herself.

C. Reveals:

Who – is Jo? Who is out to get Bette and why? What is the secret of the

antagonist and why is that motivating her to undo Bette? Who is doing Jo in?

What – What is this really all about?

Where – In the army and army rules. Reveal – life in the army and why

things were a secret. Reveal all the secrets of the other characters slowly and

why where they were (the army) drove them to lie and cover-up.

Why – Why was Jo determined to go to the top in an army that didn’t even

allow the women to join? Reveal – her father. Her really wanting to not have

the responsibility of a family and husband.

When – 1960’s – 2000

How: By playing by the rules.

Part Withheld: Who Jo really is. Unbeknownst to even herself.

[P.G. Sundling]

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the mysteries that have been created in that show. Also, notice the difference between the big picture mysteries that are a big part of the plot across the entire season versus the smaller mysteries.

Tell us about the mysteries from this show.

Episode level

Shocking event mysteries

Sayid finds a cable on the beach. He finds a tripwire, but still sets of a trap.

Sayid finds the woman who created the distress signal. She captures and tortures him. She asks where is Alex? At the end of the episode we find out Alex was her son. The other group are scientists from a destroyed ship/

Over time mystery

Who are the Carriers of sickness? What is the Black Rock? Where are the people she hears whispering? Sayid hears the whispers when he leaves.

Season level

Plane crashes with the tail and cockpit missing. How did they survive? Where are they? The pilot reveals they are a thousand miles off course. Rescuers aren’t coming.

There is a polar bear on a tropical island. That doesn’t fit.

Locke was paralyzed, but on this island, he can walk.

Over time mystery

There is a distress signal that’s been repeating for 16 years. They aren’t the first to end up on the island. Someone knocked out Sayid when he tried to track down the signal. Who was already on the island and why are they working against the plane survivors.

Sayid tortures Sawyer to get information, breaking a promise. He leaves camp to explore the island. What will he find?

There are boars on this island, but there is also a much larger invisible creature tall enough to kill the pilot and place his mangled corpse at the top of a tall tree.

Kate is a convict, what did she do?

What did Jin-Soo do while he was working for Sun-Hwa’s father?

The corpse of Jake’s dad was missing from his casket. Jack has been seeing his father in the jungle. Could his father be alive?

Deadline: 24 hours

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.

1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

Season 1.0

None and MJ lose control of their company.

A. Shocking Event: One of the richest men in the world steals control of a billion dollar software company with a shady contract.

B. Secret: None was involved in coming up with the idea that sparked the company sale, but was so horrified by it that he begged Renquist not to use the idea and blocked out the memory.

C. Investigation: How can None get his company back? There are multiple ways in the contract and they will be blocked one by one. In the end, only ending up in a coma from an assassination attempt finally works.

WWWWW and How:

WHO: Renquist

WHAT: stole the company Adaptive Unlimited and became the world’s first trillionaire.

WHEN: Right as season starts

WHERE: Renquist reveals his control in None’s office, which he has taken over.

WHY: To make billions of dollars.

Part Withheld:

HOW: The job auctions aren’t for new jobs. People are bidding on their own jobs. They always make sure there are more people than jobs to drive wages down. Adaptive Unlimited gets bonuses when wages are lowered.

Season 1.5

A kill switch can disable American military technologies.

A. Shocking Event: President MJ will have to don powered armor and invade a Kombinat base in Russia.

B. Secret: Renquist used a kill switch to destroy a drone, when MJ tried to kill him with an illegal drone strike.

C. Investigation: Renquist makes a deal with MJ to pardon him for treason in return for his help. He provides the intel they need.

WWWWW and How:

WHO: Renquist gave Kombinat the kill switch to save his own life.

WHEN: a few months after the White House attacks.

WHERE: An arctic Kombinat base in an icy landscape.

HOW: Using submarines they sneak into Russia to retrieve then destroy the kill switch.

Part Withheld:

WHAT: The kill switch must not stay in Russian hands.Despite their deal, Renquist has another kill switch which is required to stop a nuclear war.

WHY: Renquist planned to use the kill switch to disable American weapons that fell into the wrong hands. He had to give up the device in return for his life. He’s helping to drop he treason charges.

2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.

Season 1.0

When MJ makes surveillance tapes of Renquist at a secret meeting, she puts anyone who helps her into danger. She must unravel the mystery before they find the last copy of the tapes and kill her.

A. Cover up: The conspiracy breaks into MJ’s apartment looking for the recordings.

B. Secret: Zelda is a Russian spy who swore to kill MJ with her katana.

C. Reveals: burglars in MJ’s apartment. She stabs one of them with her katana. Police take her katana. The people MJ gave copies to were murdered. Zelda is a spy. Zelda has the katana. Zelda will try to murder her with the same katana that she used to kill her partner. Fernando was interrogated. Trenchcoat man is not Renquist’s henchman, but the leader of a Russian cabal. MJ was drugged. Secret Service agents work for the Russian cabal and attack the White House to kill MJ.

WWWWW and How:

WHAT: A secret meeting must stay secret.

WHEN: MJ copies the tapes at the beginning of pilot.

WHERE: MJ makes copies in her office and mails them out.

HOW: She makes surveillance tapes because she doesn’t trust Renquist, but stumbles on a secret meeting.

Part Withheld:

WHO: Renquist was making a weapons deal with Kombinat, a Russian cabal. Trenchcoat man is a Russian oligarch, not Renquist’s henchman.

WHY: Russians betting big on bank bailout to pay for weapons deal. This is actually a ruse on Renquist’s part, who wants to help Kombinat take over Russia and then disable their weapons with his kill switch.

Season 1.5

China begins construction on a land bridge to invade Taiwan. Will the U.S. risk war with China to defend Taiwan?

A. Cover up: During military exercises multiple ships run aground in the South China Sea. There have been changes to the sea floor.

B. Secret: The AI behind many Chinese military advances becomes dangerous.

C. Reveals: The Chinese are building a land bridge to Taiwan to prepare for invasion. Changes to topology is why ships ran aground. America has a new missile defense. New military technologies get revealed quicker and quicker. It becomes obvious the designs are mostly AI driven. America’s land-based nukes will launch and have to be stopped to avoid nuclear war. The AI wages tricks a singularity cult to weaken AI safeguards. Someone or something is murdering AI, which turns out to be the Chinese AI. None’s plane was almost shot down. It wasn’t lucky, but the Chinese AI trying to change None’s plans.

WWWWW and How:

WHO: China

WHAT: China prepares to invade Taiwan

WHEN: construction began before MJ invaded Russia.

WHERE: South China Sea

HOW: Literally moving mountains, moving the dirt into the ocean. The AI also continues to advance military technology to support China’s invasion plans.

Part Withheld:

WHY: Much of the military escalations are driven by the Chinese AI. It’s intricate plans involve taking total control of the planet.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by  P.G. Sundling.