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Post by Jack Malone on Apr 22, 2018 21:04:52 GMT -6
Hey guys,
I just wanted to make a post addressing the stuff in the news right now — without actually bringing the specifics of that into this thread. I started this whole thing as a labour of love for the character of Chloe Sullivan who is, and always will be, my favourite character from Television. Part of the fun on this site is injecting realism into it all by "casting" actors and actresses to play these characters (or, in a lot of instances, continue playing these characters). But with that comes adapting to real life events, such as Carrie Fisher's passing.
Due to the recent revelations in the news about Allison Mack, I'd have to mirror that in the writing by removing the character of Chloe Sullivan in the final season and continuing without her, rewrite what's been planned, or cancel the show and have the Season 4 finale be the series finale. But the truth is, I really want to finish this story the way it was intended to be finished.
As I said before, this was always about the character of Chloe Sullivan, and blending her into a DC universe that I love. There isn't a Watchtower without Chloe Sullivan and there couldn't be a final season without her. A choice between detaching from real-world events and finishing the story versus cancelling it wasn't a super easy one but I hope you guys can understand the choice I have made and hopefully enjoy this last season with me.
I wasn't going to post about this but I figured it'd come up eventually. If you guys did want to talk more about the specifics of what's going on, then I'm happy to talk in the PM's. I'm just not comfortable bringing the weight of that situation into the conversation here.
All the best, Jack.
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Post by Jack Malone on Apr 22, 2018 20:45:15 GMT -6
So I just foudn this series by mistake and I'm hooked! Cannot wait for season 5! Haha, thanks! I hope the earlier seasons aren't too much of a struggle to read.
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Post by Jack Malone on Apr 18, 2018 5:06:16 GMT -6
Lana coming back? Yay . Her scenes with Oliver were a smart choice smallville made during S8 I wish they had did more of them. The dynamic is amazing and I want more of Aunt Lana visiting Archer. Also, has question.....who knows about Hope? I'm sure Chloe told Clark or hell maybe even Lana...I hope.haha To be honest, I haven't laid the ins and outs of who might know about Hope. So I don't want to say anything in case I change my mind. But as of now, I've sort of just had it in my head that only Chloe knows. Technically, Hope is Archer. Oliver only ever knows about having a son. All of Chloe's friends and family only remember her having a son. But because Hope was Chloe's destiny, and Hope wanted to give Chloe that assurance and that fulfilment of knowing her destiny and knowing her, Hope still kind of exists as she was to Chloe. I like that it's more attached to her than anyone else and probably won't change that — in regards to Season 5 starting and Oliver, or Clark, or Lana, or anyone talking about Hope, having learned about that off-screen. If they were to find out, it'd be in a episode that happens this season, you know? And there'll definitely be a Hope episode this season!
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Post by Jack Malone on Mar 27, 2018 22:21:20 GMT -6
Exclusive: Kristin Kreuk's Lana Lang Returns for the Final Season of 'Watchtower!'
Producers promised that the final season of 'Watchtower' would involve the entire series regular cast in some capacity, and it would appear that they're delivering on that promise. VSGuide has learned exclusively that former series regular star, Kristin Kreuk, is set to make an appearance as fan-favourite Lana Lang in the third episode of the final season, titled 'Martyr.'
Joining the main cast in the fourth season, Lana resurfaced as an agent of ARGUS, looking for a purpose outside of the organisation - a purpose she later found in Katherine Kane's (Deborah Ann Woll) Saviour Foundation. After losing her powers, but winning the war against Maxwell Lord (Gil Bellows) and Checkmate, Lana left Gotham behind to embark on a new adventure with Steve Trevor (Rick Cosnett), where they planned to travel the world and eventually settle down into the family they've always wanted. So where is she ten years later?
"Lana's current career choice is going to be quite the surprise, and possibly feel quite left-of-field, but it'll make so much sense once you see the bigger picture," series creator Jack Malone told VSGuide, "She surfaces in a really interesting way [in episode 3] and it's a really nice way to establish where she's at in her life right now, what her life looks like, and how things have evolved for her in the span of ten years." While initially suggesting that it would be nothing more than a cameo appearance, Malone let slip that the actress would be in at least two scenes, one of which is shared alongside Justin Hartley. "There's something about the dynamic between Lana and Oliver that just makes me keep linking the two of them up and you'll get to see that again this season."
In a season devoted to legacy, it begs the question of what that looks like for every character - especially those that have been with the show and its universe for a long time. So does this new career choice define Lana's legacy?
"Not really," Malone responded with a laugh, "I feel like this career choice is more circumstantial and something she fell into, and it can only be understood once you see what it is and how it came to be. In terms of legacy, it's definitely leaving a mark on history but it's not really what she was born to do." And that would be? "Imra talked of a great destiny for Lana Lang, and for me, that was something that took a while to figure out. She had superpowers, she was saving children and protecting families from the League of Assassins in Mulhima, and she became a force of good for the ARGUS organisation that played its role in saving Gotham and stopping Maxwell Lord -- but I still felt like there was a legacy missing. We'll come to learn that the Saviour Foundation carries a lot more significance to her and might just be what Imra was talking about for Lana's purpose."
This marks Kreuk's first appearance of the season, but most likely not her last. "I don't think I'm 100% ready to say goodbye to Lana Lang just yet and hopefully there's people out there who feel the same way," Malone admitted, hopeful to bring the character back for more appearances in the final season, "There's nothing written in stone just yet - so I try to add a little something just in case it is a swan song - but I'm sure she'll pop back up before the curtains close."
Kreuk is expected to appear in the third episode of Season 5. Let us know your thoughts of her return below!
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Post by Jack Malone on Mar 19, 2018 19:54:32 GMT -6
REVIEW: "With Every Sun Rise"
This episode had me initially quite mixed — it started off rather slow with way too familiar story beats, but eventually progressed into new, game-changing territory for the show that not only tightened up some storylines I wasn't too interested in, but also set the season up into an interesting trajectory. I was actually quite impressed with how the episode turned out.
First up, I wanted to talk about my favourite aspect of the episode and that was the subplot with Courtney and Micah. As I said, this episode was initially plagued with painfully familiar story beats (most notably from The Vampire Diaries) and so when the episode had Micah confront Courtney in class about her being a witch, it shifted gears into a new, more exciting territory. And I really liked their dynamic. One thing I've noticed is that the dialogue of these characters can sound quite immature at times and so it was nice to see Courtney paired up with an older character of authority because it eased a lot of those issues I had. Her practising magic, and the way it culminated with the climax of the other story beats, was done really well. But the big twist came in at the end when we found out Micah was reluctantly working with Evelyn — an instant favourite of mine — and his mission is to teach Courtney to be competent enough in magic so that she can perform some big ol' spell for Evelyn. I just thought that was a really great twist that added even more relevancy to Courtney's journey. And then, of course, for Courtney, that journey takes a quick pivot when she finds Phoebe at episode's end dead (but not dead). It was firing on all cylinders for her story in this episode.
There was some development in the Mal/Bradley/Vanessa triangle in this episode which I actually appreciated. When the episode started, it touched on this sort of drama quite immediately and I wasn't really here for it, haha. It just felt so detached and — again — way too familiar. But what saved it for me was the moment when Evelyn visited Vanessa in the hospital and recruited her as part of her plan. I thought it was actually kind of genius to do that because it added relevancy to their drama that, on the surface, looked quite filler and unimportant to the rest of what's going on. Now, it has a sense of significance and urgency about it. I like that in this recruitment, Vanessa is promised Bradley forever, and that they'll kill Mal. I'm eager to see where this goes.
Speaking of Evelyn, I appreciate how much effort you've put in to establishing her as this huge threat. I particularly liked the scene where she's with the public worker and he's done all that was required of him but she STILL kills him. It just shows us how evil she truly is. I liked the back and forth between her and Brock and how she was trying to control him throughout the episode. Brock actually made for a pretty decent conflict for Phoebe to go up against, and I like that he went rogue from Evelyn. And even though everything went to shit, the script made it seem like it was all part of Evelyn's plan anyway. I'm quite excited to see what that big plan is and how it all comes together and what this "darkness underneath" is.
The biggest problem with this episode came from the two leads — Phoebe and Clark — and their romance. I'm pretty disappointed in the handling of their romance, to be honest. It's not only been rushed into romance in the matter of a few scenes, but it's actually felt quite forced at times, too. I know it's going to sound funny to use a "it's just not realistic" justification for the criticism (considering this is a show about vampires and witches), but there were so many times throughout the episode where Phoebe and Clark said something that I feel like two people who just met each other would not say. I also think the dynamics shifted so much from the pilot to here. This episode delved into Phoebe being the one with a "tragic past" (instead of Clark) and suddenly Clark was able to talk lightly about his parents being dead with Phoebe being a little inward about the things she's been through. Clark seemed to carry more of a burden in the pilot which made him feel more like the mysterious one, yet the whole episode had him talk to Phoebe like she had "secrets" which, as the audience, we know she's a vampire but there hadn't really been anything said or done prior to that to make Clark see her as some big mystery. And then to sort of force these lines where they're already talking like they're in a relationship but have known each other for like a hot second -- it was just kind of jarring to read. Considering they're the main leads and I'm sure their romance/connection is one of the most important aspects of the show, I wish it was starting from a stronger foundation and didn't feel so shoehorned in. I almost feel like they'll be dropping L-bombs in the span of two episodes or something, haha. Obviously, what's done can't be undone, so I hope that as the season progresses, and the show as a whole, the relationships and dynamics develop at a better pace even if the plot is moving rapidly. I think it's important for us to be invested in these characters and this relationship, not because the show tells us we should be invested but because its taken the time to create that investment.
Other things to note:
- I liked the flashes we got from Courtney reading that book. Simultaneously, loved the same thing we got with Clark reading his family journals. They're both kind of on the precipice of discovering their destinies and that's exciting to see play out. - Sarah unmasked Chloe as the hunter, and she knows she's a vampire??? Why do I feel like Chloe is gonna die now? - The epilogue didn't really work again this week. I feel like they need to either be more than half a page, or something bigger than the cliffhanger that precedes it. I'm sure it'll feel like a more relevant addition to the episodes as the season goes on. - I actually kind of liked Mal/Bradley reconnecting -- the whole "and THIS is going to be my biggest mistake" that prefaced their kiss was a nice touch.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on "With Every Sun Rise." I know I left on a criticism there, but I did enjoy the episode. I think the second half just took off in a way that was really exciting, and it ended on a series of twists that I absolutely loved and did it's job in tying a lot of these threads together. Looking forward to when I have time to sit down and read/review episode three!
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Post by Jack Malone on Mar 11, 2018 3:16:56 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Mission"
I don't even really know how to start this review without just diving straight into everything that went down with Debbie Knox in this episode, and so forgive me for not being more structured and easing a little better into this episode's review, but I'm so impressed by, and invested in, this arc for Debbie with Chosen, and what this episode did was offer a lot of pay-off to the slow-burn nature of her story from the beginning of the season, in a way that we don't often see happening outside of a season finale. And it all feels so precise and perfectly planned out. You ended Season 1 with her being kidnapped, and you've taken us on a journey where she's being initiated into this organisation and having her family threatened and held against her — while showing the Knox Triplets adjust and adapt to a world without their mother — and then when Debbie is forced to take all that knowledge and training and fulfil a mission for Chosen as an agent, she's a door apart from her old life, and so close to her children and her freedom, only to have her "die" by episode's end. From the suspense, to the high stakes action of the mission, and finally the emotion of it all -- it just fired on all cylinders and those story beats hit at all the right times. I'm really hoping, and have a feeling, that the "death" was just a move on Chosen's part to convince the Knox Triplets that she had died, and that this is all a huge fake-out. I think it would be an absolute shame for Debbie's story to end there. Regardless, I really admire and appreciate how you've told this story and what this episode did in kind of allowing the disjointed nature of Debbie's arc initially to carry so much more weight and have that pay-off that I think it needed sooner rather than later, and this was just the perfect time to see her out on a mission and be swept back up in the action of it all.
As for the premise of the episode (and the mission itself), I thought it was a really strong plot and conflict. It was nice to see Shela and Debbie out in the field and trying to figure out — in the moment — how to act and respond to what was going on. There was a lot of pressure on them, and it really intensified their scenes. I loved the whole sequence with the trucks, and I particularly loved the point in the story where they were being "Agent Welling" and "Agent Kane." It was just a lot of fun.
The other really big thing that sold this episode and elevated the whole thing was The Emerald. This whole storyline has just pulled a lot of things in for me and how I view the show because it's starting to feel like the world is growing and expanding to be a superhero series, rather than an amalgamation of different genres. And it's an aspect I feel like Season 2 is really nailing, especially with Fred and Lucy's storyline as well. I have a stronger sense of the show now and there's all these arcs that just have so much potential and have built this world up. Specifically, with The Emerald, I liked her slow integration into the story and I don't think this episode would have worked as well if there wasn't that subplot of Chosen controlling the narrative and trying to frame The Emerald as the one that wanted to kill The Mayor. You have a way of really balancing your stories, and it's a quality I admire so much — these threads of story are all kind of dangling out there in these first few episodes, and as the season goes along, you stitch them together and give them continued relevance and allow us to see things differently. The fact that The Emerald could play an important role in Debbie/Shela's arc in this episode was proof of that and I look forward to seeing the bigger picture of the season, with this vigilante, with Chosen, and with SANO Pharmaceuticals, all coming together.
Elsewhere in the episode, I really liked ACT ONE and how it showed us a series of scenes of the Triplets, Fred and Lucy training in their chosen fields. The introduction of this "super human safe room" was a nice touch and I think it was a nice little development that I'd love to see more of, especially because it's a tool you can use throughout the show from here on out to show Clark, Janice and Sara getting stronger, and justify any improvements they'll have and/or need going forward. I think it also helps in not having to force "training" sequences into your story if you don't really want to waste large chunks of an episode on that and can instead see Clark, Janice and Sara finishing up in the training room, or simply talking about it, because we can now visualise what that entails. I know I'm not a huge fan of writing training sequences unless its quick and snappy, and so this allows you to have more fun with it but also work around it. So I'm happy to see it brought in.
Following on from that, I really loved the Elise/Lucy training sequence. I think Lucy's perspective was tapped into so well, and I found it adorable that she was feeling inadequate because she hadn't reached ninja-agent-level yet. Sometimes characters and their personalities can get lost in forming them into badasses and I just appreciate the care you're taking with these characters (like Debbie and Lucy) in preserving their personality and humanity despite offering them storylines that are making them stronger.
Lastly, I liked the follow up on Ryan. He's really shady to me. But I do get the sense that there's a veil to be lifted here, you know? I feel like it's not going to be some deep, dark reveal that paints him into an enemy or a threat that needs to be taken care of, but rather a character with his own motivations who is keeping that a secret. I could be wrong. I have been plenty of times. But either way, it's nice to see that level of sneakiness, and I like that Dr. Rivers maintains a level of importance on the show despite being a one-season character. I think I mentioned being a little disappointed in him being killed off and voiced some fears that he would just fade into the background, so I'm happy to see that he's still involved some way — both with Ashlock's little arc at the beginning of the season, and now Ryan's connection to him.
While I'm on that topic, I really love these mysteries this season. I hope it's something you keep in the DNA of the show. I like The Emerald, Ryan being shady af, this whole subplot about SANO Pharmaceuticals -- it compliments the show and the genre so well and you're doing a great job of it.
All in all, probably one of my favourite episodes of the series so far — as long as Debbie isn't really dead, of course. I keep saying this, but I'm so glad I decided to read The Super Teens, and even though I did really enjoy the first season, I understand what you mean when you said you really hit your stride in Season 2. Things feel really structured and precise and I love seeing things piece together. I think the pacing of it all is really impressive, too. Hopefully when I read the next episode, my crushing grief will ease and Debbie will be a-okay.
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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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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 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 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 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 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 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 Jack Malone on Feb 11, 2018 11:59:58 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Into The Dark"
I just wanted to leave some quick thoughts on the series premiere. Obviously, we've lived with the pilot for a while now, going through the stages for pick-up, so you already know a lot of my thoughts on "Into The Dark." Similarly to what Matt said, there are a lot of familiar tropes and parallel story beats and character archetypes from The Vampire Diaries, but part of what made me want to pick this show up was that it did seem to tell a different story — one about "forbidden love" in the realm of a vampire and a hunter. And the series premiere does a really great job of establishing that connection between the main protagonists, Phoebe and Clark, while setting up the thing that could inevitably break them.
One detail I really loved about the Phoebe/Clark story in the premiere was the through-line of touch and how their hands barely grazed each other throughout, and there was almost this longing that they couldn't quite explain, and then the episode ended with them finally holding hands. I just thought that was a really creative way of establishing that there's something more here.
I do often have problems with Phoebe's characterisation because she's 200 years old but it sometimes feels lost or forgotten and she's written as though she really is seventeen years old — but not in a "trying to fool people" kind of way. I hate to be the person that sides with the male lead over the female lead, but Clark just hooked me in quicker and I think I do have quite a vampire fatigue from all the Buffy's and the Angel's, and the True Blood's and, of course, The Vampire Diaries. So him being from a bloodline of hunters just excites me more, and I think it's that potential conflict that could drive a stake (badum tss) through the heart of this love story that has me most hyped up for this show. The repeated themes of Romeo and Juliet and tragedies — while a little too on the nose — just foreshadowed a lot of really great things to come, and I hope the show follows through with these ideas in hopefully new and creative ways.
There isn't really anything else that I can elaborate too much on. I felt like we met a lot of characters, and I need to settle in to all of them over the next few episodes to really address anything. In terms of impressions --
- I mean, I immediately didn't like Vanessa and kind of wished her whole subplot of "you cheated on me" was just cut from the premiere, haha. - Courtney seems pretty interesting, more-so because there are hints of her being more than meets the eye, but she had a nice dynamic with Phoebe that sold me on her too. - Bennett had some awkward moments that were endearing. - I appreciated the attempt to make Kate a character that we liked before killing her off, but it all kind of went down the drain for me when the bulk of her role in this episode was being super high at a party — not that I'm judging, it just wasn't doing anything for me. - Bradley seems like he'll be the typical "I'm an a**hole" character that redeems his image as the show goes on. I wish it was more subtle, though, if that is in fact the case because having him actually justify his behaviour as "I'm a dick" is a level of self awareness that just didn't seem realistic to me. If we're suggesting he's a dick just to be a dick and there's nothing underneath that at all, then it's pretty limiting where he can go as a character, and his interactions with Mal made it seem like there was more to him, so I hope the latter is true. - Chloe had a nice dynamic with Clark. I feel like she has the potential to be a really great character so I'm interested in seeing where things go for her. Hopefully it's not her death that triggers the "Hunter" calling in Clark. - I liked how you referred back to the episode opener with Brock now being turned at episode's end. It just impressed me to see that structured out so well and to see that there was more significance behind that opening.
As for the antagonist, I'm excited to see where things progress with Evelyn and what her goals are in all of this. She referred to Phoebe as her "little sister" so that's obviously something — and I love that this is a threat that will clearly have a lot of history behind it, and will most likely be personal. I think that's the perfect type of threat for a first season.
The epilogue felt a little tacked on at the end and I'm not sure if it was completely necessary. I'm not really sure what to make of it. But I love a good mystery, so I guess we'll see where that goes in the coming episodes!
All in all, it's a pretty solid start to a series. I feel like there's a lot of pieces on the board you established in this episode, and the fun is going to be seeing how those stitch together throughout the season. The through-line of it all was Clark and Phoebe, their stories as individual characters with their own history/past, but also their burgeoning love story that is bound to happen. And I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. Personally, I'm more excited about the Adams, and the Hunter side of things, so I hope we see more of that sooner rather than later. Good luck with the series, Brian. It's nice to see you back airing on theVPN!
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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 Jack Malone on Jan 31, 2018 6:14:23 GMT -6
Only just noticed there was a preview scene attached to the photo. I love that scene -- there's so much foreshadowing about Clark and Phoebe, and where the show could go. Can't wait for the premiere, Brian!
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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 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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