Sequence One Discussion

[Brady Brown]

Thanks again for the read, Andrew!

Glad Paula can make you smile, because that's always my mission with her- to either make people laugh or smile! Haha, no Alex and Alisha are just best friends, no relation between them. XD I really wanted Alex to show up, because it really showed that they truly are best friends, and that they'll do anything for each other. Glad you enjoyed, Andrew, and thanks again!

[R.A. Picking]

Episode 107 - The part I mainly liked about this episode is seeing Jordan and Angela so upset about Alex and Alisha actually doing something before they did. That was great! Loved it! The James Davenport character has a lot of negative for me, not in the bad way but in the way that I don't like him as a person. Man he can be a jerk! I would have to say that again this was a good episode. 8/10

Episode 108 - I loved the car scene with Paula! You have to love Paula! The key of the show's humor. And Michael. I loved the part about him screaming like a girl. Hilarious! Angela needs to drop Jordan and I think she would turn into a nice person. She seems to be carrying a little more weight than she needs too - Jordan! Enter the newbie - David! A good character and a good add. I think he flows with the story and I will be interested in seeing where you take him in the next sequence (if he's there). 7/10

Halloween Special - Loved it! I thought it was your normal dress up party, Halloween episode. I would say the two parts that stuck out for me was first, Paula and Michael's movie night. I think that was a cool part to the episode. The next one was the competition and seeing the Jordan and Angela tricks of the trade trying to get the prize in a bad way and then to see the ultimate winner! Excellent! Good episode! Once again! Oh yeah, I loved Jordan getting the punch in the face! Priceless. 8/10

Episode 109 - Obviously I don't want to see Alisha leave and I don't know how to forecast the finale before I read it but I guess I can assume that it will be a good choice. (hmm?) I can understand the mothers request but I can also see it as she is eighteen and can make the decision for herself. If she wants to stay...then stay! I think she would miss Alex and of course her (cough!) new person situation. If she leaves I'm going to bring down the score on future episodes (wink) just kidding! Good episode and hoping for the right outcome. 8/10

Episode 110 - Great job Michael, way to be a father figure to Alisha. I really sense the decision that she's going to make because I would stay in California. Having a best friend and someone to be a father figure to me. I completely understand. But I do understand that the mother wants to see her daughter, but if she goes back home she's going to be in college so she's not really going to see her anyways! And the promo of the dance! Cool! What could possibly be at this dance? Good episode! Centered on one thing, consoling Alisha and that was a good thing to do. 7/10

Episode 111 - Dance, Dance Revolution (that is all I heard during this episode) (wink) No really this was a good school dance episode. All the key characters in their best attire and the newbie with his Star Wars references (you get a bump for that since I love Star Wars - wink). I didn't understand the sneaking into the teachers office and finding the book? I thought maybe we were going to get a new arc or a new angle of some sort but for the funny side that was cool also. Enter James Davenport once again - Ugh! - But thanks to Michael for saving the day even thought it seemed that he was going to have a heart attack. I still think Michael and Paula...hint hint...could possibly find a...maybe a chance to...you know (wink). David and Alisha (hmm?) Nice romantic scene! You can feel the love tonight (cue the Lion King love song). The song...again that was a long experience but it was okay. So with my bump for Star Wars but the one scene has me with a question mark (scratching head to consider) I'm going to bring you to my score! Good episode overall. 8/10

Well I didn't make it but hopefully I will be able to finish the sequence before the end of the week! (lol)

[R.A. Picking]

Episode 112 - Wow what a shocker of an episode. I was not expecting that but I guess Alex helped make her decision with his little whatever moment. I personally don't think this is the end but I guess I will have to wait and find out. This whole sequence has been a great read and someone good stories. I do like the David and Alisha relationship and I hope everything works out. I'm excited to start the next season! You definitely created a fan! 8/10

SPOILER: Click to show

Sequence One Rating: 9/10

[Brady Brown]

Wow, thanks for reading, Andrew! I'm really happy you enjoyed the episodes, and loved reading what you had to say! Sorry I can't do a full fledged reply right now (although, I think that would be better for you than me, seeing as how jumbled it would probably be), because I have a lot of schoolwork I need to get finished. But I just wanted to thank you! I hope you enjoy Sequence Two!

[Deleted]

Looks nice! I like very much series like this one!

[Alex Matthews]

just devoured the whole first sequence over the last 24 hours, LOVED IT!! "Audition" is definately not something of a show I normally enjoy, although at times, even with the reduced cast, it's very much of a "Glee" vein, which I do consider myself a fan of, even if I am a season and a half behind on viewing!
Paula is the DEFINITION of 'quirky', loved the development and ultimately the departure of Alisha, and how it played out, looking forward to reading Sequence Two to see how Alex changes without her around to hold him back from lashing out at people as much.
I was all ready to hate Angela and Jordan, but then you threw a complete curve ball by a) showing how they picked up their bitchiness from their agent, and b) revealing how Jordan abuses Angela, and casting her in the 'battered wife' role - you handled that very well!
My favourite scene (even if I'm not a big Angus T Jones fan) has to be the kiss and then the couply scenes between David and Alisha. My only complaint, perhaps due to the time constraints of the web series manner, was the seeming lack of development of both Michael and Alyssa, the latter who I felt could have definately been expanded on.
But onwards to the xmas special and then Sequence Two!

[Brady Brown]

Thanks for reading, Alex! It's always great to have new people jump on board and start the show! Really glad you're enjoying Paula! I'm just waiting for someone to start reading and go, "Paula sucks..." lol. Alisha probably had the biggest storyline this sequence, so it's great to know you enjoyed it, seeing as how it pretty much dominated the second half. Alex pretty much lets a whole lot of anger out, moreso in the premiere than anywhere else. Hope you enjoy that!

Jordan and Angela have a very complex, albeit toxic, relationship. It's fully explained in the next sequence, on the later half, so you'll get all your questions answered then! If you have any, lol. Alisha and David were always fun to write, too, so it's always great you enjoy the romance parts. Upon finishing writing the sequence, I knew Michael was probably the main character that really stood in the background development wise. But I thought "I'm Here" was really a step forward in his development, and he has a minor storyline next sequence, so look out for that! And Alyssa is somewhat more explained in the Christmas episode, haha. Thanks again, Alex, glad you enjoyed!

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x01: We Have Arrived

Note: All I know going into this is the name, really. Let's see...

That was fun! I have some issues with the writing - it's a little overwritten, the dialogue occasionally feels a bit stiff. But despite that, I really enjoyed the brief introduction here. And one particular great bit of writing: reflecting on the top agency, with its bazillions of hopeful, with Paula and Alex going on their own journey away from it. A friend of mine is an independent talent agent, much like Paula, so I think I'll definitely enjoy reading this.

(Now, with a little research, I expect you could have actually named the agency. I think CAA would have fit the bill for what you've got here. But it works for what you need, as is.)

CHARACTERS: Paula strikes me the most already, despite her very brief intro. She's a bit of a mess, but eager, and you can't help but root for her. Alisha seems pretty nice and level-headed, so I like her plenty. Michael seems the basic dad figure. Alex is... well, he's very eager too, but to the level of grating, and seems a bit naive to be gunning for a professional career as an actor. Hopefully that's intentional here and the show will force him to grow up a bit!

Decent start! (And I'm pretty harsh. ) I definitely think I'm gonna read more.

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x02: Hollywood Trouble

At this point, I gotta wonder if Paula would be a better lead than Alex and Alisha. She's the one the script's actively root for, and who seems to have the zero-to-hero story ahead of her! She continues to be fun. if a little too flaky to understand Alex's wanting to keep her. I'm intrigued as to whether the show's hinting at a backstory for Paula, as it's repeated the 'no client in a year' factoid twice now...

The rest of the cast are alright here. It feels like the script repeats itself a lot, with Michael/Alex/Alisha having the same argument three times in only 9 pages! Alex continues to be annoying, Alisha level-headed. Michael gets a bit of development here as we see he's caught between being smart and respecting Alex and Alisha's wishes with regards to their careers.

The opening scene was quite overwritten, frustratingly enough, but the rest of the episode moves at a good clip. So, I'm a little less confident coming out of this ep than I was after the pilot, but I'm still interested in seeing how this develops!

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x03: Acting 101

Wince. Angela and Jordan are two of the most unpleasant characters I've encountered, awful, cruel and utter stereotypes. If this were just the scenes at the school, this ep would be a real downer, between their odious intro and Alex's bizarre character switch to pissed off (instead of naive and overeager as of the first two eps).

However! The script also includes the delightful opening scene, where an overexcited Paula barges into their apartment to tell them about their acting class - two hours before it starts. It's becoming clear that Paula is not a good agent, and yet she tries so hard you can't help but hope she succeeds. Even Michael seems to be warming to how hard she's trying, despite Alex reacting badly to this turn of events.

So a step up and down from episode two, somehow. Still, a fun series with plenty of potential. I just can't wait to see if Alex and Alisha are any good!

(All these A names, though. I'm glad Angela didn't pop up as of the pilot or I'd get her mixed up with Alisha...)

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x04: The Sing Off

Ooookay, so Jordan is an abusive douchenozzle and Angela is desperate and sad. It doesn't really make either of them much more sympathetic - maybe Angela just a twitch - but hopefully it's a sign that the show's gearing up for some kind of longer story. Even if Jordan makes no sense to me so far beyond a caricature, and Angela only a shade better.

A better episode than the last couple. The show does tend to take a scene and rest on it for too long - with 1x02 being composed of the same argument three times, and then spending 3 and a half pages here on the Angela/Alisha performance when one or two would have been plenty. I do think the show could use a bit of patience and reflection on its character development, as these 9-11 page episodes could do a lot more to develop the cast and doesn't. I don't know that we've learned anything new about the cast in the past three episodes that we didn't know in the pilot.

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x05: Improv

So we jump three weeks into the future with a scene that makes absolutely no sense - Paula breaking into their apartment to wake them up by banging a pan, three hours before their class. At this point I'm beginning to worry if Paula, rather than quirky and overeager, might actually have an undiagnosed mental illness...

The improv sequence is pretty winning. I wish we'd gotten the prompt for Jordan's weird theatrics, but it was amusing to see Alex and Angela do a bit of acting. Also, I really liked seeing Alisha fall apart in the improv - it brought the shyness and awkwardness that's been building since the pilot to the forefront in a really sympathetic way.

Probably the best episode since the pilot! I'm hoping as the season moves forward we keep seeing the kids working on their craft so we can get a sense of whether their journey to stardom is indeed doomed or not...

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x06: Commercial Success

That one was a lot of fun! Again, taking a moment to reflect on what Alex and Alisha are trying to do helps the show, as Alex has to swallow his pride to take a commercial job despite his big dreams. I mean, I still want to set Alex on fire and dump him off a skyscraper, but it's still a good beat to explore. And Alisha, too, having to learn to stand on her own without him, a good development thread for her character. And no Angela or Jordan, which helps!

Much better than the past few episodes, and hopefully a sign the show will continue to improve. Despite my rather critical reviews, I am enjoying the show.

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x07: Jealousy

And Jordan and Angela are back, this time with an obnoxious agent whose dialogue is... not very good. I'm kind of hoping the next episode opens with Jordan, Angela, their agent and Alex becoming tragic victims of a serial killer, and continuing on with Paula, Alisha and Michael. Sigh.

With the amount of the Magnificent Douchefaces in this ep, I was never going to ecstatic about it. Thankfully, Paula was there to be generally weird and charming, saving an episode I wasn't really a fan of.

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Audition 1x08: Newbie

Much better episode. This helped by giving Jordan a worthy adversary, as new kid David picks him apart pretty effortlessly. I enjoyed this one pretty much all the way through, from Paula's love of reality TV, the girly shriek, the David takedown of the assholes, the tentative friendship between he and our leads. I even liked the ambiguity of whether David's a friend or foe.

Plus, Ms. Carlyle's last line was a cherry on top. As long as the show keeps playing Jordan for comedy as the fool he really is, the character might actually not make entire scenes unreadable. It was fun to watch him be outmatched left right and centre here.

So - the best episode of the season yet, easily. Every other episode this season I've winced or forgiven something. This episode I just flat-out enjoyed all the way through. Just in time! After "Jealousy" I was a little worried.

[Brady Brown]

Thanks for the reviews, Alden! Always great to have new readers jump on board, and even though you have some problems with the show, I'm glad you're somewhat enjoying it, haha. If you're going to finish up the sequence, I'll probably just make a full fledged reply when you do so, or if you're not planning on finishing it, that's fine too. Thanks again!

[RJ Alden Lackie]

Definitely planning on keeping up with the show. It's a lot of fun, and Newbie was the best of the run yet. I tend to not read as much as I'd like, so if I seem to vanish, know that it's cause I do that a lot, not that I don't like the show.

[Brady Brown]

Awesome! Hopefully some of your problems begin to dwindle away, lol. Oh, and I totally get it, I'm guilty of it too. xD