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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 29, 2018 7:31:29 GMT -6
Exclusive: Jeri Ryan Returns As Vicki's Aunt
Veronica Vale for a Multi-Episode Arc on 'Watchtower!'
There's no Gotham City without a Vale involved! VSGuide has learned exclusively that Jeri Ryan ('Star Trek: Voyager') is set to reprise her role as Veronica Vale in the upcoming fifth and final season of 'Watchtower.' The character, last seen and introduced in the Season 4 finale, is said to be part of a major multi-episode arc spanning at least the first half of the season.
In her debut episode, viewers learned that Veronica was the identical twin sister of Vicki's (Yvonne Strahovski) mother, Vanessa. She had come to Gotham to give Bruce (Christian Bale) a collection of old tapes and belongings of Vicki from her childhood, in which she revealed that outside of losing her sister and her niece, she also lost her husband to cancer. And while her presence in Gotham seemed temporary, and extremely circumstantial, it seems the last remaining Vale was here to stay.
"It was important to me that the final season continued to honour the character of Vicki Vale, and that both her presence and her loss was still felt despite the story picking up ten years into the future, and twelve years after the fact," series creator, Jack Malone told VSGuide, "Veronica Vale is an extension of that, and she's a really fascinating character that's going to hopefully hook people into a really great storyline for [Season 5]." In terms of what fans can expect, the showrunner didn't want to give too much away, telling VSGuide that, "The thing about this time jump is that we're returning to a period where we don't really know much about anyone anymore and figuring those things out as we step back into this world, and as Chloe steps back into this world, is part of the fun." I guess we'll just have to wait.
One question that we posed was whether or not a family member of Vicki's will elicit any flashbacks of the fallen hero this season, to which the 'Watchtower' creator told us: "It's possible. I mean, you'll definitely see the whole 'Watchtower' cast involved this season, and that obviously includes Yvonne [Strahovski]. It's on the bucket list."
Ryan is expected to appear in the season opener, titled 'Home' and will recur throughout the season.
So, what kind of role do you see Veronica playing in Season 5? What storyline do you expect to see her involved in? And do you hope to see some flashbacks of Vicki this season? Let us know!
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2018 0:32:30 GMT -6
Some minor spoilers, and an episode title revealed for the second episode of the season. Episode #5-02: "Compromised"Written by: Jack Malone Produced by: The VPN UPDATED 29/01/2018
— Episode title revealed as 'Compromised.'
— This episode marks the first appearance of Lucius Fox (Charles Michael Davis), who did not appear in the season premiere.
— Chloe (Allison Mack) learns about the serious threats Gotham is facing.
— Producers told VSGuide that "a lot has happened in ten years, and returning to these characters after that much time puts a question mark on everyone's head. While we get a taste of where everyone's at in the season opener, it's in [episode two] where we'll learn who we can still trust." Can't wait Jack.  I hope there is a reason why Lucius wasn't in the premiere. Let's not hope because his husband died 🙄 Also status on the opening credits? Pretty Please. What's Helenas storyline going to look like this season? |
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 30, 2018 1:25:31 GMT -6
I hope there is a reason why Lucius wasn't in the premiere. Let's not hope because his husband died 🙄 The episode just couldn't fit everyone in it. There's very little of anyone in the premiere outside of Chloe, as we're reintroduced to everything and everyone through her eyes. She didn't cross paths with Lucius, and that's the only reason he wasn't in the premiere. Originally, Renee wasn't going to pop up until the second episode as well, but she wiggled her way in Haven't started on them just yet, sorry!  I'm a little reluctant at the moment to talk about the main characters and where they are -- just because the premiere relies so heavily on having no knowledge, and seeing it all through Chloe's eyes, and I'm worried the premiere won't work as well if I list off what everyone's going to be up to. So there's a little mystery about everyone heading into Season 5 and I want to keep that there until the premiere airs. So the main spoilers that will be coming out will most likely be about Chloe, the flashback storylines, and the peripheral and/or new characters (like Archer, and Renee). I'm excited to start revealing some of those characters over the coming weeks because it'll start to tell you what comic book storylines this season is based on, what kind of antagonists are involved this season, and maybe even point to clues about where certain characters are in the story when it picks up again (in the year 2028, mind you). So bear with me! An interesting tidbit for Helena, though, is that her last name is now "Kane." But that's already out there on the cast page, haha  |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2018 10:19:05 GMT -6
I hope there is a reason why Lucius wasn't in the premiere. Let's not hope because his husband died 🙄 The episode just couldn't fit everyone in it. There's very little of anyone in the premiere outside of Chloe, as we're reintroduced to everything and everyone through her eyes. She didn't cross paths with Lucius, and that's the only reason he wasn't in the premiere. Originally, Renee wasn't going to pop up until the second episode as well, but she wiggled her way in Haven't started on them just yet, sorry! I'm a little reluctant at the moment to talk about the main characters and where they are -- just because the premiere relies so heavily on having no knowledge, and seeing it all through Chloe's eyes, and I'm worried the premiere won't work as well if I list off what everyone's going to be up to. So there's a little mystery about everyone heading into Season 5 and I want to keep that there until the premiere airs. So the main spoilers that will be coming out will most likely be about Chloe, the flashback storylines, and the peripheral and/or new characters (like Archer, and Renee). I'm excited to start revealing some of those characters over the coming weeks because it'll start to tell you what comic book storylines this season is based on, what kind of antagonists are involved this season, and maybe even point to clues about where certain characters are in the story when it picks up again (in the year 2028, mind you). So bear with me! An interesting tidbit for Helena, though, is that her last name is now "Kane." But that's already out there on the cast page, haha Sounds good to me Also, can you tease how Bruce and Chloe seeing each other again is going to go? Because I'm just going to throw this out there: Chloe may have had a small hand in Vicki's death, but honestly it was going to happen to any of them. And had Vicki survived and someone else died he wouldn't have been a mess about it. Or at least not a big of one Also sidebar: They were fighting a war, casualties happen. Besides, Bruce needs to shut up. Him knowing wouldn't have solved anything, it probably would've pushed it up further. Or made a mistake that got someone else and Vicki killed. Besides, doesn't he know that Chloe is used to shouldering the burden on herself. Maybe it's just me but blaming Chloe for a death she couldn't stop, even though she tried, Fate is a fickle thing and I REALLY hope someone doesn't sugarcoat that shit this season. As sad as it is that Vicki's gone, Bruce's attitude toward Chloe and Alfred shows that he wasn't emotionally mature enough for that relationship with Vicki and he might need to give his brooding a rest. I'm assuming no one else blames Chloe for Vicki's death. Hell if that's the case Jayna should be pissed that Chloe got her brother killed. Sorry, this rant has been a long time coming since you ended S4 and I started rereading Watchtower for my big giant size review of the seasons. I honestly hope this season redeems Bruce in my eyes. Rant over officially |
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 31, 2018 0:09:55 GMT -6
Also, can you tease how Bruce and Chloe seeing each other again is going to go? Because I'm just going to throw this out there: Chloe may have had a small hand in Vicki's death, but honestly it was going to happen to any of them. And had Vicki survived and someone else died he wouldn't have been a mess about it. Or at least not a big of one Also sidebar: They were fighting a war, casualties happen. It's another thing I don't really want to give away. These spoilers are going to be a mess, haha. I will say that it's important to note that Chloe and Bruce haven't seen each other for twelve years. They haven't had a real conversation about Vicki, and what went down. Their relationship was severed from what happened. So any sort of reunion is going to be quite a big one. Hopefully it's not Bruce's funeral that brings her back to Gotham and they can repair their relationship. That's definitely an interesting perspective, though -- if it was anyone else, it wouldn't have been as big a deal to him. But I think that's true of everyone, really. I mean if it was Katherine, then Helena would be the most affected. If it was Oliver, it'd be Chloe. I'd just say not to judge people based on who they are when they're grieving, and hopefully someone's response to Vicki's death was more relatable for you because there were quite a few different perspectives and responses to losing her. Yeah, there's a whole slew of different "what if" possibilities for that situation. Bruce, having lost the woman he loved, would probably be going through all the "what ifs" that resulted in Vicki surviving, and that's his kind of mindset. I honestly loved writing their dynamic in Season 4 because it really did have a "Chloe vs Bruce" vibe to it with them not seeing eye to eye in the beginning, and Bruce wanting to work on his own and not have to rely on others, and seeing them clash was a lot of fun. They're the most fun to write in a scene together when they're standing on different sides, and so it only made sense that there would be conflict between them based on what went down and that it'd only fuel their opposing sides more. For me, I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" person in their situation. Chloe should have told everyone about what she knew — knowledge that was given to her so she could prepare for a big loss, of which Bruce wasn't given. And Bruce should have taken a step back to see the bigger picture outside of his own grief. I wouldn't say he blames Chloe for the death. That wasn't really a story beat or response in those episodes. With Chloe, it was more about her keeping this from him. I can't remember if I included it in the episode or not (it might have been a deleted scene) but I remember this idea of if Bruce did know then he'd probably have locked everyone he loves in some sort of cell and kept them out of the way during the war. It'd be like everyone was a prisoner because he didn't want them to get hurt, haha. So his response to Chloe's "prophecy" would have been batshit crazy (pun intended). And he and Alfred worked through everything before the season came to a close — of which Alfred did let Vicki leave and does blame himself to a certain degree. That was another tough perspective/dynamic to write. I was like "do I really want to destroy Alfred and Bruce's relationship?" But they figured it out, haha. They're good now. And you'll hear more from Alfred in Season 5. As for Bruce/Vicki, I don't think his grieving of her says anything about his emotional maturity. Chloe did keep things from him, and Alfred did disobey orders and send Vicki off to die. I don't think you have to choose one over the other, or write Bruce off as a bad guy in this because he lost the woman he loved and didn't respond in the best of ways. The thing with Bruce I wanted to do in Season 4, in his response to Vicki, was that she's up there in the realm of losing his parents. When he lost his parents, he lost his childhood. When he lost Vicki, he lost his future. And those hit very differently, but both very painfully. And I think it's the part of his origin story that descends him further into being Batman, rather than daydream about being able to settle down and have a family of his own. The "Bat-family" is his family now, and Batman is his life for the rest of his life. Haha, it's fine. I love reading a good rant. I think with Chloe, and her coming back to Gotham in Season 5, it's less about any blame for her part in Vicki's death (which she isn't really at fault for anything and no one, including Bruce, blamed her) and more about the fact that she's been gone for twelve years. The topic of Vicki still looms over everything, but its a shared grief, and a shared realisation that nothing has been the same since. Aw, I hope so, too! I'm so invested in these characters and their perspectives, I can't pick sides on them unless it's written to be really bad, haha. Hopefully whatever is in store for Bruce in Season 5 helps change your perspective of him into a more positive view — unless it's planned for him to be a total assh*le and I want you to hate him. We'll see, we'll see, haha! Thanks Karl! |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 3, 2018 20:13:28 GMT -6
Some more spoilers for the second episode of Season 5 Episode #5-02: "Compromised"Written by: Jack Malone Produced by: The VPN UPDATED 04/02/2018
— Vera Farmiga guest stars as 'Sarah Essen.' This will be her first episode of the season.
— An iconic DC Comics Batman villain will make their first appearance in this episode. It is believed they will play a major role in the upcoming season as one of the season's main antagonists.
— The flashback story in this episode will center around Gordon (Dylan Walsh) in his last year as the Mayor of Gotham.
UPDATED 29/01/2018
— Episode title revealed as 'Compromised.'
— This episode marks the first appearance of Lucius Fox (Charles Michael Davis), who did not appear in the season premiere.
— Chloe (Allison Mack) learns about the serious threats Gotham is facing.
— Producers told VSGuide that "a lot has happened in ten years, and returning to these characters after that much time puts a question mark on everyone's head. While we get a taste of where everyone's at in the season opener, it's in [episode two] where we'll learn who we can still trust." |
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 19, 2018 20:45:33 GMT -6
My god Season 5 Anything else you got to say? Because I for one want to see how the Bat-Family is looking 10 years later Also side note and totally random, but I miss your Faith series. It was something I wanted to see the endgame on.haha |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 22, 2018 5:40:36 GMT -6
It's been so much fun to write so far. I hope all the stories that are planned are worthy of a "final" season Production on this season is going to be slow because I've got Uni starting up and I've started a new job so my schedule has me busy 7 days a week. But there's decent breaks with Uni, and holidays so I'm hoping it won't be ridiculously slow. That said, I'm breaking the story for episode three right now. And this one is shaping up to be a big one for Archer. Title coming soon  The main idea for the time jump — other than having the liberty to end the stories how I want to end them and adding a sense of finality to it all — is the idea that the comic books take place during these ten years. So a lot of the Batman and Bat-Family stuff has grown and evolved and existed during that time, and obviously there's the Justice League out there now, and the Birds of Prey, and all that sort of comic book-y, source material stuff. We're coming back into the story through Chloe's eyes who hasn't been privy to all of what's been going on and we return to the final chapter of it all with her. So all those kind of aspects are going to be touched upon, whether we see it existing in present day, flashbacks, or it's just referenced. And there are a lot of references to different Batman and DC storylines in these first few episodes, two of which are REALLY BIG and you will get to see through flashbacks! But yes, I'm looking to post some more spoilers about characters, and episodes and all that soon. I feel like I shouldn't have opened a thread as soon as I did because now it's way too early to be posting huge stuff, but I wanted to get it all set up. *hides* I feel like if I went back to read over those episodes, I'd cringe so hard. I already want to go back and George Lucas the hell out of Watchtower (which I'll totally do once the final season is done). But no, all those initial virtual series were learning curves and helped me grow and get better at screenwriting so I can't completely hate them, haha. I don't remember having a specific endgame jotted down for Faith, but from memory, I had a really cool storyline for Robin in Season 2/3. Oh well. |
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Post by Alex Matthews on Feb 23, 2018 4:44:06 GMT -6
You've talked a lot about how this season is one of reflection, and that a lot of characters previously established will be returning, alongside all the newbies being introduced... So, I have to ask, will we be seeing some of my favourite villains back? I'm personally praying for the return of The Riddler - I loved his inclusion, and just wish it had been bigger. But I also hope to see more or Harley and Ivy together!  |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 23, 2018 23:46:06 GMT -6
You've talked a lot about how this season is one of reflection, and that a lot of characters previously established will be returning, alongside all the newbies being introduced... So, I have to ask, will we be seeing some of my favourite villains back? I'm personally praying for the return of The Riddler - I loved his inclusion, and just wish it had been bigger. But I also hope to see more or Harley and Ivy together! You'll definitely see some familiar villains back this season. I don't want to give away which ones just yet, but there's a good mix of familiar foes with the new threats that are coming in and a plot that allows the organic resurgence of them. In terms of the ones you've mentioned, I loved including that scene with The Riddler (adapted straight from the Hush comics) and he's always been a favourite Batman villain of mine, and I'm a big fan of Harley/Ivy and the Gotham City Sirens. So it's totally possible |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 24, 2018 2:38:03 GMT -6
Exclusive: Introducing Julie Madison — Actress Darby Stanchfield Joins 'Watchtower!' VSGuide has learned exclusively that Darby Stanchfield ('Scandal') has signed on to play the role of Julie Madison, one of the many comic book love interests of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). In the comics, Julie Madison is a socialite / actress who becomes engaged to Bruce for a short period of time, but is unaware of his identity as The Batman. Prior to Stanchfield's stint as the character, Julie Madison was first portrayed by Elle Macpherson in the 19997 film 'Batman and Robin.'
In 'Watchtower,' Julie is one of the most successful lawyers in Gotham, and one of Batman's most reliable allies, responsible for putting many of his greatest enemies behind bars. Audiences will meet her quite early on in the season premiere where she crosses paths with Chloe (Allison Mack) at a funeral and introduces her to a shocking conspiracy surrounding the death of a major character.
"Our series began with Chloe bumping into Bruce and being sucked into this world of Gotham, and [Season 5] very much parallels that with Chloe bumping into Julie," series creator Jack Malone told VSGuide, "Julie sets Chloe on a path of figuring out what and/or who is exactly behind the death of an old friend, and whether people believe her or not, she's just as determined to expose and take down this threat as any other hero in Gotham would be if they knew the truth."
As for what that conspiracy might be — Malone told VSGuide that "comic book fans may be able to figure it out from certain posters and certain hints already but for those that haven't got it yet, I'll spill the beans on that one sooner rather than later."
Speaking of the comics, the 'Watchtower' creator wouldn't give a clear answer as to whether or not the relationship between Julie and Bruce would be adapted onto the show, telling us "It's something that gets addressed almost immediately [in the season premiere] when you meet Julie." And in regards to the character's occupation — who is a lawyer instead of an actress — the showrunner explained, "There was more purpose in bringing in a character that was responsible for putting so many of Batman's villains behind bars, and the character does have a comic book history of being a law student, so I wanted to play around with that more than anything. I will say, though, that there's a nice twist involved with Julie that definitely nods towards that side [an actress] of the character."
Stanchfield is expected to appear in the first two episodes of the season, with an option to recur throughout Season 5.
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Post by Alex Matthews on Feb 24, 2018 4:10:25 GMT -6
Ohhh, intrigued! Love a good conspiracy!! I have had suspicions on who might be the unlucky one, not sure if they're well-founded though...
Question: Not sure if this has been addressed, but having Chloe as E-i-C of the "Vale Verity", can we assume that Veronica has some kind of work relationship with Chloe, or is the blog/paper named after Vicky?
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 24, 2018 6:01:48 GMT -6
Ohhh, intrigued! Love a good conspiracy!! I have had suspicions on who might be the unlucky one, not sure if they're well-founded though... I think the extent of my response to any guesses will just have to be "hmm interesting," hahaha! This season is inspired by a lot of different comic book storylines and I want to make a post soon just kind of listing them and talking about how they'll be adapted because I think it'll give us more to talk about in these threads since I'm a little hush-hush about all the regulars. It's certainly more related to honouring Vicki. I liked the name because outside of honouring Vicki, "Verity" means truth, and "Vale" is close to "Veil" and so it's " cover truth" — which news blogs/papers do. So that's where it all kind of came from, but there's a photo of Vicki on the wall in Chloe's office, and it's very much recognised as something in her name. Vicki's death has sort of been the trigger for everyone to embark on their "destiny" and that's something we'll get to see in Season 5. It was the precursor to everything and it's affected everyone. For Chloe, that was leaving Gotham, moving to Star City, raising her son and becoming an Editor in Chief of her own paper. And it being named after Vicki is just a recognition of her role in all of it. As for Veronica, her storyline is very much in Gotham (whereas Chloe and the Vale Verity are in Star City). So we don't meet her until we follow Chloe into Gotham and get back into that atmosphere. The second episode kind of shows which characters she has history with, and who she has established relationships with, and it all starts to unfold from there. Again, part of the fun for this season is that there is a question mark on everyone, so I apologise for being hella vague about it. Once the premiere airs, it'll be far less painful, hahaha. |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 24, 2018 7:45:45 GMT -6
An episode title revealed, and a small list of spoilers to follow for episode three! Episode #5-03: "Martyr"Written by: Jack Malone Produced by: The VPN UPDATED 25/02/2018
— Episode title revealed as 'Martyr.'
— Producers revealed that the third episode of the season will be a big one for the character of Archer Sullivan-Queen (Jace Norman), who will have his own important journey and story to tell in the final season. "There's always some type of catalyst that triggers a hero's journey, and [episode three] offers that to Archer."
— A series of flashbacks will tell the story of why Chloe (Allison Mack) has kept her past as Watchtower a secret from Archer, and explore her hesitancy to have Oliver (Justin Hartley) train him.
— Archer will have his own version of the "wall of weird."
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Post by Alex Matthews on Feb 24, 2018 14:52:15 GMT -6
Hmm, I wonder if Archer will take on the mantle of 'Red Arrow', or maybe be another 'Speedy'..? I'm really looking forward to reading Archer's perspective of the world - this is a kid who, presumably, knows his dad is/was a 'superhero', depending on where things stand 12 years on from Vicki's death. Even if he doesn't, though, he's still grown up in a world where "superheroes vs supervillains" is part of every-day life, the Justice League saves the world on a regular basis and aliens walk among the people of the Earth. I wonder what will constitute 'weird' for him..? I've also noticed today the 'tagline' for this season - now, "No Man's Land" was one of the first Batman storylines I ever read - I remember borrowing it from my local library several times to keep re-reading it. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you interpret that storyline into the VPNDCU! |
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 24, 2018 20:08:20 GMT -6
Hmm, I wonder if Archer will take on the mantle of 'Red Arrow', or maybe be another 'Speedy'..? I'm really looking forward to reading Archer's perspective of the world - this is a kid who, presumably, knows his dad is/was a 'superhero', depending on where things stand 12 years on from Vicki's death. Even if he doesn't, though, he's still grown up in a world where "superheroes vs supervillains" is part of every-day life, the Justice League saves the world on a regular basis and aliens walk among the people of the Earth. I wonder what will constitute 'weird' for him..? I've also noticed today the 'tagline' for this season - now, "No Man's Land" was one of the first Batman storylines I ever read - I remember borrowing it from my local library several times to keep re-reading it. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you interpret that storyline into the VPNDCU! Alex, I'm going to need you to hurry with the M:SCU, because you and Watchtower nee d a crossover. Both shows have earned it.haha |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 24, 2018 22:35:16 GMT -6
Hmm, I wonder if Archer will take on the mantle of 'Red Arrow', or maybe be another 'Speedy'..? Time to throw in my first "hmm interesting" of the season, hahaha I can't wait for you guys to meet him in the premiere. He's definitely been raised in the age of heroes. He was read that story of Superman (the Smallville comic) since he was a kid and that's something that gets touched upon. There's a really great line in the premiere where Archer talks about knowing the Justice League, and Superman, and that his father is Green Arrow, and all these things that he obviously would have grown up knowing, but it's Chloe who has kept her identity as "Watchtower" in the past and away from Archer. As for the "wall of weird" thing, it's his version of it — so it's not a wall of "the weird and unexplained" but rather something he's investigating and that's taken up as much of his interest as the "weird and unexplained" took up Chloe's as a teenager. Hopefully you like what I do with that storyline. |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 24, 2018 22:43:39 GMT -6
Alex, I'm going to need you to hurry with the M:SCU, because you and Watchtower nee d a crossover. Both shows have earned it.haha There isn't any room for a crossover. Plus it'd be kind of hard what with Season 5 taking place in 2028, haha! |
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