[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Episode List Rough Draft

What I learned doing this assignment is that the more complicated are the assignments the more I need to work on it in my native language. Later I will translate. Also I learned to write down even the ideas that seem to me weak, because when I read them later on, they appear to be just a step to a better idea. I understand now better why Hal emphases so much the importance of the easy way of doing the assignments.

Ep. 1 – Chora Arkadia gotowa na śmierć decyduje się żyć, żeby ratować Krysię

Ep. 2. – Konkurencyjne metody leczenia. Arkadia potajemnie przed Mateuszem odrzuca jego leczenie i stara się zinfiltrować Krysi kontakty z terapeutą. Przewiduje, że za namową Mateusza Krysia dostanie blokery dojrzewania, zna tego psychoterapeutę. Postanawia powstrzymać ją, bo to oni powinni się leczyć, a nie ona za ich zaniedbania.

Ep. 3. – Akcja karania rodziców za kłamstwo przeprowadzona przez Krysię z inspiracji Arkadii. To pasuje Krysi, wreszcie ma poczucie misji, bo sposób zarządzania szpitalem przez rodziców przyczynia się do niszczenia klimatu. Arkadia próbuje przyhamować Krysię, ale ona widzi w tym brak zrozumienia. Uważa, że jest uwięzionym w ciele dziewczyny homoseksualistą. Ich akcja powoduje straty szpitala.

Ep. 4. – Wojna Arkadii z psychoterapeutką Krysi napędzana wyrzutami sumienia w sprawie dawnej pacjentki. Krysia żąda szczerości i Arkadia przyznaje się do własnego błędu lekarskiego motywowanego odsuwaniem ryzyka biznesowego. Backstory jej biedy i ambicji materialnych. Prosi Krysię o pomoc w jego naprawieniu przez co zyskuje sympatię wnuczki.

Ep. 5 – Nowa metoda leczenia Arkadii przynosi kryzys zdrowia. Kontratak Mateusza o metodę leczenia. Proces Krysi przeciw rodzicom o ustalenie płci, zamienia się w walkę.

Ep. 6 – Arkadia czuje się lepiej. Instruuje Krysię jak przeprowadzić śledztwo w sprawie relacji Mateusza i Ewy. Arkadia wspomaga odbudowanie relacji Krysi i jej chłopaka. Nelly przyjmuje tą samą metodę co Arkadia, odrzuca leczenie Mateusza. Arkadia tego nie zaleca. Zaczynaja się tym interesować inne pacjentki.

Ep. 7 – Arkadia tuż przed Krysią odkrywa, że małżeństwo jej rodziców jest fasadowe i czekają na śmierć Arkadii, a Ewa praktycznie już większość czasu spędza ze swym nowym partnerem. Próbuje to jednak ukryć przed Krysią.

Ep. 8 Arkadia oskarża Mateusza, że nie walczy o swoją rodzine tylko zajmuje się szpitalem i przez to Krysia ma problemy, bo on żyje w wyparciu. Ale Mateusz oskarża Arkadię o pełne zakłamanie (rodzina zmarłej pacjentki wytoczyła sprawę sądową, a ile rodzin zmarłych tego nie zrobiło, a szpital pod kierownictwem Arkadii zarabiał na nieefektywnym leczeniu pacjentów)

Ep. 9 Krysia odwraca się od Arkadii, rodziców a swego chłopaka bije do krwi za to że odrzuca ją jako potencjalnego gay’a. Nelly ma się gorzej.

.

3. With each episode, make a list of bullet points that describe the most important events of that episode.

Ep. 1

– Narada lekarska Arkadii z synem Mateuszem, wniosek, że podtrzymują kosztowne leczenie, ale raczej wkrótce umrze. <div>

– Arkadia czyta swoje pamiętniki, postanawia się wyspowiadać, na wszelki wypadek. (pamiętniki są wersją samousprawiedliwienia, dlatego je pisała)

– Dzieli się niektórymi informacjami z inną pacjentką Nelly, wyśmiewa jej podejrzliwość co do sposobów leczenia.

– Pożegnalne informacyjne spotkanie rodzinne z wnuczkami w szpitalu – babcia wkrótce dołączy do dziadka.

– Krysia przeżywa atak agresji, która zamienia się w autoagresję.
Arkadia ją ratuje.

– Arkadia przepytuje Mateusza i Ewę w sprawie Krysi, oni tłumaczą to kłopotami w szkole.

– Krysia jest zamknięta w sobie, nie chce rozmawiać z Arkadią.

– Arkadia czuje się gorzej, porównuje badania innej pacjentki ze swoimi, metody leczenia i efekt. Pacjentka umarła.

– Arkadia zaczyna szukać błędu w postępowaniu wobec zmarłej pacjentki.

– Opowieści, o których czyta Nelly, która prenumeruje pismo „Czego lekarze ci nie powiedzą.” tylko ją denerwują.

– Arkadia zbiera siły, żeby odwiedzić szkołę Krysi w tajemnicy przed rodziną. Nauczycielka nie chce udzielić informacji, bo nie zna Arkadii, a rodzice Krysi nie umieścili babci na liście osób upoważnionych. Prosi jednak o przypomnienie, że wizyta rodziców jest konieczna.

– W szkole Arkadia ma chwile słabości, pomaga jej miły chłopak, ale jak się dowiaduje, że jest babcią Krysi nabiera dystansu. Nie chce powiedzieć czemu.

– Krysia w domu z rodzicami i rodzeństwem. Rodzice przekonują, żeby dzieci utrzymywały wizerunek dobrej rodziny, do czasu śmierci babci, żeby jej nie martwić. Potem zaczną nowe, lepsze życie.

– Arkadia prosi o jeszcze jedno spotkanie rodzinne.

– Mateusz kłóci się z Arkadią, na temat odrzucenia przez nią zapisanego leczenia, a ona chce wiedzieć, co przed nią ukrywają.

– Kiedy pyta wnuków, Krystyna wpada w kolejny napad agresji i atakuje rodzeństwo, rodziców i Arkadię.

– Arkadia decyduje, że nie umrze tak łatwo, będzie walczyć, żeby ratować swoją wnuczkę przed swoimi dziećmi, zaczyna studiować pisma Nelly.

Ep. 2.

– Mateusz odbiera dostawy leków, sprawdza i podpisuje raporty do Funduszu Zdrowia, wpisuje należne szpitalowi kwoty. Konkurencyjnego dostawcę odprawia z kwitkiem. </div><div>

– Krysia (będąc na kontroli w szpitalu) przychodzi do Arkadii przeprosić ją, za swój atak. Arkadia nawiązuje z nią kontakt, („Nic nie dzieje się bez powodu. Zakazali ci mówić? Ale ja się wszystkiego dowiem”.)

– Krysia interesuje się pismami Nelly, bo przecież lekarze kłamią, jej ojciec kłamie, wszyscy kłamią.

– Personel informuje Mateusza, że już dwie pacjentki odstawiły zalecane, rejestrowane i kosztowne leczenie.

– Arkadia studiuje sprawę sądową z rodziną swojej zmarłej pacjentki.

– W medycznych pismach Nelly Krysia znajduje artykuł o dysforii płciowej, zaczyna interesować się tematem.

– Krysia wyjawia rodzicom swoje niepokoje dotyczące płci. Rodzice zakazują jej o tym mówić.

– Mateusz rozmawia na temat Krysi z jej psychoterapeutą.

– Arkadia otwiera się na lekturę Nelly. Arkadia weryfikuje polecane przez Nelly sposoby z własną wiedzą i doświadczeniem.

– Arkadia testuje na sobie nową metodę.

– Krysia znów u psychoterapeuty, a potem szczęśliwa i pełna nadziei. Arkadię to niepokoi.

– Arkadia próbuje od psychoterapeuty dowiedzieć się skąd taka radość Krysi.

– Mateusz znajduje medykamenty, których szpital nie stosuje.
Arkadia próbuje włamać się do systemu, ale jest zablokowany przed nią.

– Personel szpitala dostaje premię, a Arkadia, jako dawny ordynator, życzenia od firmy dostarczającej blokery.

Ep. 3.

– Arkadia odkrywa, że Krysia interesuje się sprawami klimatu. </div><div>

– Arkadia chce nawiązać kontakt z Krysią, żeby jej pomóc i pokazuje jej grzeszki ojca, co szpital robi z odpadkami, chce wciągnąć ją w pracę nad poprawą sytuacji.

– W zamian Arkadia Krysia ujawnienia, że rodzice kazali kłamać, że w rodzinie wszystko jest dobrze, a rodzice myślą tak naprawdę o rozwodzie.

– Dowiaduje się, że czekają na jej śmierć, żeby się rozwieść i podzielić majątkiem.
Krysia donosi na tatę i ściąga kontrolę.

– Krysi, wreszcie ma poczucie misji, bo sposób zarządzania szpitalem przez rodziców przyczynia się do niszczenia klimatu.

– Arkadia próbuje pohamować Krysię, ale ona widzi w tym brak zrozumienia. Powiadamia jakieś fundacje ochrony środowiska.

– Odwraca się od Arkadii i rozmawia tylko z psychoterapeutą.

– Kontrola szpitala nakłada kary finansowe.
Mateusz przekupuje urzędników, żeby nie nagłaśniali sprawy.

– Krysia u psychoterapeuty uznaje, że jest uwięzionym w ciele dziewczyny homoseksualistą.

– Krysia w relacji z Michałem, chłopakiem, który je się podoba, myśląc, że jest uwięzionym w ciele dziewczyny homoseksualistą czuje się pewniej, swobodniej.

– On dostrzega w niej coś intrygującego. Zaczyna ją lubić.

Ep. 4. –

– Zmarły mąż we śnie podpowiada Arkadii, że wygrała proces z rodziną zmarłej pacjentki niesłusznie, </div><div>

– Arkadia weryfikuje to w dokumentach i zaczyna mieć duże wyrzuty sumienia.

– Rodzina pacjentki nie chce jej znać.

– Wojna Arkadii z psychoterapeutką Krysi napędzana wyrzutami sumienia w sprawie dawnej pacjentki.

– Krysia żąda szczerości i Arkadia przyznaje się do własnego błędu lekarskiego motywowanego odsuwaniem ryzyka biznesowego.

– Backstory jej biedy i ambicji materialnych.

– Arkadia prosi Krysię o pomoc, chce dotrzeć do i przeprosić dzieci pacjentki przez co zyskuje sympatię wnuczki.

– Kiedy docierają do dzieci tamtej pacjentki i Krysia mówi o wyrzutach sumienia Arkadii, okazuje się, że ciagle mierzą się ze skutkami jej błędu,

– Arkadii zdrowie podupada, kiedy traci kontakt z rzeczywistością, wpada w świat tamtych wydarzeń. Mąż uprzedzał ją, że krzywdzi nie tylko pacjentkę, ale całą rodzinę na lata.

Ep. 5

– Arkadia wyznaje Krysi co powinni zrobić tamci ludzie, żeby uzyskać dostęp do dokumentów i odszkodowanie. </div><div>

– Nowa metoda leczenia przynosi kryzys zdrowia Arkadii.

– Arkadia tłumaczy to walką organizmu.

– Kontratak Mateusza o metodę leczenia.

– Krysia bez wsparcia Arkadii zaczyna przyjmować blokery i czuje się gorzej, ale nie rezygnuje

– Krysia poznaje procedury, odkrywa skalę wyzwań związanych ze zmiana płci. Między innymi proces przeciw rodzicom o nierozpoznanie płci dziecka.

– Mateusz potrzebuje, żeby Krysia przeszła ten proces, żeby się uwiarygodnić i wierzy psychoterapeucie.

– Arkadia wyznaje Krysi, że ona też wierzyła we wszystko co przynosi mu korzyści.

– Zaczyna się proces Krysi przeciw rodzicom o ustalenie płci,

– Proces zamienia się w walkę. Bo oni coś ukrywają. Krysia ma podważa, że jest ich córką.

Ep. 6

– Arkadia czuje się lepiej, wspiera Krysię w jej wątpliwościach
Nelly zapatrzona w Arkadię chce tej samej metody leczenia, popada w konflikt z Mateuszem. </div><div>

– Inne pacjentki też zaczynają zadawać trudne pytania.

– Arkadia i Krysia przeprowadzają śledztwo w sprawie relacji Mateusza i Ewy.

– Ewie udaje jej się wszystko ukrywać przed Krysią. Ale Arkadia widzi więcej.

– Mateusz prosi, aby Arkadia przemówiła do rozsądku pacjentek. W zamian Arkadia chce prawdy o jego relacji z żoną.
Mateusz opowiada o swoim wyparciu romansu żony i że nie chcieli martwić Arkadii.

– Arkadia znowu ma słabszy moment, wspomina kłótnie z mężem o wychowanie Mateusza. Ale czegoś sobie nie mówią, a mąż pije zbyt dużo alkoholu.

– Arkadia przejęta umawia się z kolegą Krysi i próbuje wspomóc budowanie ich relacji, opowiada o niej jaka to fajna dziewczyna, że potrzebuje wsparcia.

– Interwencja Arkadii przynosi fatalny efekt.

– Na procesie Krysia żąda powołania biegłego, czy jest córką swego ojca. Arkadia przeżywa szok.

Ep. 7 –

– Krysia jest przekonana, że Mateusz dlatego jest „tak złym ojcem”, bo ona nie jest jego córką. <div>

– Po szoku w sądzie odnawiają się choroby Arkadii.

– Krysia jest wściekła, że babcia za jej plecami i rozwala jej związek, ma kolejny atak agresji, tym razem z powodu babci.

– Arkadia odkrywa przed Krysią, że małżeństwo jej rodziców jest fasadowe

Ep. 8

– Arkadia oskarża Mateusza, że nie walczy o swoją rodzine tylko zajmuje się szpitalem i przez to Krysia ma problemy,
bo on żyje w wyparciu. </div>

– Mateusz oskarża Arkadię o pełne zakłamanie (rodzina zmarłej pacjentki wytoczyła sprawę sądową,
a ile rodzin zmarłych tego nie zrobiły, a szpital pod kierownictwem Arkadii zarabiał na nieefektywnym leczeniu pacjentów

– Krysia nienawidzi wszystkich, ucieka.

– Arkadia błaga o pomoc jej chłopaka, razem szukają Krysi

– Krysia pojawia się w sądzie. Biegły potwierdza, że Krysia jest dzieckiem swoich rodziców.

– Krysia załamuje się.

– Krysia swego chłopaka bije do krwi za to że odrzuca ją jako potencjalnego geja.

– Nelly ma się gorzej znacznie gorzej, nowe leczenie ją morduje.

</div>

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Five Seasons

What I learned doing this assignment is…

2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.

Season 1: Arcadia is a pleased with herself retired doctor on her deathbed who must gain a new life energy resources and question many of her professional achievements if she wants to investigate reasons of her beloved granddaughter life endangering aggression disorder and to punish those responsible and help her to recover.

Season 2: W tajemnicy przed synem, który przejął po niej prowadzenie szpitala Arcadia zaczyna propagować metody leczenia, które wcześniej odrzucała jako nieopłacalne dla szpitala i demaskuje mechanizmy korupcyjne dostawców zyskując sympatię wnuczki, ale jednocześnie niszcząc relację z synem.

Season 3: Alternatywne studia, które Arcadia przechodzi z pomocą Christine prowadzą je do przekonania, że dla odzyskania spokoju ducha rodzina musi naprawić błędy przeszłości, w 18 urodziny Christine odbierają od Matthew kontrolę nad szpitalem, żeby zmienić model jego działania.

Season 4: Arcadia mierzy się z Christine, która jako główny właściciel odkrywa skalę nadużyć babci i ojca oraz ogrom cierpienia, które spowodowali i karze ich za to prowadząc rodzinny biznes do zniszczenia.

Season 5: Arcadia zraziła do siebie wszystkich i zaczyna rozumieć, że to ona jest odpowiedzialna za śmierć swojego męża i próbuje uzyskać wybaczenie od wszystkich po kolei.

Season 1: Must Do Before You Die

A. High Concept or major hook of the season:

Arcadia, satisfied with her life retired doctor on her deathbed must not die to rescue her granddaughter from self aggression and she starts pursuit for the treatment methods that she did not recommended as a doctor.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:

Arcadia must question her medical routine if she really cares about how to help her granddaughter. She begins the journey back to her life and opens for spiritual dimension that she never treated seriously, just for any case.

C. Main Conflict:

Arcadia opposites her son (and doctor in one person) about growing treatment methods and the way of upbringing her granddaughter.

D. Mystery/Open Loops:

What is it that everybody hides from Christine? What is the reason of Christine’s vulnerability?

E. Cliffhanger:

The family internal fights make Christine’s life disorder even worse.

Season 2: A Little Bit Of The Truth Will Set You Little Free

A. High Concept or major hook of the season.

Arcadia questions the practice of her son and successor whom she taught everything which does more harm than good to the patients, but also reveals corruption based policy of the hospital which affects some of the youth which affects some of Christine’s colleagues.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From relation mother – son, to accusations, open conflict and competition with him. From being focused on herself to having remorse charlatan ready to burn herself in favour of other patients regardless whether it is profitable for the hospital.

C. Main Conflict:

Matthew tries to deprive her of her entitlements, while she tries to prove his corruption and justify her acting against her own son.

D. Mystery/Open Loops:

Matthew is acting in the same way as she did before, that is why she can easily expose him, only that her wrongdoings expired, she denies them and thinks it is her dead husband who helps her investigate the truth. What will Christine do when she discovers all of that?

E. Cliffhanger:

Arcadia realises that her past deeds might be part of the reason for present Christine misfortune and vulnerability. Learning the first bit of the truth works as an empowering to Christine, she feels like going for a mission to change the world.

Season 3: Genetic Of Remorse

A. High Concept or major hook of the season.

Arcadia finds scientific proves which support her remorse and she believes revealing to Christine more truth about the darkest corners of the family past will help her to inherit the hospital shares from her and recover, while Matthew tries to deprive Arcadia from her entitlements and suggests that she has an esoteric mania.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:

Arcadia: From denial to investigating all of her medical negligence, corruption and mistakes. Christine: From victim to activist.

C. Main Conflict:

Arcadia wants to take back control over the hospital from her son and transfer her shares and power to Christine when she becomes 18 years old. Christine taken to

D. Mystery/Open Loops:

How this nearly 18 years old, vulnerable girl will manage to stand up to her parents.

E. Cliffhanger:

18 years old Christine becomes the hospital manager, while Arcadia’s diseases return.

Season 4: Christine’s Mission

A. High Concept or major hook of the season.

Christine’s auto-aggression changes to the great punishment of the whole family and fight against the system, she destroys the hospital.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:

Arcadia: From the good and powerful grandma to a fragile, hampered by the illnesses fighter against Christine.

C. Main Conflict:

Arcadia and Matthew contra Christine who, having the power, naively starts acting like a real avenger.

D. Mystery/Open Loops:

Why does Christine destroy everything what Arcadia has built for the family, even if the guilt was admitted and mostly forgiven? Is there more lie and false unrevealed?

Arcadia was cheating on her husband.

E. Cliffhanger:

How Christine’s grandpa died?

Season 5: The Root Fake

A. High Concept or major hook of the season.

Arcadia (young) starts her great career with cheating and then builds her perfect denial which affects next generations.

Arcadia (dying grandma) Arcadia admits her responsible for her husband, Christine’s grandpa, death.

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From condemned wreck to finally reconciled human being.

C. Main Conflict:

Arcadia contra her dead husband who died because of her.

Arcadia contra her living family who does not want to forgive her.

D. Mystery/Open Loops:

Will the family forgive her? Will Christine forgive her?

E. Cliffhanger:

Arcadia dies and her real life judgment begins :).

Arcadia, satisfied with her life retired doctor on her deathbed must not die if she wants rescue her granddaughter from self aggression, so she pursuits for the treatment methods that she would not recommend ever before as a doctor.

But that some positive effects visible on herself makes her questioning her past practice. She begins the journey back to her life and opens for spiritual dimension that she never treated seriously, just for any case. Her unusual sincerity brings her some sympathy of Christine and gives chance of helping her. They become friends which gives Arcadia some even insight into the world of teenagers. But she does not want to say all.

Feeling more power Arcadia opposes her son and Christine’s father Matthew, but the family internal fights make Christine’s disorder even worse. What is the reason of Christine’s vulnerability?

Season 2: A Little Bit Of The Truth Will Set You Little Free

Arcadia questions the practice of her son and successor whom she taught everything and this way she does more harm than good to the patients. But she also reveals corruption based policy of the hospital which affects some of the teenage patients, Christine’s colleagues. Arcadia gains the trust her granddaughter but goes to an open conflict with Matthew. Having remorse for some of her past deeds she becomes charlatan ready to burn herself in favour of present patients regardless whether it is profitable for the hospital. Yet her new methods are danger too.

Matthew tries to deprive her of her professional entitlements, while she tries to prove his corruption and justify her acting against him. Christine admires Arcadia who seems to be fast and ruthless as like she knew everything in advance. She does not know however that it is possible only because Matthew is acting in the same way as grandma did before. But Arcadia denies her wrongdoings and thinks it is her dead husband who helps her investigate the truth.

Christine realises however that her grandma past deeds might be the part of the reason of her present misfortune and vulnerability. Learning the first bit of the truth works as an empowering to Christine, she feels like going for a mission to change the world.

Season 3: Genetic Of Remorse

Arcadia finds scientific proves which support her theory that revealing to Christine more truth about the darkest corners of the family past will help her to recover and then she will be suitable heir to inherit the hospital shares from her which would give them advantages over Matthew. But at same time he tries to deprive Arcadia from her professional entitlements and suggests she has an esoteric mania. Arcadia transforms from denial of her medical errors to investigating all of her negligence, corruption and mistakes. That process sorts of fascinates Christine and she really recovers, changing from being victim to activist.

Arcadia wants to take back control over the hospital from her son and transfers her shares to Christine on her 18 birthday, thinking she solved the problem. But 18 years old former victim likes very much the power she got over the adults and she does not listen to the grandma anymore. Arcadia’s diseases return.

Season 4: Christine’s Mission

Christine’s autoaggression changes to the great punishment of the whole family and fight against the system. Christine who, having the power, naively starts acting like a real avenger. She destroys the hospital, while Arcadia is changing from the good and powerful grandma to a fragile, hampered by the illnesses antagonist of Christine.

The good thing is that she is again on the same side with Matthew and they can witness how Christine destroy everything what built together. Matthew also starts to investigate the past, especially when discovers the parallels in his and is dead father lives. Is there more lie and false that Arcadia unrevealed?

How and why Christine’s grandpa died?

Season 5: The Root Fake

Arcadia back in her deathbed finally faces her past: Arcadia (young) starts her great career with cheating on her husband and than builds her perfect denial which affects next generations.

When she finally gets out of her denial she might gain some peace, yet she needs forgiveness, a lot of it. Eg. from her dead husband who died because of her.

But why would Matthew and Christine ever forgive her. Maybe Matthew yes, because he has already he has a very dirty conscience, but Christine? She is almost clean, she happily seems to be recovered, yet not quick to forgive. She starts her own path of errors.

Arcadia dies and her real life judgment begins :).

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Character Descriptions

What I learned doing this assignment is that going to the description of characters in steps rather than trying to write it at once gives better quality and probably saves time as well.

2. answer the following questions:

Who is the character? Role in the show?: Arcadia – a former hospital ordinator on her deathbed satisfied with her long life has just one last medical mission to complete before she says goodbye, make her morbidly aggressive granddaughter fit for life in society and happy.
Noteworthy traits: Brave, caring, ambitious, stubborn, a hypocrite who turns into a ruthlessly truthful person,
Intriguing history: As the ordinator of the hospital she made many medical errors with deadly results and only her husband knew about it.
I<div>

ntrigue? Mystery?: She was living in denial of her guilt, and her husband was the only person aware of it. So she started to cheat on him and he started to drown out his stress with alcohol until he died drunk in accident. She feels guilty for that.
How do they support or drive the conflict with others? She undercuts the financial foundations of the hospital – her family’s financial base, pushes herself and her hospital mates to deadly situations, hurts people who she lied to for years with saying the truth now.
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character: At the end of her life Arcadia destroys everything what she was building the whole life.
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters: She realises she needs to unteach her son everything that she taught him the whole life. She has to undo all the lies of her life
Unpredictable?: At the end all her life sins backfire on her and the beloved ones. What more wrongdoings is she hiding and how will they affect Christine, Matthew and Eve? How? She must also overcome her diseases, invent new cures and test them on herself just to be able to fight for the well-being of her granddaughter for one week longer. What effect will they have on her?
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters: Arcadia competes for recognition among the patients with her son Matthew, as well as for love of Christine.

3. Organise the answers

START: Arcadia – a retired hospital ordinator on her deathbed satisfied with her long life has just one last medical mission to complete before she says goodbye, make her morbidly aggressive granddaughter fit for life in society and at leats a little bit happier.

MIDDLE: Arcadia’s discovers that her past infidelity, greed, ambition and vanity resulted in the death of many of her patients who could have been saved. How will she deal with her remorse and fix her medical errors she would make years ago. How will she, 70 years old grandma, investigate Christine’s schoolmates? Fighting new waves of illnesses, plotting against her own son and the policy of the hospital she must defence her medical entitlements and investigate reasons of Christine’s aggressive behaviour. She discovers that it is her fully hypocritical life which marks the deep source of Christine’s vulnerability. Yet she must overcome her own diseases, invent new cures testing them on herself just to be able to fight for the well-being of her granddaughter a year, a month, a week longer.

END: She becomes antisistemic charlatan who uses her perfect knowledge about the system. Only a complete truthful reckoning with the past and punishing those responsible, including her son and herself, might bring some peace for her granddaughter. But how will she earn her peace back discovering always new and new wrongdoings of her own, which now mirror in her son’s behaviour and her granddaughter’s despair.

Will she gain her peace back before she dies knowing the truth about herself? Will she manage to offer her granddaughter real hope of effective healing?

ROUGH DRAFT DESCRIPTION

Arcadia – a retired hospital ordinator on her deathbed satisfied with her long life has just one last medical mission to complete before she says goodbye, make her morbidly aggressive granddaughter happier and fit for life in society. Confronted with the extreme vulnerability of her beloved granddaughter she must overcome her usual traits like greed, ambition and vanity, hypocrisy to stand up to her son and all her professional achievements, to become uncompromisingly honest, as her granddaughter Christine is. That makes her to start her way of final judgment, punishment and atonement. But this means necessity of undermining everything that she achieved in her live, not excluding unleashing a fight against her son who now mirrors her issues. But she is not only to face her past, yet presence as well. Not to die before she accomplishes her aim she must run risks with new cures for her new and new diseases.

Christine

Who is the character? Role in the show?: Christine – a golden granddaughter, under constant family pressure to meet their high expectations as to her personal conduct, ambitions and standards. A task that proves too deceptive for kindhearted teenage and results in episodes of total aggressive mania – when enraged she’s a danger to whoever is in sight as well as herself.
Noteworthy traits: Unable to tolerate lies, insecure, kindhearted, self-harming, feeling like she doesn’t belong, requiring a lot of warmth and patience that she can’t get, therefore she’s a fast thinking pessimist, easy discovering the darkest possible future.
Intriguing history: She loves a boy who dumped her after she severely beat him up, she can’t say why. Will she manage to find her way, or will she succumb to despair and violence?
Intrigue? Mystery?: None whatsoever on the part of Christine, however her parents do try to manipulate her in many ways, therefore at some point Christine starts to plot with her Arcadia (once she gets her trust) against them.
How do they support or drive the conflict with others? She confronts the hypocrisy and sternly showcases the sins of those around her in conversations, while fighting not fall into their footsteps. Outside of family relations she’s trying to project a perfect image at all cost, and it usually backfires.
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character: On one hand she hates the way things are in her family, yet she doesn’t know how to not be that, therefore she’s depressed. She has a lot of empathy, however whenever someone close to her hurts her, she unleashes all hell unable to forgive.
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters: Fitting in with her family, fulfilling her role as a daughter, trying to satisfy her parents, while being in complete semi-concious disagreement with their hierarchy of values. Being bluntly honest, and having attacks of rage in certain circumstances.
Unpredictable?: Hardly keeps any secrets,
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters: Developing the first truly honest relationship with Arcadia throughout the series, weird relationship with her father, requiring his approval and kindness, but being angry at him for failing her in that regard, thus antagonistic. With the boy she likes – they looks like are meant to be together but… he is afraid of her and therefore treats her as a psycho, pretending a bully

START: Christine – a golden granddaughter, under constant family pressure to meet their high expectations. A task that proves too deceptive for kindhearted Christine and results in episodes of total aggressive mania – when enraged she’s a danger to whoever is in sight as well as herself.

MIDDLE: Unable to tolerate lies, insecure, feeling like she doesn’t belong, requiring a lot of warmth and patience that she can’t get, therefore she’s a fast thinking pessimist, always discovering the darkest possible future. Discovering huge shift in Arcadias attitude to life she opens to her and lets her be a mentor. She loves the idea that others are to be punished for her weaknesses, she starts to plot, scheme and lie herself.

END: She becomes free from the burden of the parents and grandparents generation’s life mistakes, becomes independent and refuses being guided by any of them. Free from her aggression drive Christine starts doing life errors of her own.

ROUGH DRAFT DESCRIPTION

Christine is a golden granddaughter under constant family pressure to meet their high expectations. However unable to tolerate their lies and schemes she is insecure, feeling like she doesn’t belong, requiring a lot of warmth and patience that she can’t get. Farther more she does not understand why she cannot control her aggressive behaviour – when enraged she’s a danger to whoever is in sight as well as herself or her beloved boyfriend.

Therefore she has become fast thinking pessimist, always discovering the darkest possible future.

Discovering huge shift her grandma attitude to life she slowly opens to her and lets her to act as a mentor. She loves the idea that others are to be punished for her instability and weaknesses, she starts to plot, scheme against her parents, schoolmates, and the system as Arcadia’s best friend, yet emotionally dependant.

Will she become free from the burden of the parents and grandparents generation’s life mistakes and become really independent.

When liberated from her aggression mania Christine starts doing life errors of her own.

Matthew

Who is the character? Role in the show?: Matthew is son of Arcadia and father of Christine. Covering his disappointment with his daughter emotional instability and trying to support her yet without compromising any of his business objectives and agendas.
Noteworthy traits: Greedy, ruthless, perfectionist who wants to prove his power and manhood to his dominating mother. Abstinent.
Intriguing history: He blames his dead father Stan for being weak and too dependent on Arcadia. He thinks of his father with disregard as he believes alcohol addiction was the true and the only reason of his death.
Intrigue? Mystery?: He is cheated by his wife, just like his father was cheated by his mother, yet he does not admits how it hurts him. He loves Arcadia, yet he would like her to finally die so he could gain the full control over the hospital.
How do they support or drive the conflict with others? Opposing Arcadia on every field. Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character: <i style=””>He fights against mother because he is very much alike her, all his medical system driven efforts to heal Christine put her apart, he wants to prove his manhood fighting against his mother.
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters:
Unpredictable?: When he drinks, he might be even more danger than his daughter.
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters: Competing for dominance with Arcadia, pretending perfect marriage with cheating on him Eve, forsing on Christine the therapy and treatment according to their hospital standards. Christine becomes an asset for him, he wants to win her respect and obedience.

START: Matthew is son of Arcadia and father of Christine. Covering his disappointment with his daughter emotional instability and trying to support her yet without compromising any of his business objectives and agendas.

MIDDLE: Greedy, ruthless, perfectionist who wants to prove his power and manhood to his dominating mother. Abstinent. He is cheated by his wife, just like his father was cheated by his mother, yet he does not admits how it hurts him. He loves Arcadia, yet he would like her to finally die so he could gain the full control over the hospital.

END: When he discovers that it is Christine who receives Arcadia’s of the hospital on her 18th birthday he must choose between his agenda and relation with his daughter.

ROUGH DRAFT DESCRIPTION

Matthew is son of Arcadia and father to Christine. Covering his disappointment with the daughter emotional instability he is trying to cure her rather than support. Without compromising any of his business objectives and agendas. He is greedy, ruthless, perfectionist who wants to prove his power and manhood to his dominating mother. He fights against the image of his father who died because of alcohol – Matthew never drinks, so discovering that he is cheated by his wife, just like his father was cheated by his mother, he does not admit how it hurts him.

Of course he loves Arcadia, yet he would like her to finally die so he could gain the full control over the hospital, his life, his daughter. Instead he must compete with her about the hospital policy, sympathy of Christine. Maybe he is not sure if he likes Arcadia or hates her as the main threat to his image of himself.

</div>

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing this assignment is shortening the concept sentence, looking for more interesting solution on the opposite side of the original intention, being more free and precise on the concept level.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Present your Concept.

Cordial grandma on her deathbed at her family’s hospital discovers life endangering aggression disorder of her beloved granddaughter and challenges the medical patterns to regain her live energy to investigate and punish those responsible, including medics, her granddaughter schoolmates, family members and… herself.

2. Tell us the World of this show.

Unique Sub-World: a corrupt world of competition for the market in the back rooms of doctor’s offices

Previously unexplored: drug sellers corrupting doctors, doctors drowning out their conscience?
The unknown: How the medical treatments influences social life of teenagers and family relations?

The unseen: grandma investigating teenagers

Unheard of Dangers: alternative cures are not safe and piss off powerful people of the industry
Reason to explore it: Bring her granddaughter back to normal life and punish all those who make her suffer

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal is ready for feedback!

What I learned doing this process is compress my description. I noticed use of many annecessary words that make the recap process foggy.

I also had few breakthroughs – eg. I gave the enemies positive motivations to make the conflict more interesting. I also clarified some few contradictions that I discovered doing this assignment.

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Creating Irony!

What I learned doing this assignment is to control the process of adding irony to characters which makes them both more profound and comical.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Big Little Lies

Renate’s – the most successful woman is getting ruined by her husband.

After Celeste’s abuser is dead his mother comes to help and abuses Celeste psychologically

Bonnie, whose life was the most orderly, becomes a murderer on impulse.

Being afraid that her daughter Abigail makes wrong choices Madeline loses her bond with her to Bonnie who becomes murderer and falls into depression.

Celeste, the woman that seems the most happy in the town is in fact in danger of being beaten to death by her beloved husband.

Jane escaping to Monterey from her past of being abused only finds her son being accused of abusing a schoolmate on the very first day of school.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

character irony

To live longer Arcadia has to deny and abandon the medical methods she used believed in all her life.

When Arcadia seems fully satisfied with her live and ready to die her grandson’s depression force her to review her life at making amends for all her sins.

Arcadia’s descendants replicate in their live all her errors that she was trying to hide from them through the whole her life.

Arcadia discovers scientific proves for what she believed is only imagination of her sick of cancer mind.

Situational irony

Arcadias beloved daughter becomes her main competitor and she cannot reveal it to her.

The Arcadia’s beloved and loving family is lying to her and awaiting her death.

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Plot and Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is that having the layers listed in certain order is very useful for viewing the structure of the project, although it is not so easy to extract and name them. Sometimes new ones emerge during the process. But doing so also new dimensions and possibilities appear, indeed.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Big little lies

Madeline:

Layer 1. Loving mother helping her friend, hence do the right things, activist.

Layer 2. Mother who is afraid of losing relation with her daughter to the new girlfriend of her ex-husband.

Layer 3. Wounded woman who wants to prove that she is important and worthy loving.

Celeste:

Layer 1. Mother who tries to improve her a bit too passionate relations with husband.

Layer 2. She seems to be addicted to the anger and violent form of sex with her husband

Layer 3. She loves him as fantastic father and lover and feels equally guilty for their aggression.

Layer 4. She is afraid about her live and about who their sons will become. She wishes death to her husband.

Jane:

Layer 1. Escaping from her past and looking for good future of her boy.

Layer 2. Uncertain if her little boy is not a hidden aggressor after his father who raped her.

Layer 3. Looking for her abuser to take a revenge and kill him.

ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show

1. PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.

Major scheme revealed

Arcadia moved with her grandson suicidal attempt wants to help him. She tries to learn the reason of his depression and discovers that her daughter and son in low forced Chris to lie and pretend that their family life is as a perfect one, just until Arcadia dies. They want her to die in peace, yet in addition they are afraid that if she learns about their troubles she could change her will regarding legacy of the shares of the clinic.

Mystery revealed

On the edge of death Arcadia admits her life’s sins to a friend and to a priest, as she planned it long before, just in case that God exists. Yet she doesn’t feel like she gets the redemption. When she was in charge of the clinic she put the clinic’s interests ahead of the patients’ well-being too many times. Now, as she discovers that her beloved grandson Chris tries to commit suicide, she feels like guilty for that, he reads it as a punishment on her. She needs to repay her sins.

Thought the story was one thing, but it is another

Thought it was the story about the ambition and revenge of mother over daughter who put her off her position and power but is about redemption and reconciliation.

Major shift in Meaning

Arcadia discovers scientific confirmation that what is causing Chris’s emotional imbalance and unhappiness of her family could be her wrongdoings in the past.

Hidden history

Arcadia was cheating on her husband and does not know even if Eve is really his daughter. They never checked. Her husband Tadeusz didn’t want to question this because he loved Arcadia and Eve so much. But the doubt poisoned him, he started drinking and finally killed himself drunk in accident. Arcadia feels guilty.

Hidden plan

To take over the clinic back from her daughter and, using help of Chris, to fix as many of her life’s mistakes as possible before she dies.

Major betrayal

Arcadia starts questioning if Eve is daughter of her father at all. She makes tests to prove that she is not, which deprives Eve from shares in the clinic.

Arcadia is betrayed by Chris when, she gives him her legacy and he sells his shares back to his mother. (Yet the same moment he is independent and free of his burden, he starts to live his own sins and freedom, so Arcadia is betrayed yet succeeded on this field)

2.

CHARACTER LAYERS – identity beneath the identity.

Secret identity

Arkadia becomes kind of charlatan.

Character intrigue

Arcadia lives in lies. She lies to herself never checking that Eve has another father, she lies to Eve about how she follows prescriptions and how she supports her work in the clinic, while she undermines it.

Hidden relationships and conspiracies

Arcadia conspires with Chris, Nelly and Matthew against Eve to take over the clinic

Hidden Character history

In 80’s Arcadia had an affair that she denied to admit to her husband and anybody in family. It caused her husband’s premature death. It was also a time of great stress for her, and her unborn child, Eve.

She herself felt abandoned when her parents were active in anti-communist movement and were imprisoned many times. She developed a coping mechanism to never admit weaknesses and mistakes.

3. Sequence of reveals.

Plot Surface:

With a tremendous effort and risk Arcadia delays her death to be along her grandson who feels unloved by his parents and falls into depression.

Layer 1:

Arcadia’s new effective approach to the treatment becomes very catching to other patients (due to her authority as the former head of the hospital) and undermines the clinic finances as well as authority of the active head, Arcadia’s daughter, Eve.

Arcadia not dying of cancer significantly complicates the divorce plans of Ewa and Mateusz. Moreover she develops her bond with Chris who becomes more and more independent from his parents.

Layer 2:

Knowing that her end is close Arcadia pragmatically sort of prepares herself for her death, confesses to friends she trusts, talks to her dead husband, tries to atone for her bad deeds.

Understanding more and more of her own life Arcadia gives good advices to Chris and he starts to make use of them, gains sympathy of Monica and becomes independent.

Layer 3:

Studying new methods of treatments Arcadia finds scientific confirmations of some of her friend Nelly and her believes and intuitions.

Conspiring with Chris and revealing that Eva’s father was someone else than her husband Arcadia takes over the leadership of the clinic and changes its attitude to the patients, which seems to be right for some of them and yet bad to others and causes disaster to the condition of the family business.

Layer 4:

Chris more and more mature betrays Arcadia and starts his own path full of his own sins and errors… as Arcadia has taught him 🙂

Character Surface:

Arcadia is a grandmother with cancer who rejects standard treatment and tests on herself all alternative methods to prolong her live.

Layer 1:

She wants to help her depressed grandson to graduate his high school, enter the university and inherit legacy after her.

Layer 2:

In facts Arcadia wants revenge over her daughter who, she believes, deprived her of power, meaning and position under the pretext of cancer.

Layer 3:

The fact is that what Arkadia fights the most in Ewa are her own, Arkadia’s traits and sins, for which she has never paid.

Layer 4:

Arcadia is looking for the way of redemption and she would like to be able to die at peace with herself.

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal‘s Big Picture Open Loops

What I learned doing this assignment is discovering and naming open loops that are there in the story and characters.

ASSIGNMENT 1

Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.

Who was murdered on the school fundraising event ?

Who is the murderer ?

Is Bonnie or Madeline going to win the respect and love of Madeline’s and Nathan’s daughter Abigail?

Is the Madeline spectacle going to be produced?

What Jane is escaping from?

How will Jane and Ziggy survive in Monterey as Ziggy was accused of abuse first day in school?

What is the real nature of Celeste and Perry relation?

2. Watch the next episode and see how those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.

About the murder – questioning the townspeople raises suspicions and investigation of the audience.

The spectacle issue leads to Madeline/Joseph love affair secrets.

Jane is obsessed with her memories of rape, planning a revenge and denying it.

The increase of physical abuse and the counselor talks of Celeste and Perry rise question about how it is going to end.

Deadline: 24 hour

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Big Picture Open Loops

GOALS:

New goals?
Goals related to the big picture?
Crushed goals?
Competition / conflict around goals?

1. How Arcadia is going to prepare Chris to be willing to live and inherit after her. How to make him capable of standing up to his mother despite that he had only just been saved from suicide?

CONSEQUENCES:

Are they going to be caught?
Problems created from past actions?
Good plans gone wrong?

2. Will her new approach to the treatment work or she dies even faster?

SOLVING PROBLEMS:

What is the major problem for this character?
What are they trying to solve?
Major change imposed on character?
Previous solutions cause new problems?<div>

3.How will the new behaviour of Arcadia influence other patients of the clinic, especially those who want to follow her?

4. How is Arcadia going to repay for her sins committed to people who are dead?

RELATIONSHIPS:

Relationships in peril?
New relationships forming?
Conflict inside relationships?
Relationships changing?

5. Will relation of Eve and Matthew survive?

6. Will Chris and Monica be together?

7. Will Arcadia be forgiven for her sins?

DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:

Can they survive X?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
Who else is pulled into their danger?
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?

8. Can Arcadia survive and the family stay together while she refuses the treatment from her daughter and undermines functioning of their clinic?

</div>

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Show Mysteries

What I learned doing this assignment is that exploring the mysteries of the characters might be at the same time exploring theirs deeper motivations and gives the project an extra dimension.

Bog Little Lies

mystery type 1

A. Shocking Event: Murder on the school fundraising event. <div>

B. Secret: Who died? Who killed ? Why ?

<div>

C. Investigation: An investigation is conducted by police officers, residents of Monterey and the audience

mystery type 2

What is the connection of Madeline and her friends to the murder? Could the little secrets of their families problems, their past or competition between them lead the the murder. How come?
What is the connection between the abuse of a 6-year-old girl by her peer at school and the murder committed by one of their parents?</div><div>

ASSIGNMENT 2:

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

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

A. Shocking Event: Chris’s attempt to commit suicide. <div>

B. Secret: Arcadia senses that she is responsible for Chris’s suicidal attempts.

C. Investigation: Arcadia must find out the truth and solve the problem.
WWWWW and How: Why Chris did it? Is somebody guilty of his breakdown/breakdowns? Who? Is it Arcadia, his parents, schoolmates? How he did it and why in such a strange way? When Chris’s problem started and where?
Part Withheld: Arcadia’s past sins are the source of her daughter’s family and her grandson problems.

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

A. Cover up: Arcadia pretends to be loyal a patient of her daughter yet, as she recognises many of her own mistakes in her daughter’s practice, she develops the whole set of alternatives methods of treatment and practice them on herself and few other desperate patients who are on the edge of life. She hides the fact that this is all an attempt to repay her sins. </div><div>

B. Secret: Arcadia wants to gain forgiveness of her dead husband, and now she does everything in the opposite way than she used to do as the active doctor because she believe she is guilty of many deaths. She must save Chris at least to die in peace herself.

C. Reveals: The bad deeds that happened in Arcadia’s life still influence her family.
WWWWW and How: What did she do wrongly?
Part Withheld: She was cheating on her husband and playing with his believes. He died of distress caused by Arcadia’s cheating on him. He was similar to Matthew. It was a trauma for Eve, who transferred it on Chris.

</div></div></div>

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Show Empathy/Distress

What I learned doing this assignment is that imposing new questions, even not supposed to be adequate for certain characters, might give answers that make the character more true and human.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

1. Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this episode and throughout the season so far.

A. Undeserved misfortune.

Daughter Abigail moving to to ex-husband and Bonnie

B. External Character conflicts.

intentional

Madeline defends a friend’s son who is wrongly accused of abuse and plots against the mother of a victim of this abuse

Madeline has to fight back to regain financing from the city for her and Joseph’s spectacle.

unintentional

She tries to conclude her affair with Joseph, yet he does not accept it and plays on her feelings towards him.

C. Plot intruding on life.

Car accident that reveals that Madeline and Joseph were together in the car and pushes their spouses to suspicion.

D. Moral dilemmas.

Madeline would like to be fair to her husband Ed and tell him the truth about her affair but she is afraid of losing him and the whole family, she permanently delays it.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make.

Madeline physically fights against Perry to protect Celeste and has her input to his death.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.

Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”

Arcadia:

A. Undeserved misfortune.

On deathbed old lady discovers that her beloved family members are all very unhappy and lie to her to let her die in peace.

B. External Character conflicts.

Arcadia opposes to her doctor and daughter Eve about the treatment methods and discovers her own. She promotes it among the patients knowing that it might be danger to other patients and that it surely exposes the clinic to financial danger.

C. Plot intruding on life.

One of her friends and followers dies due to abandoning treatment prescripted by Eve. This undermines Arcadia’s self esteem and recalls all the previous mistakes she made as a doctor and for which she feels guilty.

D. Moral dilemmas.

She is undermining the treatment methods refunded from insurance (state health care) and thereby undermining the financial fundaments of her family business.

She is undermining authority of her daughter as well as destroying fundaments of their family fortune.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make.

To quit traditional, prescripted treatment and start experimenting on herself and co-patients.

She is forced to reveal her past sins to her family.

Chris:

A. Undeserved misfortune.

Parents splitting his family, being forced to lie.

The fact that another boy, Stan, is dating his beloved girl and best friend Monica.

B. External Character conflicts.

Competing about Monica with her other suitor Stan.

His teacher took on him.

C. Plot intruding on life.

Not being admitted to the high school graduation exam

D. Moral dilemmas.

Plotting against his mother.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make.

Plot with grandma against parents

Eve:

A. Undeserved misfortune.

Her husband cheating on her.

Her son in depression.

Her mother accusing her of wrong medical treatment.

B. External Character conflicts.

Arcadia undermining her methods and clinic policy.

Arcadia competing for Eva’s patients trust.

Pressure from pharmacy producers to

C. Plot intruding on life.

Conflict with the pharmaceutical producer.

D. Moral dilemmas.

Forcing medical ethics violation on Chris’s psychiatric doctor Tom to learn more about Chris and to help him.

Fulfilling contracts and strengthening the clinic’s finances or experimenting for the sake of her mother’s and some other patients health.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make.

To deprive the mother of medical entitlement.

Divorcing Matthew.

Matthew:

A. Undeserved misfortune.

Helplessness in the field of helping a son who becomes depressed

Over jealous wife accusing him of cheating her long before he finally started doing it.

B. External Character conflicts.

With Eve about her jealousy and afterwards – his cheating on her

C. Plot intruding on life.

Arcadia not dying.

Lover exposing their affair when he wants to quit it.

D. Moral dilemmas.

He must decide if he wants to cover up his wife’s mistakes from the controllers whether to let her drown on charges of breaking contracts and gain an advantage over her.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make.

Plotting with son against wife and plotting with wife against controllers from the state agency.

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Show Relationship Map

What I learned doing this assignment is exploring character relationships to enrich potential for storytelling,

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Madeline – 1/ Celeste 2/Bonnie 3/Renate

Surface:

1/ friends

2/ civil relation

3/acquaintances

Common Ground:

1/ they share friendship with Jane, they are moms of classmates in primary public school, they are loyal to each other,

2/they are moms of classmates in primary public school, Madeline used to have the same husband – Nathan, the need to do justice to others

3/they are moms of classmates in primary public school, both are competitive and inventive, they both blow the conflicts, both are overprotective, the need to do justice to others

Conflict:

1/ They envy each other the “perfect” live

2/ They compete in the field of Abigail’s upbringing and her attention

3/ they are moms of classmates in primary public school, both are competitive and inventive, they both blow the conflicts, both are overprotective, the need to do justice to others

History:

1/ their friendship rises

2/ Nathan left Madeline for Bonnie,

3/ They called out each other publicly

Subtext:

1/ They hide their suffering from each other, yet they depend on each other. Celeste needs Madeline recognition to withstand her husband abusing. Madeline needs Celeste as friend to feel better.

2/ Madeline hates Bonnie, she feels abandoned by her father, then husband, now daughter and she blames Bonnie for the latter. She is also jealous of her „perfection”

3/ he is son of Arcadia’s lover and knows her secrets

Relationship Arc:

1/ from superficial friendship to deep trust and complicity in crime

2/ from hatred to complicity in crime

3/ he is son of Arcadia’s lover and knows her secrets

ASSIGNMENT 2

Arcadia – 1/ Chris 2/Eve Matthew

1/

Surface:

1/ grandma/grandson

2/mom/daughter and the doctor responsible for treatment

3/ mother in law/son in law

Common Ground:

1/ on the edge of finishing their life, ironic sens of humor,

2/ medical education, family, love for Chris

3/ love for Chris, competing with Eva,

Conflict:

1/ different attitude towards people, education, life, Eve and Matthew

2/ Competition on Chris, competition on influence on patients, disagreement about Matthew

3/ Arcadia disapproves Matthew cheating on Eve

History:

1/ spend a lot of time with Arcadia as a child,

2/ Arcadia chose the career for Eve and was her mentor

3/ Matthew sincerely adored his mother-in-law, then he started using the mutual adoration to manipulate her

Subtext:

1/ he is forced to hide his discovery about parents marriage falling apart, later they become both conspirators

2/ Eve is jealous of Arcadia’s currage and faith

3/ he is son of Arcadia’s lover and knows her secrets

Relationship Arc:

1/ from distrust to friendship

2/ from disregard to admiration

3/ from being the favorite person to wishing death

Chris – 1/ Monica 2/Eve 3/ Matthew

Surface:

1/ classmates

2/son/mother

3/ son/father

Common Ground:

1/love for animals, fear of powerful institutions – feeling meaningless, searching for sense of life

2/family, Tom- psychotherapist, affection for animals

3/music critics, asking question to everything, love for discussion

Conflict:

1/ different worldview, another suitor

2/ Chris he is breaking out of obedience to his mother, conspires against her

3/ Chris disapproves Matthew cheating on Eve

History:

1/ she ignored his advances

2/ she was leaving him often with grandma

3/ as a father Matthew does not believe in Chris enough

Subtext:

1/ he loves her, she treats him as an psycho

2/ she was leaving him too often with grandma

3/ Matthew wants Chris to be better than him

Relationship Arc:

1/ from disregard to love

2/ from domination to partnership and admiration

3/ from distance and disappointment to friendship

Eve – 1/ Nelly-Arcadia’s friend 2/ Tom- Chri’s psychotherapist 3/ Matthew

Surface:

1/ patient- doctor relation

2/ Tom is an employee of Eve

3/

Common Ground:

1/ relationship with Arcadia, relationship with Chris – Nelly is a teacher, relaxation while cooking,

2/ good will for Chris,

3/ managing the clinic,

Conflict:

1/ conspiracy with Arcadia

2/ different view on medical ethic, Eve wants to control the therapy over Chris, Tom allows it only at the beginning, then he starts to scheme for the sake of Chris

3/ competition over Arcadia’s legacy

History:

1/ Eve gave Nelly the right diagnosis and started her treatment

2/ Tom owes his work and professional position to Ewa, they were fascinated to each other.

3/ they used to love each other and worked together, yet he is cheating on her

Subtext:

1/ fear and suspicion of bad intentions

2/ Eve needs Tom as consoling friend, she loves him in unexpressed way. He admires her but does not want let her to interfere his therapy on Chris.

3/ Eve hopes for saving their marriage, yet want to keep her dignity

Relationship Arc:

1/ from trust and admiration to accusing of incompetence and causing suffering

2/ from professional dependence, through suspicion to deep friendship

3/ From hidden hatred to forgiveness

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment is that asking questions about emotions of characters gives much more light on them than just listing their character traits.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Madeline: Producing spectacle in local theatre / being humiliated

Celeste: perfect family happiness/ being hit by her husband

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Madeline: justice for son of her new friend / being loved and accepted

Celeste: wants love and passion/ need security

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask

Madeline: feeling dumped, worthless to her daughter and herself / activism

Celeste: terror relation with Perry / distant and calm mom, ex-lawyer,

D. Weaknesses

Madeline: easy to be provoked

Celeste: over – loyal to Perry, self-sacrificing too much

E. Triggers

Madeline: negation of her sacrifice for the family

Celeste: coming back to her career

F. Coping Mechanism

Madeline: imposing her dreams and desires on others

Celste: agresive sex

ASSIGNMENT 2

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Arcadia: make Chris believing in live / dying first

Chris: to gain love of Monica / being treated as mentally ill

Eve: taking over the clinic, revenge over her husband Mathew / loosing relation with her son Chris, being like her mother

Matthew: start new live with new woman/ bankruptcy,

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Arcadia: live longer to support her grandson/ real reconciliation, pay for her sins.

Chris: die, commit suicide to take revenge on his parents / get attention and be loved

Eve: control / trust and community

Matthew: divorce and money /independence, prove himself as a man

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask

Arcadia: Revenge on her daughter/ sweet grandma

Chris: victim / bully

Eve: shame / dominant

Matthew: sensitive, unfulfilled artist soul / playboy

D. Weaknesses

Arcadia: weak health

Chris: can’t keep his mouth shut, relates everything to himself

Eve: hurts people that she cares about

Matthew: over optimistic

E. Triggers

Arcadia: that she has got her clinic only through her forth marriage after cheating on first three husbands

Chris: his love to Monica

Eve: that her carrier was more important to her than everything else and that she suffers a lot about Mathew infidelity

Matthew: that he is dependent on his wife and has not achieved much on his own

F. Coping Mechanism

Arcadia: fights back, intrigues, gets advices from friends, gets more motivation

Chris: shuts down, blames himself,

Eve: strategises, threatens people,

Matthew: distorts, covers up, pretends it is not a big deal

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Intriguing Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is that asking absurd questions about the characters might give reasonable answers

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Madeline- Competition/ conspiracies organising Disney on Ice trip during Amabella’s birthday to compete Renate <div>

Celeste (secrets/ wound )- beating her husband

Jane (secret/ wound ) – she does not know her son’s father, she was abused

Renate (competition) – she makes Amabella distributing invitations for her birthday to every pupil but Ziggy on the first day of school.

<div>

ASSIGNMENT 2

Character Name: Arcadia

</div>

Role: „dying” grandma

Hidden agendas: bring her a depressed grandson Chris to a state where he will be independent and, as the heir of the clinic, he will stand up to his parents who run it, without them knowing it

Competition: she competes with her daughter for a her grandson love and for sympathy of the clinic patients,

Conspiracies:

she conspires with her son in low and friends, against her daughter

Secrets:

she was like her daughter, tough and rigid manager of the clinic, and like her son in low – cheating on her husband.
She believes she can talk to her husband who is an angel in heavens now.
She is suffering of her diseases and her treatment experiments too

Deception: hiding that she is not taking the official treatment, hiding her lectures, meetings and spreading her methods of self treatments among the patients. Hiding that she knows that her daughter is lying to her. Lies to Chris to prevent disclosure, pretending perfect relations to her daughter

Wound: She believes that it is her removal from work in the clinic that cause her illness, and that it was her daughter Eve doing

Secret Identity: saint in heaven with all the sins forgiven and supporting her grandson as a young manager in the clinics board.

Character Name: Chris

Role: super intelligent and oversensitive grandson and son

Hidden agendas:

to commit suicide in a way that will make his parents feel very guilty till the end of their live

Competition:

with grandma, for who is more ill and whose life makes less sense,
with Monica’s boyfriend for Monica’s love

Conspiracies:

he conspires with his grandma against his mother

Secrets:

he is in love with Monica, his school girlfriend, yet he is bullied by her boyfriend Deception:

he hides his love for Monica,

Wound:

Father cheating on mother, parents making him lying about it to his grandma and hide the family breakdown.
being bullied by Monica’s boyfriend

Secret Identity: avenger

Character Name: Eve

Hidden agendas:

to get the full ownership of the clinic by inheriting shares from the mother and suing her husband for cheating on her, and only then taking care of her son

Competition:

she competes with her mother for a her son love and for sympathy of the clinic patients,

Conspiracies:

she conspires with her husband and son, against her mother

Secrets:

as a doctor she made many treatment decisions considering more the clinic incomes than wellbeing of her patients.

Deception:

hiding that she has already split with Matthew. Hides to Chris that they deceive Arcadia to inherit shares from her
hiding her resentment on being cheated by Matthew

Wound:

Being cheated by Matthew
Loss of her beloved father due to her wrong diagnosis Secret Identity: health minister

Character Name: Matthew

Hidden agendas:

divorcing Eve and leaving the family with his new lover.

Competition:

he competes for his wife respect with her memories of his father in low

Conspiracies:

he conspires with his wife and son against Arcadia

Secrets:

he is sympathising with Arcadia,

Deception:

hiding that he has already split with Eve. Hides to Chris that they deceive Arcadia to inherit shares from her
hiding his love affair from Chris and Arcadia
hiding his schedule of leaving the family

Wound:

He feels like that for Eve he was always just a substitute of her beloved father,

Secret Identity:

narcissus

</div>

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Engaging Main Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is… that asking precise questions from different angles about the characters accelerates creating ideas.

ASSIGNEMNT 1:

A. Role in the show:

Madeline – a woman in crisis, yet a brave leader of one of the groups of mothers at school.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

As a natural leader she easily makes friends and enemies, and when she believes in the rightness of her cause, she is capable of justifying any means to fight for it.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Not admitting openly she feels broken in her heart and permanently searches for acceptance and support.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

She is very nosy and she is even capable to treat her younger daughter Chloe as an object in her fight against Renate

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

She blows the conflicts and invents new ways for doing so.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

She is supportive to a poor, sexually abused Jane and her son Ziggy, against powerful, reach and strict Renate who does not have time for her daughter.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Journey.

Arcadia – Heavy ill, ready to die but cheated grandma challenges the head of the hospital (her cheating daughter) and becomes the local guru in alternative cancer treatment and spreads her life power to her depressed teenage grandson

Chris- sensitive teenager with low self-esteem caused by his parents, who does not commit suicide only for the sake of his grandmother and builds a relationship with her until he regains confidence in existence of love and falls in love himself.

Eve, Matthew – eagerly waiting for the death of a sick mother to reorganise their life in a new way – breaking up the family and splitting family businesses. However, when it takes too long, they eventually understand that they need to find alternative solutions

A. Role in the show:

Arcadia – an ill grandma who discovers that if she dies her teenage will probably die as well due to suicidal thoughts.

Chris- skeptic and pessimistic grandson who is going to commit suicide if the family fails to refill him with will of live

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Arcadia – gains enormous energy to live that is inadequate to her age and health state, becomes expert in searching for best treatments method and has the ability to successfully enter world of the teenage grandson.

Chris- he is an excellent discoverer of everything that can go wrong as well as of every lie or false. His purpose – get rid of this horrible world.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Arcadia is hiding from her daughter Eve the real reason of her desperation in prolonging her live as well as her innovative methods of doing so.

Eve and Matthew are going to formally own the clinic only after the death of Arcadia.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Arcadia – lies to her daughter, doctors. She has followers and undermine professional activity of her daughter, a medic. She becomes a reason for rising doubts in medicine among other patients what causes live danger to them.

She interferes with the upbringing of her grandson

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Permanent question how will Arcadia overcome ever new remission of cancer, other diseases and misfortune? How she will save Chris from his innovative ideas for committing suicide, bad luck, bullying by his teenmates and parents.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

Arcadia – she has cancer yet wants to live for a good reason, to help her grandson.

Chris – because he is harmed , underestimated and unnoticed by his parents, forced to cheat his beloved grandma, which is unbearable for him. He is not capable of lying to her.

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Rafal’s Three Circles of Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is designing groups of characters in advance and organise them in order of importance.

Assignment 1

A. Main Characters Circle:

Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renate

B. Connected Circle:

Bonnie, Nathan, Ziggy, Abbi, Chloe, Ed, Perry, twin boys, Ammabela, School manager

C. Environment Circle:

School teacher, Renate’s husband, parents of other children, Yoga teacher, waiter, Joseph, parents of other children, parking boy, police inspector

Assignment 2

A. Main Characters Circle:

Arcadia – grandma happy about the perfect life of her daughter’s family, especially in love with her teenage grandson, heavy ill and reconciled with the impending death yet… desperate to live when needed

Chris – an oversensitive and quick-thinking teenager who becomes depressed from the conflicts of his parents whose relationship has broken up

Eve – Arcadia’s daughter and doctor and main financing person, Chris’s strict mother, co-owner and leader of the clinic who forces her husband and son to pretend that their family is perfect, at least until the grandmother dies

Matthew – great teacher of music, frustrated composer, co-owner of the clinic, cheating on his wife and disappointed with his son

B. Connected Circle:

Nelly – Arcadia’s friend 1, Cate – Arcadia’s friend 2, Chris’s girlfriend, Eve’s partner, Matthew’s lover, Eve’s lawyer, Chris’s psychotherapist, Chris’s friend, Chris’s teacher, nurse, bookseller, doctor opposing to Eve, priest, pharmacist,

C. Environment Circle:

clinic technician, other doctors, other psychotherapists, other students in Chris’s school, staff and students of Arcadia’s University of the Third Age, Arcadia’s employer, school director, driver, postman, music band members, mail courier, Matthew’s students, judge,

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Big Little Lies

What I learned:

In this first episode there is plenty of little hooks addressed to the subconscious mind and related also to the supporting characters.

There is no straight indication who is a murderer, yet just the proportions of the storytelling, narration suggests four women as suspects.

It seems that the whole section of interrogations was added into this first episode to increase the tension, because without it the hooks would not mean that much. The characters seem to lead an ordinary life that does not yet herald a murder.

The setting is also very important – primary school in sunny Florida creates sort of contrast, opposition to the main question – who killed and creates kind of intriguing mood, it is nice to watch this serial, yet main question is of a profound and dark type.

– 5 Star Model

A murder took place at the school’s found raising event. All the guests are interrogated as potentially suspected. They disclose their thoughts and suspicions about the others to the police. They speak especially about five women.

Meanwhile in the flashbacks we learn about five women who all have children attending to the same school (Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renate, Bonnie). They are all very different and four of them seem to be in distress for different reasons. Outwardly, they all pretend to be very happy. On the first day of school Renata’s daughter accuses Jane’s son of aggression. The boy and his mother do not admit it and the women split to two opposite camps.

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

Who was murdered and why? Which of the five women killed that person?

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

Madeline- she blows the conflicts, not silence it. She is a fighter outside, yet inside she feels hurt by her ex husband (Bonnies’ partner now) which erodes her present family relations.

There are more than one intriguing, lead characters.

Beautiful Celeste- seems to have perfect, family life with two boys and passionate in love with her husband, who, however, uses violence towards her.

Jane- single mother who has a beautiful relation with her son, yet she escapes from her past or memories.

Renate – rich, self made, powerful success woman, yet seems to be terribly lonely despite cool husband. Also a fighter.

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

Madeline takes side of Jane and her son Ziggy, who seems to be wrongly accused by powerful and not accepting compromises Renate.

Her daughter’s best friend, Bonnie, is the partner of her ex-husband, she also signed the petition against Madeline’s performance un the theatre.

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

Which of these five nice women is the murderer and why?

What is the Jane mistery from the past?

What does Celeste hide?

Who boy was aggressive to Renate’s daughter?

What will come out of the Madeline versus Renate’s war?

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

Each of the four women has a mystery but seem absolutely not capable to commit the murder. We actually like them all, maybe except Renate, and we want to know how could it happen. So we want to trace forward all the little strange symptoms of mysteries in their lives.

(eg. the boy’s sleepwalking, the Celeste’s twins always playing fight, her sex obsessed relation with husband, Jane running on the beach, a bit drunk Renata’s husband, emerging conflict in Madeline’s family)

[Rafał Wieczyński]

GROUP RELEASE FORM

Rafał Wieczyński

As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.

This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[Rafał Wieczyński]

Hi, my name is Rafal,

I have written 6 scripts, two of them were produced and released in theatres. I also directed them. First one was a dark comedy, second a historical biopic. Both worked well, yet rather locally. I have also produced, directed or supervised hundreds of documentaries and shorts for TV.

I want to write faster, present my projects better, work more internationally.

Unique? Special? Strange? I have a scar on my cheek 🙂