Module 1 – Lesson 4: Layers of Character Intrigue

[Brett Born]

Assignment #1 – AHS Intriguing Character Layers

First three episodes of AHS…

Hidden Agendas: Hayden pretends that she is over her feelings for Ben so that he will come out to Boston and help her during the abortion. Real Estate agent only reveals one story from the history of Murder House and hides its dark history.

Competition: Violet must confront Leah, the school bully. Ben and Tate compete for Violet’s approval.

Conspiracy: Ben and Burnt Man murder and bury Hayden. Violet and Tate hatch a plot to scare Leah. Bianca, Fiona, and Dallas invade the Murder House and take Viv and Violet hostage with the intent to re-enact a double homicide from the 60’s.

Secrets: Hayden is pregnant with Ben’s child. We don’t know who the father of Viv’s baby is. Ben stays in contact with Hayden after telling Viv that the affair is over. Constance killed Moira. Violet cuts herself. The original tenant, Charles Montgomery, used to perform abortions inside the house and would conduct experiments with the remains.

Deception: Ben lies to Viv about needing to visit a former client in crisis so that he can travel to Boston to be with Hayden. Moira drugs Ben with an opiate. Many of the characters who interact with the Harmons are ghosts.

Wound: Viv gives birth to a stillborn. Ben has an affair with one of his students.

Secret Identity: Who is Latex Man? Who is the monster baby?

After watching the fourth episode of AHS…

Hidden Agendas: Chad and Patrick want the Harmon’s to leave Murder House. Tate wants to win favor with Ben so that he can be with Violet.

Competition: Tate is in competition with Ben for his daughter. Chad and Patrick want the Harmons out of Murder House and vice versa. Constance and Addie compete for the attention of Travis. Chad and Patrick are in a power struggle within their relationship.

Conspiracy: Tate and Violet hide their time together from her parents. Ben and Viv work with the realtor to make Murder House more appealing so they can sell it to an unsuspecting buyer.

Secrets: Patrick propositions Ben for sex. Something is very wrong with Viv’s pregnancy and the baby’s development. Latex Man murdered Chad.

Deception: Chad and Patrick pretend to be the house fluffers hired by the realtor. Tate uses Halloween to give the appearance that he’s alive because spirits can move freely about the Earth on Halloween.

Wound: Moira feels guilt over her mom’s suffering in the nursing home, and Moira can’t leave with her mom in death. Addie is victim to a hit and run, and Constance fails to get Addie’s body back to the Murder House before she dies so that her spirit will remain trapped there. The Montgomery’s baby is abducted and murdered.

Secret Identity: The House Fluffers are really the previous owners, Chad and Patrick. Addie trick-or-treats in her pretty girl costume. Latex Man continues to be a mystery. Monster baby is the resurrected Montgomery baby.

[Keema Mingo]

<font size=”2″>ASSIGNMENT 1:</font>

1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes.

Role: Olivia Pope: political fixer<div>

Hidden agendas: publicly humiliate the President for having an affair

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Competition: She competing with Cyrus and the President
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Conspiracies: to help Amanda reveal her secrets about the President
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Secrets: She slept with the President. Her team doesn’t know, just Cyrus.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Deception: keeping the secret about her affair with the President. She is now fighting for the woman the President slept with and is lying about how far she will go to protect her client and defame the President
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Wound: Betrayed by the President bc he slept with an Aide
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Secret Identity: Mistress which requires dishonesty and the lies will hurt her integrity with her team and clients

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Role: Cyrus Beam
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Hidden agendas: manipulate the President into thinking Olivia is against him so he can get the President to forget about her
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Competition: He is competing with Olivia and her team
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Conspiracies: He and the President want to discredit Olivia and silence Amanda
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Secrets: He has called a group of investigators to find out everything about Olivia and her team
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Deception: he lied to the President about Olivia’s motives and goal to get the President from wanting to see her. He has convinced the President that she is their enemy now
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Wound: the President tells him everything but didn’t tell him about the affair with Olivia. He’s also hurt that Olivia won’t come back so the President can be his happy self again
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Secret Identity: Liar, vengeful manipulator

2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see more episodes.

Role: Pope and Associates
Hidden agendas: help a dictator’s wife escape the marriage
Competition: they are competing with the dictator for the physical possession of his wife
Conspiracies: figure out how to help the wife escape
Secrets: where to hide the wife. How to defend Amanda against the President and Cyrus
Deception: her team lied about not talking to the dictator’s wife after finding her. Olivia lied about taking Amanda to 20/20 to tell her story
Wound: Betrayed by the President bc he slept with an Aide
Secret Identity: Mistress which requires dishonesty and the lies will hurt her integrity with her team and clients

<font size=”2″>ASSIGNMENT 2</font>

What I learned doing this assignment is that characters have a deep layers and each layer has a specific purpose that drives them to do what they do

1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.

Character Name: The MayorRole: Mayor of the City
Hidden agendas: she’s using her position and influence with policy to avenge the city’s black population whose land was stolen by the elite, local politicians and their developer friends. It includes land stolen from her own family
Competition: power and influence. Her inexperience and forthright activism causes many to question her ability. She is working to overcome the influence the former mayor still has with some city council members and other leaders who like him. She is also fighting to be seen by her family as more than a community activist or puppet of her father.
Conspiracies: Her cousin (her campaign manager), father and older sister are helping her to strategize how to change policies, reveal the illegal and immoral practices that those people used to steal black people’s land
Secrets: she secretly hates her father for how hard he is on her, how he had caused division amongst her siblings with his tough personal and professional tactics and how his actions cost her mother her own career. She believes he did deceptive things to expand his wealth. If she reveals what they are, it would risk her family’s wealth and legacy in the community.
Deception: she lied to the public about putting their needs first; she lied to her diverse team, making them believe she is helping everyone bc her goal is to help those specific black people get their land back; she’s lying to city council when she supports or rejects policies bc her decisions are always based upon her next move to get their land back
Wound: she has a burn mark on her arm from when her grandfather’s house was bombed and they had to flee for their lives. She wants to avenge his pain and all of his losses: mental, physical and financial. They were instantly in poverty and had to rebuild from the ground up with no land, no insurance money, no real help. This traumatic incident led her to being an activist and getting into politics to right the wrong done to them and others like them. This makes her driven with blinders on, slow to trust others, strategic with every move.
Secret Identity: Activist with selfish ambitions. Her own agenda will slowly reveal itself as she makes decisions and policies that aren’t representative of the promises she made during campaigning
</div>

[Brett Born]

Assignment #2 – Devil’s 8 Intriguing Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is that you have to be mindful that you don’t give your supporting characters so much intrigue that they become more interesting than your main characters. It can be the difference between making a good show and a great show, ie AHS vs Breaking Bad.

Gregg Engell

Role: Unassuming Pastor who uncovers a dangerous cult and risks everything to stop it.

Hidden Agendas: Get back ex-wife, who has since remarried.

Competition: Gregg wants to expose Adam, the cult leader. Mareesha. Poe.

Conspiracies: Gregg and Mareesha infiltrate the cult. Stages an attack on his own church to frame Adam.

Secrets: Gregg was a satanist, directly responsible for death of his sister, Gregg was the product of an affair… never knew his real mother.

Deception: His ex-wife, Mareesha, the Priest, Adam, his parishioners

Wound: Older sister died when he was young. Daughter went missing and deemed a runaway. Unwanted divorce.

Secret Identity: Saint

Sandra Poe

Role: Special agent assigned to investigate ritual killing

Hidden Agendas: Investigating Gregg… he has a history

Competition: Gregg, Adam, Sheriff

Conspiracies: Works with Mareesha to gain favor with Gregg

Secrets: Once used a young girl’s special abilities to advance her own career

Deception: Gregg, Priest, Sheriff

Wound: Lost her son when he was little

Secret Identity: Martyr

Mareesha

Role: Teen who helps Gregg keep his center

Hidden Agendas: Kill the person or persons responsible for her father’s death

Competition: Gregg as a father figure, Adam for revenge, Priest scares her, she doesn’t trust Poe

Conspiracies: With Gregg to take down Adam, with Adam to take down Gregg

Secrets: She’s pregnant

Deception: Gregg, Adam, Priest, Poe

Wound: Loss of her parents

Secret Identity: Daughter of Cassandra, the clairvoyant

Adam

Role: Leader of a dangerous religious group

Hidden Agendas: Create an army of followers for personal gain and power

Competition: Wants Gregg dead, Conflict with Poe, Wants to harness Mareesha’s abilities, Priest

Conspiracies: With Mareesha so he can trap and kill Gregg. With Jess Rutschi to murder Mareesha’s father

Secrets: He has a son. Adam doesn’t want his son to know him because he doesn’t want his son to become like him.

Deception: Everyone

Wound: Forsaken by God

Secret Identity: Fallen Angel