Season One - Discussion

[Darrin McCann]

All Discussion regarding Paradise Lost will be posted below.

[Brady Brown]

I'm really excited to see how Diamond and Aemlia's parents are going to be brought into the story. I remember Diamond and Aemilia's relationship was a real highlight for me in the pilot, so how the relationship of their parents is going to contrast to it will be really interesting. Also excited about Josephine and the Cambion aspect she's going to be bringing into the series.

[The Doctor]

Can I just say Darrin, that I am in love with this show and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I'm excited for the dynamic between Aemilia and Diamond. They are my all time favorite dynamic. It stood out in the pilot and I love every minute of it.

Another character I want to know more about is Kylar and what his storyline for the season is

[Darrin McCann]

Thanks, Karl! I'm really happy to hear that!

There will be plenty of dynamic between the two especially as the season progresses and the family secrets come to light. Their brother-sister relationship will change and they'll need to learn to change with it or lose it.

Kylar has some interesting stuff coming up but takes a backseat in the first couple of episodes to make way for bigger mythology and world building storylines. He'll play a much bigger role in 1.03 Like A Lamb to Slaughter and continue there after in a bigger role. He'll develop a new friendship that has romantic possibilities.

Right now I am 43 pages into writing the second episode and I can't wait to be finished it! There's just so much mythology that I needed to spit out before I could start writing without feeling like I might lose the reader. I'm really looking forward to writing the next episode without that worry.

[The Doctor]

Jul 28, 2015 20:12:06 GMT -6 Darrin McCann said:

Thanks, Karl! I'm really happy to hear that!

There will be plenty of dynamic between the two especially as the season progresses and the family secrets come to light. Their brother-sister relationship will change and they'll need to learn to change with it or lose it.

Kylar has some interesting stuff coming up but takes a backseat in the first couple of episodes to make way for bigger mythology and world building storylines. He'll play a much bigger role in 1.03 Like A Lamb to Slaughter and continue there after in a bigger role. He'll develop a new friendship that has romantic possibilities.

Right now I am 43 pages into writing the second episode and I can't wait to be finished it! There's just so much mythology that I needed to spit out before I could start writing without feeling like I might lose the reader. I'm really looking forward to writing the next episode without that worry.

This sounds amazing.
Define Eve and Diamonds relationship over the course of the season.
And my money is on Reign being that romantic relationship he gets it

[Darrin McCann]

Thanks, Karl!! I really appreciate it!

I will define Diamond and Eve's relationship as a 'flawed partnership'. They're both seeking answers for two totally different reasons but each feel that their quest is above the others, but they would never say that out loud. Their actions though do speak louder than words. Eve has some trust issues when it comes to men and Diamond has a drinking problem that will need to be addressed sooner than later. Flawed.

Reign is in no way shape or form ready for a committed relationship after the death of Seth. Kylar will definitely be part of his road to recovery. Maybe even his salvation for a little while. However, Kylar has some big secrets he's been keeping from everyone that could jeopardize any relationships he could or currently does have.

[Jay Paterson]

I never did get to finish the Pilot but what I did read was really great, like all your work. These casting updates are making me excited to read what's to come. I can already tell this series is going to be insane and I can't wait to read it as it airs.

[Darrin McCann]

Apr 21, 2016 14:33:43 GMT -6 Jay Paterson said:

I never did get to finish the Pilot but what I did read was really great, like all your work. These casting updates are making me excited to read what's to come. I can already tell this series is going to be insane and I can't wait to read it as it airs.

Thanks, Jay! I appreciate the kind words! I've been a little behind on the updates but I will have more coming in the next few weeks. I'm currently finishing Episode 1.04. Let me tell you, God bless the guys on here that can shoot out 50+ page scripts like it's nothing because I am struggling. Lol. I keep going over the same scenes over and over again. Tweaking dialogue over and over again. It is a feat let me tell you, but it's getting easier the more I write. This episode is probably the easiest so far that I have written. I'm sure that will carry over into the mid-season finale as well. Lots of exciting stuff. Thank you for bearing with me.

[guyrjames]

Hey. Just wanted to stop by and say I plan on taking a look at episode one as soon as I can. Looking forward to it.

[guyrjames]

Sorry it took so long, but I finally checked out the pilot and I’m hooked.

1x01: Stir of Echoes

Okay…the pace was insane. So much was packed into this episode, but it worked. This is obviously a nod to you knowing the direction you want for the series and have a good grasp on the world that you have built here.

Kudos on starting the action right out of the gate and this episode didn’t let up. I started reading the pilot on my lunch break on my phone figuring that I could at least get it started and then finish it when I got home. That didn’t happen. Read the entire episode on my lunch break (and might have gotten back a few minutes late), but it was worth it.

The world and the elements you set up are all so strong…each character playing an integral piece in the Paradise puzzle. Smartly, you’ve given us enough to become invested and understand who each of these characters are, but you’ve left a lot to be discovered.

I really hope that we explore Diamond’s childhood and continue to learn more about Eve’s past. They were the real shining stars. Reign was an intriguing character and I hope we learn more about his relationship with Seth and how he got to where we are at the beginning of the series. The weakest link at this point is Aemilia, though I have hopes that she’ll grow as a character as she becomes more involved in Diamonds world.

Overall, I really enjoyed Stir of Echoes. This show is exactly my cup of tea and I look forward to reading more.

[Darrin McCann]

Nov 11, 2016 1:30:26 GMT -6 guyrjames said:

Sorry it took so long, but I finally checked out the pilot and I’m hooked.

1x01: Stir of Echoes

Okay…the pace was insane. So much was packed into this episode, but it worked. This is obviously a nod to you knowing the direction you want for the series and have a good grasp on the world that you have built here.

First off, thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it. One of the hardest things, for me, when creating a universe is trying to get the readers on the same page but at the same time I don't want to overload them with too much information. A lot of the episodes or at least these first few episodes are going to teeter on that edge of too much information. It's a vast world but I am trying to give information that only affects this first season while hinting at things that will be further explored in season two. There's many easter eggs laid throughout these episodes. Small things, but important. Lol.

Kudos on starting the action right out of the gate and this episode didn’t let up. I started reading the pilot on my lunch break on my phone figuring that I could at least get it started and then finish it when I got home. That didn’t happen. Read the entire episode on my lunch break (and might have gotten back a few minutes late), but it was worth it.

Oops! Sorry. I'll send you a cheque for the work minutes lost. Lol.

The world and the elements you set up are all so strong…each character playing an integral piece in the Paradise puzzle. Smartly, you’ve given us enough to become invested and understand who each of these characters are, but you’ve left a lot to be discovered.

I really hope that we explore Diamond’s childhood and continue to learn more about Eve’s past. They were the real shining stars. Reign was an intriguing character and I hope we learn more about his relationship with Seth and how he got to where we are at the beginning of the series. The weakest link at this point is Aemilia, though I have hopes that she’ll grow as a character as she becomes more involved in Diamonds world.

Like I said this world is vast and there's a lot of things going on that we don't see. It will all be explained of course but I'm trying to keep the story through the main character's singular scope of view. A part of Diamond's childhood will be explained in the next episode but will be explored further once Cora (Diamond's mother) is introduced. His parentage however is an on going mystery this first season. Eve will be explored a lot. She is a complex character with a lot of history. Her time in Eden will be talked about a lot within the first half of the season. Reign's past relationship with Seth is talked about in part but doesn't really get explored. I like to think that watching someone you love so much die in front of you would taint any image you have of them in a way that it would be painful at the very thought. Aemilia's journey started at the end of the episode. The same with Kylar. Kylar's big 'intro' isn't until episode 103 and Aemilia's isn't until episode 102.

Overall, I really enjoyed Stir of Echoes. This show is exactly my cup of tea and I look forward to reading more.

Well I appreciate the kind words! And thank you for reading!

[Darrin McCann]

Sorry everybody for the delayed release of the midseason finale of Paradise Lost. Believe it or not, I totally forgot yesterday was Friday. HAHA!

[A. Blackwood]

This series looks really interesting Darrin and I'm looking forward to reading it! I love fantasy (and by extension supernatural) so this sounds like it would be right up my alley. Hopefully I'll be able to provide you with a couple of reviews once I start reading.

[Darrin McCann]

Jan 12, 2017 0:23:00 GMT -6 A. Blackwood said:

This series looks really interesting Darrin and I'm looking forward to reading it! I love fantasy (and by extension supernatural) so this sounds like it would be right up my alley. Hopefully I'll be able to provide you with a couple of reviews once I start reading.

Thanks for the interest, Addison!

[Jay Paterson]

Now that I am caught up on all of the webisode series here on theVPN, it's time to tackle something a little longer.

I always find it daunting trying to read full-length scripts, but I recently remembered how easy it was for me to read Bitten and how obsessed I became with that show. So, I decided that another Darrin McCann original could be a good place to start. And the fact that there are only five episodes so far makes it easier for me to catch up. Lol. So here are my thoughts on the pilot--

1.01 | "Stir of Echoes."

First off, like most of your series, the mythology behind this seems very complex, and for someone who has no idea about angels and demons and who regularly has to google the words you use like Cambion and Nephilim, I apologise if I get confused and please correct me if I get anything wrong.

I loved that we jump straight into the action with Reign and the serpent, I'm only one page into the script, and I can already feel this sense of urgency which has me on the edge of my seat. After only the first five pages, we are left with so many questions involving this box of echoes and what these creatures want with it. We didn't learn too much about the box, and it still remains a mystery, but I guess that we will find out in due time. For now, it remains to be the most important piece of the puzzle as we've already lost a character in order to protect it. That being said, will we find out more about Seth? Even though he's gone, I'm still intrigued by him. I want to know more about the first unbound and his relationship with both Reign and Eve. (If not in this show, then in some sort of prequel webisode series)

Reign so far really stands out to me, I can see him becoming if not a fan favourite, my favourite character. Without being cliche he manages to be a genuinely good guy, what with saving Eve from her cell and going out his way to protect the box of echoes getting into the wrong hands. And his dry dialogue is incredibly fun to read. 

Speaking of dialogue, it was really well done in this episode, and I could get a sense of who these characters were just by the way they talked to people. One character, in particular, stood out to me, and that's, Eve. It's not how I would have originally imagined an angel to talk, but it's certainly more entertaining and adds to the complexity of her character. She comes across as fearless, but in a way that could get her into a lot of trouble. Most notably with her interactions with Lucifer and Azrael. 

Eve's journey is by far the most interesting thing about the pilot, I got enough answers to satisfy me in the pilot, but I still have a lot more questions. Why was she in the cell to begin with? What are these flashes that she continues to have? And why has she fallen? These are just a few of many that come to mind. We did see a couple of flashbacks throughout the episode, which in my opinion, we didn't need just yet. I was so wrapped up in the excitement of what was going on in The Pit between Lucifer and Eve when it came to outside, and we flashed to the jail cell; it kind of took me out of it. But I understand why you did it; I guess I'm more a fan of the flashback episode or it coming out in the present moment than I am of having a couple of flashbacks per episode. That being said, the flashbacks have peaked my interest about Eve's past, and I am really looking forward to discovering why she is where she is. 

Two characters which I have mentioned before that have interactions with Eve are Lucifer and Azrael. Lucifer was fun to read, she seems like a very fresh take on the devil, and with her running The Pit it adds a modern twist to the tale, very True Blood. I think there's more than meets the eye with her operation there with the sin eaters but I guess I'll have to wait and find out. Azrael just confuses me so far, its like he's a bad guy fighting on the right side? And when Aemilia is being attacked he does not want to intervene but then lets Eve, Reign and Diamond? I found it a little confusing. 

Also, who's side is Cobalt on? I feel like she's just double-crossing everyone and I have no idea where her loyalty lies, so far it seems it's to herself. I can see why she would side with Azrael if she is planning on taking Lucifers place so my opinion would have been to him, but the ending with Lucifer threw me off. 

Diamond and Aemilia have an interesting dynamic. For Diamond being the eldest, he doesn't act like it, and I could see this coming through more than once in this episode. I haven't yet fully formed an opinion on these two; I think it's because although Diamond is a leading character, he took a back seat to observe and learn about this new world he has been brought into. I do think it's an interesting angle that he isn't fully human, a Nephilim I think Azrael referred him as? Half Angel, Half Human. I can tell that throughout his life Diamond has tried so hard to find himself and now with help from Eve he can do this, and I look forward to seeing it. 

Same with Aemilia, I haven't yet formed an opinion on her, but I'd like to talk about her storyline in this episode. I want to start by saying that having a young kid possessed, genius. This always gave me the creeps when they did with Lilith in Supernatural. However, when the parents dropped Danny off it school, the structure of the script became a little confusing. Mainly because one minute Aemilia is closing the door, with a possessed child in her classroom and then the next minute she wakes up in the closet with Isaiah, who then becomes possessed. Correct me if I missed the link to this, it just seemed a little confusing. I would have maybe liked to see Danny do something scary first before passing the torch. It was nothing major as I managed to understand what was happening in the end. 

Overall, you have a bunch of compelling characters, the story and mythology are insane, I have so many questions I need to be answered, and the writing is just excellent. I had a lot of fun reading this, even though it took me such a long time (I am the slowest reader ever) and I'm sure I had a lot more I wanted to talk about, but I can't seem to think of it right now.-- The ending seems very dark and has me so excited to continue with the series. Hopefully, I can have a review up in the next week or two for the seconde episode. 

[Darrin McCann]

Jan 26, 2017 15:28:39 GMT -6 Jay Paterson said:

Now that I am caught up on all of the webisode series here on theVPN, it's time to tackle something a little longer.

I always find it daunting trying to read full-length scripts, but I recently remembered how easy it was for me to read Bitten and how obsessed I became with that show. So, I decided that another Darrin McCann original could be a good place to start. And the fact that there are only five episodes so far makes it easier for me to catch up. Lol. So here are my thoughts on the pilot--

Thanks, Jay for reading and reviewing. It was greatly appreciated.

1.01 | "Stir of Echoes."

First off, like most of your series, the mythology behind this seems very complex, and for someone who has no idea about angels and demons and who regularly has to google the words you use like Cambion and Nephilim, I apologise if I get confused and please correct me if I get anything wrong.

I loved that we jump straight into the action with Reign and the serpent, I'm only one page into the script, and I can already feel this sense of urgency which has me on the edge of my seat. After only the first five pages, we are left with so many questions involving this box of echoes and what these creatures want with it. We didn't learn too much about the box, and it still remains a mystery, but I guess that we will find out in due time. For now, it remains to be the most important piece of the puzzle as we've already lost a character in order to protect it. That being said, will we find out more about Seth? Even though he's gone, I'm still intrigued by him. I want to know more about the first unbound and his relationship with both Reign and Eve. (If not in this show, then in some sort of prequel webisode series)

No apologies necessary. I promise that all the creatures within the show will be explained further in future episodes. The Box of Echoes plays a vital role in the first season and all it's history and secrets will be revealed. Seth's death is important for many reasons. Little clues as subtle or as out of place they may feel have been draped throughout the first five episodes. Seth will make an appearance in episode 108 and I promise it will not be a flashback.

Reign so far really stands out to me, I can see him becoming if not a fan favourite, my favourite character. Without being cliche he manages to be a genuinely good guy, what with saving Eve from her cell and going out his way to protect the box of echoes getting into the wrong hands. And his dry dialogue is incredibly fun to read. 

Speaking of dialogue, it was really well done in this episode, and I could get a sense of who these characters were just by the way they talked to people. One character, in particular, stood out to me, and that's, Eve. It's not how I would have originally imagined an angel to talk, but it's certainly more entertaining and adds to the complexity of her character. She comes across as fearless, but in a way that could get her into a lot of trouble. Most notably with her interactions with Lucifer and Azrael. 

Yeah, Eve's dialogue was something I flipped back and forth with in the earlier stages of development. She's never been to Earth but somehow needs to find a way to be able to communicate with the other main characters. I was able to justify her millennial dialect with the idea that in Heaven she was still part of the collection of Angels, there for she could listen in on their conversations and their development of the languages through the years. And that's with all languages really. I like to think of Eve in the Pilot as a scared cat backed into a corner, hair on end, claws ready to scratch. A lot of her bravery comes from fear. She has been in hiding in Heaven, somehow someone or something found her and dragged her down to Earth. And there is no way she is going down without a fight.

Eve's journey is by far the most interesting thing about the pilot, I got enough answers to satisfy me in the pilot, but I still have a lot more questions. Why was she in the cell to begin with? What are these flashes that she continues to have? And why has she fallen? These are just a few of many that come to mind. We did see a couple of flashbacks throughout the episode, which in my opinion, we didn't need just yet. I was so wrapped up in the excitement of what was going on in The Pit between Lucifer and Eve when it came to outside, and we flashed to the jail cell; it kind of took me out of it. But I understand why you did it; I guess I'm more a fan of the flashback episode or it coming out in the present moment than I am of having a couple of flashbacks per episode. That being said, the flashbacks have peaked my interest about Eve's past, and I am really looking forward to discovering why she is where she is. 

Yeah a lot of people were confused by her flashes in the Pilot. That's why I paint a bigger picture of what went down in the Garden in episode 102 and she explains it's entirety in episode 103. Yeah I try not to use flashbacks unless I feel it really necessary. I will admit that the flashback involving Reign was not originally planned for the Pilot but was a last minute addition. As for Eve and Lucifer it was there to show a few things, how Eve became an angel and the power her blood possesses, to show how Lucifer is a character that does horrible things for what she believes is the right reasons, and lastly to show what was very much the moment her rebellion in Heaven began. As for Lucifer's reasonings for her rebellion, that is something that is talked about it riddles in episode 102 and will be shown in the current episode I am writing which is 106.

Two characters which I have mentioned before that have interactions with Eve are Lucifer and Azrael. Lucifer was fun to read, she seems like a very fresh take on the devil, and with her running The Pit it adds a modern twist to the tale, very True Blood. I think there's more than meets the eye with her operation there with the sin eaters but I guess I'll have to wait and find out. Azrael just confuses me so far, its like he's a bad guy fighting on the right side? And when Aemilia is being attacked he does not want to intervene but then lets Eve, Reign and Diamond? I found it a little confusing. 

Azrael is like the Warden to a prison. He's going to do everything in his power to contain situations before they get out of hand. What better way to kill two birds with one stone then to send both of his problems colliding towards each other, ie. Eve and the demon. The reason Aemilia is not to be saved is because of Azrael's law which will be talked about in episode 102.

Also, who's side is Cobalt on? I feel like she's just double-crossing everyone and I have no idea where her loyalty lies, so far it seems it's to herself. I can see why she would side with Azrael if she is planning on taking Lucifers place so my opinion would have been to him, but the ending with Lucifer threw me off. 

You are absolutely right. Cobalt is loyal to Cobalt even though she will play nice with others if need be. When it comes to her alliances the one with Lucifer is stronger but not because of Lucifer. More will be explained and explored in the next four episodes.

Diamond and Aemilia have an interesting dynamic. For Diamond being the eldest, he doesn't act like it, and I could see this coming through more than once in this episode. I haven't yet fully formed an opinion on these two; I think it's because although Diamond is a leading character, he took a back seat to observe and learn about this new world he has been brought into. I do think it's an interesting angle that he isn't fully human, a Nephilim I think Azrael referred him as? Half Angel, Half Human. I can tell that throughout his life Diamond has tried so hard to find himself and now with help from Eve he can do this, and I look forward to seeing it. 

In the Pilot I used Diamond as a vessel for the readers as they entered into this world. He asked the questions that needed to be asked. His character development progresses as episodes go on. He refers to Eve as a catalyst to his self discovery.

Same with Aemilia, I haven't yet formed an opinion on her, but I'd like to talk about her storyline in this episode. I want to start by saying that having a young kid possessed, genius. This always gave me the creeps when they did with Lilith in Supernatural. However, when the parents dropped Danny off it school, the structure of the script became a little confusing. Mainly because one minute Aemilia is closing the door, with a possessed child in her classroom and then the next minute she wakes up in the closet with Isaiah, who then becomes possessed. Correct me if I missed the link to this, it just seemed a little confusing. I would have maybe liked to see Danny do something scary first before passing the torch. It was nothing major as I managed to understand what was happening in the end. 

Yeah, I've had this fear of creepy children since I saw films like Children of the Corn and Village of the Damned. I knew from the beginning I wanted to showcase that fear in some way. I agree. That storyline was cut drastically due to length constraints. I needed to edit something down and that was it. Everything else seemed too important. The original script before edits involved snakes, exploding windows and maggot filled eye sockets. It also had Isaiah entering the classroom saying the Lord's Prayer. Maybe in the VDVD release of the first season I'll include the scene in the Pilot.

Overall, you have a bunch of compelling characters, the story and mythology are insane, I have so many questions I need to be answered, and the writing is just excellent. I had a lot of fun reading this, even though it took me such a long time (I am the slowest reader ever) and I'm sure I had a lot more I wanted to talk about, but I can't seem to think of it right now.-- The ending seems very dark and has me so excited to continue with the series. Hopefully, I can have a review up in the next week or two for the seconde episode. 

Thanks again for reading and reviewing! I greatly appreciate it. Hopefully I was able to answer some of your questions without giving too much away. Lol. Thanks, Jay

[Alex Matthews]

Very happy to see some new movement with this series!! Looking forward to its return!

[Darrin McCann]

Hey everyone, I noticed that my links are not working to my scripts. Please bear with me while I get this sorted out. Thanks!