Buffybot ,'Dirty Girls'
[NAFDA] "There will be an occasional happy, so that it might be crushed under the boot of the writer." From Zorro to Angel (including Wonderfalls and The Inside), this is where Buffistas come to anoint themselves in the bloodbath.
That's what I meant, Matt.
Strega, it makes act threes kinda like act fours with a re-boot in the middle. In other words, the end of act two for me usually turns the story in a new direction, the end of three is jeopardy. If I drag jeopardy to the end of two, but make it story turning jeopardy, that kind of gives the whole second half a new momentum. Or something.
Figuring out Sahjahn's plan in advance is more than nice work, considering we had no idea what the fuck he was doing.
It made sense in the end though. That's all that matters.
I find the dynamics of the team interesting. They're not a typical "hotshot" squad, and Web's a bastard to whom they don't seem particularily loyal, and they don't seem to have that much stakes in each other. So why are they there? Career prestige? Personal damage? Paul's motivation seems to be a need to keep an eye on Web, but what about Mel and Danny? Where do they fit in?
So basically the intent is to build a narrative in which you appear like you're writing a slow acceleration to end at the 45 minute mark (with commercials), and instead of a denouement, you pick up the flow after it shifts into a lower gear and starts the ramping again?
I thought I was Paul.Does he have a pink kitchen?
Now I'm kind of in love with that image.
Strega, you figured out Sahjahn's plan?I did! Because I rule! Well, it took a while. But at some point it struck me that someone who travelled through time could screw around with prophecies, and then I got very excited.
Tim, shh. But see, when y'all improvised, it worked out really well! Planning is for wusses.
She's saying Brandt must have let her out, but she's got skills locked up inside she's not even aware of, much less someone like Paul. Web knows, though. He's just waiting for her to harness it with her own awareness.
I think Brandt did let her out, and I really don't want Rebecca to be a treasure trove of hidden superspy powers. Obviously as she gains experience in the field, she'll learn not to make as many recklessly idiotic judgement calls (which in turn will lead to her making fewer mistakes, at which point she'll get cocky and make even more recklessly idiotic judgement calls, and so on). Maybe I'm not understanding what you mean by "skills," but I can see her skating dangerously close to Mary Sue territory if she gets much smarter.
but I also think that if you set up a mystery, some portion of the audience should figure it out. If you're playing fair, anyway.
Absolutely true. Otherwise, it won't hold up on rewatch. Of course, personally, I don't value surprise much as a storytelling tool (which is why I seek out spoilers). A story that works will work with or without the HSQ, and this one definitely did. I didn't figure it out until the locked drawer, but I felt like I should have gotten it earlier.
LOVED this ep, btw. Just a beautifully beautifully crafted script.
Also, I assumed Rebecca had sent the page until Web started asking Paul about it.
I think Brandt did let her out
Ditto. I love the idea that when he heard genuine fear and panic, he wigged out.
I got irked at Paul when they were doing the reinactment thing and he said Rebecca fought back -- like he was trying to protect her from Web. Or he thought that she fought back, which made no sense, it would have been a major turn on to see her fighting back (if Brandt was who they thought he was) and Paul should have, at least, gotten that.
Maybe I'm not understanding what you mean by "skills,"
Perhaps skills is the wrong word. I'm thinking of those people who lift up cars under extreme duress to save someone because it's needed, the adreneline gets going and shit just happens. You don't necessarily know how you did it, you just know that you did.
However, I think I have to agree with you when I think back over some of the dialogue and what you say. Brandt had never seen real fear, it scared him and he really didn't want to hurt Rebecca. I think he thought she could handle it because "FBI cookies" (but she's still cookie dough), but then it turned out she couldn't and he freaked.