Lesson 8

[Jeremy Cooke]

Jerry’s Show Mysteries
What I learned doing this assignment is that listing out the WWWWW&H allows you to pace the reveals until a suitable point in the story by planting McGuffins.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

GoT e1s1
A. COVER UP: Cerci and Jamie Lannister pushed Bran off the wall
B. SECRET: To hide their incestuous affair
C. REVEALS:

• WHEN: When King Robert was visiting Winterfell
• WHERE: The old tower
• HOW: Pushed him off while climbing to view the Royal procession

Missing

• WHO: Cerci and Jamie Lannister
• WHAT: Pushed Bran off the wall
• WHY: To hide their incestuous affair

ASSIGNMENT 2:
The Lighthouse Keepers Wife

1. Shocking Event Mystery

A. Shocking Event: The Cook smothers the helpless Charlie while he lies unconscious
B. Secret: The Cook and the Doctor have colluded in Charlie’s murder
C. Investigation:

• WHO: The Cook
• WHAT: Murdered Charlie
• WHEN: After Charlie has been injured in an accident
• WHY: Carlie knew what the Doctor was doing in the laboratory
• WHERE: In his sickbed
• HOW: By smothering him with a pillow

Part Withheld: Nil

2. Over Time Mystery:

A. Cover up: The Doctor is respected for his good works and betrothed to the beautiful daughter of one of the local leading lights.
B. Secret: He is experimenting with the remains of stillborn children.
C. Reveals: Charlie is the first one to see the full horror of the Doctor’s laboratory and we later learn the Cook has been helping him for years.

• WHO: The Doctor
• WHEN: After Dinner
• WHERE: In a hidden room of his house

Part Withheld:

• WHAT: Reanimating the dead
• WHY: To revenge himself on those who expelled him from university
• HOW: Normal methods

[Lloyd Shellenberger]

Lloyd Shellenberger Module 1 – Lesson 8: Inviting Obsession Through Mystery

Vision Working Hard every day to become the best writer I can be and as a result I do become the best writer in Hollywood.

What I learned doing this assignment is the pacing and length of time for the reveals helps draw out the mystery and draw your viewers in even more.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Breaking Bad
A. COVER UP: When Walter and Jesse kill the drug dealers, they are approached by drug lords who are willing to bankroll him. Their new-found wealth must remain hidden.

B. SECRET: Walter and Jesse must hide their new secret identities as drug lords for their family and friends.

C. REVEALS: Walter reveals the side of him we never knew existed. He is well suited to handle the people he is in business with.

WHEN: 3^rd Episode

WHERE: The offices where he meets another drug lord who wants to steal his product and kill him

HOW: By detonating an explosive he hid with the meth.

1. Shocking Event Mystery

A. Shocking Event: When Walter blows up the drug lords offices.
B. Secret: Walter smuggled in the explosives as a last ditch fail safe.
C. Investigation: His own brother-in-law, an FBI Agent, investigates the killing but he doesn’t associate Walter with it.

WHO: Walter White

WHAT: Murdered drug Lords

WHEN: After they called him to make a deal then tried to kill him

WHY: The meth Walter cooks is the purest they have ever seen they want it.

WHERE: In Walter’s hometown in a warehouse.

HOW: By setting off an explosive made to look like crystal meth.

Part Withheld: The investigation and theories lead to a new Drug Lord but nobody knows who it is.

2. Over Time Mystery:

A. Cover up: Walter and Jesse never reveal they are the new kingpins.

B. Secret: Both Walter and Jesse hide their activities from everyone, but the lies eventually unravel.
C. Reveals: We see as time goes on that Walter and Jesse are not well matched, as the series goes on Jesse comes to despise him and regret his involvement.

· WHO: Walter and his wife

· WHEN: During a phone call.

· WHERE: In the dining room of his house

Part Withheld:

· WHAT: That he was manufacturing drugs not buying pot

· WHY: To make it appear as though he was not involved with anything as bad as meth production.

· HOW: Buy cooking in an R.V. and always moving his operation around. By appearing to fumigate houses, Walter brings his mobile meth labs to the house for several days and makes product.

ASSIGNMENT 2: Benjamin Greene

A. Shocking Event: Col. Greene is
setup by his Commanding General Mosely to die in Afghanistan. <div>

B. Secret: General Mosely is the
secret drug Lord Col. Greene is ordered to find and stop him. Col. Greene
doesn’t know it is him.

C. Investigation: Upon finding questionable
resource allocation and odd working hours at a warehouse at Ft. Bragg, Col.
Greene plants a mole that gives him intel.

Who: General Mosely, Commander
Logistics SOC. Ft. Bragg, NC, Col. Greene Commander Special Operations
unit

What: Military resources are used
to smuggle Heroin and opium from Afghanistan to the United States. Third
Act of pilot, Part 1

When: The pilot after Col. Greene
survives ambush, he returns to Ft. Bragg and realizes the betrayal is from
within and in the third act discovers who it was.

Where: Fort Bragg, NC Logistics warehouse
located on the main post controlled by the Commanding General.

Why: The network has become
highly profitable and lucrative. The drug distribution must be ended by
the Puzzle works and Col. Greene before anyone catches wind of it, it must
also look like an accident.

How: Col. Greene and his men use
a warehouse fire to kill the drug smuggling crew and their General as well
as destroying the evidence. Col. Greene and his crew pocket the black bag
money.

Part Withheld: Part 2 shows Col.
Greene and his men taking the money and drugs for future use. They are
planning to use these resources elsewhere to draw out the civilian kingpins
as well. This is despite the fact they have no authority there.

2. The Over Time Mystery for Benjamin Greene

A. Cover up: The fire at the
warehouse covers up the military’s involvement. Col. Greene and his crew
must now present themselves as drug lords to draw out General Mosely’s
civilian associates.</div>

B. Secret: Col. Greene and his
men are enticing drug buyers to buy their stolen product. Col. Greene and
his men appear to have gone into the drug business.

C. Reveals: It was a ruse to draw
out the network. When the deal goes down Col. Greene and men kill the crew
and steal their money. They set it up to appear to be a rival drug lord.

Who: Col Greene and his crew vs.
The local drug dealers in Fayetteville, NC
What: The fencing of the product
and setting up of the local drug lords is designed to eliminate any
potential witnesses to the military’s involvement.

When: This happens in Part 2 of
the season opener. 1^st and 2^nd acts,
Where: It takes place on the
streets of Fayetteville, NC and back-alley locations and buildings.

Why: The puzzle works was clear,
no one left alive to testify or implicate the military. Col. Greene does find
an odd friend in the local police chief.

How: By isolating and planting evidence,
blowing up their meth factories and planting subtle clues Col. Greene and
his men are not suspected by the FBI initially. The police Chief offers
top cover but is he really?

Part Withheld: Col Greene and his
men are being surveilled by the police chief who wants some kind of
protection if it all goes bad.

[CJ Lyons]

CJ’s Show’s Mysteries:

What I learned doing this assignment was the importance of understanding the villains’ goals and motivations so that any mystery made sense logically once revealed to the audience.

Also the importance of pacing the reveals and cliff hangers to keep the audience hooked.

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

A. Shocking Event: ER doctor resuscitating gunshot nun, holding the nun’s heart in her hands, “hears” the nun’s voice in her head commanding her to “find the girl, save the girl”

B. Secret: this is the second time the doctor has somehow communicated with patients close to death and it’s freaking her out—there’s something seriously wrong with her, but she has no idea what… then she learns the girl is real and is in danger

C. Investigation: the doctor partners with the girl’s father and a police detective to search the catacombs beneath the hospital but stumble instead onto a serial killer’s lair

WWWWW and How:

WHO: missing girl, Esme

WHEN: tonight

WHERE: church between the hospital and a housing project

HOW: she was taken by whoever shot the nun

Part Withheld: WHY was she taken, WHO took her, WHAT happened to her

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

A. Cover up: serial killer is pharm/doc paid by cabal to use adulterated flu shots to create new Fatal Insomnia powered kids AND he’s stolen the cabal’s formula to create new pain drug by experimenting on women he kidnaps, tortures (to test drug) and kills

B. Secret: cabal behind it all is run by doctor’s biological mother

C. Season One Reveals: killer’s victims being experimented on, missing kids tied to doctor’s own symptoms, Fatal Insomnia diagnosis, and finally that someone is behind killer and somehow related to doctor

WWWWW and How:

WHO: killer revealed

WHAT: experimenting

WHEN: recent

WHERE: catacombs below hospital

WHY: to create new billion dollar drug and save his company (also sadistic sociopath)

HOW: preying on housing project residents

Part Withheld (for future seasons): WHO is behind killer, WHO is behind kids’ and doctor’s Fatal Insomnia, WHAT do they want, HOW did they transmit the Fatal Insomnia, WHY did they do it, HOW will they react to killer being caught and potential exposure?

[hilton Garrett]

Hilton Garrett, Show Mysteries

What I learned – Mysteries are engaging; how to create and embed a mystery

PART 1, Breaking Bad mysteries

There are many small mysteries, and the overall bigger mysteries such as what is Walt’s underlying frame of mind as he confronts the cancer, the deceit he promulgates, how to pay for his treatment (once he decides to take treatment), what will become of his cancer (and his family), and will he pursue making meth?

Walt hides his meth activities from his family and we wonder how he can continue to deceive his brother-in-law DEA agent

What is Walt’s past association with Elliot?

Why are they no longer in business together?

What is Walt’s past association with Gretchen

How is Walt going to pay for his treatment?

Can Jesse produce meth at Walt’s level of quality?

Can Walt and Jesse work together?

PART 2, My Show

Shocking Event Mystery –

Shocking Event – The car runs off the bridge and Will’s parents die

Secret – If it was not an accident, then what caused the wreck?

Investigation – Will seeks to learn what really caused the wreck

WHO – Will’s mother and father are killed

WHAT was she doing – driving home from the picnic

WHEN – on a peaceful Saturday afternoon

WHERE – on the bridge just before arriving at home

HOW – Will’s mother drove their car off the bridge

PART WITHHELD – Why did she drive off the bridge?

WHO caused the fireball?

WHY – Why would someone do that?

Over Time Mystery –

COVER UP – Will is presented as a man who has gone on to achieve success in his career but is secretly haunted by the accident, and is ashamed of being an orphan

SECRET – Someone caused the wreck, not his mother who was driving the car

REVEALS – Martaan’s letter and subsequent story; Millie’s reveals: the deed, Rountree’s obsession with Will’s mother; Rountree’s confession to the “ghost”

WHO – An unknown person caused the wreck

WHAT – The wreck killed Will’s parents

WHEN – on a peaceful Saturday afternoon

WHERE – in the river under the bridge

HOW- evidence of a fireball on the bridge emerges

PART WITHHELD – why would someone do that? And who was it?

[C Holmes]

test

[Mary Guinane]

Mary’s Show – My PS – Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s okay to delay spilling everything to the audience and to interrupt scenes to extend the intrigue.

Mysteries from Riverdale

· Why did Jason want to leave Riverdale?

· Why was he afraid his parents would try to stop him?

· Why did Cheryl lie about what she knew?

· Who wanted Jason dead?

· What did Jason do to Polly?

· Who held Jason captive before his death?

· How will Archie telling that he heard the gun shot affect Ms. Grundy and their relationship?

· Is the football team’s playbook part of the reason Jason was killed? What’s in the book?

· Betty has a very dark side, but dark enough to be a murderer?

· With the scout knowing Ms. Grundy was at the river, will she and Archie’s be found out?

My PS – Mysteries

1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery

A. Shocking Event: Lizzy knows information about a crime and enters the witness protection program to stay safe.

B. Secret: Can’t tell anyone in her new city that she’s in the program.

C. Investigation: Audience will need to figure out that she’s living a lie in her new city and will want to know what the truth that she’s hiding.

WWWWW and How: Who is Lizzy really? What is she hiding? When did the crime happen that set her new life in motion? Why is she lying about her identity? How will her old values and new city clash?

Part Withheld: Who is Lizzy really? What did she witness?

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

A. Cover up: Lizzy is relying on her witness protection contact to help her cover up her past so she can’t be found. Her contact advises her on what lies to tell, even though they go against her values.

B. Secret: Lizzy’s past life must be kept secret to be sure she isn’t found by whomever she’s testifying against.

C. Reveals: Flashbacks to Lizzy’s past can reveal what she knows in pieces. Her slip-ups while trying to live her new identity can be caught by different characters who eventually put those pieces together.

WWWWW and How: Who – is Lizzy being hidden from? What- does she know that no one else does about the crime? When – did it happen, and will she have to go back and testify any further? Where – did Lizzy’s past life happen? How – did Lizzy get entangled in the crime and is she completely innocent?

Part Withheld: What is the crucial piece of
information that Lizzy knows? How was Lizzy involved in the crime?

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – Show Mysteries

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
I had thought about this topic prior to the lesson, but I just didn’t think long enough about it. I really learned that this is more-less the goal of my main character, Jim Brown and will most likely be the driving force of my show. I need to give it a whole lot more thought but I feel as though I am heading in the right direction now.

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.

RIVERDALE

THE “SHOCKING EVENT” MYSTERY

Shocking Event: Jason Blossom was presumed dead from drowning in Episode #1 only to be found very much dead in Episode #2 with a bullet in the forehead. Now, the question is who did it and why?

Secret: We learn over the next several episodes, Jason faked his drowning and was to call his sister, Cheryl, in a month when he was in a safe location. We discover that his girlfriend, Polly, was pregnant and that they secretly got engaged. Polly was to meet Jason at a secret location where their car was parked loaded to go.

Jughead’s dad, FP Jones, has Jason’s Letterman Jacket in his closet, he is also a member of the Southside Serpents, a biker’s gang known for “riff-raff”. What does FP Jones know and was he involved with Jason’s death?

Investigation: The police start an investigation into the killing of Jason and everyone in town is a suspect.

Betty and Jughead want to help Polly who is in a facility, Sisters of Quiet Mercy. They soon learn about Polly and Jason’s relationship and plans. Betty and Jughead start their own investigation which leads them to Polly/Jason’s getaway car. They go to the police to report the car. The car is set on fire before the police can get there. Jughead is a suspect.

THE “OVERTIME” MYSTERY

Cover up: Episode #1 – Cheryl lying about Jason’s whereabouts and claiming he drowned. Episode #7 – Betty and Jughead discover Jason’s getaway car and report it to the police but when they arrive the car is on fire. Episode #8 – FP Jones has Jason’s Letterman Jacket and gives it to Fangs, a member of the Serpents.

Who burned the getaway car after Betty/Jughead discovered its whereabouts?
Why does FP have Jason’s jacket?
How did FP get Jason’s Jacket when it was in the car prior to it being burned?

Secrets: Jason was involved in a drug deal. Jason and Polly had broken-up but when they discovered they were pregnant they got engaged and planned on eloping.

Who was all involved in the drug deal other than Jason?
Where did Jason/Polly plan on eloping to?

Reveals: Grandma Blossom predicts Polly is pregnant with twins. Polly goes to live with the Blossoms instead of her own parents’ house. FP knows something about Jason’s drug deal.

Is FP involved with Jason’s death?
Does he know who did it?

There is a second MYSTERY to the show other than Jason’s Death and that is the DRIVE-IN THEATER PROPERTY.

Veronica’s dad, Hiram Lodge, has bought the property. Cliff Blossom has an interest in the property. Fred Andrews has been hired to do construction on the property. Moose Mason, a high school student/construction worker was assaulted at the construction site and equipment was vandalized.

Why does Harim need to keep it secret that he is the buyer of the Drive-In?
What is it about this property that suddenly everyone is so interested in it?
Who is vandalizing/sabotaging Fred’s construction company?
What is Harim going to build there?
Why does Cliff Blossom want it so badly?

ASSIGNMENT 2

FORESIGHT – An Optometrist (Jim Brown) creates a pair of glasses from a crystal ball and he witnesses an attempted murder, now he must figure out when and how to stop it from happening.

THE “SHOCKING EVENT” MYSTERY
Shocking Event: Jim Brown and his mother, Joann, acknowledge his dad’s death but Jim has a “vision” of his dad present day still very much alive.

Secret: Jim’s dad, Eric, worked for the government in Ohio when Jim was a kid. A Fortune Teller at the carnival told Eric “Golden Opportunities await you” which Eric understood as “take the job offer presented in California.” Shortly after taking the job, Eric, mysteriously “died” though the body was never recovered.

Investigation: Now that Jim has the psychic glasses and he has “seen” his dad alive, Jim is determined to find out the truth and the whereabouts of his dad.

WWWWW and H:

WHO: Jim Brown
WHAT: The mysterious disappearance of his dad 30 years ago but Jim now “sees” his dad with his mom present day through the psychic glasses.
WHY: To reunite his parents and have closure.

Part Withheld:

WHEN: That is the question – Jim has no way of knowing when his “vision” takes place other then it’s in the future, he just knows his dad is alive.
WHERE: Starts locally and becomes much more elaborate throughout the season.
HOW: With the aid of the glasses and the help of Delores, his Office Manager, Jim is going to investigate where his dad is.

THE “OVER TIME” MYSTERY
Cover Up: Jim and Joann have been lied to by the government about Eric Brown’s disappearance/death. They claim no body was recoverable due to the situation involved.

Secret: Jim’s dad, Eric, worked for the government in Ohio when Jim was a kid. A Fortune Teller at the carnival told Eric “Golden Opportunities await you” which Eric understood as “take the job offer presented in California.” Shortly after taking the job, Eric, mysteriously “died” though the body was never recovered.

Reveals: Now that Jim has the psychic glasses and he has “seen” his dad alive, Jim is determined to find out the truth and the whereabouts of his dad.

WWWWW and H:

WHO: Eric Brown – Jim’s dad
WHAT: Working for the government on a special operation for the military; mysteriously disappears; no body recovered
WHEN: 30 years ago

Part Withheld:
WHY: Top secret weapon involving laser optics
WHERE: Secret facility in Los Angeles and then Bakersfield
HOW: Unknown

[John Duvall]

John Duvall’s Show Mysteries

“What I learned doing this assignment is…” the importance of secrets and reveals in creating dramatic conflicts between characters.

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: THE “SHOCKING EVENT” MYSTERY

A. Shocking Event:

A. Shocking event: Fred takes Offred to sex party. She sneaks out on Fred; will she try to escape? Go find Moira?

B. Secret: Fred’s
wife is out of town.
C. Reveal: Potential
danger if this violation is discovered.

MYSTERY TYPE 2: THE “OVER TIME” MYSTERY

A. Coverup: Will Nick and June be able to conceal their affair?

B. Secret: How did Nick get his position as “eye?

Was the hanged woman the previous Offred?

C. Reveals: Is Fred under threat?

D. Withheld: What will happen between June and Nick?

ASSIGNMENT 2:

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

General Comment:

My script is a character-driven drama, so intrigue in the story is not essentially driven by “shocking events” or even “over time” mysteries. There are some secrets, but they exist at a more subtle level of character and character conflicts.

MYSTERY TYPE 1: THE “SHOCKING EVENT” MYSTERY

A. Shocking
Event: The most shocking reversals in my pilot are the decisions by Jacob
Woolf and Orsa Combs to enlist in the military, throwing their marriages
into chaos. Jacob’s job is threatened and Orsa is forced to lose his farm.

B. Secrets: Due
to anti-semitic prejudice at Ford, Jacob Woolf must hide his Jewish
religious affiliation, lest he risk being fired.

Carolyn Woolf hides her increasing alcoholism as Jacob’s pressures at work become overwhelming.

Melba hides her desire to become a singer, while husband Lou uses his musical production work as an excuse not to return to Ford.

Part Withheld: Both
Jacob and Orsa hide the pressures they are under from their wives.

· MYSTERY TYPE 2: THE “OVER TIME” MYSTERY

A. Cover up: Carolyn
increases hides her drinking problem until it becomes undeniable.

B. Secret: Rose
hides the fact that she hears nothing from Orsa after he enters the army.

C. Reveals:
Jacob is demoted at Ford, prompting his decision to join the Army Air Force

Part Withheld:
Rose’s aunt and uncle hide the price they’re paying for taking Rose in.
Rose hides her evangelical Christian faith when moving into the Woolf’s
Jewish household