Season One - Discussion

[Darrin McCann]

**UPDATE** Okay, I think I have corrected most links, except for the Soundtrack images. I do not recommend Weebly. Their new builder has some kinks to be worked out. Lol. Thanks for your patience.

[Jay Paterson]

I have eventually got around to reading the second instalment of Paradise Lost and I have to say your world is coming together nicely, Darrin. I wasn't able to find a copy of the pilot and my memory is a little hazy so I apologise if I bring up something that has already been touched on in the pilot. Let me know when you have fixed the link so I can have a once over to refresh my memory and put some of the pieces together. Its times like this you wish there was a "previously on" montage.

1.02 | Heart of Stone

I'm not going to lie, this was a beast of a script. Probably the longest VS script I've read on here. But all 62 pages were packed with story and action, which made it a dream to read.

Episode two continues from the events of the pilot while introducing new mythology and characters. You do a really good job of expanding this universe and explaining parts of the mythology without really giving anything away. I feel like after that episode I am left with even more questions, in a good way.

We are thrown straight into the mystery when we are met with Josephine in the teaser being led to a room by Mama, who we later find out is Kassia, a former follower of Lucifer. This was the perfect set up for introducing what was to come, is raised a lot of questions which were soon to be answered by the end of the episode. I loved your use of sound in the teaser it added to the suspense leading up to the death of Dr Thompson. Also killing someone off within the first 3 pages definitely had me hooked. Especially adding in the mysterious winged beast.

Act 1 opens up on Eve dreaming about the garden. This touches more on the flashbacks that Eve was having in the pilot episode, you do a good job in building this story but still not really giving much away. Which leaves me needing to find out more about "him." This is someone that Eve is deeply terrified of, so I can't help but wonder, who is he and what is his part in all of this? I really enjoy Eve and Reigns relationship, as I did the pilot, even though their scenes together in this episode are limited. Dialogue for both was on point again. Eve Later goes to see Azrael for help dealing with "him" but walks away finding out that Diamond is on Azrael's hit list and that he wants her to work for him alongside Lucifer? That was an unexpected turn of events and I really enjoyed the buddy cop like interactions between the girls. I'm interested to see how this pans out with Diamond, can Eve protect him? Eve surprisingly down for working with Azreal but mainly to keep an eye on him.

Lucifer surprised me most in the episode. She comes across almost soft at times, although straight talking. Her interactions with Eve and about the past does show that she has a ruthless side, but has that changed being on earth. She is definitely a character that I am keen to know more about and I'm sure I will. Her and Eve have a history and it was touched upon throughout this episode. You mention the great war and Eve admits to having a child in the garden, these are all plot points that I'm excited for you to dig deeper in to. And the sigil pendant? What's going on there? I just know it can't be good.

Aemilia is suffering after the events from the pilot, having visions of Isaiah's ghost and blurred out figures. Her father thinks she may be going crazy like her mother but this is cleared up by Reign who confirmed she is transcendent. You gave a nice description of this through Reigns dialogue. I absolutely love the dynamic between Aemilia and Reign, so much so it broke my heart slightly when Reign states shes "not his type." But I'll happily take them as friends. The two had some of my favourite scenes in the episode with their brief interaction with Josephine and being chased by a Gargoyle, these were both pivotal moments of building your world. We learned briefly about cleaners and Reign explains that the unbound are prisoners on earth. Btw I love that you are using Gargoyles. Granted the only thing I know about them is from a 90's cartoon, but the scene of it breaking from its shell was brilliant.

I believe this is the first time we meet Elliot? Aemilia and Diamonds father. From the first instance, you can tell he has a rocky relationship with his son and the reasons behind that surely come to light. The conversation Elliot has with Diamond in the kitchen ties in what Reign had told Aemilia, unbeknownst to him. I'm curious to see what part Elliot plays in all of this, I take it he will be showing up in future episodes or will he be heading back home? Same with their Mother, the ending alone brought up a ton of questions and just adds another layer to the complicated family.

Diamond took a back seat at the beginning of the episode and I wasn't expecting him to make much of a return but he sure made up for it in the end battle with the Gargoyle. In just two episodes you can see him come into his own, going from a lost soul to becoming quite ballsy the way he takes the Horn of Gabriel from Reign to attack the beast. Unlike the rest of the characters, Diamond isn't up there as a favourite quite yet, but I'm sure once we dive more into the Nephilim side of him things will change. His interactions with Reign were funny, an unlikely team which resulted in some great dialogue.

The central focus of this episode was on Josephine who we soon find out to be a Cambion and Mama - who btw is terrifying. From what I got these characters were for this episode alone? I am sad to see Mama/Kassia's demise so soon. She would have made for an epic foe. But as she's an angel am not entirely sure if that was really the end for her? Same goes with Josephine, a very interesting character. I understand that she is safer leaving but I feel like there was still much more to learn. I think the only thing that confused me about her was that she stabbed Tyson but was then heartbroken when Emerson died? Were they not brothers? You did a stellar job of setting up those scenes, especially the one with Josephine being drugged and strapped to a chair, very visual.

All in all, a fantastic episode. Almost faultless. If I were to nitpick at anything it would have been with the cuts between battle scenes at the end. I would have like to stay on them a bit longer rather than go back and forth so much. But it didn't make a whole lot of difference. I seriously can't wait to read episode 3.

[Jay Paterson]

1.03 | Like A Lamb to Slaughter

I thoroughly enjoyed my read this morning so I thought I'd have at episode three of Paradise Lost.

Well, here we have it. Finally some answers, in the form of Bishop Parrish. Episode three really takes the time to elaborate on the mythology and back story which was hinted upon in prior episodes.

We open this episode at a warehouse rave where we are met with Lilith and her two henchmen who begin to distribute an unknown drug to human party-goers. Again, your teaser sets up the catalyst for this episode perfectly and immediately sucks us into the action. I'm just five pages in and there is a lot of bloodshed and a ton of questions that need to be answered. Like, what is Lilith's end game and who is "he" she is referring to, Azreal? The Serpent? If that was just the trails the what next? Lilith just oozes bad bitch vibes in every scene that she is in, and even though she isn't in many scenes she raises the most questions.

Diamond really comes into his own in this episode, I mean he took out there of Azrael's men with ease?! At the beginning of Act 1, Reign is teaching him how to fight. Its was very strange to see the two boys get along so well, I kind of like it better when they didn't like each other. At one point I thought this may be turning into more than just a budding romance. (but that idea was shot down later in the episode). Diamond has decided to really throw himself into his new calling which I like, he has been searching for his purpose for some time and now with being a Nephilim he can focus on being sober and protect his loved ones. This is where he is reunited with Eve, who has been told to keep tabs on Diamond. I really enjoy this due, they haven't known each other long but they are already very passionate about one another. (Although I am sad there were zero Eve/Reign scenes) After the AA meeting, they meet Bishop Parrish and this is when the information comes flooding in. I'm really thankful for him, even though I'm still not sure what side he is one, but he started to piece things together for me. Like Jesus being the first Nephilim and the wise men sent there to protect him, all transcendent. Which took me back to a comment that I made in episode one about Aemilia looking after Diamond and him not seeming like the big brother in the relationship, and in Episode two where she talks about his drinking which then persuaded him to go to AA. She does seem like a figure or guidance/protection in his life.

Bishop Parrish then put Diamond and Eve on the scent of Azrael who by each episode is becoming even more of the big bad and having me at the edge of my seat thinking whats next? He offers Diamond sanctuary and I don't know why but something doesn't sit right and I think this is confirmed by who he calls nearer the end of the episode, but I'm still torn. Just for clarity when he calls the number, was he expecting to get Cora or was he meant to get through to the guard? I'm eager for this homecoming, I don't even know what to expect.

Someone I haven't yet spoken about thus far is Kylar. I don't think I remember him being in the pilot and in episode two he wasn't there for long. But in episode three we really start to get an idea of who he is, and the mystery that surrounds him and his family. In just one episode you have managed to turn a character I had zero feelings towards into one of my favourites. I need to understand more about his birthmark and what his lies in his fate, as his brother, Cyrus suggested. I'd like to see more interactions between Kylar and his family, they seem to make him uneasy but I feel like there's some truth in what they are saying. During Act 3 Kylar became one of the one infected by the drug we saw in the teaser, and I just kept thinking, please do not kill off someone I am just starting to like. I'm happy that he survived even though we don't fully know why. His interactions with Aemilia come across so genuine and you can tell they are best friends. It may have not started so well between him and Reign but with the conversation at the end, I feel like Kylar is the person that will really bring Reign out of his shell

Aemilia seems like she can be a bit overbearing but she most definitely doesn't mean to be. She needs to know answers, a little like her brother that way, so I have no doubt she will discover what Kylar is. I loved your use of flashback showing how Aemilia ended up with Kylars letter. It was really effective and cleverly done, the same when you did it earlier in the episode with Eve putting the pieces together. It was nice to see Aemilia enjoying herself after having a rough couple of episodes. So much fun that she brings Abz home, or should I say, Abel? Now this was a great cliffhanger as the slight hints to the tattoo show us that he already has ties to Lilith, which is not good, even is Reign doesn't know if she is a friend or foe. I'm thinking, the latter.

Cobalt falls in the category of frenemies, I believe? I absolutely love this character, I have since the pilot. No loyalties, just unforgivingly herself. Although she does come to rescue Reign and Aemilia, so there are definitely two sides to her. I think she just does as she pleases. When she leans over just to whisper "I. Don't. Know" Shes an absolute legend. She and Reign take it upon themselves to clear out The Pit with the remaining monsters and their back and forth interactions with one another are priceless. I like to see a lot more of this duo. Can I ask who your casting choice if for Cobalt is?

I think this has been my favourite episode so far. Questions were answered, even more questions were raised. It was action-packed whilst also pushing a lot of character arcs forward. The pacing of this felt a lot better than episode two also. Well done on another great episode, Darrin. I'm a fan

[Jay Paterson]

1.04 | "The Crucible"

Episode 4 went down a treat as my morning read before work today. But I had no time to give you my thoughts then so here they are.

We start the episode with a flashforward which I am always a fan of. This structure worked unbelievably well for this episode as you had shown us something so unexpected to happen to our main characters, so I was all in when it came to finding out the events that transpired prior. Now, what the hell happened to Eve?!

This episode felt like a much slower burn than the previous instalments but I feel like it was much needed after the mayhem of episode 3. Eve and Diamond meet Aemilia and Reign with the news about the impending war supposedly being started by Azreal and that starts off our journey for all of our characters who all just want answers this episode. I think this is the first time so far we have seen each of our main characters go off on their own missions and it was a nice change.

Unsurprisingly Aemilia heads out looking for answers about Kylar and what he is. However, approaching Colbalt and her actually helping is surprising. Aemilia is like a dog with a bone when she needs to find out something and it definitely shows in these scenes, especially as she's unsure if she's going to be killed in the process. My only question is why not just go to Kylar directly? He is her best friend after all. Cobalt can't really give much information as she isn't fully aware of what he is, just that his birthmark means ascension. But I'm sure she will know soon enough, given that trade-off with Kylar at the end, whether she then shares that information with Aemilia, I'm not so sure.

Kylar has one of the most interesting journeys of the episode as he is just starting to discover the world around him, but no one comes out right and says anything and he still isn't asking the questions as if he's still trying to avoid the possibility any of its real. His journey starts with another conflicting conversation with his brother, Cyrus. You can tell that Kylar wants nothing more than to be normal but from recent events, he is starting to come around to the fact that his family may have been telling the truth, although he has certainly not forgiven them for what they did to him. He mentions being on the brink of death, so we know they done some messed up things, I'm just looking forward to delivering into that more and finding out more about the family dynamics. It's through this interaction we find out that Cyrus was the one who has stolen the Box of Echoes from Reign. He and Reign become a little closer to one another as Kylar just wants to help him with solving what happened the night Seth was killed. I absolutely loved the scene with the holographic images projecting showing the scenes (very visual) of that night and Kylar being exposed to this and not really asking wth went on?! But seeing the Box of Echos in that scene prompts him to track it down for Reign even if that means making an enemy of his brother in the meantime. It really shows how much he cares for Reign already.

Diamond is becoming a bit of a badass. Like he saved the almighty Azreal? Although Azreal claims he didn't need saving. (he did) Diamond is becoming the hero, and its nicely being built the more we move on. He but his life on the line for a man he doesn't trust. There was no need for Diamond to come to the rescue, he could have left it to the unbound army, but he did. His mission opens him up to a world of unbound other than Eve and Reign and allows him to play detective which was fun. His conversation with Azreal took me by surprise and Azreal sounded like he was trying to teach Diamond that not everything is black and white and that he's not this big bad he's painted out to be. I feel like there were nice moments between then but then he calls him Nephilim but uses it in a derogatory way. Not really sure what the dynamic is there, but it definitely showed a different side to Azreal and made me second guess what Parrish said in Ep3. There is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.

Mrs Cobalt certainly prepared for today's lesson. She was teaching everyone in this episode. From the birthmark to the tetramorph and who has the box of echos. She was the key piece in everyone puzzle this episode. I'm surprised she helped so willingly. I the horsemen of the apocalypse revelation was perfect, things are gonna get crazy!

So Eve finally meets Lilith in this episode and their whole interactions were just like talking in riddles. I'm just left with a ton of questions. The biggest revelation to this story arc was when she mentions Adam basically being the father of demons. This Adam and Eve storyline has been unravelling at a nice and steady pace and its hands down the most interesting arcs for me. It was the first time we see the serpent in person to and with just one touch he was turning people into murderous headcases by way of an infectious disease. I have been dying for him to come out from the shadows and with the reveal that it was Adam himself, I just hope you have one explosive reunion lined up.

At the end of the episode, I'm left with a more than a few burning thoughts so I'll leave some here. Who tf took Aemilia and why is she caged

[Darrin McCann]

Nov 11, 2020 3:12:54 GMT -6 Jay Paterson said:

I have eventually got around to reading the second instalment of Paradise Lost and I have to say your world is coming together nicely, Darrin. I wasn't able to find a copy of the pilot and my memory is a little hazy so I apologise if I bring up something that has already been touched on in the pilot. Let me know when you have fixed the link so I can have a once over to refresh my memory and put some of the pieces together. Its times like this you wish there was a "previously on" montage.

There have been times I have seriously thought about making one at the beginning of my scripts, especially when there is some serious time between finished scripts. I apologize for that also. I also apologize for the lateness of this response.

1.02 | Heart of Stone

I'm not going to lie, this was a beast of a script. Probably the longest VS script I've read on here. But all 62 pages were packed with story and action, which made it a dream to read.

Episode two continues from the events of the pilot while introducing new mythology and characters. You do a really good job of expanding this universe and explaining parts of the mythology without really giving anything away. I feel like after that episode I am left with even more questions, in a good way.

I couldn't agree more. I have a few scripts over the 60+ page mark. I have tried to cut things out, I really have, but there is so much that get jammed packed into these episodes that any fluff doesn't get included anyways. HAHA! If I remember correctly, I was still building the mytho on the series and setting things up for future seasons. I think if I would have just focused on one season at a time and it's story there wouldn't be so much mytho. You'll notice me try and cut some of the mytho out in episode 1.03 when Cobalt takes over The Pit and it's no longer this 'kink' club with Sin Eaters. When writing the season, as it progressed I tried to eliminate some of the mytho just to make a cleaner story. However, the newest episode weighed in at 60+ pages, so clearly I haven't shaved much. Lol

We are thrown straight into the mystery when we are met with Josephine in the teaser being led to a room by Mama, who we later find out is Kassia, a former follower of Lucifer. This was the perfect set up for introducing what was to come, is raised a lot of questions which were soon to be answered by the end of the episode. I loved your use of sound in the teaser it added to the suspense leading up to the death of Dr Thompson. Also killing someone off within the first 3 pages definitely had me hooked. Especially adding in the mysterious winged beast.

Act 1 opens up on Eve dreaming about the garden. This touches more on the flashbacks that Eve was having in the pilot episode, you do a good job in building this story but still not really giving much away. Which leaves me needing to find out more about "him." This is someone that Eve is deeply terrified of, so I can't help but wonder, who is he and what is his part in all of this? I really enjoy Eve and Reigns relationship, as I did the pilot, even though their scenes together in this episode are limited. Dialogue for both was on point again. Eve Later goes to see Azrael for help dealing with "him" but walks away finding out that Diamond is on Azrael's hit list and that he wants her to work for him alongside Lucifer? That was an unexpected turn of events and I really enjoyed the buddy cop like interactions between the girls. I'm interested to see how this pans out with Diamond, can Eve protect him? Eve surprisingly down for working with Azreal but mainly to keep an eye on him.

I try, keyword try, and make the teaser of the episode interesting in some way. I think when writing this episode I was influenced a lot from the show Supernatural. The supernatural 'murder mystery' who done it. Eve and Reign have this connection where they both loved Seth. So that loss helps hold this bond between them. Also, Reign was an ally to Eve after the great war, he was just a faceless soldier that didn't think he made a lasting impression on Eve, but that one act of kindness was unforgettable. I think that Eve and Azrael's relationship is neither trust the other. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. No one knows how Eve fell. I think Azrael wants to keep her as close to him as possible, until he finds out who was the culprit. Eve is special. I don't think Azrael would ever harm Diamond. In later episodes you find out Azrael is a collector of sorts, so I think his threats thin at best.

Lucifer surprised me most in the episode. She comes across almost soft at times, although straight talking. Her interactions with Eve and about the past does show that she has a ruthless side, but has that changed being on earth. She is definitely a character that I am keen to know more about and I'm sure I will. Her and Eve have a history and it was touched upon throughout this episode. You mention the great war and Eve admits to having a child in the garden, these are all plot points that I'm excited for you to dig deeper in to. And the sigil pendant? What's going on there? I just know it can't be good.

Lucifer's past is explored and you find out why she has that edge, but can still have a soft side. She wasn't always a bad person. Yeah, all these plot points are explored throughout Season One. The kid, the pendant, the war, all of it.

Aemilia is suffering after the events from the pilot, having visions of Isaiah's ghost and blurred out figures. Her father thinks she may be going crazy like her mother but this is cleared up by Reign who confirmed she is transcendent. You gave a nice description of this through Reigns dialogue. I absolutely love the dynamic between Aemilia and Reign, so much so it broke my heart slightly when Reign states shes "not his type." But I'll happily take them as friends. The two had some of my favourite scenes in the episode with their brief interaction with Josephine and being chased by a Gargoyle, these were both pivotal moments of building your world. We learned briefly about cleaners and Reign explains that the unbound are prisoners on earth. Btw I love that you are using Gargoyles. Granted the only thing I know about them is from a 90's cartoon, but the scene of it breaking from its shell was brilliant.

Aemilia is definitely a pillar in this first season. Unfortunately, I think she tends to get used for her gift, usually without permission. She's sort of this puppet that's pulled from here to there. In the first season anyways. Aemilia and Reign's friendship is something I love. I love their connection. Have you ever met someone and just new you'd be best friends? I did. I think that their friendship is based off real world experience for sure. I loved the Gargoyle cartoons in the 90's. And there was no way I wasn't going to use Gargoyles. Lol. Fun fact - I had this VS idea for an original Gargoyle series, not based on the cartoon, where the lead character's name was Kassia. Clearly nothing really came of it and so some of it was molded into the this episode. The title of the show was going to be Heart of Stone which ultimately became the title of this episode.

I believe this is the first time we meet Elliot? Aemilia and Diamonds father. From the first instance, you can tell he has a rocky relationship with his son and the reasons behind that surely come to light. The conversation Elliot has with Diamond in the kitchen ties in what Reign had told Aemilia, unbeknownst to him. I'm curious to see what part Elliot plays in all of this, I take it he will be showing up in future episodes or will he be heading back home? Same with their Mother, the ending alone brought up a ton of questions and just adds another layer to the complicated family.

This is the first time we meet Elliott. He will be back in a future episode in the first season, unfortunately Bill Paxton passed away shortly after I wrote his final episode. I don't plan on recasting the character at this time.

Diamond took a back seat at the beginning of the episode and I wasn't expecting him to make much of a return but he sure made up for it in the end battle with the Gargoyle. In just two episodes you can see him come into his own, going from a lost soul to becoming quite ballsy the way he takes the Horn of Gabriel from Reign to attack the beast. Unlike the rest of the characters, Diamond isn't up there as a favourite quite yet, but I'm sure once we dive more into the Nephilim side of him things will change. His interactions with Reign were funny, an unlikely team which resulted in some great dialogue.

I agree with everything said. I think if there is one character I struggle with the most it's Diamond. Originally he was planned to be the number one lead in the series, but the more I dived into the series he definitely took a back seat to Reign, who sort of stepped up as the main male lead. I am hoping to rectify that in the second season when we follow Diamond on his own journey a little bit. One of my biggest regrets with him as a character was never fully diving into that 'lost soul' persona. Live and learn.

The central focus of this episode was on Josephine who we soon find out to be a Cambion and Mama - who btw is terrifying. From what I got these characters were for this episode alone? I am sad to see Mama/Kassia's demise so soon. She would have made for an epic foe. But as she's an angel am not entirely sure if that was really the end for her? Same goes with Josephine, a very interesting character. I understand that she is safer leaving but I feel like there was still much more to learn. I think the only thing that confused me about her was that she stabbed Tyson but was then heartbroken when Emerson died? Were they not brothers? You did a stellar job of setting up those scenes, especially the one with Josephine being drugged and strapped to a chair, very visual.

Josephine returns in 1.08. This episode really inspired me, that in fact, I have started a rough outline for a spin-off that follows Josephine when she leaves Paradise. The series, entitled 'Hellfire', would take place after the events of episode PL 1.08. As for Kassia, I don't have plans to bring back the character, but anything is possible. I have just started outlining Season two, so who knows.

All in all, a fantastic episode. Almost faultless. If I were to nitpick at anything it would have been with the cuts between battle scenes at the end. I would have like to stay on them a bit longer rather than go back and forth so much. But it didn't make a whole lot of difference. I seriously can't wait to read episode 3.

Thanks, Jay! I appreciate the review. Sorry again for such the late response.

[Darrin McCann]

Nov 11, 2020 16:26:12 GMT -6 Jay Paterson said:

1.03 | Like A Lamb to Slaughter

I thoroughly enjoyed my read this morning so I thought I'd have at episode three of Paradise Lost.

Well, here we have it. Finally some answers, in the form of Bishop Parrish. Episode three really takes the time to elaborate on the mythology and back story which was hinted upon in prior episodes.

We open this episode at a warehouse rave where we are met with Lilith and her two henchmen who begin to distribute an unknown drug to human party-goers. Again, your teaser sets up the catalyst for this episode perfectly and immediately sucks us into the action. I'm just five pages in and there is a lot of bloodshed and a ton of questions that need to be answered. Like, what is Lilith's end game and who is "he" she is referring to, Azreal? The Serpent? If that was just the trails the what next? Lilith just oozes bad bitch vibes in every scene that she is in, and even though she isn't in many scenes she raises the most questions.

Lilith's endgame won't be really shown until the finale. However, I have laid some hints throughout the series, and there is some dialogue exchange in 1.08 where she kind of gives it away, without anybody realizing it. I will say she's after more than any one thing. She is also a complex character with a complex history.

Diamond really comes into his own in this episode, I mean he took out there of Azrael's men with ease?! At the beginning of Act 1, Reign is teaching him how to fight. Its was very strange to see the two boys get along so well, I kind of like it better when they didn't like each other. At one point I thought this may be turning into more than just a budding romance. (but that idea was shot down later in the episode). Diamond has decided to really throw himself into his new calling which I like, he has been searching for his purpose for some time and now with being a Nephilim he can focus on being sober and protect his loved ones. This is where he is reunited with Eve, who has been told to keep tabs on Diamond. I really enjoy this due, they haven't known each other long but they are already very passionate about one another. (Although I am sad there were zero Eve/Reign scenes) After the AA meeting, they meet Bishop Parrish and this is when the information comes flooding in. I'm really thankful for him, even though I'm still not sure what side he is one, but he started to piece things together for me. Like Jesus being the first Nephilim and the wise men sent there to protect him, all transcendent. Which took me back to a comment that I made in episode one about Aemilia looking after Diamond and him not seeming like the big brother in the relationship, and in Episode two where she talks about his drinking which then persuaded him to go to AA. She does seem like a figure or guidance/protection in his life.

Bishop Parrish will have a huge presence in Season two. You will also find out the side in which he falls. He does make a return in a couple future episodes where once again he'll make you question whose side is he really on. Ding, ding, ding. I am really glad that Aemilia and Diamond's relationship came through like that because that's exactly the parallel I was trying to draw from. To show that Transcendants original purpose was to help guide the Nephilim. This again will be explored more in Season two. I can't say much because then we enter into Spoiler territory. Lol.

Bishop Parrish then put Diamond and Eve on the scent of Azrael who by each episode is becoming even more of the big bad and having me at the edge of my seat thinking whats next? He offers Diamond sanctuary and I don't know why but something doesn't sit right and I think this is confirmed by who he calls nearer the end of the episode, but I'm still torn. Just for clarity when he calls the number, was he expecting to get Cora or was he meant to get through to the guard? I'm eager for this homecoming, I don't even know what to expect.

There is a war brewing outside the core characters. One that's being played by people like Azrael and Bishop Parrish as well as other outside players not yet introduced. So you'll find certain people pushing our group around like chess pieces on a chess board. Azrael likes to think that he is controlling the pieces, but what he doesn't realize is that he too is a piece in the game. His phone call was to the guard. Again, he thinks he's pulling the strings.

Someone I haven't yet spoken about thus far is Kylar. I don't think I remember him being in the pilot and in episode two he wasn't there for long. But in episode three we really start to get an idea of who he is, and the mystery that surrounds him and his family. In just one episode you have managed to turn a character I had zero feelings towards into one of my favourites. I need to understand more about his birthmark and what his lies in his fate, as his brother, Cyrus suggested. I'd like to see more interactions between Kylar and his family, they seem to make him uneasy but I feel like there's some truth in what they are saying. During Act 3 Kylar became one of the one infected by the drug we saw in the teaser, and I just kept thinking, please do not kill off someone I am just starting to like. I'm happy that he survived even though we don't fully know why. His interactions with Aemilia come across so genuine and you can tell they are best friends. It may have not started so well between him and Reign but with the conversation at the end, I feel like Kylar is the person that will really bring Reign out of his shell

Yeah, Kylar was defintely a background player in the beginning. His lineage is important to Paradise Lost. His birthmark will play a huge role in the second season, so too will his family. In a future episode, you meet someone from Kylar's past and get a glimpse of what happened to him. Let's just say that he's quite the well adjusted person considering the horrors he faced.

Aemilia seems like she can be a bit overbearing but she most definitely doesn't mean to be. She needs to know answers, a little like her brother that way, so I have no doubt she will discover what Kylar is. I loved your use of flashback showing how Aemilia ended up with Kylars letter. It was really effective and cleverly done, the same when you did it earlier in the episode with Eve putting the pieces together. It was nice to see Aemilia enjoying herself after having a rough couple of episodes. So much fun that she brings Abz home, or should I say, Abel? Now this was a great cliffhanger as the slight hints to the tattoo show us that he already has ties to Lilith, which is not good, even is Reign doesn't know if she is a friend or foe. I'm thinking, the latter.

I think a lot of Aemilia's overbearingness comes from her having to take care of her family from a young age. I mean, her mom went crazy and was taken away, her brother turned to alcohol to cope with everything, her father was practically absent because of everything that happened. So she was sort of the one who looked after them. Aemilia also has this idea that she needs to fix people and their problems, which really only leads to more problems for her. Yes, she brings home Abz, which looking back now I cringe that, that was the best I could come up with for an incognito name. Lol.

Cobalt falls in the category of frenemies, I believe? I absolutely love this character, I have since the pilot. No loyalties, just unforgivingly herself. Although she does come to rescue Reign and Aemilia, so there are definitely two sides to her. I think she just does as she pleases. When she leans over just to whisper "I. Don't. Know" Shes an absolute legend. She and Reign take it upon themselves to clear out The Pit with the remaining monsters and their back and forth interactions with one another are priceless. I like to see a lot more of this duo. Can I ask who your casting choice if for Cobalt is?

Yeah, Cobalt's been given a raw deal with being the Keeper of the Unspoken. So, she waivers in allegiences depending on who can give her the better deal.  Her and Reign have history. It comes to light in future episodes. The original casting for Cobalt was Lyndie Greenwood.

I think this has been my favourite episode so far. Questions were answered, even more questions were raised. It was action-packed whilst also pushing a lot of character arcs forward. The pacing of this felt a lot better than episode two also. Well done on another great episode, Darrin. I'm a fan

Thanks, Jay! I appreciate it!

[Jay Paterson]

May 25, 2021 13:39:21 GMT -6 Darrin McCann said:

Fun fact - I had this VS idea for an original Gargoyle series, not based on the cartoon, where the lead character's name was Kassia. Clearly nothing really came of it and so some of it was molded into the this episode. The title of the show was going to be Heart of Stone which ultimately became the title of this episode.

Would have loved to read your take on a Gargoyles series. If you're ever reinspired to make it and need someone to bounce ideas off of you know where to find me!  😆

[Darrin McCann]

Nov 19, 2020 15:31:50 GMT -6 Jay Paterson said:

1.04 | "The Crucible"

Episode 4 went down a treat as my morning read before work today. But I had no time to give you my thoughts then so here they are.

We start the episode with a flashforward which I am always a fan of. This structure worked unbelievably well for this episode as you had shown us something so unexpected to happen to our main characters, so I was all in when it came to finding out the events that transpired prior. Now, what the hell happened to Eve?!

This episode felt like a much slower burn than the previous instalments but I feel like it was much needed after the mayhem of episode 3. Eve and Diamond meet Aemilia and Reign with the news about the impending war supposedly being started by Azreal and that starts off our journey for all of our characters who all just want answers this episode. I think this is the first time so far we have seen each of our main characters go off on their own missions and it was a nice change.

Thanks again, Jay! I enjoyed switching up the teaser, keeps things interesting when writing too. Yeah, the start of the episode was sort of used to get everyone up to speed, to get our characters on the same page, because they each have a small piece of the puzzle as to what is happening. It also was used as a tool to explain things a little clearer to the audience. I constantly second guess myself as to whether or not I have explained things clear enough to the audience. I also don't want to beat a dead horse Lol. Hopefully I have found that balance between the two.

Unsurprisingly Aemilia heads out looking for answers about Kylar and what he is. However, approaching Colbalt and her actually helping is surprising. Aemilia is like a dog with a bone when she needs to find out something and it definitely shows in these scenes, especially as she's unsure if she's going to be killed in the process. My only question is why not just go to Kylar directly? He is her best friend after all. Cobalt can't really give much information as she isn't fully aware of what he is, just that his birthmark means ascension. But I'm sure she will know soon enough, given that trade-off with Kylar at the end, whether she then shares that information with Aemilia, I'm not so sure.

I think the reason Aemilia didn't approach Kylar in regards to his birthmark is because she's not sure he knows he's more than a regular person. I think in a way she's trying to protect him from this world, as someone who was thrown into it without having a say, I think she would want to do whatever she could to protect him. Cobalt helps as much as she does, because she has history with some of our characters. I think she also helps out of spite. The Keeper of the Unknown is not something she wanted. She was forced to become it. So I think she uses every opportunity to spill the world's secrets as a big 'FU' to the Thrones, who were the ones who sentenced her to that for her role she played in Lucifer's rebellion. Information is also power. She's not Aemilia's friend.

Kylar has one of the most interesting journeys of the episode as he is just starting to discover the world around him, but no one comes out right and says anything and he still isn't asking the questions as if he's still trying to avoid the possibility any of its real. His journey starts with another conflicting conversation with his brother, Cyrus. You can tell that Kylar wants nothing more than to be normal but from recent events, he is starting to come around to the fact that his family may have been telling the truth, although he has certainly not forgiven them for what they did to him. He mentions being on the brink of death, so we know they done some messed up things, I'm just looking forward to delivering into that more and finding out more about the family dynamics. It's through this interaction we find out that Cyrus was the one who has stolen the Box of Echoes from Reign. He and Reign become a little closer to one another as Kylar just wants to help him with solving what happened the night Seth was killed. I absolutely loved the scene with the holographic images projecting showing the scenes (very visual) of that night and Kylar being exposed to this and not really asking wth went on?! But seeing the Box of Echos in that scene prompts him to track it down for Reign even if that means making an enemy of his brother in the meantime. It really shows how much he cares for Reign already.

When Kylar's history with his family is revealed in the next few episodes, you'll understand why he doesn't trust them. Cyrus and Kylar's relationship is pretty tame compared to how he feels about his other brothers and parents. Cyrus isn't that much older than Kylar, so he was also a child when everything was happening. Not to say that he was completely innocent in any of it, but he also didn't have much of a choice either. I don't want to say too much, because Kylar's involvement with the supernatural world gets revealed through the next few episodes, but I will say that even though he denies the things about himself, he's not ignorant to the world around him. So, it wasn't much of a shock to see the images unfolding around him and Reign.

Diamond is becoming a bit of a badass. Like he saved the almighty Azreal? Although Azreal claims he didn't need saving. (he did) Diamond is becoming the hero, and its nicely being built the more we move on. He but his life on the line for a man he doesn't trust. There was no need for Diamond to come to the rescue, he could have left it to the unbound army, but he did. His mission opens him up to a world of unbound other than Eve and Reign and allows him to play detective which was fun. His conversation with Azreal took me by surprise and Azreal sounded like he was trying to teach Diamond that not everything is black and white and that he's not this big bad he's painted out to be. I feel like there were nice moments between then but then he calls him Nephilim but uses it in a derogatory way. Not really sure what the dynamic is there, but it definitely showed a different side to Azreal and made me second guess what Parrish said in Ep3. There is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.

Diamond is always searching for a father figure. His dad wasn't around after everything that happened with his mother. I also think his father resented him for his mother's infidelity and it took a long time for him to come to terms with it. I think that's why he tries in the beginning with Azrael because he's looking for that father figure. Azrael is a complex character. He struggles with connections because he feels like they're a hinder to his power. Something he values more than anything. And when ever he feels insecure about his hold, he'll make it known that you are nothing compared to his greatness. 

Mrs Cobalt certainly prepared for today's lesson. She was teaching everyone in this episode. From the birthmark to the tetramorph and who has the box of echos. She was the key piece in everyone puzzle this episode. I'm surprised she helped so willingly. I the horsemen of the apocalypse revelation was perfect, things are gonna get crazy!

So Eve finally meets Lilith in this episode and their whole interactions were just like talking in riddles. I'm just left with a ton of questions. The biggest revelation to this story arc was when she mentions Adam basically being the father of demons. This Adam and Eve storyline has been unravelling at a nice and steady pace and its hands down the most interesting arcs for me. It was the first time we see the serpent in person to and with just one touch he was turning people into murderous headcases by way of an infectious disease. I have been dying for him to come out from the shadows and with the reveal that it was Adam himself, I just hope you have one explosive reunion lined up.

At the end of the episode, I'm left with a more than a few burning thoughts so I'll leave some here. Who tf took Aemilia and why is she caged

Lilith and Eve's conversation might seem like riddles, but there are lots of clues within those riddles. Adam/The Serpent and Eve are heading for a showdown like no other, that's for sure. Lets just say there's a reunion for Aemilia coming up in the next episode. Thanks again for the review, Jay! 

[Matthew James]

1.01 - Stir of Echoes - Review

First off I wanna say I've been meaning to get to these reviews. I love the idea of an epic saga wrapped around religion and faith. I loved the opening of the episode. How well you go into detail, I could very easily picture it all in my head playing out. The box of Echoes was an interesting McGuffin.

We meet Reign and Seth in a church before demons attack killing and Seth. Reign is able to shoot his way out church and is left heartbroken from the loss. It's later implied that gold laced with frankincense and myrrh, are the only things that can kill Angels -- I was left uncertain as to what he was using to shoot the demons, was it just regular bullets, or were they golden bullets. Do regular bullet's even hurt demons?

Then we meet father Diamond Stephens and his sister Amelia, while Diamond is my favorite character of at least the episode, I really like the dynamic these two share. Father Diamond Stephens is not only a broken down "recovering" alcoholic who has lost his faith, or at least the only thing he's ever really believed. That he was meant to do something... bigger. Mostly because he's had visions for as long as he can remember, and he isn't shy about letting his loved ones know it. Naturally, they think he's a bit certifiable. One aspect of his character I love is it's clear to see the people in his life have begun to lose faith in the man of faith. And that's when his purpose comes crashing into his life...

Diamond finds Eve on the road. The ground cracked around her naked body and decides to take her to the hospital. There we learn that she is an Angel or Unbound Angel who has fallen to earth and that she is Eve from the Bible though constantly reminds Diamond and the reader that everything you thought you knew about the "Bible" is a lie. She also gives hints that the voices Diamond's heard all his life could mean he's something more than human.

After helping Eve sneak out of the hospital the two turn to Amelia for help. Trying to convince her Eve's true identity, and attempt to get her to see the severity of the situation at hand, but naturally when you start talking about Angel's and demons people tend to think you're crazy, and the relationship between the siblings further fractures especially when the priest and Angel "borrow" Amelia's car and head off on their own adventure.

First meeting Lucifer, who owns a wild nightclub. This sounds a bit familiar, but all is forgiven when we meet "Lucy" and realize she's "a woman of all things". I died reading that line. I like how much fun Lucy reads here, and I'm certainly expecting their to be some interesting history between the Angel and Devil. These two are written so well when there together that there's no way for them not to have history. Eventually, the duo leave and Lucifer orders Cobalt, her bar bouncer to kill them. He winds up letting them go, and the readers learn that Cobalt works for someone called Azreal.

Their encounter leads them to Reign and the Box of Echoes at his apartment. I'm not sure it's ever made clear what exactly he is? Is he a warrior? Angel? Was he something else? We get some amazing exposition, I love how much thought you put into everything. Suddenly Diamond has a vision that a Demon is attacking his sister's school having a possessed friend, and Amelia and a young student Danny are in trouble at the school and Azreal who is a council member for the Angel has no intention of saving them.

This is where the team comes together, Eve vows to protect Amelia if the council will not. Though Azreal arrives telling Eve that her job is to stop the demon not save the girl. Despite this Eve has every intention to save Amelia. I think this is the only time I had any sort of problem with Eve. Maybe it's just cause it's the first time she ever seems to actually care about humans.

The trio get teleported to the school by Azreal, just as Amelia attempts to fight off the demon on her own. The gang manages to shoot the demon which kills the host, but the demon itself "slithers away", I like how you described the demon as serpent-like, I think that's some wonderful originality, and is probably the most believe variation on demons I've ever read! I can't wait to see more of these guys. Amelia is left to mourn the loss of her colleague. But at least the team saved her and the boy. In the end Diamond in a way has exactly what he wanted. He knows the visions he was plagued with as a kid are all true. He has his sanity and finally feels like he's where he's meant to be, though him finding his own sanity may just have shattered his sisters. It's such a tragic and get parallel, and can't wait to see how it plays out! Afterward, a hooded figure awakens something dark and human, and the pilot comes to a close.

All in all, this is a great setup, and I hope you enjoy my rant but this was a long pilot. So I had tons of notes. You'll cash me reading episode two before long! 

[Darrin McCann]

Jun 11, 2021 2:13:28 GMT -6 Matthew James said:

1.01 - Stir of Echoes - Review

First off I wanna say I've been meaning to get to these reviews. I love the idea of an epic saga wrapped around religion and faith. I loved the opening of the episode. How well you go into detail, I could very easily picture it all in my head playing out. The box of Echoes was an interesting McGuffin.

We meet Reign and Seth in a church before demons attack killing and Seth. Reign is able to shoot his way out church and is left heartbroken from the loss. It's later implied that gold laced with frankincense and myrrh, are the only things that can kill Angels -- I was left uncertain as to what he was using to shoot the demons, was it just regular bullets, or were they golden bullets. Do regular bullet's even hurt demons?

Thanks for the review Matthew! That's a really interesting question in regards to the bullets. It's never really discussed but the bullets will harm a demon, but not kill it. There are certain religious weapons, that are discussed later in the season that are able to kill demons, but mostly they are indestructible. Weakening these foes and then casting them into hell dimensions, or trap them in artifacts is the best that Angels can do. There haven't been many demons on Earth since the Crucifixion.  With the opening scene, Reign was able to keep them at bay, but he by no means killed the two beasts. 

Then we meet father Diamond Stephens and his sister Amelia, while Diamond is my favorite character of at least the episode, I really like the dynamic these two share. Father Diamond Stephens is not only a broken down "recovering" alcoholic who has lost his faith, or at least the only thing he's ever really believed. That he was meant to do something... bigger. Mostly because he's had visions for as long as he can remember, and he isn't shy about letting his loved ones know it. Naturally, they think he's a bit certifiable. One aspect of his character I love is it's clear to see the people in his life have begun to lose faith in the man of faith. And that's when his purpose comes crashing into his life...

Diamond suffered a traumatic event as a kid, which is brought to light in a future episode, so I think with these visions, and that event, and his total lack of control around everything. He dealt with it with drinking because it was something he could control and what he thought he could manage. My hope is to explore this as a theme throughout the series because addiction and recovery is not a one size fits all, and that he will have good days and he will have bad days.

Diamond finds Eve on the road. The ground cracked around her naked body and decides to take her to the hospital. There we learn that she is an Angel or Unbound Angel who has fallen to earth and that she is Eve from the Bible though constantly reminds Diamond and the reader that everything you thought you knew about the "Bible" is a lie. She also gives hints that the voices Diamond's heard all his life could mean he's something more than human.

After helping Eve sneak out of the hospital the two turn to Amelia for help. Trying to convince her Eve's true identity, and attempt to get her to see the severity of the situation at hand, but naturally when you start talking about Angel's and demons people tend to think you're crazy, and the relationship between the siblings further fractures especially when the priest and Angel "borrow" Amelia's car and head off on their own adventure.

So Unbound Angels are Fallen Angels, they have been kicked out of Heaven and have lost their grace. They are stronger than humans but weaker than full graced Angels. I guess I really worked hard in getting that idea of the stories of the Bible being lies, and I did it for several reasons. A.) I have a chance to mix and match ideologies from the Bible to work with my story; and B.) Because I have always felt like the stories from the Bible were almost like opinion pieces because if you read different books they are skewed through the lens of that specific person's view. Kind of like that saying, there's your side, their side and the truth. So by letting the reader know not to believe everything you have read it lets them look at these characters as the flawed individuals they are and not the mythical idea of who they are. Make sense?

First meeting Lucifer, who owns a wild nightclub. This sounds a bit familiar, but all is forgiven when we meet "Lucy" and realize she's "a woman of all things". I died reading that line. I like how much fun Lucy reads here, and I'm certainly expecting their to be some interesting history between the Angel and Devil. These two are written so well when there together that there's no way for them not to have history. Eventually, the duo leave and Lucifer orders Cobalt, her bar bouncer to kill them. He winds up letting them go, and the readers learn that Cobalt works for someone called Azreal.

HAHA! Believe it or not, at this point when writing the Pilot, I had never seen a single episode of the television show Lucifer. I will say that my Lucifer's original club was more of a strip club with a dark underbelly more than a club-club like in the show Lucifer. Lucifer and Eve definitely have a past which is explored in future episodes. The thing about Cobalt is she works for no one but herself. She makes alliances that suit her, but she is definitely a girl out for herself. When it comes to Azrael, it's not that she works for him, as much as Azrael kind of controls Paradise, so she has no choice but to work for him.

Their encounter leads them to Reign and the Box of Echoes at his apartment. I'm not sure it's ever made clear what exactly he is? Is he a warrior? Angel? Was he something else? We get some amazing exposition, I love how much thought you put into everything. Suddenly Diamond has a vision that a Demon is attacking his sister's school having a possessed friend, and Amelia and a young student Danny are in trouble at the school and Azreal who is a council member for the Angel has no intention of saving them.

This is where the team comes together, Eve vows to protect Amelia if the council will not. Though Azreal arrives telling Eve that her job is to stop the demon not save the girl. Despite this Eve has every intention to save Amelia. I think this is the only time I had any sort of problem with Eve. Maybe it's just cause it's the first time she ever seems to actually care about humans.

It's never really out right side, but Reign is Unbound like Eve and like Seth was. Eve's reasoning for caring is because of her own past. She's been in Aemilia's shoes so to speak, which is explored somewhat in this episode and the next few with her nightmares. So, Eve knows what Aemilia must be feeling and going through. That fear, you never really lose, hence the PTSD flashbacks.

The trio get teleported to the school by Azreal, just as Amelia attempts to fight off the demon on her own. The gang manages to shoot the demon which kills the host, but the demon itself "slithers away", I like how you described the demon as serpent-like, I think that's some wonderful originality, and is probably the most believe variation on demons I've ever read! I can't wait to see more of these guys. Amelia is left to mourn the loss of her colleague. But at least the team saved her and the boy. In the end Diamond in a way has exactly what he wanted. He knows the visions he was plagued with as a kid are all true. He has his sanity and finally feels like he's where he's meant to be, though him finding his own sanity may just have shattered his sisters. It's such a tragic and get parallel, and can't wait to see how it plays out! Afterward, a hooded figure awakens something dark and human, and the pilot comes to a close.

I wanted to play with the idea of the tempting Serpent in the Garden of Eden with Eve. That hooded figure at the end of the episode has made the Serpent flesh with a new face, as well as his two minions that attacked Seth and Reign. Now these monsters can hide in plain sight. It's true Diamond's gain is Aemilia's lose, but it had to happen. You see this as the episodes progress.

All in all, this is a great setup, and I hope you enjoy my rant but this was a long pilot. So I had tons of notes. You'll cash me reading episode two before long! 

Thanks again, Matthew for the review. I appreciate it.