Post Day 1 Assignment Here

[Meg Stout]

In preparation for this course, I watched the first episode of The Americans (then proceeded to watch all the episodes and seasons, in true binge fashion). Loved it, since I was romantically involved for a time with a fellow who had gone up against a Soviet GRU agent. Also, I’ve worked for government, so get the whole pre-internet secrets game. And much of the action was set in the DC/MD/VA area (aka DMV), which is my home turf.

Five Star Points

Show: The Americans

Big Picture Hooks

Big hook is that we have secret Soviet agents, posing as husband and wife with actual kids, who are willing to kill and die in DC living next to an FBI agent seeking Soviets

Amazing and Intriguing Character

Most intriguing is the female agent, who was raped by the Soviet defector they have captured. Both of the husband and wife have amazing skills at disguise and deception/seduction to obtain the information they need.

Empathy / Distress

She is pretending to be a happy wife, but the rape trauma makes her unable to accept her husband’s love. Meanwhile, her husband is deeply in love with the woman assigned to him as wife. Meanwhile, they have two children they adore who know nothing of what their parents are actually doing.

Layers / Open Loops

Will the FBI agent discover the defector? Will they survive? Where are the seductions leading? What will happen to their children?

Inviting Obsession

We want to know if the Soviets will be discovered, we want to know if the kids will be OK, we want to see the disguises and seductions, we want to know if the female agent will reciprocate her husband’s love, we want to know if the male agent will really defect, we want to know why the female agent is so devoted to the Soviet cause.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Meg Stout. Reason: Just checking out how editing works. Plus wanted to fix minor formatting and grammar

[Marcus Armstrong]

As a fan of vigilantes and antiheroes, I watched the first episode of Revenge (a show I watched many years ago, but never before filtered for its binge-worthiness). What I learned doing this assignment is that what I previously considered as just a compelling story and an unexplained desire to watch the entire season/series, has now been more clearly defined for me as a Binge Worthy show with the introduction of the Five Star Points.

Five Star Points

Big Picture Hooks

From the opening scene with the apparent flashforward murder of Emily Thorne’s fiancé Daniel Grayson, this episode was written to hook the viewer. The big picture hook is how one woman, whose father was framed for treason and sentenced to prison, where he was killed, thus stealing his life and her childhood, seeks revenge upon those involved in his betrayal.

Amazing and Intriguing Characters

Emily Thorne is actually the alias of the former Amanda Clarke, who was encouraged by her father to always forgive, yet she takes the opposite path. She is an enigma as in one breath she purchases a $10K fundraiser ticket and then in the next she asks her friend to go out for cheap margaritas. Her willingness to sabotage and expose the affair of Conrad Grayson and Lydia Davis by posing as room service to poison his soup shows her willingness to exact revenge at all costs.

Nolan Ross, an associate of Emily’s father, is nervous and eccentric, who obviously has feelings for Emily and desperately wants to please her.

The Graysons are a dysfunctional wealthy family whose matriarch Victoria was Emily’s father’s love interest and his chief betrayer. She is capable of anything, especially as revealed when she coldly and publicly exiles Lydia from the Hamptons. She is distrustful and very guarded about Emily and Daniel’s relationship as she gives a speech at the engagement party with references to “fire and ice” and “beginnings and endings.”

Empathy / Distress

The viewer empathizes with Emily/Amanda as she reads her father’s letter intended only in the event of his premature passing. One also feels empathy as she meets her close childhood friend, Jack Porter, who does not recognize her. Jack also still owns her childhood dog, Sammy, who recognizes Emily/Amanda, but she is forced to suppress her feelings for both her dog and Jack to stay on task.

Layers / Open Loops

The opening flashforward shooting (and presumed murder) is left open and unresolved as Jack, a down-to-earth good guy, is seen dragging Daniel’s body with a look of remorse and Emily quickly brushes sand off her hand before being approached at her engagement party. There is more to this sub-story not yet revealed.

Jack Porter’s family bar is about to be foreclosed so he cancels a sailing trip and sells his beloved boat, named after his childhood friend Amanda Clarke, to help save the bar. While we assume this does save the bar from foreclosure, the story is left open.

The contrast between the hard-working Porter family and the wealthy Grayson family as Declan Porter and Charlotte Grayson fall for each other is an intriguing storyline with potential conflict.

Inviting Obsession

When Victoria publicly humiliates Lydia, it is clear that this woman is capable of anything and we cannot wait to see who is next to be the target of her scorn. Similarly, Emily’s trap set for Lydia and the way the episode closes with Emily crossing off Lydia’s picture from a group photo makes the viewer eager to see who is the next victim to be crossed off from this pictorial vengeance “road map.”

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Marcus Armstrong. Reason: I needed to add what I learned from the assignment

[Marcus Armstrong]

Marcus Armstrong’s Show Idea

Catch and Release

Episodic vs Serial: Serial

Plot Line: A Pro on a Mission in a Bigger World

Q. What makes this show unique?

Rather than outright kill his targets, a vigilante offers his captured criminals a sporting chance by releasing them only to hunt them down again. If they have eluded capture for ten days, he will forever let them go.

Q. What is the unique World it is set in?

A rapidly deteriorating United States with minimal police protection and rampant lawlessness.

Q. What is the major transformational journey my hero is going on?

A naïve and truly nice guy loses everyone dear to him in one needless act of criminal cowardice. A Christian who has always staunchly followed the biblical principle of turning the other cheek, as opposed to seeking revenge, is conflicted between his sense of justice and his morals. He rationalizes that one way to reconcile this conflict is to give the targets a slim fighting chance of survival. He realizes the truth of two popular clichés: Nice guys do finish last and the earthly life is a testing place, not a resting place.

Q. Who is the main character of the show and what makes him highly proactive?

Nikolas Sutton, a former star athlete, was raised in a Christian home and has always put others before himself. One night while running an errand, he comes home to find his mom, dad, two brothers and sister have all been murdered. Left alone and with a locally defunded and grossly undermanned police department, he is overcome by a foreign feeling of rage. His inner conflict caused by his values leads him to draw on the one thing he knows quite well, the spirit of competition, by levying punishment vigilante style, but with the twist that if they have evaded capture for ten days, he will forever let them go.

Q. Having to do with this idea, what haven’t we seen?

Bringing a sense of sport into the vigilante world.

Engaging and highly proactive hero…

Relatable: A young man who has always done the right thing by putting others first, obeying the law and treating everyone with respect.

Motivation: Has lost everything and all justice is gone in the world.

…up against a major conflict…

External: Risk of his own death by “playing” with the criminals rather than just killing them.

Internal: Overwhelming sense of seeking justice vs. Christian value of not meeting a wrong with another wrong.

…goes on unique transformational journey…

Start: Nikolas is well-adjusted and well-mannered, a product of his Christian upbringing. He would never wrong anyone and would go out of his way to help others.

Challenge: Nikolas has never before been tempted by such overpowering carnal desires as his desire to seek vengeance for the needless and ruthless murder of his family. By toying with his targets, he risks his own demise.

Finish: Once he catches and kills three of the four murderers of his family, Nikolas is hooked on this new way to combine justice and sport and begins to seek out other criminals for his human hunting game.

Unique: Vigilante with a sense of sport.

…into an intriguing sub-world.

A virtually lawless society.

SHORT PITCH

Nikolas Sutton, former star athlete and devout Christian, who is conflicted by his moral compass when he considers seeking vengeance for the murder of his family in a virtually lawless society, gives his targets one last chance to survive.

As noted by others, there isn’t a specific forum location into which we should post our show concept so I am doing it here.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Marcus Armstrong.
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Marcus Armstrong.

[Renee Brown]

Hi Marcus,

Super cool concept. I want to watch this. Not sure if we are to comment yet, but want to capture this thought…

<font face=”inherit”> It would help me believe this naive and truly nice guy who never did anything wrong or considered hurting anyone could flip such a big switch if there were a seed of rebellion planted in his past. Something that this devastating loss triggers? He still clings to a thread of moral teachings with the last chance chase game, but his core </font>character<font face=”inherit”> blooms a </font>destructive<font face=”inherit”> flower planted so long ago? </font>

[Marcus Armstrong]

Thanks Renee. Great advice and I will reflect on that. I am honestly still figuring it out as I go as I came into this class as a grass seed (seriously, I had no clue what I was going to do).

[Renee Brown]

Totally!

And apologies for early comments. just a thought…. not sure when we are supposed to add responses thoughts and stuff on brainstorming. Gonna be a fun6 months! R

[David]

I looked at the TV show Firefly and used some of the next assignments to add to the conversation.

Firefly

1. Big Picture Hooks

The Captain is an ex-military soldier whose side lost the war and he does not recognize the treaty. He tries to survive outside of the world of the ruling Empire by carrying cargo in a ship named Firefly.

2. Intriguing Character(s)

Capt. Reynolds – Plot Line 2 and 3

PLOT LINE 4: A leader takes us into an uncharted world

Capt Reynolds doesn’t want to live in a world where the winning Evil Government Empire rules so he skirts society and tried to live in the outlaw world among thieves to make a living. Unfortunately, he has a moral code that constantly rubs up against the underworld’s lawless behavior and he is an outcast in both cultures.

Zoe and Walsh – PLOT LINE 2: Two pros go to war!

She knows Capt Reynolds the best and is his conscious and confidant. Loyal and capable warrior. Her husband Walsh is the FireFly Pilot.

Jayne – PLOT LINE 3: A pro on a mission in a bigger world

A warrior that is in it for the money and looks out for himself. More of a mercenary. We don’t know what his mission really is at the beginning.

Kaylee – PLOT LINE 1: An innocent on a mission in a strange world

She is the Engineer that joined the ship at the beginning of the pilot. She has never left her homeworld. This is an adventure. As opposed to the political, self-serving, or monetary reasons of all the other characters.

River and Simon –

Simon is the big brother of River – PLOT LINE 5: An outsider disrupts the current world – who hires the ship to smuggle his sister out of an Empire Hospital/Laboratory.

River – PLOT LINE 1: An innocent on a mission in a strange world who was kidnapped and used as an experiment because of her enormous intellectual talents/abilities. She is a prized possession of the Empire and they want her back.

Inara and Book

Inara – PLOT LINE 3: A pro on a mission in a bigger world – She is a consort that travels around the worlds. Being an escort is legal and highly revered by some as an artform. Like a geisha. She may be the equal of Capt. Reynolds in worldliness and intelligence. Mush more sophisticated and has made the most of her world that society has allowed her. Spiritual on a physical level.

Book – PLOTLINE 5: An outsider disrupts the current world – Joins along to find a new mission in life. The preacher becomes the spiritual advisor of the group.

3. Empathy / Distress

The Group is forced to live outside of the law because they do not recognize the evil government. But the people who live outside of the government’s control are dishonest. Furthermore, River has been kidnapped and experimented upon to serve the Empire’s power needs. She is chased by the Empire so they can recapture her. The crew of the FireFly is the last line of defense for her survival.

4 Open Loops

Will the crew of the FireFly ever find a resting place. A comfortable spot where nobody is trying to kill them. And they have enough food and fuel to survive.

5 Inviting Obsession

How will the Crew of the Firefly make money to survive without compromising their morality? What are each person’s deeper stories within the framework of the quest to survive? Will they be able to evade the Empire and not get killed by the troubled Universe?

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.

[Meg Stout]

Hi David,

I agree that Firefly is delightful, but it seems to me it wasn’t crafted as binge-worthy. This is particularly evident as the final episodes weren’t even aired in the proper order.

[David]

Probably true. I didn’t watch it in its first run but as a binge many years later after it was, unfortunately, canceled. Mostly I wanted to analyze the character makeup and the Sci-Fy aspect of the show.

Thank you for the feedback.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.

[David]

I see what you were saying. I just got the class materials. Computer glitch or whatever. I didn’t use one of the shows from the list. I just did Mr. Robot and posted my analysis. This is going to be a fun 6 months.

[doug Johnson]

Big Little Lies

WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS EXERCISE?

That David E. Kelley can use all the “tell don’t show” he wants and still have it work. His characters repeatedly verbalize themes, emotions, and plot elements but he still manages to keep it moving forward rather than let lack of action kill the momentum. There’s very little action, which makes a violent act (not the murder) in the final 10 minutes even more shocking.

The main thing that struck me with this show is how Kelley is fully able to create unlikable characters that warrant our empathy without making it feel inauthentic or convenient. He does it by making their unlikability a product of the very thing that makes them empathetic. It’s a cause and effect, and for that reason feels real. I also really noticed the effective use of kids as mirrors for adults, while still being fleshed out characters in their own right.

BIG PICTURE HOOKS

The setup of this show is well-worn territory. We start off with a flash-forward murder, not knowing who’s dead or who the murderer is. So, we’re left to spend the remainder of the episode trying to figure out the answers to both of those questions while being introduced to the story world and the characters who inhabit it, wondering which one of them is going to die and which one of them is going to kill. That world might be the biggest hook of this show, very rich and very beautiful Californians in a breathtaking setting (Monterey.) These are privileged people whose lives look perfect from the outside, so to see that those lives are anything but perfect is a bit of schadenfreude. We’ve also got non-linear storytelling throughout the episode in the form of a slew of police interview snippets from less privileged witnesses who serve as narrators, delivering character insights that border on gossip at times, but are juicy nonetheless, and add layer upon layer to our leads. The perfect façade has cracks and we already know it’s gonna end badly.

AMAZING AND INTRIGUING CHARACTER

These characters are intriguing right off the bat because as a culture we have a fascination with wealth and lifestyle that comes with it. We equate it with success and happiness to a large extent. But these rich, beautiful people are dealing with serious personal and emotional issues, and clearly want those layers to remain hidden. Each of the leads wears an emotional mask publicly, and some even privately. That’s a stressful existence. Now add the element of the group/community dynamic and it gets real complicated real fast. Everyone is judging everyone from the start, which can be a lot less painful than self-reflection.

EMPATHY/DISTRESS

This is definitely an ensemble cast, but Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is established as the primary POV in this episode. She’s basically introduced as a “Karen,” and David Kelley makes no attempt to make her likable at first. But he also slowly shows us her vulnerability, and by the end of the episode we absolutely feel empathy for her. She’s navigating the potential loss of her teen daughter to a younger, cooler step-mom, the loss of a theater production that could be an outlet for her feelings of emptiness, and her very clear regret that her life didn’t turn out the way she wanted is pretty universal. “She grew up wanting to be Betty Grable and grew up Betty Crocker” is how one witness puts it.

LAYERS/OPEN LOOPS

This pilot is just loaded with layers and open loops. Every major character is set up with mysteries and/or secrets. David Kelley uses police interviews, child characters as reflections, and glimpses into their daily seemingly perfect but sadly flawed lives to hint at those secrets and layers in a really effective way. Jane’s got some serious darkness in her past, brewing in the form of some dreams that give us absolutely nothing but mystery and dread. The primary open loop is in the title of the episode itself, “Someone’s Dead.” We don’t know who or why, and those answers are withheld to get us back for Episode 2.

INVITING OBSESSION

Every character is set up with mysteries and secrets that they want to keep hidden. The biggest mystery of course, is who will murder and who will be murdered. The police announce at a press conference that they don’t have suspects yet, but the simple fact that ALL the witnesses are talking about is our lead characters says otherwise. The episode denies us the answers we want, and we do want to see which one of these privileged moms breaks first.

[Emmanuel Sullivan]

What I learned doing this assignment is that characters need conflict or inner struggles to maintain audience engagement. In the drama, The Americans, the two main characters, must turn on and off their role, often at a moment’s notice, from KGB agent to an American parent. They also fight inner struggles from the past, modern life issues that arise and difficult outside contacts.

Five Star Points

Show – The Americans

Big Picture Hook

Two KGB agents move to America and live a suburban life as undercover spies.

Intriguing Character

Elizabeth and Phillip appear to be normal Americans living a suburban life, but as KGB agents, they stealthy do their mission for the homeland.

Empathy / Distress

Elizabeth was brutally raped by her superior in Russia. In America, it’s difficult for her to show true love. Phillip likes American life and is conflicted about giving up his KGB credentials.

Layers / Open Loops

How have Elizabeth and Phillip been so lucky to evade authorities for several years? How do their kids not know? Will Phillip continue to have desires to leave the KGB?

Inviting Obsession

Will Elizabeth and Phillip get caught now that an FBI agent lives across the street?

[Sherri Coffee]

Big Little Lies – 5 star model.

The big hook in the show: what is being investigated? How are the characters involved?

As each character is introduced, you see unique personalities in actions and words. Connecting the characters to the first day of school establishes a reason for them to interact. Each character has insecurities that are evident in the character

Main character Madeleine Martha McKenzie is very involved in other people’s lives described by her daughter as “active talker”.

She exhibits layers of feelings when confronted with ex-husband and his wife Bonnie on the first day of school. And your are left with the open loop and unanswered question, “what happened?”. She states a disdain for working women (Renata)and has a difficult relationship with her oldest daughter clouded by her jealousy of her relationship with Bonnie. Conflict with Renata. She is so friendly to Jane that it is suspect.

Jane – newcomer to the community and doesn’t really fit. Has a son without a relationship with the father. Open loop flashbacks of her in a dress, walking on the beach, and a mans’ shoe print in the sand add to the unanswered questions about Jane. She is open about not feeling comfortable with Madeleine and Celeste. You feel empathy because of her income disparity. And empathy for her and her son when he is accused of hurting Amabella. Establishes an open loop question, did he?

Celeste -very physically into her husband but calm demeanor. Empathy/distress when her husband grabs her arm and hurts her.

Renata – strong sense of self with ego, very defensive when daughter is hurt at school. Directive and confronts Ziggy directly. She is aware that she is not liked by the other Mothers. Conflict begins with Madeleine.

Bonnie – wants her daughter and Madeleine’s daughter to get to know each other. Open loop and intrigue, why don’t they know each other since they have the same father?

Small snippets of the investigation and the interviews adds to the “inviting obsession” as the witnesses make statements about Madeleine and Jane. The unanswered questions in the first show are 1) What happened at the event? 2) whose footprint is in the sand? 3) did Ziggy hurt Amabella.

The placement of flawed characters in a “picture perfect” environment and the end shots of each person awake in bed contributes to the intrigue.

What did I learn?

The Five Star Model was present throughout the first show. I was able to recognize the components in the overall story and identify how the empathy/distress and open loop model was used to connect you with each character. Layers and open loops were abundant enough to motivate you to watch the next show.

Sherri D. Coffee

[Donna Stockwell]

Jessica Jones – 5 Star Model

I watched Jessica Jones for two reasons… first, because, it has a female lead and, second, because I was hooked on the logline: “Following the tragic end of her brief superhero career, Jessica Jones tries to rebuild her life as a private investigator, dealing with cases involving people with remarkable abilities in New York City.” (Imdb.com) And the opening scene reminded me of the air of Casablanca “Of All The Gin Joints In All The Towns In All The World, She Walks Into Mine.”

What I learned while doing this assignment is how easy it is to find layers and layers within each scene and how each layer hangs onto each other.

Big Picture Hooks — What was her superhero ability, besides super strength? How did her superhero career end? Does she have other superhero ability(ies)? How does she interact with others with remarkable abilities and what are those remarkable abilities?

Amazing and Intriguing Character — Jessica seems to have two polar opposite personalities: totally together and then her PTSD comes in when she thinks of Kilgrave and she falls apart. A superhero with super physical strength, is plagued with weak inner strength at times. The first case in this first episode brings up clues to her career and the fallout. She reacts to every line of dialog and actions of other characters in one of these two personalities, revealing more of her complex character. Hogarth prefers to work with her instead of the DA’s new investigator, despite the fact she thinks Jessica is erratic and volatile… and imaginative to get the job done. She is disorganized in her apartment, which implies disorganized and sporadic in character. She is emotionally strong to watch and keep distant from her job, but she drinks to excess.

Empathy / Distress — female with self-esteem issues. her freelance career depends on a major client who is always keeping her on her toes; and she constantly has set-backs (weak inner strength) and reminders with her tasks for her job. She had a past love, Kilgrave?, that tore her apart, and now she is alone, and focussing more on her career. But she constantly tries to give herself self-love and encourage herself how important her sanity is, and that she has a line which will make her walk away from everything. Her acquaintances / colleagues remind her to stay above it all and do the right thing.

Layers / Open Loops — What was this past life that she is trying to bury? Who is Kilgrave, this man who controls women repeatedly, including Jessica? Why does remembering street names bring her back to the present.. and why did she try to tell the first victim about the street name consciousness? How and why did she start investigations agency and how did she get the DA to be a steady client? Are there more superpowers, other than physical strength, that she has? Why doesn’t she have any friends? Why is she at odds with the DA, her seemingly only client?

Inviting Obsession — How she got into her current situation (PI agency & single) and will she move on? Will Jessica confront her PTSD issues? Will she look for the control man, Kilgrave, and will she find him? Will the Kilgrave find her, and control her again? How far will Jessica go to use to superpowers to finish a job for the DA? What happened at Il Rosso Restaurant? What happens at every one-month anniversary for Kilgrave?

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Donna Stockwell. Reason: added title

[Joseph Eastburn]

What I learned doing this assignment was:

The Americans

1. Big Picture Hooks: Soviet Spies living in Suburban Washington DC, next door to an FBI agent. They have a top Soviet agent imprisoned in the trunk of their car when the fed moves in next door. The husband is ready to defect and the wife is a patriot. A lot of life and death conflict right off the bat.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character: Both the husband and the wife are intriguing because you see them as real parents with kids, and you see them perform operationally, taking the spy hostage, having sex with an enemy, chasing people through an alley, changing license plates. They are operatives in plain sight, posing as working dad, and homemaker mom. Different.

3. Empathy / Distress: The incredible stress that is on them creates empathy. Any moment they can be caught or found out by their kids, who don’t know! Or, by the Reagan anti-spy task force. They are in the open. And they have to use subterfuge even with their own kids. Every truth of their middle-class existence is a lie.

4. Layers / Open Loops: Will they defect? Will they be caught? Will their kids find out that they are Soviet spies? Will the next-door FBI Agent figure them out? Will the wife leave the husband? He seems to love her more than she loves him. Will they have to kill the FBI agent? Will their kids get killed?

5. Inviting Obsession: You want to know what happens to them. You want to see if they can pull it off. You want them to get captured, and you want them to succeed—at the same time. It’s obsessing.

Mare of Easttown

(to also choose a more recent show that is in my genre)

1. Big Picture Hooks: Mare is a very flawed character, but there’s something about her that you empathize with. When I watched the first episode a second time, I realized every person who played basketball with her in High School is involved somehow in the crimes that are happening in this small town.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character: They are just so REAL. Having come from the East coast, I feel like I know these characters, like they’re my own neighbors. And all of them seem to have flaws and secrets, just like Mare.

3. Empathy / Distress: you feel empathy for Mare from moment one. At the same time, you kind of think she’s a jerk, but you still like her and feel empathy for her. You feel distress for her when she sprains her ankle chasing a suspect, when she finds out her ex has invited everyone to a party to celebrate his second marriage, but not Mare. Sometimes her anger is scary. But you’re still on her side. And you respect her doggedness.

4. Layers / Open Loops: Who killed Katie? Is Mare going to solve the crime? Is she going to have a relationship with this writer? Is the missing girl going to be found? Are the two crimes connected? Did the mean girlfriend who his her in the woods do it? Is Mare an alcoholic? Is she a bit of a bad person?

5. Inviting Obsession: I want to watch every episode because these people feel are so real that I care about them. Not only do I want to know who committed the crimes, I want to know what’s going to happen to all the stories they’ve launched.

[Jane Turville]

RIVERDALE is very similar to the project I want to work on. So, that’s the show I’ll be watching for this course.

What I learned doing this assignment is to re-imagine everything and then go with it, that the wheel does not have to be reinvented, just re-imagined.

I never wanted to watch RIVERDALE because I didn’t think I’d like what they did with characters that I love. However, this pilot made the characters much more three-dimensional and real and so it’s fun to go on this intriguing journey with them. It would be much different if it was the gang from Scooby-Doo because they were always involved in a mystery.

RIVERDALE – 5 Star Points:

1. Big Picture Hooks – We are being told a story, like we are outside a window looking in on what should be very familiar to us. School starting for the year at a small town high school. Flashbacks to a summer death of a teen, supposedly accidental, tells us that under the veneer of small town civility is a dark underbelly. The hook here for me is the world that we’re drawn into.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character – Part of the success here is that, for some of us, we read the Archie comics years ago and are familiar with the characters. But these characters are NOT anything like the comic book. That establishes a layer of intrigue. The main characters of Archie, Betty and Veronica all seem to align with the ones we’re used to but throughout the first episode, hints are dropped that they all have complexities (both interior and exterior) that impact them and, unlike the flat comic book characters, I’m not totally sure how these characters will actually react. The dead kid Jason, and his sister Cheryl are obviously the instigators and button pushers of trouble, but not sure how the main characters will respond to the throw downs they get.

3. Empathy / Distress – Archie wants to follow his dream of being a musician, but to do that he must use and hurt the people he loves most. Betty feels confined by her sister’s situation and strives to be perfect for everyone around her. In doing so, she risks losing the one thing she wants most – for Archie to love her. Veronica’s world is in tatters. She’s got to get back up and in the game. But a few scenes reveal that she may not be the strong bitchy girl she wants others to see her as and getting back on top will take its toll.

4. Layers / Open Loops – Was Jason murdered? If so, did his sister Cheryl kill him? If not, who did? Why do most people hate Jason? Is Archie really interested in music or did his fling with Miss Grundy incite his love of music? Will their fling grow into a full fledged affair? Will Veronica find her place at Riverdale? Will she have to battle Cheryl to be top scary bitch? Does she even like being “scary bitch?” Will Veronica and Archie get together? Will Betty and Veronica get together? Is Betty the innocent nice girl she seems? Will something start between Archie’s dad and Veronica’s mother? What will happen to Betty if she’s no longer in Archie’s life? Is Betty’s mother truly insane because of Betty’s sister Polly having a nervous breakdown? Did Jason cause the breakdown or did betty’s mother?

5. Inviting Obsession – Teen angst in a small town wrapped up in a murder mystery being told to us by a kid named Jughead. What’s not to love??? This episode invites obsession because it takes characters that we think we know from our own past and recreates them into people that we sort of but don’t recognize. We’re already invested in them and want to see what they’ve become.

[Molly Gagnon]

TV SHOW 5 STAR MODEL

What I learned from this assignment?

I learned even more so the dynamics of writing and how one point of view is opposed by another. There is constant yin and yang for each character and action.

Five Star Points

Show – SuperGirl

Big Picture Hook

Supergirl is there to save the world not her brother

Intriguing Character

Cara Danverns is someone who is not living up to her potential and doesn’t make a difference for people. She knows she has superpowers but finds the people that surround her want her to play it safe and be normal, including herself. The world does not need another superhero.

Empathy / Distress

Supergirl is not very confident in her new powers but knows she is doing the right thing, what she was made for. The more she finds out about her past and the people involved with it the more danger she is in. She will have to learn quickly how to save the world. Apparently, it is in more danger than she thought. She desperately seeks approval for her unique super powers. Her sister appears to be against SuperGirl saving the world in order to hide her true job/identity and to keep her safe..

Layers / Open Loops

Cara finds out that her adopted sister actually works for the DEO, Department of Extraterrestrial Operations. She wants to gain praise but can’t share her secret with many people, She finds out the photographer that is hired knows her secret from Superman. Will she save the employees at her job? Will she be able to save the planet from the worst criminals in the galaxies known to her home planet that she brought to earth? They are planning something but what?

Inviting Obsession

Will SuperGirl be able to save the world and keep her identity hidden, while working at the media empire run by her DIRECT boss.

This font looks really big and I like it. No readers needed here.

[dworetzky tom]

BIG LITTLE LIES the 5 Star Points

1 Big Picture Hooks

Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?

THE BIG HOOK OF THE SHOW IS WHO IS THE MURDERER AND WHO GOT MURDERED (AT THIS POINT AT LEAST)- as well as who winds the competition between Team Renata and Team Madeline

2 Amazing and Intriguing Characters

Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE THE 5 WOMEN, plus families

Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie

Alpha, stay at home mom who leads her “team” and is feared. As one character says, with her things don’t blow over, they blow up.

Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright

Gooey in love and perfect, beautiful, but something really scary is going on under the surface of her marriage.

Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman

Why would a single mom, with allegedly no dad in the picture move just down the coast from Santa Cruz to Monterey…and keep a .38 sub-nose under her pillow at night?

Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Wright, Celeste’s husband

A younger man, dream boat, with a high powered job, is always getting gooey with Celeste, except there is a moment where it is clear he is a physical abuser, control freak.

Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie, Madeline’s husband

Ed is the successful, apparently self-employed husband of Madeline, whose rage at her ex makes him treat their love as both great and a consolation prize. Ed seems to be very good at reading situations and diffusing conflict in the family.

Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson, Nathan’s wife

Bonnie is the free spirit, who is with Madeline’s ex and bonding with her daughters…but underneath Nathan says she is smart and that will piss off Madeline. And why does she have a problem with Ave. Q, Madeline’s passion project.

James Tupper as Nathan Carlson, Madeline’s ex-husband and Bonnie’s husband

Nathan is called a bit of a dick, and is both a mellow fellow and a manipulator, especially of Madeline.

Laura Dern as Renata Klein

Renata is the alpha leader of the other “team” and is the opposite of Madeline, on the board of Paypal, vastly rich and successful, and seemingly brittle over the envy other women feel about her.

Jeffrey Nordling as Gordon Klein, Renata’s husband

He seems devoted to her, but may also have an edge brought on my his own beta status in the relationship

Kathryn Newton as Abigail Carlson, Madeline and Nathan’s daughter

Abigail is the idealistic hypocrite, who loves to help the poor, but skips her chores at home

Iain Armitage as Ziggy Chapman, Jane’s son

Something a bit off about quiet Iggy. Sweet, and a sleepwalker, who is accused by renata’s daughter Ama bella of choking her on the first day of school.

3 Empathy / Distress

Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

As a general situation, there is the first day of school, and parental school competition, wealth competition and “success” competition that creates both empathy and distress. These pressures are pretty relatable to anyone trying to “make it” or having kids. It is heightened because the community is very rich and super competitive

Madeline Martha Mackenzie

Stay at home mom under the $150,000 cutoff. likeable and extends herself to new person Jane. Ex wife with custody issues. And a difficult Teen daughter. Put in situation with School, Ave Q play conflict with Bonnie, wife number 2. Conflict with Renata, who is the opposite side, the working mother Alpha, over Ziggy and Amubella’s situation.

Celeste Wright

Apparently perfect, gooey marriage that appears to be abusive. Was successful, now stay at home, apparently

Jane Chapman

Single mom, poor, likeable, has a gun and son Ziggy gets in trouble for being violent on first day at new school.

Perry Wright

Seems like the perfect husband until the domineering abusiveness comes out.

Ed Mackenzie

Seems like a peacemaker with Madeline. Distress is being the consolation prize as second husband to Madeline.

Bonnie Carlson

Likeable free spirit in a tough spot as Nathan’s new wife vis a vis Madeline, who is established alpha in the social set.

Nathan Carlson

Doesn’t seem bad, but is seems like he did something dickish leaving Madeline for Bonnie, who is younger, prettier and freer

Renata Klein

Dominant alpha super successful business woman with a perfect life. But her daughter amabella has choke marks on her neck after first day of school and she is super protective about it. Takes on Jane as Ziggy is accused and denies he choked her.

Gordon Klein

Renata is a dominant in their marriage. He is supportive, but also has some edge about the envy women deal with with each other and that pisses her off.

Abigail Carlson

Teen daughter is likeable and supportive of Madeline in the Bonnie – Madeline tiff…but she is also a bit wild, always a concern.

Ziggy Chapman

A sweet quiet boy, who may or may not be nuts. He is in a tough spot as the new kid in town and at school who is accused of choking.

4 Layers / Open Loops

Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

There are basically one for every moment/scene of the pilot..!

Who is the victim and who is the murderer?

Who is the lead character?

What is behind and what will happen with the Nathan, Bonnie, Madeline triangle?

What is going on with Ziggy’s sleepwalking and general strangeness?

Did Ziggy choke Amabella?

Why did Jane really move to town?

Why does Jane sleep with a revolver under her pillow?

What is with the Celeste-Perry super gooey and then abusive relationship?

Who is the bearded guy at Tom’s coffee shop who was eyeing Celeste, Madeline and Jane?

Is Abigail at risk from her friends in the car at the opening? Will texting and driving get someone killed?

Who is Ziggy’s father?

Who is the girl in the blue dress barefoot on the beach whose face we don’t see?

Whose male footprints are in the sand at the beach?

Who is the richest?

Everybody moves here for the education? Is that the only reason, really?

Why does Jane feel wrong in these idyllic situations? (confession at the coffee shop)

Why does someone tell the cops that Nathan is a dick?

Why does someone tell the cops that both husbands and wives were at the benefit where the murder happened and that “sows” are the real actors?

What is going on with Bonnie’s petition to stop Madeline’s Ave Q production?

Who is Harper Stimpson and why does she ask Celeste how Perry is but not Madeline about Ed? Is there are affair?

Why does Ed tell Madeline that she collects damaged people?

Why does Renata get so made when Gordon says what he says about women envying each other? And why does Renata question her work in the face of such a lovely life and motherhood?

And who is making love, wearing a giant diamond ring, in the final shots?

What is Team Renata and Team Madeline, which someone said to the cops?

5 Inviting Obsession

Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

The main reason to watch every episode is that there are open loops basically from every single scene/moment. Also, it is a lovely setting and very rich (mostly) people, so there is an element of wealth-porn that soaks every scene. Fantastic architecture, kitchens, cars, clothes, etc.

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

What I learned is that basically, you are best to load every shot with an open loop that forces bingewatching. Too many is barely enough. Plus, fantastic locations and fascinating subworlds (like Monterey) is a good idea, too.

[Meg Stout]

I learned it is good to wait to binge-watch until you know you’re not supposed to actually binge-watch all of several seasons in a single week… And it reminded me of the power of leading with a mystery that contributes to both the hook and a sense of dread.

Five Star Points

Show: Thirteen Reasons Why (because I binge-watched all of The Americans last month, so I’m doing Thirteen Reasons so I can properly watch only one episode per assignment, as instructed)

Big Picture Hooks

Big hook is that we know Hannah kills herself and Clay finds out she recorded her suicide note and the fact that he’s got the tapes means he’s one of the thirteen reasons.

Amazing and Intriguing Character

The most intriguing character is Hannah, who was young and beautiful and new in town. We want to solve the mystery of why she committed suicide and why Clay (a super-nice nerd) is being asked to listen to the tapes, since the tape says only those who contributed to her thirteen reasons for killing herself are being forced to listen to the tapes.

Empathy / Distress

We are feeling empathy and distress for Hannah, but of the survivors, we feel the most sympathy for Clay, who of all the students seems the one most troubled by Hannah’s death.

Layers / Open Loops

What are the 13 reasons Hannah cites for her suicide? What did Clay do to be named as part of those reasons? Who has listened to the tapes (and is therefore part of the reasons)? If the kid with the cool Mustang didn’t know about the suicide, why is he apparently the one enforcing Hannah’s dying wish as expressed in the introduction to the tapes?

Inviting Obsession

We want to know the rest of the contents of the tapes and what will happen as a result of this unique method of leaving a suicide note. Noting there are four seasons, so it goes beyond just the discovery of what all the tapes contain.

[Daniel Melin]

For my show, I chose Supernatural. I knew about this show for a long time, but didn’t want to watch it because it seemed like it was just a dumping ground for everything that was wrong with network fantasy TV: conventionally pretty people caught up in a combination of overwrought magic and soapy interpersonal drama that leads nowhere, just so people will keep tuning in for a satisfying conclusion that never comes. Despite these misgivings, it is in the fantasy genre, which is the genre I want to write in. The pilot was a pleasant surprise. Though it isn’t in the same class as many other dramas, fantasy or otherwise, the supernatural elements were familiar, but still fresh. The interpersonal drama, while also treading tried and true patterns, was still solid and relatable.

What I learned doing this assignment is it pays to bring in your really big open loop in the opening scene, while also establishing the show’s premise. Though the show does have cool effects and a sensationalist premise, there’s still some solid drama that interweaves through everything and makes it relatable.

1. Big Picture Hooks

Two brothers have grown up learning how to hunt monsters, and are trying to solve the mystery of their mother’s death.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character

They have a tragic past that involved something mysterious and supernatural. They have learned how to hunt monsters since they were kids. The younger brother, Sam, wants to live a normal life, but his brother wants him to continue with the family business.

3. Empathy / Distress

We see the two main characters have a loving family, and then we see something myserious and awful happen to the hero’s mother. Sam has a good life at college and a promising career in law ahead of him, but his brother drags him back into the family drama.

4. Layer / Open Loops

What happened to Dean and Sam’s mother and what killed her? Will Sam decide to go back to his normal life, or will he take up hunting again? What happened to their father? What was their life like growing up? Why did Dean and Sam’s father leave Jericho?

5. Inviting Obsession

What kinds up supernatural events are actually real in the world of the show, and will the two brothers repair their relationship with each other and with their father? Will they find the thing that killed their mother and Jess?

[Ben Tannous]

The Walking Dead 5 Star Model

The Walking Dead – Days Gone By

Big Picture Hook

Sheriff Rick Grimes wakes in his hospital bed to a world overrun by a zombie apocalypse.

Amazing and Intriguing Character

Sheriff Rick Grimes is an honest, straight shooter, and law enforcement officer, who has woken up in a world full of moral ambiguity, lawlessness and chaos.

Empathy / Distress

Rick suffers from a gun shot wound, has only a hospital gown, and wakes up in a scary and dangerous world to find his family is also missing.

Layers / Open Loops

Will Rick survive? Will Rick find his family? Will Rick’s family survive? Will Rick figure out what’s going on? Will Rick find safety?

Inviting Obsession

What caused the zombie apocalypse? Can they find a cure? Where are the authorities? What is happening beyond Rick’s home town?

What I learned doing this assignment is …

… that binge worthy TV shows have Big Picture Hooks that capture the audience’s interest and attention, Amazing and Intriguing Characters that engage the audience, who must feel Empathy and Distress for those characters, that there must be Layers and Open Loops of questions that keep the audience engaged and wandering, and that the show Invites Obsession by creating mysteries about the characters, events and future of the story.

[David]

5 Star Model

I joined the class late and just received access to the materials.

I am going to dissect Mr. Robot because the 1st season was really good and I worked on it as an actor.

Big Picture Hooks – A genius hacker with mental health issues takes down one of the largest corporations in the world and enters into the top 1% of the 1%.

Intriguing Characters – Empathy/Distress

Elliot – Hero who uses his technological genius to hurt bad people who are hiding behind normal lives even though he is doing it illegally. Is forced to live a lie in all aspects of his life according to his moral code. Lies to all the people who are important in his life and maybe even himself because of his delusion history. We cheer him on because he has empathy for people and animals.

Layers/Open Loops/Inviting Obsession

Will Elliot get caught because he framed Colby?

Will his best friend Angela forgive him?

Who is Mr. Robot? Is he a real person or a delusion?

Who is F-Society?

Other notes. I thought the inviting obsession was the hacker/computer references and conspiracy theory themes.

When Mr. Robot first aired I don’t think many people knew the deeper hacker/computer terms:

TOR, Linux, Root Kits, DDoS attacks, IRC, Anonymous. Or the inside jokes such as Maroon 5 being too, Normie. Taking people into this subworld made people want to come back.

They also referenced some well-known conspiracy theories such as a cabal of elites that control everything in the world. A “One World order” and the theory that credit is the way these elites control the world. It is how they enslave the world. Credit also expands a false money supply that is not backed by a gold standard. These little references are dog whistles for certain people.

What I learned is how to pull people into a created world that the characters interact with. The Conspiracies and Computer Jargon/lifestyle is the world that Elliot must navigate through.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.

[Sean Barrett]

SUPERNATURAL 5 Star Model

— What I learned doing this assignment

1. I have a new show to Binge Watch!!… I never realized SUPERNATURAL was in my wheelhouse.

2. When you are looking for the 5 Star Points as you watch a new episode or show, they really shine through when it is a true Binge Worthy Show!

3. The 5 Star Points make perfect sense when you break them down…I cannot see a show being truly Binge Worthy without them being top notch.

4. I picked up some things that were not that obvious the second time I watched the episode or Pilot and made mental notations to scrawl them down for future reference when considering my own show.

~ Light outline of SUPERNATURAL S1: E1 “Pilot”

E1 Pilot starts out establishing the beginning (when, why, how etc.) of father – John Winchester , older brother- Dean Winchester and younger brother- Sam Winchester becoming hunters of demons, ghosts aka SUPERNATURAL beings that harm people. In Lawrence, Kansas 22 years ago a demon or evil force killed wife and mother Mary Winchester in a hellish way. In the present, we are introduced to Sam as a young adult at Stanford University, when his girlfriend, Jessica is getting dressed for a Halloween party. Sam is not in costume and does not want to go, Jess convinces him to go for his own good. At the bar, everyone is dressed in costume, but Sam. Jess talks about Sam’s high test scores and we learn Sam has an interview with Stanford for a full scholarship to Stanford Law School on Monday morning.

In the middle of the night, Sam is woke by sounds of person moving in living room. He investigates and attacks intruder, they fight. Turns out to be his older brother, Dean. Dean is introduced to Jess after she wakes to find both in living room. Dean says he needs to speak to Sam alone, but Sam refuses until Dean says their father has been missing after going on a ‘hunting trip’. Dean wants Sam’s help to find their father, but Sam is reluctant and not happy about the way they were raised as kids after their mother’s death. They were raised and trained to be SUPERNATURAL hunters. Though Sam sought a normal life away from his father and ‘hunting’, Dean has never stop hunting with his father. Dean talks Sam into helping him, but Sam reminds him he must be back by Monday for interview to get into Stanford Law. The two brothers follow the clues and evidence to Jericho, CA where a series of disappearances have been escalating recently and their father went to investigate. All white males along a 5 mile stretch of road in Jericho, CA.

A lone male is driving at night in Jericho, CA and sees a woman dressed in a white gown by the side of the road. He picks her up and she seduces him, asks him to take her home and he agrees. They arrive at a dilapidated and unlived in boarded up home. She disappears and he goes toward house to find her but gets spooked. He takes off in his car and ends up on a bridge, where the woman appears again in his back seat. She kills him. We see the blood on the windows as we hear him scream.

The next morning Dean and Sam stop for gas and we learn Dean and his father both run credit card scams to support them in the quest to find the thing that killed their wife and mother, Mary Winchester. As they enter Jericho, they see cops and the car from the night before, which the lone male who was killed was driving. Dean pops out all kinds of fake ID and chooses a US Marshall’s badge. He poses as Marshall and starts asking the officer questions about the scene. Male disappeared, no signs of struggle and the car is immaculate inside. As this plays out, Dean and Sam do their own investigating and end up finding where local legend behind disappearances occurred. Constance Welch committed suicide on the bridge they found the car of the man killed the night before, the same bridge they were on that morning. They go to the bridge at night and see the same ghost, Constance standing at the spot she jumped. Constance jumps and they run to the spot just as their car comes to life with no driver and tries to run them down. They narrowly escape and look for a place to wash up and rest and happen to go to same motel as father, John Winchester because clerk mentions Dean is using same credit card as father. They find their father’s motel room and it is littered with research on ‘Woman in white’ and details of local legend as well as evidence John used to salt to protect himself from something else. They gather John must have went to grave where ‘woman in white’, Constance was buried to end her terror from the other side. Dean is caught coming out of his father’s room by local law enforcement for fake credit cards and impersonating US Marshall. Dean is arrested, but Sam escapes and continues to try and solve ‘woman in white’ mystery. Dean finds out the he is a suspect, because of all the things found in his father’s room, but also gets a secret message or coordinates from his father written down in his father’s journal that sheriff found. Sam interviews Joseph Welch, the husband of Constance and finds out his father, John had been there days earlier asking questions about the event surrounding Constance’s death and the death of their children along with where Constance was buried. After a few questions, Sam explains the story of ‘woman in white’ and how they come to be.

Sam places fake call to police station to get sheriff to respond and leave, giving Dean opportunity to escape. The two brothers figure out Constance’s weakness and fear of going home to face her children, whom she had drowned in her grief before committing suicide after her husband was unfaithful. Her ghost is vanquished or put to rest.

Sam figures out the coordinates their father left for Dean as they are driving, which is Blackwater Ridge, CO, 600 miles away. Sam reminds Dean he has to go to interview for Stanford on Monday morning, 10 hours from now. It is important to Sam to make this interview because it is his whole life riding on him getting full scholarship to Stanford Law. Dean agrees to drive him home and does. They pull up in front of Sam’s apartment, where Jessica should be waiting for him. She would be happy to see him home in time for the interview. After leaving Dean’s car, Sam says, “Maybe I can meet up with you later?” and Dean says, “Yea, alright.” Dean stops Sam as he turns away and says “Sam, you know we made a hell of a team back there.” Sam responds “Yea.” Dean drives off, headed to Blackwater Ridge, CO to find father, John. Sam enters his apartment and calls out Jessica’s name, “Jess, you home?” He hears the shower running and sits on the bed. There is no response. As he lies back and closes his eyes, a moment passes as the sound of the shower still runs and then a few drops of blood hit his forehead. The same way the blood dropped from the ceiling near his head when his father looked up to see their mother before she was engulfed in flames. Sam’s girlfriend Jessica was pinned to the ceiling with blood coming from her stomach and she looked the same way his mother looked. Something evil was taking her life force and she was surrounded by fire. The flames engulfed her and Sam was trapped with terror underneath, yelling her name. Just then, Dean kicks in the door and helps Sam run to escape.

Outside the apartment, a crowd is gathered well after the fire with police and the fire dept present. The smoke from extinguished flames and Dean looking at the apartment window as he turns and heads to his car. Sam is going through the weapons in Dean’s trunk. Grief is being replaced by the need to find the one responsible for his mother’s and now his girlfriend’s SUPERNATURAL death. Dean is a little displaced Sam is going through his weapons. Sam says, “We got work to do.”

That is the end of Ep 1 Pilot.

~ 5 Star Points for SUPERNATURAL

– Big Picture Hooks
A father trains his two sons to become SUPERNATURAL hunters to find and destroy the evil that killed their wife and mother, Mary Winchester and they seem to be all alone on their path.

– Amazing and Intriguing Character
John giving up his life to become a hunter and try to destroy the evil that killed Mary. The fact he trained Dean and Sam to become hunters as well. Now, all three are extremely skilled mentally, physically and with weapons. They seem outside the scope of ‘normal’ life and are totally committed to their path.

– Empathy / Distress
The death of John Winchester’s wife, also Dean and Sam’s mother. And then Sam’s girlfriend dying the same way by the same obvious evil spirit.

– Layers / Open Loops
How Mary Winchester and Jessica died. What killed them, why and will John, Dean and Sam find and destroy the one that did? Where is their father, John and what kind of trouble is he in? What is he protecting himself from?

– Inviting Obsession
The hunt for the evil that killed Mary and Jessica the same way. All the other ghosts, demons and evil they will encounter along the way along with the stories behind them. Are they all connected to the death of Mary and Jessica and/or the one that killed them?

[Stuart Voytilla]

Subject line: Watchmen 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is…?

Watching the episode twice was valuable. In addition to allowing me to outline/freewrite (1st screening) and then focus the 5 Stars (2nd screening), I had two additional takeaways from each viewing. For the first screening, I appreciated the integration and interweaving of time/clocks throughout the episode. This included: narrative elements (the ticktock threat from Seventh Kavalry, the mystery of the lithium watch batteries, a White Night event leading to hibernation of the racist force, the pocket watch given to Veidt); the choice of title “Watchmen” and the mystery of who the watchmen are; and the aesthetics (the overhead shot of the dining table and composition like a clock).

During the 2nd viewing, the takeaway was how the filmmakers immediately break stereotypes and derail audience expectations to open our eyes to Angela’s experience in this world. The black and white silent movie reveals the sheriff in white as the scoundrel (the threat of his lynching foreshadows Crawford’s shocking lynching), the shocking and visceral placement of viewer in the streets of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street under attack by armed KKK members (unmasked!) and airplanes dropping bombs.

Okay, third takeaway… the episode is laced with irony, especially with Judd Crawford and the production of a “Black Oklahoma”. While Judd played Curly the romantic lead when he performed Oklahoma, he dies tragically in the end of the episode (as we hear Curly’s song lamenting the death of Jud Fry, the villain in the musical).

Star 1: Big Picture Hooks

Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?

• In a sub-world where law and criminals don masks to protect personal identities, Detective Angela Abar takes on the white supremacist force, the Seventh Kavalry. Also, how does it connect back to a boy who survived the Tulsa Massacre in 1921?

Star 2: Amazing and Intriguing Character

Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

• Detective Angela Abar’s double life as detective and baker – equal dedication to family/community and to serve justice. A victim of The White Night, Angela dons a mask to serve the Tulsa police (Chief Judd Crawford), and protect her family. She’s smart, dedicated and kicks ass.

Star 3: Empathy / Distress

Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

• Angela survived the White Night and knows the threat personally, and to her family and Tulsa community with the rise of Seventh Kavalry. And she may now need to face the masked enemy alone when her mentor and friend Chief Judd Crawford is lynched.

Star 4: Layers / Open Loops

Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

• Why has the Seventh Kavalry risen from hibernation and what is their mission? Why are they collecting synthetic lithium batteries? Will Angela find out who lynched Judd, and will she get justice? Is the man in the wheelchair the little boy who survived the 1921 Tulsa Massacre? Will Angela defeat the Seventh Kavalry? What will happen to the Tulsa police force now their chief has been lynched? Whom can Angela trust in a system of law and order where everyone needs to wear a mask for personal protection? What happened on White Night? How does Veidt connect to all of this? Why is it raining squids?

Star 5: Inviting Obsession

Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

• Why has the Seventh Kavalry stirred this shit up again, and what is their endgame? And what will Angela do to bring them down, when she’s lost her strongest partner, Judd Crawford?

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Stuart Voytilla.

[Patty Ruland]

(Gossip Girl) 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is:

I need to keep an open mind—ordinarily, I would not have tuned in to this show. I am glad I did. It exemplifies the model we are learning, and it showcases expert characterization and dialogue—and more. I’m know I’m learning by carrying out the assignments—and I hope I am learning by osmosis.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Pick a Binge Worthy EXAMPLE SHOW from our list below and watch the first episode, making a light outline of the episode. Just the beats and anything that seems important to you. Choice: Gossip Girl.

Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (BS2)

Opening Image – Voice-over lionizes Serena, the legend who is the main character; Serena in paradoxical counterpoint appears downhearted and possibly unhappy about her return from boarding school to Manhattan.

Set-up – Based on the Gossip Girl’s accounting, Serena is a notorious “bad girl” in her social circle. Her departure and re-emergence cause a hyper level of buzz—and trepidation.

Theme Stated (happens during the Set-up) – This movie is about the triumph of good over evil, “good” over “bad.” The set-up kicks off when Dan sees Serena in Grand Central Station and Gossip Girl identifies her as “the love of his life”—if only she knew that. The story arc of the episode portrays how they buck the snobbery of the Gossip Girl crowd, they bond, and fulfill Gossip Girl’s snide yet accurate assessment.

Catalyst – Serena visits her brother in the hospital. He had tried to commit suicide. The loving way she sleeps in his room and apologizes for being a terrible sister deepens the impression for the audience she’s not the same she was before—she’s indeed a bad girl gone good.

Debate – Blair worries Serena will steal her boyfriend, Nate, who has had a crush on Serena for a long time. Serena tells him in no uncertain terms she won’t betray her friend.

Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two) – Now begins the trial by fire for Serena—can she sustain her resolve to change, from bad to good? She blithely reconciles with her best friend, “B.” However, the reconciliation seems one-sided—Serena engages in wishful thinking forcing to the fore her idealization of their friendship—the hopeless notion she is still her best friend. But she is not.

B Story

The Promise of the Premise – So far so good, the former bad girl is really good now, and the lonely boy may soon be lonely no more. Dan gets a ‘help!’ text from his sister, Jenna—a fashion emergency. This sets the stage for the climactic big dance.

Midpoint – Jenna becomes an ally of Serena, who advises her to choose a black version of the dress she likes; later, she implies to Dan he should try to connect with Serena because “she’s actually really nice.” Dan rushes to the Palace presumably to find her.

Bad Guys Close In – Meanwhile, at the Palace, Chuck, whose family owns the place, propositions Serena. She refuses. He tries to blackmail her by letting her know he witnessed Jake and her doing what Jake’s yet to do with his girlfriend, Blair, but she tells him she’s trying to change. He tries to rape her but she fights him off. She goes through agony because she flashes back to being with Nate as Chuck assaults her.

Cut to Nate confessing the indiscretion to Blair; this prompts a break-up. To help his father with a business deal, Nate reconciles with Blair.

Serena’s mom presents a dress for her to wear to the dance, but Serena says she has other plans—when pressed, drums up that she is with Dan, and they are going to a concert.

All is Lost –

At the party, Chuck makes aggressive advances toward Jenna and traps her in the stairwell and then on the roof. Jenna texts Dan and says it’s an emergency.

Dark Night of the Soul – Serena sees it’s about Chuck and she insists on going with Dan to the party to find Jenna. So much is at stake—will they get there in time?

Break Into Three (Choosing Act Three) – Serena and Dan rush upstairs—Dan punches Chuck and Serena pushes him. They comfort Jenna and exit the party, to the normal drumbeat of gossipy remarks as they pass by. At the cab, Dan bids goodbye, but Serena gets in–to talk about a second date.

Finale – Dan places his arm around his sister to comfort her. Serena takes Dan’s hand to hold it. He is obviously thrilled, but playing it cool enough not to show it to an extreme.

Final Image – The episode ends with Serena’s face in the cab window—triumphant this time—happy in the knowledge that she’s proven she really is a bad girl gone good.

2. From that, make a list of the 5 Star Points for that show.

Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?

Infamous bad girl returns to her posh Manhattan neighborhood and snobby inner circle to prove she’s changed—she’s a bad girl gone good.

Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

Serena is shown in both lights—in her life as an infamous bad girl without principles and in her new life with principles, trying to prove her worth as a good girl—that is, as a loyal friend, devoted and repentant sister, and potential ‘good girlfriend’ to good guy Dan. The supporting characters—Blair, Nate, and Chuck—stay the same—they remain bad to the bone. Jenna is a constant of good–she voices the counterpoint to the mean-spirited voice of the Gossip Girl.

Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for
this character?

Early on, the audience feels admiration and empathy for Serena—a complete turnaround from how they might have reacted to the time before she leaves Manhattan. They hurt when she hurts over her brother’s attempted suicide. They feel discomfort during flashback scenes, especially the one when she cheats on her best friend with her boyfriend. They chafe when others reject her, don’t invite her, gossip about her. They flinch in great distress when Chuck assaults her. They cheer her on when she declines a surreptitious invitation to the big dance, when she chooses the perfect good guy for a good girl—Dan. They cheer even more when the two thwart the attack on Dan’s sister.

Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only
be answered by watching the entire season?

Unresolved in this episode are the questions: Why does Serena flee to boarding school? What happens there to cause her to do a complete about-face? How much does her brother’s attempted suicide influence her change of heart and character?

Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

The audience will want to follow whether the bad girl really has gone good—for good. They will follow: How will she be tested? Why does the Gossip Girl inject the caveat that she will have to attend school on Monday—implying she’s not out of the woods yet? And, as a guilty pleasure, the audience will want to tune in to Gossip Girl’s malevolent missives, each and every one. Yes, they are addictive–by design.

3. Watch the same first episode A SECOND TIME while looking at your 5 Star Point analysis. This time, your purpose is to see beyond the obvious answers. Assume there is more to learn and discover it! Done. See above.

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

[Camilla Erlandsdotter]

High level analysis – Prison Break

What did I learn?

Don’t waste any screen-time. Every second should go towards the plot(s) and, world and character building.

1. Big Picture Hooks

Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? A brother allows himself to be jailed in order to try break out his brother on death row with execution imminent from prison.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character

Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

Main characters: Lincoln and Michael. Lincoln is on death row but is he’s innocent. He was framed – by the CIA. Michael is willing to sacrifice everything in order to break his brother free because he believes his brother is innocent. There are tow women in Lincolns life, the one he loves and the one he got pregnant as teenager.

3. Empathy / Distress

Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

Lincoln is on death row but he’s innocent. He has tried everything to prove his innocence but has failed. Time is ticking. He will die leaving a son who needs a father figure in his life behind. If Michael cannot beak out of prison before the execution his brother will be executed. If they are caught after the break out, his brother will be executed and he will face a long jail period because of the prison break.

4. Layers / Open Loops

Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

Will the prison break succeed? Who will be helpers and who will betray them? If they succeed, will they survive the manhunt? Will Lincoln manage to clear his name and will Lincoln and Michael be able to start up a new life in a country without an extradition treaty with the US? Will the CIA “strike again” and hurt people near and dear to Lincoln and/or Michael (such as Lincoln’s son) to get them to turn themselves in? Will those who set up Lincoln be caught and punished? Will Lincoln finally get together with the love of his life or will she marry her current fiance?

5. Inviting Obsession

Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

I find this question difficult to answer. The pilot did not trigger the obsession with me – like Dexter did for example. But I didn’t switch to another show either.

[John Anderson]

The Americans – 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is…? …………. This show has so many levels of depth that I normally would not have discovered without this guide. They would still be there and I would have felt them but, I would be so aware of this. I am amazed at this writing and how good it is.

1) What is the big hook of this show?

– A KGB couple from Soviet Russia is under deep cover in Washington DC complete with their own kids. All this during the early days of the Regan administration and the culmination of the Cold War.

2) What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

– They are in an ‘arranged’ marriage but have real kids whom they love.

– They are bad asses (can fight and shoot and deal in major spy-craft)

– Parents seem to have a “normal” life and “normal” feelings.

– Daughter’s puberty is an adjustment issue like in any family

– She has been turning on him in her previously secret meetings that he doesn’t know about (with General

Zukoff.)

– Wife is totally bought into Socialism until she finds out they had Tusheff purposefully rape her in training.

Husband has had doubts but she didn’t until that moment.

– Elizabeth was reporting him for his doubts until her turn, then she backtracks

– FBI agent moved in and he was under deep cover himself and knows something is odd.

– The couple is my enemy so part of me wants them caught.

– The kids are being lied to daily.

– The FBI agent calls out the situation with the Russians exactly as it is going on from his own intuition and

background.

– FBI agent won’t go into details about his past 3 years with white supremacist life but insinuates that it was

something important and interesting and mysterious

– They have hidden vaults in their house.

– They get turned on after they get rid of the body (not 100% sure why – they like to kill? OR… she realizes and appreciates that he loves her so much he had to kill her rapist … OR … something else?)

– They compartmentalize their lives like serial killers

3) What situations give us both empathy and distress for this character?

– He wants to get out (turn himself in) but she doesn’t

– They guy they kill is a bad guy but they kill him (even though they are not supposed to) for personal reasons

– They worry how the kids will feel when they find out about the BIG LIE.

– The FBI agent moves in right as they had their car ID’ed.

– They have to decide to let comrade die or do their mission as the main priority

– He had to give up his love in USSR to get into this situation (we see him tear picture).

– They are not allowed to discuss their past lives with each other.

– Their compatriot dies with no one knowing who he is.

– He has to pull out the jumper cables for FBI with the kidnap victim right there

– FBI agent sees their car and Phillip knows that he’s looking for that model.

– He notices a bumper sticker residue when he sneaks in at night.

– The FBI agents wife is obviously not happy with his 24/7 cop-like distrustful mind.

– You can tell they want to brag to their kids about what the Russians have done regarding the space race but are frustrated when they can’t speak their truth.

– By the end, they break the rules and begin talking about their past lives in Russia.

– They say they’ve “been doing this a long time”.

– Originally, Phillips wants to turn over the agent but gets caught by Elizabeth. We know what she knows and that he doesn’t know about it.

– Kids are proud of America

– Their early days in America – her unwillingness to behave sexually while he wants to. (feel for both situations)

– She wants to finish the traitor herself but he’s also a badass.

– He lies in obvious manner about his neck wound to FBI guy

– He’s a badass who fucks up the child molester by stabbing his dick

– She’s cleaning the trunk of the car of blood when the daughter comes in and she looks more terrified than when she’s facing a cold blooded killer.

– Creepy guy picks up on young daughter in front of dad who can’t do what he wants to do.

4) What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

– Will they defect?

– How will the kids react when they find out?

– Will they get caught 1^st.

– Will FBI guy catch them himself or will they kill him if he gets too close?

– Has she changed completely after seeing Captain was told to rape her or was it one-off.

– How they started having sex and how close they are as husband/wife. Is it real.

– How did they lose those accents so well.

– Will the KGB find out about their lies about the mission?

– How long have they been doing this? Aug 1965 they were new here. So what’s the complete timeline?

– How do they keep this lie alive with a fake background that the FBI cant destroy easily? HS yearbook? Etc…

5) How does pilot create need to see every single episodes?

– I want to know why they did this for so many years

– I want to know HOW they did this for so many years

– I want to see their years develop to this point

– I know the Iron Curtain is coming down soon. How far will this go?

– Is this the first time they’ve killed or have they fooled me into feeling for them and I’ll find out that they really fucked America and our people?

– What did the FBI guy do in the past undercover assignment?

– Will the FBI be smarter than the KGB?

– What’s this FBI woman’s problem? Why so dumb? Will they end up killing her or will she be called a spy by US?

– This show has engaged my amygdala and I am anxious for them all. (I truly want to forget the class and watch this show!!)

[Jason]

LOST Five Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is the affirmation that each episode must seize the investment of the viewer, not merely the amusement, and that keeping the “knowns” to a minimum while raising the stakes is essential to arresting our attention, as well as introducing characters that are identifiable, even if not relatable, in order to generate empathy and the desire to continue in their journey.

Big Picture Hook:

An airliner crashes on a remote island, but as they regain their bearings the passengers find the accident was only the beginning of their efforts to survive.

Amazing and Intriguing Character:

The main characters in the pilot episode are driven by necessity to adapt to their new circumstances—we see how they begin aligning themselves to those they believe will ensure their safety, protection, or allegiance. We only begin to meet the passengers and learn their backstories in piecemeal flashes, building intrigue and empathy sparingly but effectively.

Empathy/Distress:

We are instantly drawn into the circumstances due to a universal compassion for those surviving a catastrophic event. Those who have suffered loss, those in shock, or wounded—even a pregnant woman—serve to solicit compassion, empthy and identification. When an unseen threat arrives, large enough to fell trees and just out of sight in the treeline, the stakes for the survivors raise exponentially—the island itself may be worse than the crash. The pilot reveals the plane was a thousand miles off course when they went down, and any search parties will be looking in the wrong place—then he is pulled from the fuselage and killed by the unseen beast.

Layers/Open Loops:

We cannot imagine what the creature in the jungle is, nor anticipate how long it will take rescuers to locate the downed flight. What will the fate of the passengers be as more of the islands’ enigmatic threats are revealed? Where is the tail section of the plane, and did those passengers survive? As food runs low, will they starve, or brave the jungle and its challenges to gather sustenance? How will the passengers relate to one another as survival becomes more challenging?

Inviting Obsession:

The universality of the “out of the frying pan, into the fire” scenario coupled with the desire to see how the passengers meet the challenges of the island invites continued observation; as the pilot episode focuses principally on a few very likeable characters, we’re invested in seeing how they fare bringing the bad news to the rest of the passengers that no one knows where they are, and how they dynamic will change when they all realize there’s no immediate hope.

[Barbara Gilmore]

Big Little Lies

1. Big Picture Hooks – someone is dead but we don’t know who. Monterey rich we are invited into an interesting world that we don’t inhabit.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character – Madeline MacKenzie.

3. Empathy / Distress – Madeline is driven, rude, energetic, talkative, confident, opinionated, honest. Identify with aspects of her situation (traffic frustration someone texting and driving causing an accident). Takes the new woman (Jane Chapman) under her wing.

4. Layers / Open Loops

Who died and why?

Who is Jane Chapman in this community of rich people?

Why does Renata seem unhappy despite her success.

Why is Celeste Wright tense around her very handsome husband that everyone likes.

5. Inviting Obsession

Creates questions that we want answered

Interesting Characters and Relationships

A Murder Mystery

What I learned from this assignment:

I learned to think in terms of the big picture hooks, the characters have more depth but what we are seeing is a setup and a pay off will come later. Characters may have secrets there’s a feeling there’s more to be revealed. The first scene is the death and so we are immediately drawn in to ask who died and how.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Barbara Gilmore.

[Barbara Dolny-Bombar]

TV Show: LOST

What I learned doing this assignment is each scene escalates the action or moves the story forward in a way that brought a lot of questions, but right now, not many answers. It held my interest.

I watched LOST as it seems to be the closest on the BW list to my concept – and I really have never seen it before. It’s a two-part pilot, but I only watched the first part because it was the first show of the series (Part 2 is 2nd show).

1. Big Picture Hooks – So much going on here, but the big questions are will the plane crash survivors be rescued – and what the hell is happening in the forest?

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character – There are quite a few characters right now, so I’m not entirely sure which of them will be main characters (I have a vague idea from photos of the actors I saw when it was on the air – don’t know who they are as characters yet), but Jack seems to be the lead, when he found the others, he started helping them right away, thinks rationally, and takes charge. Kate got stronger toward the end of the first show – she may be an equal to Jack.

3. Empathy/Distress – Seeing the crash victims, their fear, sorrow, hope, confusion. Also, when Jack talks about botching a surgery and being afraid, but knowing he had to deal with it – he was afraid, but didn’t back down (which is what’s happening now).

4. Layers / Open Loops – Who will survive? Will they get rescued? Will they stay and start a new community? Will they work together or against each other? Are there other people where they are? What is the danger in the forest?

5. Definitely piqued my curiosity, although I’m not sure I care about any of them – yet. Show is in constant motion, lots going on and so many unanswered questions.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Barbara Dolny-Bombar.

[Kari Kassir]

So I watched The Handmaid’s Tale. And what I learned during this assignment is that every bit of the pilot is important, whether it’s foreshadowing or character development or world building, everything matters. Or it should matter.

1. Big Picture Hooks — In a world that has somehow been contaminated and is under religious and military rule, women are “chosen” for their ability to procreate and are used as breeding vessels, forced to give up the lives that they knew to become surrogate uteruses for the barren wives of important people.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character — June/Offred has a rebel spirit but is capable of playing the game to survive, she catches on quickly. She came from a “real life” where she had a husband and a child, and they somehow survived together for a number of years.

3. Empathy/Distress — Offred is treated like a thing rather than a human being, with no choices. Will she get pregnant and fulfill her mission in life? Will she get her daughter back? In the salvaging she was one of the most violent and aggressive, and that has me worried a bit.

4. Layers/Open Loops — What war are they fighting? What happened to the earth? What are the colonies and why are they radioactive? What happens to the children that are conceived and the children of those taken like Hannah? Will Offred be able to escape and find her daughter? What’s going to happen between her and the driver? What’s up with the confession circles? And there’s such a mixed message with the emphasis on pious behavior and sexuality is bad, super right wing conservative religious beliefs, yet there are public killings where they are allowed to take part, kind of like biblical stonings.

5. Inviting Obsession — I want to see the women, the handmaids, rise up and rebel and take back their lives. I want to know how this whole cult-like violent hyper-religious regime was able to take over. How is it that male fertility is preserved in this world? Who’s the Eye in the house? And will Offred get Hannah back?

This is a super dark show where the lines between good and bad are blurred, certainly there is brainwashing going on, and then there is an undercurrent of message for our current state of affairs. Now I’m hooked!

[Jamie Handley]

BIG LITTLE LIES – 5 STAR MODEL

Jamie – What I learned doing this assignment is….the use of questions is so important to play out your story among many other issues. This is the beginning of an outline.

1. Big Picture Hooks

What is the big hook of this show?

Like who killed JR, in Dallas, this starts out with a murder but we don’t know who….not even a small leak or possibility. We don’t know who he/she is related to. We look for clues but Kelley is great at setting up etc., I chose this show because of his writing. And, the cast is great. I would watch the first episode just based on those two areas. That’s my hook. Also hooking me was all the intrigue and mystery.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character

What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? No matter what the status or age if you are a woman with a child you can relate to all their thoughts and feelings. The introduction with each character is uniquely done. Are they amazing, not really. They are living in a world of wealth with a contrast of one being extremely smart, one out of place with a secret for certain. Then there is always one passive and another is a gossip. This is a normal click for chicks. Different but the same. Each have various life situations which opens the door to conflict. Nice set up.

3. Empathy / Distress

What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character? We can start with the children. A boy wrongly accused or so we are led to believe. Your children grow up and who do you become? Typical of any era. There’s abuse with Kidman’s husband. Jealousy is very apparent and real. Dealing with a step-parent for the adult and the child.

4. Layers / Open Loops

What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? Who is killed and why? Is the child lying about the choking of the little girl? Which guest or adult knows the women well enough? How do the husbands play out? Who has the “perfect” marriage? Do any of them? The dialogue followed the title to the episode, “Somebody’s dead.” Just another layer.

5. Inviting Obsession

How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? First just by not know who is killed. Why did they kill them and all the set-up Kelley created that need paid off. It truly leaves you asking more and more questions.

[savanna]

YOUNG POPE

Big Hook: A young man becomes the first American Pope in Rome and upsets the traditionalists with modern behavior and approaches to shepherding 1 billion catholics worldwide.

Main character of Pope is intriguing and interesting because he is so radically different from dogma and tradition and even tho he upsets many people, we know he has lifetime job security, so he won’t be leaving, presumably. Sister Mary, his confidant and major supporter since he was a child, is untraditional also.

We feel empathy and distress for this young American Pope, even tho he is brash and offensive because he is so alone and lonely and we all have felt that way. He is extaordinarily confidant as we all secretly wish we were- as he takes on the oldest monarchy in the world, sort of like Princess Diana did with the English monarchy. We’ve all wanted to rock the boat in some job or situation. We feel empathy for Sister Mary as she is basically in the role of his mother, and we can relate to the feeling of supporting a child who may be “different.”

The main question if What.The.Heck.Is.Gonna.Happen.Here………We’re assured as viewers there’s going to be some major upset in an institution not known for radical change. I’m asking who is Spencer his mentor who tried to off himself? Is this Pope really agnostic and just out for himself? Is that possible? that he has hidden his true self all these years up through the hierarchy. What is the goal of this Pope anyway? Is it more than just to upset the apple cart?

Is it binge worthy? Well, I do want to see what happens, so in a sense yes. There are maybe a bit too many story lines and characters to keep up with….it’s a little exhausting that way. I haven’t “had” to watch the 2nd one yet, so I’m unsure if it is indeed bingeworthy, but sometimes it takes me quite a few episodes to get hooked.

What I’ve learned is to ask these questions at the outset.

[Lilliana Cabal]

FIRST ASSIGNMENT

BIG LITTLE LIES

OUTLINE BREAKDOWN BIG LITTLE LIES

What I learned from this assignment… every single scene gives a new pieces of information to keep the story moving forward. Flashes of dialogue and music give us clues as to what going on or what’s going to happen. We get the essence of each main character very quickly and their relationships with other people.

Conflicts are also introduced quickly with the murder to start and then the conflict at school as key triggers.

5 STAR MODEL

What I learned doing this assignment…is that it’s important to consider in advance how to keep an audience hooked. My story is composed of vignettes, so I will really need to make sure there is a strong through line with questions that will keep viewers wanting more. Not sure what that is yet…

1. Big Picture Hooks

Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?

There’s more than meets the eye with a group of upper class moms in a town of Monterey California. During a fundraising party a man turns up dead, indicating murder. There are many suspects in the town, one being his ex-wife Madeline.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

There are different 4 women each with their own struggle and mystery.

3. Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

Madeline is struggling to come to terms with her role and identity as a mother with her 2 daughters growing up. Celeste, beautiful with beautiful kids, and seemingly beautiful husband and life but her husband shows an obsessive, controlling side. Jane a newcomer to town whose son may have been falsely accused of strangling a girl in his class. She seems to be haunted by something and so does her young son. Renata is a successful, competitive woman who is very protective of her daughter and has a need for justice.

4. Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

Most likely we won’t find out until the end who killed Nathan and why.

What’s happened between Madeline and Nathan?

What happened to Celeste and why is she with a man like her young obsessive husband?

Why did Jane move to Monterey? What happened to her before? What is up with her in the flashes with the blue dress? Why does she have a gun a sleep with it under her pillow at night?

What’s going on with Renata and her husband?

5. Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

Not sure yet, as although I’m curious about what happens next, I don’t feel the urge to binge watch the show. The closest I can get to answering the question is that it does give the impression that we are going to go on a ride, most likely a twisted journey.

[Matthew Frendo]

For this class, I decided to look at Revenge. I am also using a female protagonist who is in a different world, so figured it would be a good fit.

Five Star Points

Big Picture Hook – Will Emily get revenge against Victoria and the others and, maybe even more importantly, how will she get that revenge?

Intriguing characters – Emily’s whole life was defined by this tragedy of justice. She has now made her life dedicated to nothing but revenge, so it’s all she has. This means she will have to probably break her own moral code and deal with it throughout the show.

Empathy – The audience feels for Emily after her dad is framed. This is enhanced by the fact that he was framed by the uber wealthy elites who run everything.

Open Loops – Will she reconnect with Jack? Will she get her revenge? How will she get revenge on all of them? Will Victoria catch on to her and ruin her instead? What really happened with her dad and the plot? What did her dad leave for her in journals? Why did Victoria betray her dad? How will Emily use David to get her revenge?

Inviting obsession – How will a girl with no past or allies (unless you count Nolan) get revenge on the upper echelons in society who ruined her life and killed her father?

[Renee Brown]

The 100

What I learned doing this assignment is… I don’t have to like the show to understand why it is binge worthy. I want to see the next episode to spite my self!

Beats:

The earth is unsafe because of nuclear devastation 97 years ago. The last of humanity is aboard the Ark space station. Ticking clock is resources –they are running out. They need to go down to earth 100 years early. They send the youth prisoners (only alive because they are not 18 yet so they can’t be executed yet) to earth. The prisoners wear wrist bands to report vitals to the Ark. Communications get knocked out so the only communication is the wrist band info.

On the Ark, the chairman gets shot, the doctor uses too much blood, the anti-hero puts her in the air lock, the chairman saves her at the last moment. Sides are chosen.

On earth, the youth prisoners form tribes on taking off bands or not. Ticking clock: the food and supplies are a mountain away. They send a group to bring back food. All is well until one of the group is speared by ? They are not alone.

Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?

Will the youth of remaining humanity lead to returning all humans to earth?

Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

Some of them are wise beyond their years.

Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

Prisoners are sentenced to death for any offense. That’s tough. We don’t know yet what each one did to get there? Whey they land, they are a mountain away from food. Dang. The son of the chairman is still fighting for his father.

Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

Who is on the earth? Are they enemy or friend? What did the chairman’s son do to be a prisoner? Why did the janitor shoot the chairman? How did the bother get on the prisoner ship?

Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

Cliff hanger at the end with the guy getting speared. Establishment of tribes among the prisoners. Politics on the Ark.

[Lisa Mangan]

Scandal 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is discovering how the subplots and details weave in and out of the major plot points to make the show captivating. The 5 Star Points feel like a framework for a dissertation proposal and this course will be the journey of research and creating theories within my own show. That’s the depth that it feels like, void of the rigidity of a doctoral degree.

Big Picture Hook: A razor sharp lawyer leads a hodgepodge team to solve impossible political problems for their clients through unconventional and questionable means.

Intriguing Character: The bold and daring former mistress of the US President takes on the political realm face-on to solve unimaginable problems for her clients.

Empathy/Distress: Relying on her never-fail gut to guide her, Olivia Pope discovers she can’t fully trust herself as she learns the President lied to her.

Open Loops: Will Olivia get back together with the President? Will Stephen and Abby get together, even though Stephen just proposed to another woman?

Inviting Obsession: Will Oliva trust her gut without wavering? Why are each of the members of Olivia’s team chosen? What will happen when the President finds out Olivia has taken on his mistress as a client?

[Renee Brown]

Show Concept

1. Tell us your plot line.

Renee Brown’s Alien Mafia

Alien Mafia toggles between ancient past and present day, following the origin stories of 3 alien species who share earth with humanity. In present day, the species form factions who dominate the underground, the sky, and the deep sea. The interaction among these factions and humanity is mob-like. Each species has a Don (or Donette) including humanity (with its unofficial leader) .

Each species has its main hero or heroin and the plot lines intertwine.

The vast majority of humanity has no idea the earth is inhabited by these aliens… until now.

While navigating the chaos of the biggest lie ever being unleashed in the present, the series explores how each species came to earth and why.

The first aliens to arrive were the longheads. They have been searching for “the one” for the last few millennia to unite the planet with all its inhabitants. Now they have found her. A longhead / human coalition has been forming for thousands of years in anticipation of “the one” arriving.

The series takes us into the intriguing world of each alien species’ habitat on earth: underground networks and city caverns, sky cities cloaked in clouds, deep ocean trench cities, as well as the top-secret world of human military coverups and “handling” of humanity.

[KARL VON SENDEN]

“American Horror Story”: 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is to more readily recognize not just the Big Picture Hook of the show but an emerging appreciation of the lesser hooks or “attention grabbers”. And this not just because these lesser hooks are seemingly used primarily as insight into a rather slowly developing plot-line, but rather as a means to set and keep the “pace and rhythm of the drama.”

1. Big Picture Hooks: After a marital upset, a couple wants a “do-over” that results in their moving to a new house – a house that has a very troubled past.

2. Intriguing Character(s): Neighbor (Jessica Lange) has a troubled young girl who informs the new residents that, “You are going to die!”; Neighbor has bizarre quirks (covets wife’s jewelry) of her own; Another women shows up from nowhere, who claims her past responsibilities were to care for the house – pressures and is hired by wife;

3. Empathy/Distress: Physical/emotional avoidance, as wife cannot seem to get over having interrupted husband’s sexual coupling with another female in their own bed; Husband losing ability to cope with wife’s issue.

4. Open Loops: What insight does troubled little girl have? What is the reason for the neighbor’s continued uninvited presence in the house? What is the revealed past relationship between the neighbor and the new caretaker?

5. Inviting Obsession(s): What is the reason for the little girl’s fixation on the couple and their house? What is behind the neighbor’s ubiquitous behavior? Is the caretaker good or bad, and how does she and the neighbor come to have a relationship?

[JONELLE BERMENT]

Revenge 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment was how to really digest what is being por look at the different parts of a show and pinpoint just what they are.

Big Picture Hooks – The show opens with a Daniel getting shot on the beach, and his fiancee is a mysterious newcomer that appeared on the Hamptons Summer scene hell bent on avenging her father’s death.

Amazing and Intriguing Character –

Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke – Her intentions are clear that she wants revenge but we don’t know her plan. In the very beginning we don’t know that she is Amanda Clarke, that is something that was revealed towards the end of the first episode.

Victoria Greyson – She is the definition of an Ice Queen. It is clear that she wields power within her social circle. What we don’t know is the connection between Victoria and Amanda. We know that Victoria was having an affair with Amanda’s father but we don’t know why.

Empathy/Distress – We immediately feel empathy for Emily/Amanda for losing her father to first jail and then having him murdered right before she is released from juvie. We also feel a bit of empathy for Victoria when it is learned that her friend Lydia was the one whom her husband was having an affair.

Layers/Open Loops –
Who shot Daniel and why?
Why did the Greyson’s frame Mr. Clarke?
What made Victoria turn on David and ruin their affair?

Inviting Obsession – This pilot pulls you in because you must know more. I watched this show when it first premiered though I don’t remember every detail. You want to know what became of Amanda Clarke, who is this Emily Thorne persona she created? The first episode makes you want to keep watching.

[Norene Smiley]

Norene Smiley – Trouble – PRE LESSON 1

PLOT LINE: Innocent on a mission in a strange world

WHAT MAKES STORY UNIQUE:

HOOK – protagonist Scrap is unknowingly ‘The Curse’ that will destroy the world

JOURNEY – she will have to destroy herself to save everyone

WORLD – nature vs machine; nature has been losing, last pod of resistance is The Keep; The Outside is run by robots and machines with humans reduced to idle mindless pleasure-seekers or enslaved keeping the underpinnings of the world working.

– The Keep steeped in superstition

CONFLICT – inner conflict crap overcoming her destiny; fighting control of the automated world led by Agrippa Chafe

CHARACTERS – Scrap darkling orphan isolated and kept under wraps who embodies the end of the world as they know it

Ruby – giantess, the guardian, who shores up the protections and keeps/protects Scrap from her destiny

Bardo – The collector, tending and categorizing castoffs and bits of the natural world

Agrippa Chafe – evil mastermind of The Outside, wanting ultimate control no matter what she has to do to keep it.

PRE LESSON 2: SHOW CONCEPT for Trouble

ENGAGING HIGHLY PROACTIVE HERO

RELATABLE – fighting against restrictions; underdog, wants a normal life, a normal family; who is her family?

MOTIVATION – forced upon her as the curse ‘ripened’ and she was sucked out into the world, away from the securing of the Keep and the safe keeping of Ruby and Bardo. Being the curse, she has to defeat it to save the world.

MAJOR CONFLICT –

EXTERNAL – finding her way back to the Keep and to see if Ruby and bardo are OK

– fighting against the automated world – it is against her nature

– going up against Agrippa’s evil plans

INTERNAL – facing off against the curse. she is a taking time bomb. thwarting her fate

TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY

START – Scrap chafing at superstitions and enclosed world. Curiosity about the Outside. Rebelling. magical and interesting Keep. Secrets and Lies.

CHALLENGE – Scrap will never be the same again. We see her changing not only because of the Curse but what she has to do to defeat it, be defeated by it or learn to live with it. She has to rely on herself. The powerful opponent of Agrippa Chafe and the almost overwhelming mechanical world. The huge challenge to overcome the Curse even if she has to scarce herself. Scrap causes cracks in the veneer of the Outside. She is forced to take risks, solve difficult problems, navigate the chaos she creates, face her fears

FINISH – facing the Curse, saving the world, even if it is just temporary.

UNIQUE – realization she is the protagonist and also embodies the ultimate threat

INTRIGUING SUB WORLDS

KEEP – eccentric and magical, natural and curious, enclosed and secretive, raising more questions than answers. details of superstitions, crazy charms, supporting and showing Scraps skills, weaknesses,

OUTSIDE – mechanical, powerful, crushingly hard to defeat. Cruelly using or fooling humans. Who is really in charge and what do they want? How does this workd support the conflict? and the transformation?

Who could populate this world?

Engineers – needed to keep machines going, repair, supply this world with controlled everything – weather, water, food

Tech support –

Work force under the surface – enslaved, sympathetic machines? is there a revolt? How does Scrap impact that? Is she the cause or the impetus of the uprising?

What can go wrong with these machines?

How does the main population spend there time? are they numbed by something? Do they care about anything? Do they make babies any more? Where are the children in this world? What has happened to them? Are they too messy and inconvenient? maybe people don’t know how to do anything for themselves any more. Totally reliant on robotic helpers (who are like drones caring for the hive).

[MARY Wells]

HANDMAIDS TALE: 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is…

Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?

ITS TOTALITARIAN SOCIETY. IT IS SET IN A WORLD SO EXTREME, WHERE THE STAKES ARE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST, AND IS TOLD FROM AN INTIMATE PERSPECTIVE. WE LEARN OF JUNE’S WORLD THROUGH ONLY HER EYES, AND WHAT WE LEARN IS SHOCKING. WE SEE WHAT SHE HAS LOST AND HOW HARD IT IS TO REGAIN IT. HER DILEMMA IS TORTUOUS.

Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

HER MODERN SENSIBILITIES AND FIEST THAT LEAK THROUGH HER ‘DESIGNATED OFFRED” PERSONALITY, FLASHBACKS TO WHOM SHE WAS WHEN SHE WAS FREE. WE ARE SHOWN WHO SHE IS BY ACTIONS AND TORTUOUS SITUATIONS WHICH FORCE ME TO IDENTIFY AND ASK MYSELF, “WHAT WOULD I DO?”. SHE STAYS SAFE AND SILENT AND IS NOT AN OBVIOUS HEROINE. SHE SHOWS KINDNESS TO JANINE WHEN NO-ONE ELSE DOES, BUT RAGE FOR THE MAN SHE IS ALLOWED TO BEAT. SHE IS NEITHER HEROINE NOT MARTYR.

Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

HER CHILD IS ABDUCTED AND HER HUSBAND IS SHOT AT THE START. SHE HAS FEW FRIENDS AND THE ONES SHE HAD HAVE HARDENED: CREATING TRUTHFUL LINKS SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.

Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

WAS HER HUSBAND SHOT? IS HE ABLE TO COME AFTER HER? HOW CAN SHE ESCAPE? WHO IS THE EYE IN HER HOUSE? WHAT ELSE DO THEY “DO REALLY WELL” IN GILEAD? WHAT ELSE WILL THEY DO TO TURN OFFRED INTO WHAT THEY WANT? IS OFFRED PREGNANT? WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE MOST VULNERABLE, LIKE JANINE?

MAINLY, HOW IS SHE GOING TO GET HER DAUGHTER BACK AND GET OUT OF THERE?

Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

THE STAKES FOR SURVIVAL ARE SO HIGH.

THE SENSE OF INJUSTICE AND REVENGE IS DEEP.

I HATE SOME OF THE CHARACTERS – LIKE SERENA AND AUNT LYDIA – SO MUCH FROM ONLY 1 EP. ESCAPE IS VERY NEEDED IN SUCH A TRAUMATIC WORLD, AND YET THERE IS NO OBVIOUS WAY OUT.

[Leah Gunderson]

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”: If June didn’t care about her identity and by extension what she perceives to be her personal responsibility as a woman, wife and mother there would be no story. This is about identity (her past and present) in the context of exploitation (major conflict with new world order). The power struggles are all about controlling June’s perception of her own identity. Is she June or Offred?

*I wouldn’t have understood this so clearly without the second review.

First Review of The Handmaid’s Tale S1E1

1. Big Picture Hooks
   Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? The violent and extreme disregard for June. Weird mix of God’s word in the Bible and traditional Christian hymns with infantilization of grown woman to behave like little girls who accept being raped, tortured, and abused.
2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
   Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? In this emergency, the mom and dad are extremely paternal, caring, and gentle with their daughter. June is strong. She is keeping herself alive in her mind with the contrast of what she would really say because of how she really feels and what she truly understands about this strange world in contrast to what she has to say in order to be the dog (breeding bitch) that she is supposed to be in this new role. Also, she is mentally giving herself choices though choice is only available in her thoughts and heart.
3. Empathy / Distress
   Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character? First, a wintery landscape cold enough that all scared characters need winter attire and focus is on family’s vulnerable, little girl. Second, car gets stuck and now the little girl needs to run with her mommy. The father is shouting “Run! Run! Run!”. The father is wanting to protect them, but has to rely on the mom to directly protect their daughter – he has to let them go. Third, gunshots and the mom things “they” got her husband. Forth, “they” take her daughter. Fifth, “they” take her. Sixth, we are introduced to roles in this society and the mom is told that the previous woman in her position was like “training a dog” (irony is that the handmaids are breeding bitches if dog terms were to be used for breeding stock) and then Mrs. Waterford gives her commands like she is a dog required to obey. Seventh, June is not the only one. There are many captured women who were captured because they are fertile.
4. Layers / Open Loops
   Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? Why are they really being chased? After the capture, we learn about a strange world in which no one is happy, but angry power struggles abound. No one knows who to trust. Dead bodies on the wall indicate what is NOT allowed, and it is juxtaposed by weird “lesson” on why God punished society with infertility. And then Janine’s eye is removed as punishment for not verbally agreeing with the system. And then June is raped . . . how many women will be raped and how many more time will June be raped?
5. Inviting Obsession
   Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? June is remembering how this all started, but it is only in snatches of fractured memories. I need to watch more to learn what it is that she remembers so that I can understand why she is now a prisoner and what she is going to do about it – The Handmaid’s Tale.

Second Review of The Handmaid’s Tale S1E1

1. Big Picture Hooks
   Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? The big hook is discovering if this woman is going to be June or Offred (identity by name)?
2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
   Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? She is constantly shifting between expressing herself as June (in her mind) and as Offred (compliant behavior). This is amazing because as June is trying to remember her life before the cpature, she is actually reinventing “June” such as one option at the grocery store might be to select eggs or a machine gun. Who she is was, is and will be is undecided. This is intriguing because there has to be a breaking point or a point of clear decisions that determines her new identity (identity by individuation).
3. Empathy / Distress
   Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character? It is distressing and concerning to watch June being erased, yet she is strong enough to hold out in her mind. We want her to not lose herself in this mad world (identity by environment). We do not want her to be raped again (identity and emotional trauma).
4. Layers / Open Loops
   Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? The big questions is who will June become in her efforts to save herself and her daughter (identity by imposed circumstance).
5. Inviting Obsession
   Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? We care about June. We think we know her, but we also think we don’t know her at all. What kind of women is she going to become because of all of this? One thing we do know, June is going to act. What will she do next (identify by self-determination)?